In Cold Blood: large North & South feature on Paul Cleave

Back when I started Crime Watch in 2009, there was very little coverage of New Zealand crime, mystery, and thriller writing, in print or online. I'd noticed when I went to interview some authors for a couple of specialist magazines that year that the authors didn't have websites, and there hadn't been much, if any, other coverage of their writing, beyond the occasional review or radio interview. That was one of the reasons I founded Crime Watch - to get more out there about some terrific New Zealand authors, as well as providing a portal or conduit to point to what was already out there, spread thinly but widely.

I'm glad to say that things have improved in the last five years; now I regularly see New Zealand crime writers appearing at festivals, being interviewed on radio and in print publications (from the books pages of our biggest newspapers and magazines to community newspapers and specialist magazines and websites), and their works being reviewed in a variety of outlets, and featuring on the local bestsellers list. 

One exception to the general lack of coverage back in 2009 however, was a fantastic long feature on Paul Cleave, written by Joanna Wane in North & South, one of New Zealand's premier magazines. At the time few New Zealanders were talking about Cleave, who'd had great success in Germany but was overlooked here at home. Wane spent time with Cleave, then in the earlier stages of his career, and wrote a terrific six-page piece for the July 2009 issue of North & South. Unfortunately, North & South didn't have a website, and the article was only available in print. Until now. 

This month, having given Cleave's latest book, FIVE MINUTES ALONE, a glowing review in its book pages, the magazine has made the original feature available to read online and in .pdf format on the Scribd website. Click here to read.