I liked the challenge of writing in a very concise structure in which both meaning and form are important.

It means working harder to do the research but I don't really mind - I don't think I have what it takes to chase criminals through back alleys and wade through blood at crime scenes.

Generally my typical books have lots of twists and turns a big surprise ending and then usually another surprise at the end and ideally, as in Garden of Beasts, we get to the very end and we find at the last few pages that there's yet another surprise.

In other words, the people who populate my books are more than caricatures.

People with children and people with their own business always pick up a ringing phone.

When it comes time to write the book itself I'll shut the lights out, picture the scene I'm about to write then close my eyes and go at it. Yes, I can touch type.

Robert Rotenberg does for Toronto what Ian Rankin does for Edinburgh.