Blog
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The Cars of Fictional Detectives vs. Real Life
We’ve all seen it in British crime dramas—the brooding detective cruising the countryside in their iconic personal car. Think of Inspector Morse’s classic Jaguar Mk II, DI Lynley’s stately blue Bentley (on TV he has a Jensen Interceptor Mk II and then a Bristol 410), or even Vera’s old Land Rover Defender rattling along Northumberland’s…
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The Differences Between American and British Policing Terms
I’m a crime fiction author who writes British police procedurals. It’s my job to balance authenticity with entertainment. I believe I get it right most of the time. TV crime dramas are there to entertain us, too, and many of them do so. The viewer probably doesn’t even care if there are a few inaccuracies.…
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Crime Scene Management: Real vs. TV
We all love a good police procedural crime drama on TV. They make crime scene work look effortless and dramatic. Detectives swoop in, snapping on gloves (if you’re lucky), giving a show of caution as they gather evidence. The reality of crime scene management is far more rigorous and methodical, with strict guidelines to ensure…
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How Real Are Those TV Police Interviews?
(This is a follow-up from this article, which explains how interviews are carried out at a police station.) If you’ve ever watched a British crime drama, you’ve probably seen the scene a hundred times: a pair of gritty detectives show up on the doorstep of some crim’s flat, barely wait for the door to open,…
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DCI Dinescu: The Real Story of Romania’s Orphanages
In the Chichester Crime Mysteries, DCI Beniamin Dinescu, the main protagonist, was one of the children rescued from an orphanage in Bacău, Romania, in 1990. At nine years old, he was taken in by foster parents and moved to London. They insisted that young Beniamin maintain his connection with his Romanian heritage and culture by…
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Is Horror Hiding in my Writing?
Someone recently asked me if my next book is going to be “scary”. Without thinking too much about it, I replied, “I don’t do horror.” But as I reflected on that response, I began to question its accuracy. What exactly did I mean by “horror”, and do I truly steer clear of it in my…
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Answers from the Author
How much money do you make from your books? This question might of interest those looking into self-publishing, and the answer is simple. Let’s examine a typical book I sell on Amazon. These prices are accurate as of the time this post was published. Most of my books are between 82,000 and 85,000 words in…
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Police Procedurals: Navigating Crime Fiction
Crime fiction offers readers a multitude of subgenres, each with unique appeal and characteristics. My books, including The Dead Beneath Us and Upon Dark Waters (publishing 2024) are police procedurals. They hold a special place among these for their gritty realism and intricate detailing of law enforcement processes. Understanding the nuances that set police procedurals…
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Police Interview Method: Reality and Fiction
In the shadowy corridors of crime fiction, the image of a police detective grilling a suspect in a dimly lit room often makes for gripping drama. However, the reality of preparing for an interview is far removed from the oppressive and argumentative tactics we’ve come to expect from our favourite detective stories. Let’s step into…
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So You Want to Become a Writer
I often hear people say they’d love to write a book one day. How hard can it be? That was me a few years ago. Perhaps it’s the allure of crafting worlds with words or a harmless way to play out their fantasies. Whether it’s penning crime novels that keep readers on the edge of…
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A Sense of Place – Where My Stories Come From
As an author who’s spent a lot of time conversing with imaginary friends (also known as story characters), I occasionally speak to real human beings about my writing. I’ve often been asked how I get the ideas for my stories. Is it a lightning bolt of inspiration? A secret recipe? Or do I have secret…
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Self-Publishing
Why I Choose Self-Publishing over Traditional Publishing Traditional publishers, like any business, need to make a profit to survive. For commercial reasons, these venture capitalists must back a winning horse. An outsider is an unknown risk. They publish a set number of authors each year, and they’re going to choose dead certs and only allow…