Thriller writer, archaeologist and traveller
The time has come to launch a newsletter. It will be roughly monthly depending where I am in the world, what I'm writing and whether I'm digging. The title is inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, reflecting that I'll be posting pieces on my whole range of books from historical thrillers to archaeology mysteries plus the... Continue Reading →
So, my longest long-haul flight since the pandemic offered plenty of time to start on the next novel. I unpacked my notepad dutifully, wrote a paragraph, then switched on the first of six-and-two-thirds in-flight movies. Top of the bill was in the Heart of the Sea, my second cannibalism film of the week after Society... Continue Reading →
‘Will they or won’t they?’ is a popular question for avid followers of long-running book or television series. It arose in reviews of Elly Griffith’s most recent and ‘final’ Ruth Galloway novel – will our hero get together with Nelson in the end? It was a source of continual debate as to whether the sexual... Continue Reading →
Don't we all want to travel the world, discover ancient treasures and punch Nazis? Archaeology may make a great backdrop to serial-style Boy's Own adventures or schlocky horror, with archaeologists portrayed either as action heroes or crusty academics, but it can also inspire more serious fiction. Archaeology is the perfect field for fictional adventures and... Continue Reading →
In January and February 2021, it snowed, then it snowed again. If this had been a movie it would have been called Lockdown III: The Return of Tedium. I watched a lot of foreign films, took snowy walks and put time into promoting my Jeffrey Flint backlist when it was re-released by Lume. I also... Continue Reading →
I love a good epic – and some epics aren’t that good but I’ll watch them anyway. Ancient Rome has long been the inspiration for big-budget movies and television series. I say ‘inspiration’ because scriptwriters have no qualms over dodging hard historical fact to scurry down alleyways of their own. The costume department is often... Continue Reading →
A great many crime writers choose a single location for their crimewave, and their books become associated with that place. So, Miss Marple solves mysteries in the fictional St Mary Mead, Morse in Oxford and Rebus around Edinburgh. Often crime readers say how they enjoy a crime series set in a single town, and they... Continue Reading →
So begins an epigram by Robert Loius Stephenson, which goes on to lament that he may as well have copied the entire work. Choosing a title for your lovingly crafted book can be a problem. You make a list, cross out alternatives one by one, ask your friends, your partner and your agent – and... Continue Reading →
Battlestar is back! The noughties reboot of Battlestar Galactica is getting a fresh showing on BBC2 and iPlayer, having originally been screened on SyFy channel. I’m sitting out a 7-day isolation away from home so on Saturday night I decided for old times’ sake to watch the first 20 minutes of the pilot episode on... Continue Reading →
I’ve had a bit of time on my hands lately… Time enough indeed to watch all eleven Star Wars films in order, the six Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Extended Editions, eight Harry Potters back to back and finally the four Hunger Games movies. Each is a variation on the Hero’s Journey, where a young protagonist... Continue Reading →