Festival: The Crime Warp's top 5 Theakston Old Peculier Crime wriitng Festival tips

Can't believe it's almost that time of year again when the sun comes out and there's nothing but crime on everyone's minds.  Wine and beer flow, laughter floats on the air and all is well in the world.  The event you ask?  Well it's quite clearly Theakston's Old Peculier Crime writing Festival 21st -24h July 2016 Harrogate.


Friday 22 July 9am: Linwood Barclay interviewed by

Mark Billlingham
An American friend of mine recently went to a Linwood Barclay event and was mesmerised by him.  She said he was funny, endearing and very debonair.  I'm really looking forward to this as a festival highlight, especially since he's being interviewed by the rather amusing Mark Billingham.

Friday 22nd July: Set a Scientist to Catch a Killer
Hosted by Peter James we have expert testimony from ex-CID officer Dave Gaylor and forensic podiatrist Haydn Kelly as well as crime writers who can provide their own expert testimony, in the form of Elly Griffiths, Dr Brooke Magnanti and Kate Medina.  Love the science bits at Harrogate- it always gets right down and dirty to the heart of the crime!

Sat 23rd July, 12pm:  New Blood

As always the New Bood panel is chaired by Val Mcdermid and this years newbies are Martin Holmen (Clinch), JS Law (Tenacity), Beth Lewis (The Wolf Road) and Abir Mukherjee (A Rising Man).  A great array of new writers to whet the criminal appetite!

Saturday 23rd July 5pm: Martina Cole in Conversation

with Peter James
Two of my favourite crime writers in the same room on the same stage talking about all things crime - what more can I say.  I expect great things from the mastermind of the East End criminal and I'm sure that in the capable hands of Peter James this will be a conversation to die for.

Sunday 24th July 10am: Political Corruption
Topical or not the political world is the basis for many a great

crime book and long may it continue.  Gillian Slovo, daughter of SA Communist party Leader Joe Slovo and journalist Ruth First, writes thrillers.  Kate Rhodes writes about London and Charles Cumming and Frank Gardner are experts in the political thriller field.