Peter Corris

As he moves around, he remembers places he's been to before and goes to places he hasn't seen but has just heard about.

In a way, he researches the history of the city as he moves around in it.

And this is common with...

Crime fiction, Michael Connolly does the same with L.A.

and Robert B. Parker did the same with Boston and I suppose Maygray did the same with Paris.

I mean, it's a standard way of...

Putting texture, I'm using the word too much.

You can't just have the detective knocking on doors, bashing people, being bashed.

You need pauses.

You need changes of pace and changes of tone.

And that sort of stuff provides you with that.

The commentary on the city and how it's changed provides you with that kind of extra material.

No, not at all.

I can no longer read ordinary print.

I can't read newsprint or ordinary print in books.

I have to use an e-reader.

I use a Kindle, and I have to blow up a very, very big font in order to be able to read.

But I've got used to that and I read a great deal, all the time in fact.

Never put one out and light another.

And so I haven't had to, I do have to ration it a bit.