Pauline Rowson: How to write a crime novel or crime short story

There are many different types of crime novels and crime short stories ranging from gritty gruesome, cosy comfortable to cops, robbers and gangsters, racy, action-packed thrillers, historical or contemporary crime novels, detective or private eye and many more variations in between.



Then there is the setting: the city, the sea, countryside, mountains, home or abroad. So there is plenty of scope to work with and the type of crime novel or short story you decide to write is often linked to the type of crime novel you like to read.



I never set out to write what have been termed in the USA 'police procedurals' but there are now thirteen published in the DI Andy Horton series and two crime novels featuring undercover investigator, Art Marvik with the third, Lost Voyage, to be published in July 2017. I've also written two stand alone crime novels, In Cold Daylight and In For The Kill.




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