IN SEARCH OF A VILLAINESS

The story behind Blood Ritual. History is sprinkled with people from wild and lawless lineages, many of whom can be eagerly pounced on by an author trawling the centuries for characters on which to hang plots. But what seldom happens, is that a ready-made vampire...

FICTIONAL FAKERY

“The Murderer Inside the Mirror”. Book 2 of the “Theatre of Thieves” mysteries “Is this a forgery I see before me…?” Forgery is a criminal act, but also a wide-ranging craft. It can include a musical score purporting to be a masterpiece from Mozart or a long-lost...

MUSICAL KEYS … The legacy of the music halls

Oxford Music Hall Old songs and half-forgotten shreds of old music can be a gift to an author.  Rather than sprinkling a crime scene with conveniently dropped, helpfully initialled handkerchiefs, partially burned letters or hidden keys to secret passageways, a song...

STEALING INTO THE PAST

Launching the newly-created Fitzglen family on their maiden voyage in Chalice of Darkness, I trawled a great many legends to provide them with a plot. There is, of course, an abundance of material when it comes to legends and lore and myths.  Some might be true, some...