New subscribers to The Readers List can now download a free e-Book, The Case Files. This 64-page book tells the stories behind all the books.
“Part of the real fun of writing fiction is the research. Whether it’s having to find out how police section houses were run in the 1960s, or learn how real birders keep their notebooks, it’s an excuse to into books and dig around in worlds that I may know little about, or to visit places I’ve never been before.
“Research is a weird thing. Every writer treats it differently. I know writers who’ll do a year or research before even writing a word. For me, that’s the wrong way round. The world is an extraordinarily unpredictable place. As the poet once said, ‘World is crazier and more of it than we think.’ I like to make up story and then see if it fits the real world later. So I end up researching stuff I’d never even dreamed I needed to know.
“The best thing is gives writers the excuse to get in touch with the real experts who know the minutiae their worlds. I can never thank the people who’ve helped me by generously offering their time enough.
“This e-book is a brief look some of the research notes I’ve made over the last four or five years. I’ll try and keep adding to it.”
The book has over a 100 entries, from The Alchemical Wedding through to Z-Cars, taking in everything from birdwatching to Carry on up the Khyber. Want one? Subscribe to the Readers’ List using the form on this page.