The crime novel has always been my favourite genre.

Most people don't have the money to spend on advertising to create awareness among readers, nor do they have the contacts at newspapers or magazines to get their books reviewed.

I believe in the dull lie - make your story boring enough and no one will question it.

I live and die with the Chicago Cubs

White-collar crime gets more outrageous by the second in America.

I believe that to create real-seeming characters, the writer must be willing to go on a voyage of self-exploration. It can be revealing and even painful to explore your own weakness, but it gives you genuine emotion. Characters in fiction come alive because of the believability of their emotional lives and that is what I strive to create.

My parents were liberal intellectuals but even they expected me to stay at home and look after my younger siblings and do the housework.