Collins masterfully blends fact and fiction...transcends the historical thriller.

In general, I think, less is more, and that if a reader stops reading because a book is too icky then I've failed in my obligation to the readers.

People want to avoid the past. I suppose that's natural. When we tally up all we've said and done over the years, despite the wonderful memories, the regrets may be fewer but stand out more prominently, glowing coals that we can never quite extinguish, try though we might

The outline is 95 percent of the book. Then I sit down and write, and that's the easy part.

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.

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

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