the pool

  Meet the winner of Virago/The Pool’s New Crime Writer Award And read an extract from the 1930s Manhattan-set detective story that won lecturer Lara Thompson a book deal   By Lily Peschardt – originally published on The Pool.   We are delighted to announce that Virago and The Pool’s New Crime Writer Award is Lara Thompson for […]

  Virago/ The Pool Competition Winner Announcement Sarah Savitt, Publisher at Virago, and Sam Baker, Co-Founder and CEO of The Pool, are thrilled to announce that the winner of the Virago/The Pool New Crime Writer Award is Lara Thompson for her debut novel One Night, New York. Val McDermid gave Thompson the award in person […]

After having only two published books I can’t claim to be an expert, but I’ve learned a thing or two along the way. Plus, I’ll let you into a little secret: I LET YOU GO and I SEE YOU aren’t the only psychological thrillers I’ve written. Littering the path is another complete thriller and two […]

Readers and reviewers have fallen in love with your detective, Manon Bradshaw. What’s your top tip for creating a compelling central character? I think for a character to be real, you mustn’t sugar-coat them. Give them flaws, and I don’t mean adorable romcom flaws, like wearing wacky tights or shopping in flea markets. I mean […]

Bestselling author Helen Fitzgerald shares her top tips for writing crime, as part of our series for the Virago / The Pool New Crime Writer Prize.    What’s your top tip for creating an intriguing character? I have to relate to my main character, so she has to have some similarities to me. This means […]

Author of The Girl in the Red Coat and The Doll Funeral, Kate Hamer, speaks to Virago Deputy Publisher Sarah Savitt about her experiences of writing and reading crime fiction.  Both of your novels feature a child’s voice. What makes a young person a particularly interesting narrator for a mystery story? What I’m interested in […]

Claire Evans is author of The Fourteenth Letter, a crime novel set in London 1881, that begins withthe scandal of a bride murdered at her engagement party. Read on for the lessons Claire learnt about writing from working on the small screen.     The Middle truly is as important as the beginning and the end….. […]

The first step to getting your novel published is getting an agent. Here, a selection of agents whose clients write crime tell us what they look for in a debut submission.  I don’t know what it is I’m looking for, but in the best crime fiction something finds you. A character intrigues, an atmosphere chills, the […]