thornemoore

It’s a Crime

Crime Fiction comes in many forms – international thrillers, historical mysteries, psychological dramas, police procedurals, court dramas, cosy crime… the sub-genres are endless, but they all dwell on crime. What is the appeal? Real life crime comes in many sub-divisions too, but crime fiction ignores most of them. You don’t get thrillers centring on crimesContinue reading “It’s a Crime”

In Praise of Libraries

I was at an event in a library a couple of years ago, chatting with author Roz Watkins about crime writing. The library was Newport Community Library. No, not that Newport, the other very small ancient borough in Pembrokeshire. It is maintained by volunteers and donations because all around the country small libraries are beingContinue reading “In Praise of Libraries”

Apples and Other Memories

My novel, The Unravelling, begins with Karen Rothwell driving home from work on a miserable night. An apple drops from her bag and rolls into a gutter. That is enough to spark memories of a girl she hasn’t thought about for 35 years. I don’t think I have been blocking out any memories, all theseContinue reading “Apples and Other Memories”

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #Historical Family Saga THE COVENANT by @ThorneMoore @honno

Greatly appreciated reviews of The Covenant

The Testaments

Rescuing another post from my old blog. I do review books on Amazon, because I know how important reviews are in that arena, but I don’t usually publish them at large because I prefer to write books and read other people’s reviews of them. But here, for a change, are my views on Margaret Atwood’sContinue reading “The Testaments”

Gwen and Other Names

A choice of names for characters is always tricky. Never have too many characters with names starting with the same letter. And never use the same name twice, even though, in real life, you probably know half a dozen Janes and Jameses. Maybe go for names that have a certain significance, athough sometimes the author’sContinue reading “Gwen and Other Names”

History in the Remaking

I’m generally listed as a crime writer – psychological crime, admittedly, so there’s no detailed police investigation, just people muddling through and falling apart – but my books have always been part historical novel. The first three, although following contemporary women, harked back to earlier eras. Not necessarily very distant eras. The Unravelling links backContinue reading “History in the Remaking”

Strong Women and Strong Stories: interview with Juliet Greenwood

Juliet Greenwood brought out a new novel this year – The Ferryman’s Daughter, published by Orion, set in Edwardian Cornwall, but here is my interview with her, posted a couple of years ago, in which she talks about her first three books, published by Honno. As with The Ferryman’s Daughter, her books have a strongContinue reading “Strong Women and Strong Stories: interview with Juliet Greenwood”

So Clear, So Obvious

There’s a difference between writing history and writing historical fiction, but sometimes the two can overlap. Write about a real historical character and the author has to do all the research that an academic historian would. The facts are there and cannot be changed. The difference is that the author of fiction is free toContinue reading “So Clear, So Obvious”

Shadows: what lurks behind the wainscot?

In the house where I was born, on what was then the rural fringe of Luton, we had gas brackets for lamps in the bedrooms. They were no longer connected to any gas supply (which didn’t stop me bunging mine up with plasticine, just in case), but I liked them being there, because they wereContinue reading “Shadows: what lurks behind the wainscot?”