Author Archives: RobertC

It’s an academic question. I have written about black, gypsy, gay, young, female, Albanian, even though I’m none of those. But there are mutterings about a woke Gestapo who think I shouldn’t. I should only write about people like me. That’s crap. If I only write about straight white men of a certain age, thenContinue reading “Why Can’t I Write Black Characters?”

They didn’t like this in 1889. Their modestly profiled Paris, dominated by the holy Notre Dame, suddenly invaded by a steel monster on legs. The authorities promised it would only stand for 20 years, and 1909 would see its destruction. Try suggesting it should be demolished now. It’s the symbol of the city, its mostContinue reading “A Curse on Technology”

I’ve carried out further investigations into John Barker’s death. The coroner held an inquest two days later and decided it was an accident. He based this verdict on the testimony of one witness, Henry Clarke, whose account raises a few questions. Clarke described how a cart broke away from its blocks, rolled down a hill,Continue reading “More on the Death of John Barker”

I’m curious… When I mention #RosaryRoad, people keep asking if I’ve visited the Rosary Cemetery. Until now, the answer was no. Today I changed that. Brief history… in an era where the Church of England dominated the death business, a Reverend Drummond created the cemetery to allow other denominations the ability to conduct their ownContinue reading “What Happened to John Barker?”

Unusually, I found myself wandering round Norwich with time on my hands. Enough for a stroll through the Lanes, where I re-acquainted myself with the small casting celebrating Peter the Wild Man, aka the Wild Boy, allegedly brought up by animals in the forests of Germany and brought to England by George I. Peter somehowContinue reading “The Wild Side of Town”

I went to a folk festival the other week. At least it was billed as a folk festival. The top bands mainly played their own material. The guest Spanish band played ‘Sympathy for the Devil.’ Anyone seeking traditional music would be better off finding amateur musicians lurking in odd corners than watching the main stage.Continue reading “What’s Folk Music?”

I recently researched events occurring in the early years of the nineteenth century. It was an era of harsh winters. The Thames froze over. Then in 1815 Mount Tambora erupted. The dust spread across the atmosphere. The global temperature dropped by a whole degree. There you are. One big bang and all our troubles willContinue reading “Climate Change and the Rest”

(or the rules I follow to write Whodunits) Thou must remember there aren’t actually any commandments. I’m not bound to follow any rules, but… The murderer shall be known to the reader within the first three chapters. I know I broke this rule in one book, but he wasn’t the uber-villain, so the rules stands.Continue reading “The Ten Commandments”

I recently heard a much-respected writer of detective stories announce his disdain for Agatha Christie. His main criticism was the lack of empathy for the victim. It’s easy to pour scorn on the Queen of Crime. Her later books are a warning that one should quit while one’s ahead, and her description of murder scenesContinue reading “On Agatha (Christie not Raisin)”