I'm often asked how I research my crime novels and in particular the police procedure and crime scene investigation side of things. I'm not married to a police officer or a former police officer (although I am married to a former fire-fighter) so I don't have inside knowledge except when it comes to fires, burnt bodies and serious road and other incidents which fire fighters attend, and they can all be incorporated into a crime novel, which indeed I have done.

So where do I…

On Thursday 13 March I was welcomed by a very lively group of writers at the Chiltern Writers Group, Wendover, UK, where I was pleased to be able to pass on some tips and techniques on writing a novel.

My talk was on the perfect system for planning, researching, plotting and writing a novel. I covered from concept to completion using mind maps, plot lines; developing and keeping track of characters, and factoring in research.…

Over a hundred people packed the performance hall at Winchester Discovery Centre in Hampshire on Saturday 8 March for CSI Winchester to listen to me and my fellow crime author Natasha Cooper debate crime fiction and crime fact with crime experts from Hampshire Police, Jane Aston, Supervisor Fingerprint Examiner and Carolyn Lovell, Head of Operations for Hampshire Police Crime…

This week there is the chance to win a copy of DI Andy Horton number eight, Death Lies Beneath, which is being offered on the Crime Readers Association (CRA)…