THEY came, they saw, they murdered, robbed, and lied, all to the delight of fans at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.
More than 7,000 tickets were snapped up by fans attending this year's event at the Crown Hotel to hear special guest authors Peter Robinson, Robert Crais, Jeffrey Deaver, Sam Bourne, Andy McNab and Tess Gerritsen reveal their fiction secrets.
Some of the bloodiest subjects were also aired when festival authors went head-to-head in the panel debates.
The weekend kicked off with the presentation of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award to Stef Penney, for The Tenderness of Wolves.
The book, which is also a former winner of the Costa Book of the Year award was chosen by the Theakston panel of judges against competition from 12 other best-selling top authors including Alexander McCall Smith, Peter Robinson and Mark Billingham.
The Yorkshire Post was there to capture some of the festival highlights recorded at the Crown Hotel:
Exclusive panel recordings (reproduced with the permission of the festival organisers):
The Spy We LovedAuthors
Charlie Higson,
James Twining,
Joseph Finder and
Catherine Sampson discuss the enduring appeal of James Bond with panel chairman
Simon Brett.
1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)Cosy Crime FictionAuthors
MC Beaton,
Colin Cotteril,
Catriona McPherson and
Jill Paton Walsh discuss the ongoing popularity of 'cosy' crime fiction with chairman
Paul Johnston.
1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)True LiesDenise Mina mediates as former police officers
Karen Campbell and
Charlie Owen discuss crime facts against crime fictions with former barrister
John Conner and criminal lawyer
Frances Fyfield.
1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)In the first of our exclusive interviews, Sarah Walters spoke with Stef Penney about her debut novel, The Tenderness of Wolves, and its remarkable success.1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)In the second of the series, Zoe Sharp talks about her action heroine Charlie Fox, what spurred her on to writing her first novel, and her latest book, Third Strike.1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)In the third programme, best-selling Yorkshire novelist Peter Robinson discusses 21 years of Inspector Alan Banks, his love for music and his new Banks' novel, All the Colours of Darkness.1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)American author Chelsea Cain discusses her novels Heartsick and Sweetheart which feature the unforgettable serial killer Gretchen Lowell and detective Archie Sheridan.1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)Bestselling novelist Robert Crais was one of the festival's guest stars. In this interview, he discusses his career change, the inspiration of living in Los Angeles and his latest Elvis Cole novel, Chasing Darkness.1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)In the last of the interviews, Tess Gerritsen talks about her best-selling novels, why she left behind a successful career in medicine, turning hobbies into fiction and her new book, The Bone Garden. 1. Listen now on your PC2. Download and take with you (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)Related link: Other podcasts from the Yorkshire Post »Links:
Zoe Sharp's website>>Peter Robinson>>Robert Crais website>>Tess Gerritsen>>Crime Writing Competition:
Stef Penney selected the winner of our exclusive competition.
We asked you to match up the following characters with the correct author below.
A) Elvis Cole B) Alan Banks C) Charlie Fox D) Daniel Pell E) Warren Hoyt F) Carol Jordan
Jeffrey Deaver; Peter Robinson; Robert Crais; Tess Gerritsen; Val McDermid; Zoe Sharp
The answers were, of course:
Elvis Cole - Robert Crais; Alan Banks - Peter Robinson; Charlie Fox - Zoe Sharp; Daniel Pell - Jeffrey Deaver; Warren Hoyt - Tess Gerritsen; Carol Jordan - Val McDermid.
Solange Thomas, of Hammersmith, in London, is our winner and will be receiving tickets to the 2009 Crime Writing Festival as well as all the titles in this year's Theakston's longlist.
Normal YP competition rules apply,
click here to view>>Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2008 longlist:
The Chemistry of Death, by Simon Beckett Buried, by Mark BillinghamChristine Falls, by Benjamin BlackA Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil, by Christopher Brookmyre Hurting Distance, by Sophie HannahDarkness and Light, by John Harvey The Death of Dalziel, by Reginald HillThe Risk of Darkness, by Susan HillOne Under, by Graham HurleyNot Dead Enough, by Peter JamesRelentless, by Simon Kernick Corn Dolls, by Patrick LennonDying Light, by Stuart MacBrideBlue Shoes & Happiness, by Alexander McCall SmithThe Grave Tattoo, by Val McDermidThe Savage Garden, by Mark MillsThe Tenderness of Wolves, by Stef PenneyPiece of My Heart, by Peter Robinson Sovereign, by CJ SansomShifting Skin, by Chris SimmsThe full article contains 925 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
