There's always these giant baffling books, like 'The Da Vinci Code.' People say it's not as well written as 'Midnight's Children.' Why aren't people reading 'Midnight's Children?' Nobody knows why these phenomenons happen but they're great.

I'm terrified to get married. I'm not getting married till my gay friends can.

Usually when I'm trying to establish character, I try and find out where they live.

I came from this very traditional background and I benefited hugely from feminism. I felt privileged going to university and doing a PhD. Most people of my background don't get to do that.

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

Most of the people who write to me are really clever, really engaged. They just want to say that they have read my book and liked it.

I respond very well to rules. If there are certain parameters it's much easier to do something really good. Especially when readers know what those are. They know what to expect and then you have to wrong-foot them. That is the trick of crime fiction. And readers come to crime and graphic novels wanting to be entertained, or disgusted.