Visit my website at www.rowmark.co.uk for details of all my crime novels

It's that time of the year again when crime has descended on the otherwise respectable spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Not a crime wave as in the criminal sense, although that could always happen, but an invasion of crime fiction writers and crime fiction fans. Yes, the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Festival  , or the Harrogate International Festival as it is now called, has kicked off and runs until 24 July 2011 at the Swan Hotel, Harrogate. There are some great crime authors there including Lee Childs, Linwood Barclay, and Lisa Gardner plus many of my crime writing buddies from the Crime Writers' Association. Unfortunately I can't make it but keep threatening to.  Maybe next year. Meanwhile, I will certainly be at Crimefest 2012 , from 24-27 May at the Royal Marriot Hotel, Bristol. Crimefest 2012 will be celebrating its fifth anniversary and already has lined up Lee Childs and Jeffrey Deaver.  So I'll be in splendid...

It's almost that time of the year again when crime will descend on the otherwise respectable spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Not a crime wave as in the criminal sense, although that could happen I guess, but an invasion of crime fiction writers and crime fiction fans. Yes, the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival will be taking place from 22 July to 25 July at the Crown Hotel, Harrogate.  And there are some A lister crime authors there: Karin Slaughter, Jeffrey Deaver, Ian Rankin. You know they're the BIG A List authors because their names are in BOLD RED on the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival website. The lesser known mortals are in ordinary black.  I'm imagining what it must be like to have your name in red, picked out as the star attraction - a pretty good feeling, I suspect. That is if you like public speaking, which I adore. I've not heard any of the big names speak, but I am sure that what they have to say will be interesting and ...