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I crave good thrillers. But they are vanishingly rare. So when I find a book with a compelling plot, rich characters, horrifying jeopardy and seat-edge…
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One key to writing better is to read critically. I attempt to do so, often noting down excerpts from books as I read. Here are…
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Originally posted on Paul Hodson: With Travelling Companion and Daughter I spent some end-of-holiday days in west London. We stayed in a flat in Barnes…
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Stop press: I will be doing a reading from my Berlin thriller BLOOD SUMMIT at 1800 on 20 February 2019 at The English Centre in Salzburg.…
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What better book to read at Christmas than Right Ho, Jeeves – a festive winter wonderland of Wodehouse, a rich Christmas pudding of Plum? Right Ho, Jeeves opens…
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‘I only finished the first volume,’ my friend says. ‘It was so badly written. And boring.’ ‘I disagree,’ I say. ‘I think the writing is…
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A writer compares turnips and sex. Is he wise, or daft? Can we use his wisdom – if any – to make ourselves happier? I…
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Ahead, in the kitchen, everyone seems to be laughing. As I approach, the noise swells. I push the door open to find ten people sitting…
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I recently attended an outstanding Arvon Foundation writing course in Shropshire. I will write a blog about that shortly. In researching, I found this piece,…
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I sit down at my desk in Vienna to continue writing my current novel, code-named The Boyfriend. Outside, birds sing in the trees; all is well…
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You are an author. You are about to sit down and begin to write a story. How do you get started? What will it be…
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Every writer wants to write better. Some of my most popular blogs set out tips on how to do this. That is why I have…
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Attentive readers – if any are reading this* – will be aware of my slow-burn devotion to the works of P G Wodehouse, including How to…
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“As night falls on All Hallows, the Zentralfriedhof is transformed into an ethereal wonderland. It seems every visitor throughout the day has lit a candle…
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What is the perfect martini? A couple of years ago in Istanbul I was taken out for dinner by two top cardiac specialists. In between…
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At my reading this week from my Berlin thriller Blood Summit, someone asked when I found time to write. I wrote a blog on “Where I write”…
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Originally posted on Inconsistent Pacing: With the new film just released, Fifty Shades of Grey is being savaged everywhere again – everyone seems to have an…
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Josef had long dark curly hair and a roguish smile. He stood aside from the tiller. ‘Fancy a go?’ he said. We were speaking Russian.…
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What does reclusive author Robert Pimm look like in the flesh? Great news. You can find out when I read from my Berlin thriller Blood Summit on…
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Back in the 1970s I used to ride on the top deck of a double-decker red Routemaster bus to school in Manchester, an hour each…
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‘Hey,’ your friend says in Vienna. ‘Let’s meet up for a coffee’. ‘How about a cup of tea? Or a beer? Or a glass of…
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So. The rather awesome J K Rowling wrote swathes of the “Harry Potter” series in cafes in Edinburgh. Can other writers do this? With iPad…
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In 1979 I hitch-hiked for seven weeks around the United States. What did I learn about the US of 1979, and what does that tell…
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In 1979 I hitch-hiked for seven weeks around the United States. What became of the carefree, relaxed young 21 year-old of these pages? Can I…
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Is my Berlin Thriller Blood Summit is suitable for reading groups or book clubs? Yes. Blood Summit is ideal for reading groups and book clubs. This…
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People often ask me: ‘What is the best city you have lived in, apart obviously from Manchester? Is it London? Berlin? Moscow? Istanbul? Kyiv? Or…
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Many years ago I worked alongside a young woman who, long before in another city, had had a relationship with a man who now worked…
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The influential gallery director sits down with the visiting guest in a museum cafe. Both are speaking English but only the guest is a native…
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The woman at the entrance seems delighted to see me. Having sold me a ticket, she rises from her seat and accompanies me to the…
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All I saw was the dame standing there in the glare of the headlights waving her arms like a huge puppet and the curse I…
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Those who know the code of the Pimms will know that the blogs on this site are consistently honest. No fake news here, or indeed…
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It has been a good run. Since 12 August 2017 I have written a blog every week, usually published on a Saturday afternoon, in addition…
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If you have not read How to be an Alien by George Mikes, please go and buy a copy instantly. You will not regret it. George…
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How much cruelty can you squeeze into a 150,000 word novel? A huge amount, if that book is Lady Anna, written by Anthony Trollope at the…
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‘How many people are you expecting at your reading?’ ‘Well, it’s impossible to know. Maybe five, maybe 20.’ ‘But how many people will you will…
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What does reclusive author Robert Pimm look like in the flesh? You can find out on Friday 15 June at the wonderful Shakespeare & Co bookshop…
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Burly, yet brilliant. Violent, yet sensitive to the needs of women. Loyal to friends, yet indifferent to relationships. Meet Jack Reacher, U.S. hero of British…
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I am on a four-stage plane journey, from Vienna to Sharm-el-Sheikh and back via Istanbul. On the first leg, from Vienna to Istanbul, my Turkish…
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Someone pointed out recently that I hadn’t written about the Hotel Stories for some time. In fact, I recently rebranded The Hotel Stories – Complete Collection as Seven Hotel…
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I have written several times in these chronicles of my slow-burn devotion to the works of P G Wodehouse, including my induction (How to read…
