Journalism is a Darwinian process.

In the 'Garnethill' trilogy, people always forget that Maureen O'Donnell's dad was a journalist and she did art history at uni and her brother did law, but no-one ever thinks they're middle-class - they're just working class because they speak with accents.

I have two children. They are more fun than anything in the world, and it's more immediate fun than the hard slog of writing.

I grew up in London under Thatcher and that really was disgusting. A feeding frenzy.

I'd read so much right-wing crime fiction where they find the evidence and shoot the bad guy - I thought there must be another approach.

A man who thinks he has a higher purpose can do terrible things, even to those he professes to love.

Crime fiction is the fiction of social history. Societies get the crimes they deserve.