Blog

Final Day is released on 20th May 2026, and I wanted to take a moment to explain why this book begins a new strand of the world many of you already know from the DCI Finnegan series.

This isn’t a goodbye to Frank Finnegan, Zac Stoker, Dinkel, Dr Whipple, or Whitby. Far from it. Prisha Kumar is still very much part of that world, and some familiar faces appear in Final Day to help, hinder, advise, irritate, and occasionally say exactly the wrong thing at exactly the right moment.

Think of this...

Ever had one of those days, weeks, months, where you're in a life and death struggle with technology? Well, that's been my month.

I know there's far worse things going on in the world and I should count my blessings, but still... it's bloody annoying.

The classic is the eternal internet circle - or as I term it the Circle of Strife.

The website tells you to click X, Y, and Z to progress.

X and Y go swimmingly. But when you get to Z - it doesn't exist, or it's greyed out and unclickable.

You try...

It’s been a hectic month with the release of Crucifix Knot—book 11 in the DCI Finnegan series, and the direct sequel to Wicker Girl.

Sales have been exceptionally strong and, with each new release, readership continues to grow.

I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review or rating for Crucifix Knot. The response has been overwhelming, and your words really do make a difference—both in helping other readers discover the series, and in giving me that...

The Write Routine

I’m sometimes asked by people (as opposed to animals, plants, or house bricks) what my writing routine is like. So, today I thought I’d share it with you. PART 1, at least.

Now, bear in mind, this is an average week. I do sometimes have a holiday, get ill, or suffer from a hangover, all of which can interrupt my flow.

Monday to Friday (and quite often, Saturday and Sunday)

It’s a job—that’s the first thing I have to say. It’s not a hobby or a pastime, or a fad. This is my...

Tea Break Trivia

When is a Cake Not a Cake?

Each day before I hammer at the keyboard making things up, I spend fifteen minutes catching up on the news.

I restrict it to fifteen minutes — any longer, and I end up depressed and anxious for the rest of the day. Amidst the usual mayhem, war, death, destruction, and economic woe, I look out for stories that are a little different.

The other day, I stumbled across a gem: apparently, I’ve been eating McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives wrong all my life....

They say travel broadens the mind, but it also narrows the wallet.

After nearly three months overseas, my wallet resembled a slice of desiccated pastrami. Before I left on my trip, my wife (who had preceded me by a month) issued strict instructions for me to purchase a pair of anti-embolism stockings to prevent deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, while flying. These are designed to stop the blood from pooling in your feet. I always thought that was the heart's job, but what do I know?

As usual, she...

I am a British crime fiction author, weaving tales set against the breathtaking backdrop of North Yorkshire.

Picture the historic and charming fishing port of Whitby, with its cobbled streets and haunting abbey ruins, as the stage for my stories.

In my books, you'll meet DCI Frank Finnegan, an old-school copper with a dry sense of northern humour, and a gruff exterior. Alongside him is DI Prisha Kumar, an intuitive and feisty woman sharper than a Gillette razor blade. Then there's DS Zac...