A land more kind than home by Wiley Cash – a review

I had a bit of a book download frenzy before my trip to Canada, which of course was pre-TOPCWF2015 therefore it meant going through the festival programme and seeing who I hadn’t yet read. The problem when on the move is that I forget what the books I’ve downloaded are actually about and so have…

If she did it by Jessica Treadway – a review

As I have mentioned many times before, one of the best things about the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is the abundance of new books and writers that are around. The goodie bag this year was a thing of beauty, sturdy, black and full of books. Of course it does always lead to a…

In a dark, dark wood by Ruth Ware – a review

As I’ve mentioned many many times, one of the most exciting things about the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is that you not only get lots of free books, but often you are also lucky enough to get proof copies of some novels before they go on general sale. Although this isn’t always straightforward,…

The facts of life and death (in Harrogate)

What do the following statements have in common: Patricia Highsmith used to breed snails and was so attached to them that when she moved to France she smuggled them in her bra. The north is better than the south at playing football I am really rubbish at quizzes. The name Jack Reacher came about because…