by Derek | Feb 23, 2020 | Reading, Reviews, Writers Life, Writing
It’s often commented that the classic American Noir is basically a Western retold: That the lone Gumshoe making right in a corrupt and lawless world is Shane, strolling into town and restoring fairness. It’s also been noted that crime fiction, in it’s purest, is a...
by Derek | Jan 24, 2020 | Art, Travel, Uncategorized, Writers Life, Writing
When I was – well, let’s say younger, because ‘young’ would suggest I’m now old, and I don’t feel old (though I am old enough to remember New Order when they were called Joy Division. I prefer The Order. More fun.) Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, not being old. Well,...
by Derek | Oct 6, 2019 | Travel, Writers Life, Writing
It’s the law, apparently. Well hello there. Just thought I’d drop you a note to bring you up to date on what I’ve been doing, am doing and am going to be doing soon. Last weekend I hoped on an Edinburgh-bound train from London Euston station and headed North...
by Derek | Sep 23, 2019 | Art, Food, Movies, Travel, Writing
I’m writing this on a train trundling to London to meet up with a couple of police officers (one serving and one newly retired). I’ve started the new book and realised that there are a bunch of things I don’t know that I think I really should. So the plan to ‘pants...
by Derek | Aug 30, 2019 | Uncategorized, Writing
The Danny Quadrilogy The Danny Bird Mysteries are set in Contemporary London, which I treat as both a real and a fantastic place. When I started writing the books I looked around for a part of London that I knew well enough to be able to sketch it, but I deliberately...
by Derek | Aug 20, 2017 | Writing
Well hey there. It’s been a while. What have you been up to? Me? Oh, I wrote a book. Another book. I think – save for a post celebrating Danny’s first birthday – I last posted here when I was in South Africa last October. That was the week I started work...
