Daynote - Wed 10 Jun 2026

Finally got out for a walk for the first time since last week. And it was an absolutely beautiful morning. Cool, sunny, flashes of warmth between the trees. Sometimes when I'm focused on something I go two or three days without a walk then wonder why I'm getting a little bit grumpy, then I go outside again and remember 'oh yeah'.

Now that the Bloody Scotland programme has launched, I can reveal the panel I'm on, which is a really great mix of spy fiction authors. I'll be appearing on the Rogue Agents panel, alongside Kim Sherwood (who I had a great panel with last year and whose new Bond novel HURRICANE ROOM looks fantastic), Paul Warner (whose debut A SPY IN THE BLOOD I really enjoyed earlier this year) and Chris Merritt, (whose latest book OCTAGON is another excellent thriller).

We'll be chaired by writer, podcaster and critic Paul Burke, who hosts the excellent CrimeTime FM and Aspects of Crime podcasts. I'm really looking forward to it. Book your tickets here (a digital livestream is also available if you can't make it to Scotland).

ON DECK: Not a huge amount done today. Ooft. Still settling back in after the hectic weekend. But I'm getting there. A grand total of -12 words cut across a chapter this morning. But I'm slowly getting back up to speed.

LISTENING: Absolutely loved this SFFAddicts 'masterclass' podcast with Isabel J. Kim about the art of the short story. Iz is, for my money, one of the best short (and long) SF authors coming up at the moment, so it's very cool to see her talking about her craft and process like this.

WATCHING: A bit more of BIG MISTAKES last night, it's a lot of fun. Also, I like having a bit of variety in my TV, short episodes can be really good. And it's veered into happy absurdity in a pretty compelling way.

READING: Dipping into DECEPTION by Alan Parks (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon) and the wartime vibes are vibing.

LINK: An excellent piece from my friend Lorraine Wilson on what reviewers and readers 'owe' to authors (spoilers, not a lot). A very nuanced take, and definitely one I'm far closer to now I've been published for approaching a couple of years. When you're a debut everything is shiny and new and exciting, but also stressful and (apparently) high stakes and often disappointing for reasons outside your control. Lorraine nails that shift perfectly.

UP NEXT: Counting down the days to Capital Crime now! I'm there for four days, from Thursday through to Sunday, and I really can't wait - it's such a fun festival and I'm looking forward to catching up with so many friends, readers and industry folks. I am, however, going to try and get more sleep than last year.

Onward!