Reviews

‘absorbing second mystery . . . stunning resolution.’ [Stage Fright]

- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Surprised by Agatha Christie

I have just read Agatha Christie’s autobiography. Two things surprised me. One was that she couldn’t remember anything about writing Peril at End House – one of her most ingenious and highly regarded novels. The other was that she was favourably inclined towards the death penalty. I wouldn’t have guessed that from her novels. She […]

Coming on to rain

Today my last post as featured author of the month is up on the Crime Readers’ Association website. It’s been fun. This week I’m writing about the great Fenland flood of 1947 and how it inspired my novel, Footfall. There’s lots more to see on the website. Do go over and take a look: http://www.thecra.co.uk/coming-on-to-rain-christine-poulson/

Sleeping in the library

Posted on Jun 24, 2015 in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

‘I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library,’ wrote Jorge Luis Borges. Me, too. When I used to work in Cambridge University Library I used to have a fantasy about hiding until everyone had gone home and the library was closed and spending the night there. It seemed to me that all the […]

Lady into Fox

Another post that I have written for the Crime Readers’ Association web-site as featured author of the month: http://www.thecra.co.uk/lady-into-fox-by-christine-poulson. It’s about what it’s like making the shift from being an academic to writing crime fiction – and what a great source of material universities and colleges are.

The Italians

Posted on Jun 16, 2015 in John Hooper, The Italians | 2 Comments

I love Italy. The art, the architecture, the landscape, the food, the sun, the sea, and if you have young children, it’s a wonderful place to go on holiday. It is not just the pasta and the ice cream – though those help – it’s that Italians love children and they are never seen as a […]

Pigs and Sausages

Posted on Jun 12, 2015 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Every Friday in June I am blogging on the Crime Readers’ Association web-site. Today I’m writing about whether I base my characters on real people. To find out, go to http://www.thecra.co.uk/christine-poulson-the-pig-and-the-sausage/

Eight novels set in cathedrals or churches

Time for another list! My good blogfriend, Moira at http://clothesinbooks.blogspot.co.uk/and I are sharing our choice of eight books set in churches or cathedrals. I don’t claim that mine are the best books, but they are all books I’ve loved and read more than once. My first would have to be Trollope’s Barsetshire novels: all six, beginning with The Warden (1855) […]

The Crime Readers’ Association

Posted on Jun 5, 2015 in Uncategorized | No Comments

The CRA website was set up by the Crime Writers Association. It’s free to subscribe and is full of information about crime writers, new novels, and there are often giveaways, too. I’m delighted that I’ve been asked to be the featured author for June. This involves writing four blog posts and the first one – […]

The Golden Age of Murder

Posted on Jun 2, 2015 in Martin Edwards, The Golden Age of Murder | 4 Comments

Or, to give it its full title, The Golden Age of Murder: The Mystery of the Writers Who Invented the Modern Detective Story, by Martin Edwards. I bought it at Crimefest and starting reading it right away. I finished it in four days even though it is 435 pages long and the days at the convention were packed. […]