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When I was looking for ideas for this book, I met two people, in completely separate places, who were foster carers. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is! Foster carers frequently have to take on damaged children with all sorts of issues. That lends itself to plenty of dramatic possibilities. As Rose's son, Jack is doing a degree in sports science, this isn't the first time I've included a sport in the series and used Jack's growing expertise.  Check out Fatal Substitut

I love chocolate, so I can never say no to an Easter egg. But, for authors and readers, Easter eggs can mean something completely different. Easter eggs in books refer to those hidden references, messages, jokes or clues that some authors love to put into their books. They aren't necessary to understand the plot, but they add an extra layer of meaning, or fun, to readers who spot them. Here's one of my own favourite Easter eggs from my book, INTO THE RED. He was still of an a

Sometimes, I take inspiration for my books from real life. Back in 2024, one of the big stories in the UK news was about a drive-by shooting in a Turkish restaurant in London. It was a botched job. The gunman was supposed to kill a Turkish gang leader but hit a child instead. You can read about it  here. It was about the same time that I was looking for inspiration for the next book in the Murder Mile series so this news item piqued my interest. Of course, the drive-by shooti

Celebrating writing one million words This is a milestone that's well worth celebrating. I have now written over one million words. That's 14 full-length books plus a couple of novellas. If you want to know what one million words looks like, make a pile of 14 average length books. Or slightly less than two copies of War And Peace, which is the world's longest book ever at about 587 thousand words. Here's to the next million words. Cheers!

I love a plot twist, so here’s this week’s plot twist. Instead of telling you why you should  read my books, I’m going to be brave (or maybe stupid) and explain why you shouldn’t! Don’t buy my books IF: 1)      You can’t stand thrillers, mystery, or crime. If you’re looking for epic fantasy, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. I’m all about the murders.   2)      You love a cosy mystery, but anything with more realism than a cute chef baking cupcakes with a talking cat se

An abandoned car I saw near my house This is the scene that inspired me to write WHEEL SPIN. I came across it when I was out for a walk very close to my home. There was obviously a story behind it, but I would probably never be able to find out what it was, so I made up my own. Add in a new character, hapless but loveable ex-con, Birdie, and the story came together nicely. And Birdie is still one of my favourite characters.  Check out the book here https://amzn.to/4s5KC5I

The Story Behind The Book - KNIFE EDGE This is book four in the Murder Mile series. I had this shocking idea in my head for some time before I wrote it. What if your daughter was arrested for murder? It's a killer idea (forgive the pun), with plenty of scope for a tense, edge-of-your-seat story, packed with drama. Of course, the basic idea of a child criminal has been done before (as has every idea ever thought of), the best known recent one being Lucinda Berry's Saving Noah

DARK SHADOW The Story Behind The Book This is book 3 in the Murder Mile series. The Rainham Volcano Is well-known waste site only a few miles from Romford, on which I based the town of Brackford in the Murder Mile series. The waste site, which is full of illegally dumped rubbish, has caught fire numerous times over the last several years. The fire brigade has attended the site one hundred and twenty-one times in the last six years, but it still keeps catching fire. A few yea

STONE COLD is book 2 in the Murder Mile series. The plot of this book revolves around an old statue of an historical figure of dubious repute. The kernel of the idea came from a real life event that happened in Bristol, in the West of England, nearly six years ago. In June 2020, a large group of anti-racist protestors watched and cheered as an old statue was pulled into Bristol harbour by a group of the protestors. This was a statue of seventeenth century slave trader, Edward

Going back to the beginning, Into The Red  is book 1 in the Murder Mile series. I’d been reading about a real-life case where a vicious gang was finally rounded up after more than two years spent intimidating and extorting money from several local shopkeepers in a protection racket. I’d already decided the local convenience store would feature heavily in this series so the two ideas fitted together perfectly.  I have plenty of experience working in a convenience store for my

I meant to do this feature at the end of last year, but it's crept into the new year. Never mind. A good book is still a good book at any time.  I've lost count of how many books I read last year but it's between one and two books a week, so I'd guess I've read about 80. I've been reading a lot of police procedurals this year for market research as my 2026 releases will be in that genre, so that's reflected in the list below. Here are the ten best books I read last year, in n

Today is my three-year Author-versary since my first novel, Secrets Never Die, was published. When I first started this, I never dreamed...