There is surely no tougher critic of a police procedural than an ex-cop, but Someone Else’s Skin did not disappoint. Sarah Hilary’s debut crime novel is meticulously researched, and the characters so brilliantly real I could have been reading about my former life. What the back cover says: Detective Inspector Marie Rome. Dependable; fierce; brilliant at […]
Punctuation matters
Guerrilla grammar campaigners with indelible marker pens are on the rampage in Cambridge following the blanket removal of apostrophes from street signs by the city council. The decision was taken following advice issued by the National Land & Property Gazetteer (NLPG), who maintain the definitive list of place names in England and Wales, and ensure […]
Do I know you?
I don’t like making people feel uncomfortable. In true English style I will always apologise before complaining or breaking bad news, rushing to fill an awkward pause when someone has spoken out of turn. The other day someone stopped me in the street. ‘I haven’t seen you for ages!’ she said, ‘how are you?’ I […]
Write what you know
The advice ‘write what you know’ is familiar territory for anyone embarking on literary creation, and it is the reason why so many first novels are startlingly similar to the author’s real life. The first book I wrote was about a woman returning to work after having children. I’ve never worked as an estate agent, […]
The Book With No Name has a name!
I wrote last year about The Book With No Name. The book which is due to be published later this year, which has been written and rewritten more times than I can count. Choosing a name is a hugely difficult process. It needs to take into account the story itself, as well as the intended […]
How do you procrastinate?
Poet Edward Young famously called procrastination ‘the thief of time,’ although I can’t imagine the distractions available to him in the 1700s were on a par with my own favourite online diversionary activities. I thrive on deadlines, so when I’m really up against it you won’t catch me procrastinating at all: I’ll have my nose […]