MEMORIES never fade of taking the terrifying walk over the divide that once existed between East and West Germany . Trigger-ready guards at your back; trigger-ready guards ahead.  One wrong move, however innocent or accidental, and . . . It didn’t bear thinking about. But, nevertheless, you did. Think about it. Every step of the way; and beyond, always looking for followers, watchers, anyone whose presence could be queried. The brain made a rapid recall of all those stories of would-be escapists from the East who failed to make it across the desolate divide. Those who had been dragged back,… Continue reading

It’s time for members of the BBC’s weekly book discussion group to emerge from Between The Covers and broaden their field of vision. Doing so might change their outdated and somewhat snobbish attitudes to the vast world of crime fiction. Even put some excitement and joy into their studiously serious lives. This tired old viewpoint was well demonstrated  in a recent program in which the entire panel expressed little knowledge of crime fiction. They seemed aghast that anyone could even consider it as “serious” writing. Clearly it is not for them. Nor for any “serious” readers. Heaven forbid that works… Continue reading