Minette Walters

They're page turners, they're great plots, great stories, wonderful characters.

So I've always tried in a way as a writer to emulate both those two writers.

Well, the golden age, because that's what I grew up with.

So Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Niall Marsh, Marjorie Ellingham.

I went to the same school as Dorothy Sayers, and they're terribly proud of the fact that, and in fact, they named, they built some new houses.

And one was called Sayers House, and one was called Walters House.

It was

gorgeous.

But I sort of did say to the headmistress, you know, do you really want to be known for creating crime writers?

She said, no, we're terribly proud of it.

But Dorothy Sayers was another one who was a fabulous writer.

She really wrote beautiful prose.

Some of her plots were a little bit iffy.

And when you read them now, I did a forward for, I can't remember the title now, but one of her books.

And rereading it, the plot is a bit spaced out, I would say.

But again, she had a wonderful ability to write character, no question about it.

But I think in a way, I mean, I loved Agatha Christie.

I think everybody loves Agatha Christie because they are quite fast reads.

And she did do excellent plots.

But I think in one respect, Marjorie Allingham was my favourite from that period.