A number of you have written to me to say that I appear as a villain in the Jeffrey Deaver novel Sleeping Doll!

I met Jeffrey Deaver a couple of years ago for the first time when we were on a panel together at Left Coast Crime, and I must say, I think he is one of the nicest people I have met in the whole crime writing world – a view shared by many. Despite his very dark books, and that he looks like a prosperous undertaker, he is warm and witty in the flesh and quite delightful company.

I met him again about ten days ago, at the ITV3 Crime Thriller awards and told him that in return I was going to put him in my new novel (Dead Tomorrow) as a real sleaze-bag. “Yes please!” , he replied enthusiastically. “The sleazier and bigger scumbag the better!”

Oh boy, I sure hope he means that… I think I have done him proud, as you will see in the book next year!!!