The siren call of crime by the seaside

Who doesn’t love murder mystery in a gorgeous location?

Lyme Crime, the only literary festival devoted to crime fiction on the Jurassic coast, returns to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis, from 15th to 17th June, with a line-up that ranges from a best-selling writer of psychological thrillers to a retired judge.

Founded by local author and festival director Paddy Magrane, Lyme Crime brings together crime and thriller writers, forensic specialists, police officers and lawyers for a series of talks, panel discussionis and conversations, celebrating what is said to be the UK’s favourite fictional genre.

This year’s lineup includes Lisa Jewell, Fiona Cummins, Erin Kelly, Nadine Matheson, Jason Goodwin, Vaseem Khan, CL Taylor, Jane Casey and real-life Old Bailey judge, Wendy Joseph.

It’s a weekend of murder, mystery and mayhem, says Paddy, who is delighted that the festival is returning for a second year. ‘If you’re a fan of crime fiction, our festival is the perfect place to meet your favourite writers and other mystery lovers.’

Opening the festival, on Thursday 15th June, at 4.30pm, best-selling novelist Lisa Jewell will be in conversation with Erin Kelly. Lisa's first book Ralph’s Party was the best-selling debut of 1999, and she has gone on to publish 19 more novels. Initially finding fame as a “chick lit” writer, Lisa says she was always drawn to the dark side, and now writes hugely successful psychological thrillers, outselling John Grisham and Stephen King. She joins Erin Kelly to discuss her latest novel, The Family Remains, and what’s behind her evolution as a writer.

Later that evening, “Noir at the Bar”, will be a free event, with readings, conversation and laughter with established and emerging crime writers.

Friday’s programme starts with “Cosy Crime—from Guilty Secret to Top of the Charts”. So-called “cosy crime” writers have long felt like Cinderella in crime circles, but with the arrival of Richard Osman, that’s all changed. With cosy topping the charts, writers SJ Bennett, Derek Farrell and Rachel Ward discuss their genre.

Exotic settings and historic events provide the context for Friday’s “Where Past and Present Meet”, a discussion with Jason Goodwin, Vaseem Khan and William Ryan, whose protagonists are a eunuch investigator in Ottoman-era Istanbul, a female detective in the heat and dust of 1950s Bombay, and a shell-shocked soldier solving a mystery in the divided Ireland of 1921.

“In the Heart of Darkness”, the first of two Friday afternoon sessions, features Katerina Diamond, Sam Holland and Alex North exploring the darkest recesses of the human mind, with a cast of murderers, psychopaths, abductors and serial killers. The three panellists ask: Is there a line that can’t be crossed?

Meanwhile, “Spies like Us—from Fact to Fiction”, with Ava Glass, Charlotte Philby and Holly Watt—an ex-M16 handler, the granddaughter of Cambridge spy Kim Philby and a former newspaper reporter—discuss how tapping into personal experience brings grit and authenticity to their work.

The evening panel, Fiona Cummins, Erin Kelly and CL Taylor, discuss the enduring appeal of crime and psychological fiction in “Deadlier in the Dark”. Why, even in our blackest hours, do we turn to stories of darkness and death?

Saturday 17th June starts with “Crime Fiction—a Force for Change?” Holly Seddon, Nadine Matheson and Tina Orr Munro, with panel chairman Ayo Onatade, discuss why the genre is a great vehicle for exploring social issues, and may even be a tool for change.

“Too Close for Comfort”, the lunch-time session, brings crime into your street—where curtains twitch, walls have ears and everyone is watching. Jane Casey, Sarah Hilary and Olivia Kiernan investigate the nightmare of nosy neighbours, buried secrets and family feuds.

Whether you can’t wait for the next Donna Leon installment of crime and life in the Brunetti family in Venice or JK Rowling’s dark and dangerous London where Cormoran and Robin operate, you probably realise that writing a great crime novel takes huge skill. These novels generally have intricate, maze-like plots with killer twists. In a panel discussion, “To Plot or Not—the Big Debate”, Leye Adenle, Neil Broadfoot and Ed James discuss the merits of plotting versus “pantsing”, share the times that books were born from a single line, and reveal the tricks that keep their writing fresh and their readers guessing.

“Location, Location, Location” is the theme for the Saturday tea-time session, as Amen Alonge, Rachael Blok and SE Lynes talk about how the setting of a book—gritty urban sprawl, close-knit country town or windswept seaside community—can become another character, how they depict the locations in their work, and how these settings sometimes mould the stories they tell.

And for those who want the “Why as well as the Where, Who and When”, retired judge Her Honour Wendy Joseph talks with Paddy Magrane about “Why We Kill”. This festival finale event features one of only a handful of judges qualified to preside over murder trials at the Old Bailey. For the first time, she can talk about what it’s really like ruling on lifechanging cases. She discusses her book Unlawful Killings, which explores why we kill, what happens in court and what this teaches us about the society we live in. Fanny Charles