The Crime Writer's Casebook by Stephen Wade & Stuart Gibbon

The Crime Writer's Casebook
(Full title - a Straightforward Guide to the Crime Writers Casebook: a Reference Guide to Police Procedural Now and Then)
By Stephen Wade & Stuart Gibbon
Published by Straightforward Publishing (10 December 2017)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

For anyone interested in writing or reading crime, whether historical or modern day, this book is an essential reference companion.
In addition to detailed information on police and criminal procedures, the book features true crime case studies from two leading experts in their field.

My verdict
The Crime Writer's Casebook is a brilliant easy-to-read guide to police procedure, whether you're writing crime fiction or just have an interest in the topic. It covers contemporary and historical crimes, giving the book a broad appeal.

The book is perfect for someone like me who knows nothing about police procedure and investigations, but I can also see it being a useful manual for more experienced crime writers. Even if I need more detail for a work in progress, this provides me with the perfect starting point and includes the correct language to use if I'm looking for further help and advice.

The Crime Writer's Casebook is filled with real life case studies, past and present, putting the factual content into practice. This is a fascinating, well-written and well-planned book with so much packed into its 250 or so pages. Chapters include The Murder Investigation, Murder or Manslaughter, Forensic Pathology. DNA and Missing Persons. I love the A-Z of Legal Terms, Phonetic Alphabet and Murder Investigation Team Structure in the reference guide at the end.

This is a bookshelf essential for any crime author, published or otherwise. There's so much more to discover inside, other than everything I've already mentioned. I've marked up plenty of topics to explore further, and I expect to be dipping in and out of this book time and time again.

BEST OF CRIME with Rebecca Bradley

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

REBECCA BRADLEY

for her Fighting Monsters blog tour

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS

Argh, you want me to narrow it down to just one? Okay, David Jackson. Not only is his characterisation fantastic and makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens to the characters, the stories he weaves are utterly brilliant. His ability to see the nuances of human nature just completely draws you in. 

... FILMS/MOVIES

The psychological thriller, Unthinkable, with Samuel L Jackson, which looks at whether someone would commit the act of torture in order to save hundreds of thousands of people as a large US city faces the prospect of 3 nuclear bombs going off. And they have someone in their custody who knows the whereabouts of those devices. It’s pretty tense stuff and a film I don’t think I will ever forget. Hard watching. 

... TV DRAMAS

I do like watching US based drama so I’m going to go with something I watched recently which was Ozark. A Netflix drama. (Am I allowed to go with Netflix?) I adored the main character played by Jason Bateman, I mean, who doesn’t want to watch him in a straight (non-comedic) role? Plus, it had some great writing and you never knew what was going to happen next. 

... FICTIONAL KILLERS

Robert Naysmith from Fergus McNeill’s book Eye Contact. It’s told from the point of view of Naysmith and I particularly loved the unique way in which he chooses his victims and I was particularly absorbed by the fact that the book was told from the point of view of the killer. It made for a fabulous read. 

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 

DCI Harry Nelson from Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway novels. I love this series and I love cranky old Nelson and the very human mess he makes of his life as he does his job. 

... MURDER WEAPONS

There was a fantastically simple murder weapon of sticky tape in Random by Craig Robertson. Just brilliant. 

    

... DEATH SCENES

There’s a scene in Cry Baby by David Jackson that just takes your breath away. In fact, you could probably pick up any of his books and have your breath taken away by a death scene. 

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES

Google maps and Google earth for locations and the College of Policing website if you have policing research to do. It’s a comprehensive site. 

... WRITING TIPS

Routine. Write something every day, even if only 200 words on a bad day, because it will become hardwired into you and the story will keep working its way through your head. Then on a good day, it will feel great. 

... WRITING SNACKS

Tea. Lots and lots of tea. White, no sugar. 

About REBECCA BRADLEY

Rebecca is an ex-police detective and lives in Nottinghamshire with her family and two cockapoo's Alfie and Lola, who keep her company while she writes. Rebecca needs to drink copious amounts of tea to function throughout the day and if she could, she would survive on a diet of tea and cake.

Find Rebecca Bradley on her website, on her Facebook page and on Twitter - @RebeccaJBradley

About FIGHTING MONSTERS

Publisher's description

24 hours after he walked away from court a free man, cop killer and gang leader Simon Talbot is found murdered. In his possession; the name of a protected witness from his trial. 

For DI Hannah Robbins, it's a race against time to find Talbot's killer, and locate the bystander before it's too late.


But as Hannah delves deeper into the past, she begins to question the integrity of the whole operation. 

Where do you turn when you can’t trust the police?

Fighting Monsters was published on 15 February 2018.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

Anatomy of a Scandal
By Sarah Vaughan
Published by Simon & Schuster (11 January 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

Publisher's description

A high-profile marriage thrust into the spotlight. A wife, determined to keep her family safe, must face a prosecutor who believes justice has been a long time coming. A scandal that will rock Westminster. And the women caught at the heart of it. 

Anatomy of a Scandal centres on a high-profile marriage that begins to unravel when the husband is accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is sure her husband, James, is innocent and desperately hopes to protect her precious family from the lies which might ruin them. Kate is the barrister who will prosecute the case – she is equally certain that James is guilty and determined he will pay for his crimes.

My verdict
When I finished reading Anatomy of a Scandal, I was suffering from flu. I didn't have the brain power to write a full review, so I created a Twitter banner instead.

This Twitter banner really does summarise my thoughts:
'Anatomy of a Scandal is twisty, gripping, thought-provoking, multi-layered, heart-stopping and breath-holding brilliance. Very much a novel of modern times. The writing is sublime. Wow!'

And now I'm attempting to put my thoughts into something longer and more coherent. But I'm still struggling as there's so much I want to say and I don't feel I can do this book justice. I'm not mentioning anything about the plot (so no spoilers) and I'm not mentioning specific characters either - but I am mentioning the themes.

Anatomy of a Scandal is a courtroom drama combined with psychological thriller. It's a believable and gripping dissection of an affair and a marriage, a window into the lives of politicians and barristers and a thought-provoking insight into class divide. There's the topical 'Me Too' theme, about the strength of women and issues surrounding consent. This multi-layered plot is filled with moral dilemmas and themes of revenge, truth, lies and privilege.

For me, my enjoyment of the book wasn't about the twists, shocks and surprises - that doesn't mean there aren't any, but I did guess certain things. Instead, I appreciated how much this book got right under my skin, right until the end. And how it raised so many questions.

I read Anatomy of a Scandal with another reader, stopping after a few chapters and discussing our thoughts. I'm so glad that I read it in this way, as this book needs to be discussed and dissected,. Anatomy of a Scandal is a perfect choice for a reading group/book club, and the type of book that I would read again and again.

BEST OF CRIME with Holly Cave

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

HOLLY CAVE

for her The Memory Chamber blog tour

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS
There’s no way I can pick one, but I’m always on the lookout for new favourites. Two brand new authors whose debuts I adored are Will Dean (Dark Pines) and Olivia Kiernan (Too Close to Breathe). Both books feature feisty female detectives and incredibly atmospheric settings.

... FILMS/MOVIES
For sheer originality, it would have to be Memento. Its brilliance is largely down to the philosophical questions its raises about memory and the self, whilst the dual narrative moves both backwards and forwards in time. You’re thrust into Lenny’s shoes from the get-go and it’s the kind of film that changes you.

... TV DRAMAS
Could The Bridge have been any better? The theme tune, the setting, the cinematography, everything. And detective Saga Norén is as kick-ass as they come.

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley. A psychopath you find yourself quietly rooting for, Ripley is sketched out in such a way that the unwritten aspects of his character are equally as important as what’s written.

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
Lisbeth Salander all the way. That girl made computer hackers cool.

... MURDER WEAPONS
I’m a huge Bond fan, so I’d have to say James’ smart little Walther P99 handgun, as beautifully handled by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.

    

... DEATH SCENES
I think every single one of the murders in the film Se7en, each linked to the seven deadly sins, will haunt me forever.

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
When my words are running away with themselves, I log on to hemingwayapp.com to wrestle them back into a comprehensible order.

... WRITING TIPS
You are your own best teacher. Keep learning, keep trying new approaches. I’d never have said I was a visual person, for example, but recently I’ve been sketching characters, settings, and drawing out plot diagrams, and I’m finding that it’s helping enormously.

... WRITING SNACKS
Spring – hot cross buns. Summer – mini Magnums. Autumn – chocolate digestives (also applicable to other seasons). Winter – mince pies. And gallons of tea, obviously.

About HOLLY CAVE

Holly Cave was born in sunny Torquay in 1983. She received a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College London, after which she spent four years working at the Science Museum in London. After a career break to travel the world, Holly became a freelance writer and now writes about science and technology alongside her fiction. She lives in Bedford with her husband, baby son and dog. The Memory Chamber is her first novel with Quercus, although she wrote a number of unpublished works with her father on his typewriter in the 1990s.

Find Holly Cave on her website, on her Facebook page and on Twitter - @HollyACave

About THE MEMORY CHAMBER

Publisher's description

THE MEMORY CHAMBER imagines a not so distant future where humans can craft their own afterlife based on a selection of handpicked memories. Isobel is an architect of people’s heavens, working with clients to ensure their afterlives are perfectly curated. But when Isobel is questioned over the integrity of one of her clients and the heaven she built for him, she is forced to confront the darker side of her job…

Can she trust the man she loves? Or can memories lie?

The Memory Chamber was published by Quercus on 21 February 2018.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

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