Nice story on Neil Cross on TVNZ.co.nz

It's good to see local media giving some columns and paragraphs to local crime and thriller writers. It may just be that I'm noticing more nowadays, but it does overall seem to be improving. Hopefully it's a sign that the unwarranted cultural cringe about New Zealand 'popular fiction' is easing, just as it has with New Zealand music and movies over the past decade.

Today there is a story on TVNZ.co.nz (the website of the state broadcaster here in New Zealand) about Wellington-based crime writer Neil Cross. It's a short feature, but worth a read. He talks about new BBC detective show Luther, his latest thriller CAPTURED, and how he is drawn to the dark side, fictionally.

I'm not sure whether Cross is being tongue-in-cheek or serious when he says his latest project is "a top-secret film script for The Hobbit's director Guillermo del Toro". Given they're both based in Wellington, it could very well be true. And if so, it has me curious.

If you're in Wellington, you can ask Cross himself at tomorrow night's Murder They Wrote evening. I am unable to attend, but I am sending someone along who will do a 'guest post' for Crime Watch in the coming days. So if there are any questions you would like to ask Neil Cross, Paul Cleave, or Vanda Symon, let me know, and I'll pass them on.