Murder Squad - Crime Fiction to Die For
Newsletter 7 and Murder Squad Gigs

It's almost a year since our last newsletter and what a year! Between us we have conquered America (well - made a good start), seen our work on primetime TV and been part of some of the most exciting developments in the crime fiction field like the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. We've also written books and short stories, met with readers at events all over the country and continued to develop our website. All in the cause of promoting our work and the genre.

If you'd like to see us in action have a look at the list of events at the end of the newsletter -perhaps we'll see you soon.

John Baker
I'm currently writing a novel that is neither part of the Sam Turner series, nor the Stone Lewis series. Set in Montevideo and York it has some of the characteristics of a crime novel but is an exploration of our consciousness of Time and Place and the impact they have on identity. Like my other novels it's also concerned with loss. I wanted to write about revolution and disappearance and tango and family. The novel's working title is: Winged with Death and it has a first-person narrator and ranges over the time period from around 1970 to the present day. I've been writing it for over a
year already and it is beginning to look as though it may take as long again to complete. I know this is not good news for the series' fans, but I think there will be something for you in the novel when it eventually sees the light of day.

I continue with some public appearances, though tend to concentrate on those nearest to hand. I find myself more and more unwilling to cut into writing time by travelling long distances. On the other hand, Readers' Days in the North of England are almost irresistible. I did York a couple of months ago, and will be at the Newcastle/Gateshead Readers' Day on Saturday 27th September 2003, which takes place in Gateshead Civic Centre.

I've been concentrating on the Weblog on my site
http:// www.johnbakeronline.co.uk this year. The original idea was to follow the progress of the writing of Winged with Death, and to a certain extent I am still doing that. But the weblog also follows my reading habits and little tidbits of info that seem pertinent to me at the time. It is largely unedited, so you won't find much fine writing there. But it might give you some idea of how this particular writer's mind works.

The weblog is not a daybook as such, but if you take into account the quotations on my site, and the newspage, etc. you get something very like a daybook, a place to jot down things that might come in useful one rainy day or a repository for the kind of rubbish that you don't want to discard but don't really have a place for.

Thanks to everyone who read the books this year, especially those of you who posted reviews on the newsgroups or on Amazon. They say word-of-mouth is the best way to spread the news about a book or a series, so I appreciate all of your efforts enormously.

John Baker's Books
The books in order of writing, are as follows:
Sam Turner Series:
Poet in the Gutter, Death Minus Zero, King of the Streets, Walking with Ghosts, Shooting in the Dark, and The Meanest Flood.
Stone Lewis Series:
The Chinese Girl, White Skin Man.
My latest publication is The Meanest Flood, the sixth Sam Turner novel, which is available in hardback and trade paperback. The next one will be White Skin Man, the long-awaited sequel to The Chinese Girl, which is scheduled for release in February 2004.

Isis Audio http://www.isis-publishing.co.uk/ have published tape versions of Poet in the Gutter, Walking with Ghosts, and Shooting in the Dark. And there are more to follow shortly.

http://www.johnbakeronline.co.uk

Chaz Brenchley
I've just finished a long novella, called 'Being Small'. It was supposed to be a ghost story, only it turned out not to have a ghost in it, and so its intended publisher doesn't want it. I'll think of something. My Outremer series is going to be published in Polish, and I'm off to Korea tomorrow for a fantasy literature forum; when I get back, I have to start serious work on the next series, which is called 'Selling Water by the River' and is set in a variant Istanbul in a kind of Ottoman Empire. It's about occupation, oppression, revolution; and also about the price we pay for what we value, and how hard it is to value what comes free. And it's about water. After the desert dryness of Outremer, this is going to be a very wet book indeed, all full of rain and sewers and cisterns and such. I'm kind of upset at missing the typhoon in Korea: such thorough-going research, it would have been...

http:// www.chazbrenchley.co.uk

Ann Cleeves
Over the past year my time has been split between writing and development work with readers. It's been a busy few months at Kirklees - we've formed a family reading group, a young writers' group and, in collaboration with community history colleagues, we're developing Bagshaw Museum as an interesting base for literature events. The first will be an exploration of the Gothic novel in October. Bagshaw, a wonderfully over the top building, holds such inspiring Gothic exhibits, as opium pipes and Egyptian mummies.

In July I ran the Mysterious Words programme for the Harrogate crime writing festival. The weather was glorious and I was out on the road with North Yorkshire mobile libraries, promoting contemporary crime fiction in the farms and hamlets of Nidderdale. Later in the month, I led writing workshops in village schools in the same area, talking to children who would never usually get the chance to meet a published author. As reader in residence over the festival weekend, I had a great time talking to participants about their favourite books and sharing my own particular passion for crime in translation.

I've been commissioned by the Cheltenham Literature festival to write a new Body in the Library script. The piece has been devised with my good friend Helen Pepper, who is a senior crime scene investigator. The characters include a venomous critic, a forceful literary agent and a dippy young publicist - it obviously bears no relation at all to real life! Helen and I hope to work together more often in the future, so if your group would like to test for fingerprints or blood, or discover why a champagne bottle is an interesting murder weapon, do get in touch. Helen is in the process of becoming registered for work in the States (and has very strong opinions about the American forensic process) so we'd specially welcome invitations from there.

After all that activity it's been a relief to escape into the writing. Burial of Ghosts was published in March - thanks very much to Gateshead Libraries for a fantastic launch at Blaydon. TellingTales is finished and at the beginning of the editorial process. It features Vera Stanhope, the detective from The Crow Trap. It's set on the Holderness peninsular, that flat, wild land to the east of Hull. It has something of the brooding atmosphere of the Gothic novel about it. Perhaps I've spent too much time recently in Bagshaw Museum.

Martin Edwards
Apart from the usual gigs I can offer talks on :
· how to investigate a murder
· means of murder
· motives for murder
· how to get away with murder
· famous murder cases
· unsolved murders
· fiction's great detectives &· workshops on writing crime fiction

To book Martin, please email him at - martinedwards1@compuserve.com

Martin's Books
My latest non-fiction book, 'Catching Killers', has just been published by
Blake in the UK (having previously appeared as 'Urge to Kill' in the US and as 'Motive to Murder' in Australia!). The subtitle is: 'how the police take a case from crime scene to court' and it includes studies of real-life crimes, motives and methods of murder.

I've edited 'Green For Danger' (Do-Not Press), the annual CWA anthology and
also a special anthology to celebrate the CWA's Golden Jubilee, 'Mysterious Pleasures' (Little, Brown).

At the time of writing I'm getting ready for a trip to Las Vegas to promote
'All the Lonely People', which is being published in the US by Five Star.
Back home, 'Take My Breath Away' has come out in large print and I recently finished 'Dancing For The Hangman', a historical crime novel.

Future plans include a new series - watch this space!
On the short story front, '24 Hours from Tulsa' was chosen for 'The Best
British Mysteries' collection. edited by Maxim Jakubowski and I've just completed a Sherlock Holmes story for an American magazine. I've also just been appointed as a regular columnist by 'Sherlock' magazine.
Otherwise - all quiet!

Margaret Murphy
I was kept very busy for the first half of the year with a novel to finish and two or three readings and workshops per month as far afield as Glasgow and Winchester - as well as those closer to my own territory in the North West of England. Bookings are starting to come in for the autumn, as I begin the research for a new novel.

Those of you who haven't visited the Murder Squad website recently might not know that the US have taken on Darkness Falls and Weaving Shadows for publication next year and I'm so pleased! BBC Audio have also bought the audio rights to Weaving Shadows.

I have a tentative publication date for my next novel, The Dispossessed, of July 2004: Grace Chandler splits her working week between the A&E department of a Liverpool teaching hospital and a GP practice where she specialises in helping asylum seekers. When she discovers a woman's body, her partner DI Jeff Rickman is chosen to lead the investigation. The refugee community is placed in fear as violence escalates in the city, and suspicion and animosity on both sides hinders the investigation.

For more information about the events I can offer, contact me at margaret. murphy@murdersquad.co.uk

For biographical details, extracts from the novels and reviews, my website is a mine of information.
http:// www.margaretmurphy.co.uk

Stuart Pawson
It's been a good year for Stuart: sales have steadily increased (although he would have preferred them to have exploded) and he's beginning to be noticed in America. Chill Factor and Laughing Boy (both Allison & Busby) have been selected by Magna for large print editions and they will also be published on audiotape by them in 2004. The new book, Limestone Cowboy (Allison & Busby), is scheduled for hardback publication in October 2003, coinciding with the softback edition of Laughing Boy.

Stuart had a great time at Left Coast Crime in Pasadena back in March, meeting lots of readers that he'd only previously conversed with via email, and appearing on panels with crime writers Paul Bishop, Robin Burcell and Paula Woods, who are all California cops, and Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, who isn't. [We gave them something to think about, though, didn't we, Cynth?]

He continues to meet library readers' groups whenever possible, and gave his talk called DNA and All That at the Harrogate crime writing festival in July, having the pleasure of appearing with Simon Brett. He has written a couple of short stories during the summer, and completed a screenplay, just to keep his literary muscles active, and has attempted to start the next Charlie Priest adventure, so far untitled.

Stuart's website: http://www.meanstreets.co.uk

Cath Staincliffe
My biggest news has to be the successful transmission of the police drama, Blue Murder, starring Caroline Quentin, which was my first ever television script. Thanks to viewing figures of a staggering 8.4 million a series has now been commissioned and I'm writing the first of four new stories. Blue Murder has been sold to several countries including New Zealand, Canada, Iceland and Bosnia.

My latest book, Bitter Blue, has sold out in hardback. For fans of the series there's an unexpected and rather dramatic development in Sal's personal life - I'm not sure how I'll write my way out of that one in the next instalment. The latest paperback is Towers Of Silence. It's selling very well - I'm sure that's partly due to the greater exposure that Murder Squad has given us all.

I continue to do writing workshops and readings and talks though writing deadlines tend to limit how many I can do and how far I can travel.

To book Cath for a workshop or talk please email: cathstaincliffe@members.v21.co.uk

To enquire about booking us contact: ann.cleeves@murdersquad.co.uk

Murder Squad Gigs:
(Murder Squad members are available singly or in various combinations for talks, workshops, festivals, book-signings, readings, panel-discussions, entertainments, or as after-dinner speakers)

Friday, 6th February. Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle Library, John Baker. 2.00-4.00 pm writers' workshop, 6.00-7.00 pm. John will read and discuss his work.

Friday, 13th February. Lit and Phil Library, Newcastle, Margaret Murphy. 2.00 - 4.00pm writers' workshop, 6.00 - 7.00pm, Margaret will read from and discuss her work.

Friday 20th February. Lit and Phil Library, Newcastle, Ann Cleeves. 2.00 - 4.00 pm writers' workshop, 6.00 - 7.00pm Ann will read and discuss her work.

Saturday 21st February. Lit and Phil Library, Newcastle. Ann Cleeves in conversation with senior crime scene investigator, Helen Pepper. A chance to consider the reality of crime scene investigation. 2.00-3.30pm.

Friday 27th February. Lit and Phil Library, Newcastle, Chaz Brenchley. 2.00 -4.00pm writers' workshop, 6.00 - 7.00pm, Chaz will read and discuss his work. For all Lit and Phil events contact Kay Easson on 0191 232 0192.

Saturday 6th March. Acomb Library open day. John Baker will be at Acomb Library, York, during the morning to meet and talk with readers.

Wednesday 28th April, 8.00pm; John Baker will talk to York Writers on Reading and Writing. Guppy's Social Club, Nunnery Lane, York.

Saturday 15th May, 10 - 4. Murder Squad Saturday with Cath Staincliffe. Writing crime from scene to sentencing. Manchester University, Centre for Continuing Education. Limited places booking essential - details 0161 275 5728.

Saturday 24th July at 2.30pm; Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. John Baker will chair the panel, The Long Shadow of the Past: Writing in the Past and the Present. The panelists will be Jim Kelly, Mo Hayder, Robert Wilson and Andrew Taylor.

To enquire about booking us contact: ann.cleeves@murdersquad.co.uk
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