Bodies in the Bookshop

[amner]

Off to the annual Bodies in the Bookshop Crime Event at Heffers in Cambridge this evening. I only know a couple of the people on this list (I try and ration my crime intake), anyone know anybody here?:

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Robert Barnard (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007102917/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Mark Billingham (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316724939/qid=1057746001/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Stephen Booth (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007130651/qid=1057746115/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Kate Charles (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0751525421/qid=1057746374/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_3_4/026-4690882-8546858), Barbara Cleverly (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841193690/qid=1057746467/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_1_6/026-4690882-8546858), Natasha Cooper (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743231074/qid=1057746533/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Lindsey Davis (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0712625569/qid=1057746600/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_3_2/026-4690882-8546858), Sarah Diamond (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752838431/qid=1057746675/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_1_3/026-4690882-8546858), Stella Duffy (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1852427116/qid=1057746796/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_3_2/026-4690882-8546858), Roger Jon Ellory (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752856669/qid=1057746912/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_0_2/026-4690882-8546858), Leslie Forbes (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0753811391/ref=sr_aps_books_1_3/026-4690882-8546858), John Fullerton (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1405021195/qid=1057747262/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Frances Fyfield (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316859842/qid=1057747305/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_19_1/026-4690882-8546858), Philip Gooden (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841197157/qid=1057747339/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Susanna Gregory (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/075153238X/qid=1057747416/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Veronica Heley (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/072785982X/qid=1057747447/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), David Hewson (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0006497063/qid=1057747575/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_0_1/026-4690882-8546858), Joanna Hines (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671029088/qid=1057747642/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), C.C. Humphreys (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752848305/qid=1057747685/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Graham Hurley (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752843362/qid=1057747730/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Russell James (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1899344837/qid=1057747825/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Susanna Jones (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0330485822/qid=1057747903/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_3_2/026-4690882-8546858), Morag Joss (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0340825863/qid=1057747980/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Jim Kelly (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0718145518/qid=1057748032/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Danny King (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1852428287/qid=1057748104/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-4690882-8546858). Deryn Lake (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0749006463/qid=1057748137/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Caroline Lawrence (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1842552236/qid=1057748190/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_1_2/026-4690882-8546858), Peter Lovesey (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0751532495/qid=1057748228/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Iain McDowall (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0749932112/qid=1057748265/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Michael Malone (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841195219/qid=1057748318/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Bob Marshall-Andrews (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0413773191/qid=1057748387/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_0_1/026-4690882-8546858), Fidelis Morgan (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007134266/qid=1057748440/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Ed O'Connor (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841196150/qid=1057748493/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), David Roberts (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841194026/qid=1057748696/sr=1-13/ref=sr_1_2_13/026-4690882-8546858), Peter Robinson (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0330489348/qid=1057748733/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Louis Sanders (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/185242673X/qid=1057748772/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-4690882-8546858), Simon Scarrow (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074726631X/qid=1057748817/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Lisa Scottoline (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0006498515/qid=1057748851/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3_3/026-4690882-8546858), Zoe Sharp (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0749933801/qid=1057749081/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_3_2/026-4690882-8546858), Chris Simms (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0091795389/qid=1057749120/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Sally Spedding (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0330486950/qid=1057749152/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-4690882-8546858), Michelle Spring (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752825755/qid=1057749189/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/026-4690882-8546858), Edwin Thomas (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0593050649/qid=1057749220/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_1/026-4690882-8546858), Christopher Wakling (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/033049340X/qid%3D1057749254/026-4690882-8546858), Laura Wilson (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0752846205/qid=1057749286/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-4690882-8546858) ... and many more, apparently.

Anybody got any questions they want asking?
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[Wavid]

I have a question: who are the people who buy all this historical crime fiction?!

I had no idea there was so much of it about!!

[amner]

Just doing that Amazon sweep there was an education, I must admit. Is there really enough interest in the market to support three or four Ancient Roman detectives?
:?
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[Wavid]

How did you get on then mate?

[pandop]

Wavid,

that would be me then - I am a huge fan of historical crime fiction :wink:

I have quite a collection on my bookshelf, and there are more that I will borrow on a regualr basis. I prefer them to modern crime fiction - maybe because I am a historian by academic interest, and therefore prefer the past to the modern world in a lot of things.

With the regards to is there enough interest to support 3 ancient roman detectives - the answer has to be yes, or the authors wouldnt get paid!

Personally my favourite authors are (in no particular order):

Peter Tremayne
Ellis Peters
Lindsay Davis
Steven Saylor
Candace Robb
Paul Doherty

Incidentally - several of these authors are professional historians as well, which means that there arent any/many historical inaccuracies for me to scream at!

[Wavid]

Hallo Hazel!

By the sound of what Amner was telling me about the event last night, it was the historical writers who were getting most of the attention!

The reason why I expressed surprise was simply that I personallu have never felt the urge to read any... tho' when you think about it, that's no reason why anyone else shouldn't!

It looks like one of your favourites, Linsey Davis was at the bookshop last night, it's a shame amner couldn't put any question to her from you!

[pandop]

Wavid,

It doesn't matter, as she came to my university a few years ago, so I had my chance then.

[amner]

It was an interesting event, I must say. A bit of a scrum, to tell the truth for the first hour ... I'll write some more in a bit. Busy here at the mo'
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[Wavid]

Busy here at the mo'

Ha! As if! :wink:

[amner]

I know; unlikely.

Anyway, yes, last night. Where was I?

Oh, yes, so I went along and have to say - being a rather reticent chap - that it was a bit daunting. No readings or talks, just a wander-up-and-talk-to-me kind of deal.

I wanted to speak to three people: Peter Robinson (the Banks books are pretty good, I think); Stephen Booth (very keen on his stuff so far, the last one - Blood on the Tongue (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/000713066X/ref=sr_aps_books_1_2/026-4690882-8546858) - was excellent); and Graham Hurley, not an author I've read but I'd found out that his books are set in Portsmouth, and I was interested in how he went about dealing with such an unfashionable provincial setting, because my own pet project has a similar outlook.

Anyway, after a while, I picked up The Water Clock (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0718145518/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/026-4690882-8546858) by Jim Kelly and found, surprisingly, that it was set in Ely, where I lived for three years. One of the first scenes was actually set on my Mom's doorstep, nearly enough! So I started reading it.

After a few minutes I found the author was standing next to me. Had a very nice chat with him, seems like a thoroughly decent chap. So I bought it and he was good enough to sign it for me. Then I had a chat with Christopher Wakling (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/033049340X/qid%3D1057835867/026-4690882-8546858) who seemed half cut, to be honest. Nice chap, though. Can't really remember what we talked about. I've not read his book, so I sort of just let him ramble on.

Then, finally, managed to grab one of my targets, Stephen Booth. What a thoroughly decent bloke, very charming and interested (or, he gave a good impression of being) and he remembered an email conversation we'd had months ago.

He was full of advice, and has left me with a strong determination to carry through with my project. Didn't get to see the others I wanted, but I chatted with Mr Booth for ages, so I was happy with that.
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[amner]

...and the next date, I've just discovered, is 20th July 2004. If anyone's interested I'll post up details when I find some.

[pandop]

Please do