Tip Offs: Want To know who your favourite Theakstons Old Peculier crime write's cosy up with at night? - Read On

On the prowl in The Old Swan Hotel Harrogate we decided to find out a bit about our favourite Crime Writers' own reading tastes.

Our question: Which Crime Writer are you taking to bed at the moment .... and why?

Here are their answers
I was amazed at the diversity of tastes revealed by this  question... I'm sure you will be too!

Steve Mosby author of
The Nightmare Place
and Dark Raven

Steve Mosby, this years Theakston's chair, is snuggling with 'Zoo City' by Lauren Beukes - 
"Her work is as good as ever, but I've just finished reading the shortlist for the Theakston's Crime Writing Competition too!"


Amanda Barrie, having dyslexia,  has welcomed the advent of Audio Books and is currently listening to Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette because she's such a 'classy writer'.   She has also read in proof Hilary Bonner's 'Friends To Die For' due out in PB 23rd October.  
As Amanda says "It must be good, because with my dyslexia, I wouldn't have been able to finish it if it wasn't a good read"

Hilary Bonner author of
A Kind Of Wild Justice and The Cruellest Game with partner Amanda Barrie

Hilary Bonner, who chaired the "How Safe Is Your Smart Phone?" panel at this year's festival has been loyal to her panel - Charles Cummings, Alan Judd and Tom Wood having read them all recently, but is currently reading Terry Hayes 'I am Pilgrim' which she is enjoying.

Author of a trillion books from
The Wire In the Blood series
to stand alone thrillers like
The Torment of Others 

Val McDermid is being a very good girl and spending a lot of time on her homework - reading the proofs of her latest book a non fiction work called 'Forensics : An Anatomy of Crime'.  

The last book she read for fun was 'Sorrow Bound 'by David Mark - Check out our review of it here on the Crime Warp!!!

Stav Sherez author of Eleven Days and
The Black Monastery

Stav Sherez  Shortlisted for this years Theakston's award, is too busy too read novels at the moment so instead is reading Derek Walcotts Poetry.  

He loves it for it's beautiful language and the fact that it allows you to see the possibilities of language and syntax.  He describes Walcott as 'The best living Poet'  



Recently he's read Julia Crouch's 'The Long Fall' 
                     and 
Lee Child's 'Never Go Back'.



Simon Kernick , a fan of The Stranglers is reading 
The Strangler's Hugh Cornwell's autobiography. 

 It gives a objective view of what happened at the time and is an enjoyable read 'made more so by the knowledge that Cornwall didn't employ a ghostwriter' to write it.

Claire Seeber author of Lullaby and Bad Friends
with Simon Kernick author of Stay Alive and Relentless

Claire Seeber is reading a chunky book called The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.  'It's a serious work, brilliantly written but not one for the commute' because of the size and weight:- TOP TIP- Get the kindle version if you want to give it a go. 



On the next one we got two for the price of one with Martyn Waites and  his alter ego Tanya Carver.

Martyn Waites author of the sequel to
The Woman In Black  - Angel of Death
and the Joe Donovan series

Martyn is reading The Twenty Year Death by Ariel Winter which is set in the 30's, 40's,and 50's.  
He finds it interesting because it uses the voice of different fictional detectives for each part.  He's fully recommend because depite writing in the style of different authors, 'his own unique style still comes through'.

Tanya Carver author of
Truth or Dare and The Black Road

Tanya Carver, is reading a historical crime novel called The Devil In The Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson who won the Historical dagger.  





Tanya describes this work as 'a gripping read'

Laura Lippman author of
I'd Know You Anywhere  and
When She Was Good

Laura Lippman when asked who she was snuggling up with confided that her hotel bed could hold six and that she'd two baths in her ensuite!!!! - well what can you say!  
Laura was 'In Conversation' with Belinda Bauer at Theakston's so her most recent read was Belinda Bauer's Rubbernecker which won the Theakston's crime award. 
She described it as "a satisfying book with lots of WOW moments - the most satisfying read I've had for ages."

Chris Pavone author of The Expats
and The Accident

Chris Pavone, despite having more modest accommodation than Laura, was happy to be in Harrogate.  

He read The Body Clocks by David Mitchell  on the flight over to the UK.  He's tearing through this because it's 'so fast and smooth and beautiful' - (Possibly very similar to a bottle of Theakston's Old Peculier!).  Chris also admitted to underlining bits and folding pages over 'like crazy' because there's 'so much good stuff in it' even though he doesn't usually do this

Julia Crouch author of
The Long Fall and Cuckoo

Julia Crouch is cuddling up with Chris Ewan's Safe House.  She really loves the central character who reminds her of Chris himself (When we confided this to Chris he was chuffed 'cos the character is well hench) Julia can't wait toget to the end . 
 
She's also reading another book by a friend of hers - Alarm Girl by Hannah Vincent , although it's sold as literary fiction Julia says 'it's got a fabulous thriller at the core of the story'

Chris Ewan author of Deadline
and Dark Tides (due out soon)

Chris Ewan is rereading Olen Steinhauer The Tourist 

and...

Letters to my daughters killer by Cath Staincliffe  – ‘It’s an extraordinary novel- so clearly written.  Even though it’s in letter format there's still a strong mystery element that holds you on the page whilst telling a traumatic story.' 

Helen Fitzgerald author of
The Cry and The Donor

Helen Fitzgerald loves Doug Johnstone’s Domestic noir books- Gone Again and The Deadbeat. 




She says they have ‘tight writing well thought out characters and an amazing sense of place which makes you believe you’ve actually been to North Queensferry'

James Carol author of
Broken Dolls and Presumed Guilty
 (with the main character with the brilliant name of
... Jefferson Winter.)

James Carol is a third of the way through Deep Shelter  by Oliver Harris.  He loves the likeably horrible main character and says ‘Harris pulled off the perfect balance to make him the ‘likeable bastard’ described on the book blurb'