I normally publish a post about the latest brilliant crime thriller by my talented friend Cara Hunter when I’ve returned from the launch party. But these (I write this in Sepember 2021) are not normal times. The Whole Truth, the fifth in her remarkable Oxford-set DI Fawley series, was released without a launch in January, … Continue reading
Category Archives: Crime
All The Rage – more delight for crime fiction fans
Fans of brilliantly plotted crime fiction will be delighted that the latest DI Adam Fawley thriller has been published. I was doubly delighted because I got to go to the launch party. All The Rage by my ultra-talented friend Cara Hunter is out now from Penguin Books – the fourth in her Oxford-set Fawley series … Continue reading
From Coronation Street to Ed Reardon’s Week via Agatha Christie: Nicola Sanderson talks stage, screen and radio
Nicola Sanderson is an incredibly versatile British actor with a record of success on stage, screen and radio – from thrillers to soap operas to comedies. I was lucky enough to see her as Auntie Lou in the stage production of Agatha Christie’s Love From a Stranger last year [2018] and have thoroughly enjoyed her … Continue reading
There’s No Way Out (and I’m actually ‘in’)
If there’s one thing more exciting than reading the latest Cara Hunter thriller, it’s being in the latest Cara Hunter thriller. That’s the honour bestowed upon me by my dear friend, the mind-bogglingly talented author of the best-selling Adam Fawley novels. Continue reading
The Tattooist – it’s short, but not short of horrors
Michael Wong, the Malaysian film-maker whose debut short The Story of 90 Coins picked up a host of awards (and was reviewed on this blog!), has released his second film – and it marks quite a change of direction. While 90 Coins was an engaging romance which ran to nine minutes, The Tattooist is a … Continue reading
In the Dark? Yes, I was
Detective Inspector Adam Fawley is back in the second thriller by Cara Hunter – which means I got to enjoy more reflected glory (Cara is a friend) and another launch event. Cara’s debut Close to Home has been a runaway best-seller, a Richard and Judy book club choice, and an audiobook starring Lee Ingleby. Continue reading
Sexy, scary or silly – ex-athlete and model Johanna loves every role
Johanna Rae must be one of the busiest actresses in LA – and one of the most versatile. I first saw her as Jamie, a gripping performance in the very demanding central part in the horror short Lilitu (2015), and in total contrast she was hilariously goofy Britany in the caper comedy Masterminds (2016). Continue reading
Close to Home – the clever twists and turns of a crime thriller for our times
I don’t usually post about books in this blog, but I don’t usually have even a tangential involvement in a best-selling crime novel and I don’t usually get invited to the fizz-fuelled launch in an Oxford museum. In the case of Cara Hunter‘s debut Close to Home both apply, so I took a short break … Continue reading
Countrycide: Midsomer smiles while Hinterland snarls
Murder in the countryside is a peculiar type of entertainment, and ITV’s Midsomer Murders is perhaps the most entertaining example. Continue reading
Female action heroes and the spirit of Emma Peel
Female action heroes are now the norm, it has been suggested (by none other than Felicity Jones of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Maybe or maybe not, but they’re certainly not new. Those of a certain age won’t forget the ass-kicking Emma Peel of The Avengers, and there have been many following in her … Continue reading