My last blog, of the weekend, has attracted some interest - of a positive nature, I'm happy to say. It sems plenty of you are fond of Dirty El and his antics too. I'm delighted to hear it and will make sure I pass on your thoughts, next time I write about him!
A broader question that's come out of the little discussion is the role of humour in the tvdetective books.
I like to read crime novels myself, and have experienced plenty which are unremittingly bleak. It's fair enough, sometimes there's little room for a laugh when you're dealing with some dreadful cases, but they're not my favourite and I fear they miss something fundamental.
I can't imagine myself writing a book which doesn't contain at least a little foolery or fun. For me humour is one of the glues that binds us together as a society. Even in the darkest of times, I often see people raising their spirits with a joke or a laugh. That's certainly the case with the police officers I've been lucky enough to know.
From your feedback, I know the fun times in the books are some of those you value the most. Thanks for that, because it can be an intimidating moment for a writer, and a delicate balance to find, when to stray into the land of humour. You've reassured me I'm getting it roughly right, which I appreciate.
On then with the next book, and a courage newly fortified to stick by my instincts and time to inject a little fun!
If you've got a question you'd like to ask about the tvdetective books, please do get in touch. You can do so via the contact page of the site - www.thetvdetective.com/contact.html