Crime fiction

I hate conflict of any kind. I go so far as to take the pickles and tomatoes off my burger rather than ask for them to be held, thus ensuring there is no mistake for me to point out later (or more than likely not point out at all). That doesn't stop conflict from occurring regularly. It has been around every corner since I was a child, always waiting to turn.

Crime author Peter Robinson, best known for his Inspector Banks novels, has died aged 72 after a brief illness.

The writer passed away on 4th October 2022, his publisher Hodder announced on 7th October.

Why do some murder mysteries sell more copies than others? There are countless possible explanations. I'd like to focus on one: the impossibility of the murder. Perhaps the most recognizable example of an impossible murder is the locked-room mystery. But there are infinite possibilities.  Read more

The average victim of a kidnapping is dead less than 48 hours from the point of abduction. Captivity is an unusual choice for a murderer, both in life and in fiction. It requires resources, introduces variables, and produces a bizarre form of intimacy. What scares us most about captivity-centered narratives is that they break the immediacy and predictability of even the grisliest murders.  Read more

According to Scottish crime fiction author Denise Mina, Glasgow- her hometown where she lives and works and gets around as a pedestrian and a bicyclist-is a city of brutal frankness where a thick skin is a necessity of life and it's very hard to feel special. "Glasgow," Denise says, "is a place where people come up and talk to you, ...  Read more