CrimeFest 2024: Friday: Twisted Tales: Subverting Expectations

  Friday, 10 May
13:40 - 14:30

The Panel are Blake Mara, Michael Stanley
(aka Michael Sears),
B.P. Water, Nicola Williams, 
and the participating Moderator is Megan Davies

Blake Mara is the author of the cosy crime, the Dog Park Detectives (launching 6 June).  Inspired by her dachshund, it starts with two people out walking their dogs who find a dead body. Determined to get justice for their friend, the dog park Pack band together try to track down the killer. Writing as Mara Timon, she is the author of City of Spies (shortlisted for CrimeFest’s debut of the year 2020) and the sequel, Resistance. 

www.blakemara.com

Michael Stanley is the pen-name for writing partnership Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Their mystery series, featuring Detective Kubu, is set in Botswana, a fascinating country with magnificent conservation areas, varied peoples, and intriguing backstories. They have won a Barry Award and have been finalists for an Edgar, an ITW, and a CWA award. The latest book in the series is a prequel, titled A Deadly Covenant. They also wrote a thriller about rhino poaching, Dead of Night, set in South Africa, featuring investigative journalist Crystal Nguyen. Stanley also wrote a Crystal Nguyen thriller, Wolfman, set in Minnesota. 

www.michaelstanleybooks.com

B.P. Walter is the Sunday Times bestselling author of suspense thrillers. He studied Film & English at the University of Southampton, is an alumnus of the Faber Academy and formerly worked in social media. His novel The Dinner Guest was a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller and a Number 1 Times bestseller. His most recent books are Notes on a Murder (2023) and The Garden Party (July 2024). His debut horror, Scuttle, publishes this autumn. 

www.bpwalter.com  

Nicola Williams started her career as a barrister in private practice, specialising in Criminal Law. She was a member of the first Independent Advisory Group to the Metropolitan Police Service (following recommendations arising from the Stephen Lawrence Report [1999]). She has been a part-time Crown Court Judge since 2010. She is an active volunteer for the Speakers for Schools programme, a charity which encourages young people from disadvantaged and under-represented communities to achieve their full career potential.

Megan Davis has an MA Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Her debut, The Messenger, won the Bridport Prize for a First Novel as well as the Lucy Cavendish Prize. Megan is a lawyer and was a whistle-blower in London’s financial sector and now works at Spotlight on Corruption, an anti-corruption NGO. Her second novel Bay of Thieves (pub date: June 2024) is set between London and the south of France.  

www.megandavis.co.uk