More hightlights from the Crime festival

So many great authors...one highlight would have to be Phil Rickman known as the 'grandfather' of supernatural/paranormal-ish crime writing, his best known character is Merrily Watkins, a priest in small village near the English-Welsh border who specialises in exorcism..., he explained that he tries to write an explicale mystery with some unexplainable elements.


The 'New Blood' session was one I was looking forward to having just read 'Before I go to sleep' by S J Watson, a gripping psychological thriller about a woman whose memories are erased each time she goes to sleep...Julie Crouch, author of 'Cuckoo' about obsessive love and the consequences it has on a family is another first time author generating a lot of interest.

Other great sessions included 'Legal eagles' M R Hall, Martin Edwards, Helen Black and one of my favourites France Fyfield....'Blood from a stone' is one of the most disturbing mysteries I have ever read.


More great sessions included

• A deep and meaningful with Lee Child about his crime writing pet hates


• A panel of authors talking about the importance and influence of location...CJ Box [Wyoming], Urban Waite [Seattle], Ann Zroudi [Greece] and a new fav of mine Elly Griffiths [Norfolk, character Ruth Galloway forensic archeologist]


• Dennis Lehane writer of many great novels including 'Mystic River' and 'Gone baby gone'

And... to top it off a dinner to celebrate M C Beaton's 75th birthday, the author of the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series is a gorgeous woman who sounds like the Queen.

It has been such a great 4 days...and now I've got lots of reading to do { & way too much excess baggage...}