You get more than you give

A wee 'Crisis collage' from over the years, starting with my first stint as 'doormen' - ie friendly security - back in 2015. I was even interviewed by BBC as a Kiwi helping out

Craig every second Tuesday

Kia ora and gidday everyone,

So last Friday was International Volunteers Day and I've been thinking about volunteering a bit lately, given the season and other things going on. Often at this time of year I'm gearing up to help out with Crisis at Christmas, an annual campaign in the UK that helps to provide meals, shelter, companionship, and many different kinds of support to those experiencing homelessness. I first got involved, somewhat by accident, in 2015 when I was stranded solo in the UK for the festive season thanks to visa applications and slow-moving bureaucracy. 

A rich silver lining to what could have been an otherwise grey Christmas cloud that year. 

In the decade since, I've participated in six Crisis 'seasons', giving hundreds of hours to volunteering in great teams at a couple of different London venues, helping our guests (rough sleepers) in various ways. It's been a really eye-opening thing, in terms of the broad impact of homelessness, breaking down (mis)perceptions, and more. 

I've been blessed to be involved with some terrific organisations over the years, making a difference locally, nationally, or beyond.  Lately it's been parkrun and Crisis mainly, along with Maddie raising funds for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices last year with her 10k charity walk. (And recently I've found myself on our local allotment garden committee too, using my legal/writing skills).

digging over cactus-edged cornfields
in the Colca Canyon, Peru

But in the past it's been everything from days clearing farmland in Peru or helping with kids after school programmes in Buenos Aires barrios, to various kids, human rights, or health causes in Aotearoa and elsewhere. Even running the Auckland marathon for the Heart Foundation, when I'd never been a runner (off sports fields) til then. 

It's true what they say - you get more than you give. 

I feel very fortunate that my Mum and Dad instilled in me from a young age the idea of giving back to anything you loved, getting involved, and also helping out where you can, where you see a need. The people I've met and the experiences I've had 'giving' my time etc, have been life-changing for me as much (or more) as those we've helped. 

The 2025 theme for International Volunteers Day was #EveryContributionMatters, highlighting that every act of volunteering, big or small, builds a stronger world. I've certainly witnessed that, whether it's someone bringing in some warm socks at Crisis for Christmas, having a short chat with someone vulnerable and for them to feel 'seen', or the way a kid's confidence soars when someone shows a genuine interest at an after-school club, or they've been attending parkrun for a few weeks or months. The little moments matter. A lot, sometimes. 

Some of our volunteers at our local junior parkrun

We're all busy. Busier and busier nowadays, it seems. So much urgency, whether genuine or just perceived. There's so much pushing and pulling at us. So little time, it seems. The news can be god-awful far too often, too. Finances are stretched thin to breaking. We all 'don't have time' for so much that matters. 

But as they say, in times of crisis, 'look to the helpers'. 

Helping out with L.I.F.E charity at a kids after
school club in poorest parts of Buenos Aires

I still firmly believe, perhaps naively, that there's more good in the world than bad. I've seen so much of it, in many different places. From many different people, of may different cultures and backgrounds. Whether volunteering officially or in 'caring' roles and professions or just helping out with family, friends, and communities, local clubs ad societies, wherever they see a need. On that note, if you can, perhaps find a way to volunteer, even if just for half an hour as a one-off, with something that matters to you. 

You may not change the world, but you could change someone's. 

Even your own. 

(Too cheesy? Perhaps. But hey, it's that time of year.)

Until next time, Ka kite anō

Whakataukī of the fortnight: 

Inspired by Zoe and her 'word of the week', I'll be ending my fortnightly posts by sharing a whakataukī (Māori proverb), a pithy and poetic thought to mull on as we go through life.

“Iti noa ana he pito mata”

(From the withered tree, a flower blooms)

Feeling thankful

With Crime in the Spotlight-er Allison Meldrum, Belinda Bauer
 and Elly Griffiths after our terrific Bloody Scotland event

Craig every second Tuesday.

Kia ora and gidday everyone, I hope you’ve all been enjoying some fabulous reads as we hurtle towards the holiday season and new year, whether new books or older ones. 

There are so many good and great crime and thriller fiction tales out there, including several terrific fresh voices that have joined the genre we love in 2025; plenty of cool authors to discover as well as enjoying old favourites.

THE VANISHING PLACE alongside some award-winning
Kiwi crime debuts, in Waterstones in London. 

An example: recently I read an outstanding debut from Scottish-Kiwi author Zoë Rankin, The Vanishing Place, a thriller which takes readers deep into the rugged, deadly magnificence of the New Zealand bush. It’s a compelling, atmospheric tale set on the ‘wild West Coast’ of Zoë's adopted homeland’s South Island, entwined with smalltown secrets, past sins, atypical upbringings, and religious fervour. An exceptionally strong sense of people and place. 

I got to meet Zoë several years ago at Rotorua Noir, our first-ever New Zealand international crime and thriller writing festival (sadly, our only one thusfar - due to COVID killing the planned sequel in 2021). A aspiring crime novelist, Zoë won a short story competition we ran, and was able to read her story onstage before our local and international authors and attendees, including Guests of Honour Alex Gray (Scotland), Kati Hiekkapelto (Finland), Lilja Sigurðardóttir (Iceland), and Michael Robotham (Australia). 

So it's terrific to see Zoë's debut hit shelves late this year - and even more so, for it to be so bloody good. Last week it was included in the Washington Post's Best Books of the Year lists, in some very fine crime thriller company including SA Cosby and Laura Lippman. I really loved both of Shawn and Laura's books too this year, King of Ashes and Murder Takes A Vacation. Very different kinds of crime novels, but exceptionally written. 

It's strange to think that we're already at the 'Best of the Year' time of the year. Hasn’t 2025 flown by? 

So much going on in the world, but still plenty to be grateful for, including the enjoyment provided by – and sometimes transformative power of – books and reading. I've certainly felt that recently, with a few less-than-ideal thigs going on in terms of  few relative's health issues and workplace/financial pressures. Like going for a long walk, especially in nature, diving into a good book has a remarkable calming or recentring effect for me. 

nature - it's pretty cool, even on grey London days

Walking in London has been fun lately. While the weather has been very average at times (Kiwi euphemism), the autumn, or Fall for north American pals, leaves have been in vivid colour for several weeks. Though they've started to all go the last week or two, turning into 'skeleton trees' as my 10-year-old has called them since she was little. 

No matter what's going on in life I always feel better after a good walk, especially in nature. Plenty to be grateful for. 

On that note, on Thursday my many American friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving, a holiday we grow up in New Zealand hearing about through books, TV, and movies, but is not traditionally part of our annual holiday or celebrations calendar. Having said that, I did participate in a big Thanksgiving Dinner for more than a dozen people in New Zealand back in 2012, as I had an American flatmate (housemate or roommate for US pals) at the time. 

An Auckland Thanksgiving

My flatmate Leah had a good group of friends who were fellow ex-pats (Americas working in Auckland), who I'd met and hug out with a bit that year, and we ended up hosting. Somehow even though it was mainly her friends and their visiting relatives, guess who ended up having to cook the large turkey? The Kiwi guy. Fortunately thanks to some orange slices, butter and seasonings under the skin, and no doubt a fair bit of beginner’s luck, and we got there. 

Even though it’s not a traditional holiday for me or my family, I do really love the explicit ‘giving thanks’ element of Thanksgiving. Gratitude is a vital thing, especially in turbulent times. Like walking and reading, it can re-centre us. 

So in keeping with the season, I’m certainly very thankful – among some more personal things – for books and reading and the many unexpected opportunities a childhood love for the crime and thriller genre had grown into and has brought me over the years. Just in the past few months alone I’ve got to be involved onstage with some terrific festivals in England and Scotland, interviewing outstanding writers from several continents (some onstage in front of enthusiastic audiences, some backstage for magazines and newspapers). I've got to catch up with old friends and hang out with some cool new people, and even had a few readers kindly buy and ask me to sign copies of books I've written or edited, Southern Cross Crime (which came out in 2020 to some lovely reviews and later awards recognition but strangled distribution and a string of cancelled 

I'm still not used to signing books myself, but
it is kinda a cool feeling (Bloody Scotland)

events during the height of COVID), and our Dark Deeds Down Under anthologies of Australian and New Zealand crime and thriller short stories. 

I've got to chat with some other really cool authors from all over the world for podcasts, which in the last few weeks includes: fellow Kiwi RWR McDonald, whose superb Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel-winning debut, The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace, was published in the UK last week; Icelandic star and fellow Rotorua Noir alumnus Lilja Sigurðardóttir, and the modern-day Queen of Crime herself, Val McDermid. 

I’ve also got to see, from afar, the Ngaio Marsh Awards, which I helped start in my home country of New Zealand back in 2010, recently celebrate its fifteenth anniversary at a fabulous event in Dame Ngaio’s hometown of Christchurch, complete with an improv murder mystery performed by a famous theatre group. It's been so cool to see New Zealand crime and thriller writing, aka #yeahnnoir, has grown in leaps and bounds since our awards began. I'm very grateful to everyone involved, as it has really been a passion project built on goodwill and the 'smell of a oily rag', as my Mum would say. I'm thankful for all our authors - both Kiwis and international authors who've read and supported our #yeahnoir storytellers and events, or even presented our awards in the case of the likes of Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Michael Robotham, and others. I'm grateful for all our judges who've given their time and expertise, all the libraries and librarians around the country who've hosted events, our long-time partners WORD Christchurch, and all the readers, critics, publishers, bloggers, media, and others who've embraced or spotlighted #yeahnoir. 

Kiwi authors Jared Savage, Claire Baylis, Denise Fitzpatrick
and Zoë Rankin at a Rotorua Mystery in the Library event

This year we also surpassed 120 free ‘Mystery in the Library’ events put on by the Ngaios for audiences all across Aotearoa (occasionally overseas) over the past decade, highlighting hundreds of local authors in local communities, and promoting the value of libraries to society. It's a fun full circle thing for me, given how much I loved libraries (my primary school and high school ones, and the local public library) growing up - I'd alternate my free time in the holidays between sports fields, home or friends' places, and the library as a youngster in Aotearoa.  The Ngaios were also sparked by visits in 2008 to two libraries thousands of miles apart, Vancouver and Papatoetoe. 

Christchurch City librarian Fiona with the first 
Dark Deeds Down Under anthology

I also worked on good chunks of both Southern Cross Crime and the first two Dark Deeds Down Under anthologies in a few local libraries in SW London, along with enjoying fun times and many cool activities there with my daughter over the years, from preschool Wriggle & Rhyme sessions, to meeting authors, to books clubs, and arts & crafts. 

So yeah, very thankful for libraries. 

How fortunate I feel to get to be involved in various ways in many wonderful book-related things, all over the world, from interviewing authors to judging awards to putting on events to helping authors get published, and more. So I’m thankful for all the wonderful authors out there, my fellow Murder is Everywhere columnists, and also and especially to the many, many  readers who love mystery and thriller fiction. Happy holidays, everyone. 

Until next time. Ka kite anō.

Whakataukī of the fortnight: 

Inspired by Zoe and her 'word of the week', I'm ending all my MIE posts by sharing a whakataukī (Māori proverb), a pithy and poetic thought to mull on as we go through life.

"Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini"

(My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success but success of a collective)

Bringing booklovers together - our "Nefarious Newtown" event earlier this year
with Jennifer Palgrave, Carl Shuker, Jennifer Lane, and Helen Vivienne Fletcher

Thankful

Wendall -- every other Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving. I thought I’d take this opportunity to write about a few things I’m grateful for today.

First, I am so grateful for my husband. Today is the anniversary of our first date and I want to thank him for making me laugh every day for the last twenty-three years. 

 

We never pass up a chance at a photo booth.

 

The king of funny faces.

He sent off for an inflatable Dino from Japan.

I am also grateful to the Murder is Everywhere crew. It is a privilege and a pleasure to have spent almost two years now with all of you interesting, talented, erudite writers and to be a part of the blog. I’m also grateful for all of you who follow us.

 

My first Bouchercon with most of the writers from MIE.

 

As always, I’m grateful to Stevie Wonder for still being alive. Same goes for Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, Bob Dylan, Rickie Lee Jones, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, and on and on. For more details on how music is vital to me, see my blog from November 14.

 

 

I am grateful that James and I now have a balcony. It may overlook a freeway (we pretend the constant sound is the ocean) but it’s a private place outside to read, drink coffee and cocktails, and watch the hummingbirds while the sun rises and sets. Makes all the difference.

 

 

I am grateful to all my professors at UNC, especially the late Doris Betts, who gave me the best reading lists and taught me to think, always dig deeper, and check my sources.

 

My writing and thinking mentor, Doris Betts.

 

I’m grateful to live in California, where succulents abound.

 

Huntington Gardens.

 

A palm tree from my neighborhood.

 

I’m grateful to have grown up in the 70s, where great, profound, irreverent, and hilarious movies were in theaters every week.

 

To be a moviegoes when Altman was at his peak was a privilege.

When news was news.

No words for how prophetic this was.

When Jill Clayburgh, Diane Keaton, and Sally Field were movie stars.

Still stunning.

My idol and still one of my favorite films.

"Serpentine!"

Too many funny lines to quote.

I’m grateful that mystery organizations, librarians, and independent bookstores exist and for all the amazing people who have helped me with my research, read early drafts, chosen my stories for anthologies, and generally supported me as a writer, especially my sister, Kim. The rest of you know who you are.

 

At Chevalier's with Tim Hallinan.

 

My very first signing with Anne Saller at Book Carnival.

My first published story, thanks to Naomi Hirahara.

 

Also grateful I can still hear, see, and type!

 

Have a great holiday.

 

--Wendall

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankful for murderous minds

Hanging out with a motley and multinational crew at Harrogate in 2019: Nigerian author Leye Adenle, Professor Liam McIlvanney, Kiwi author Vanda Symon, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, myself, and Amer Anwar

Craig every second Tuesday.

Kia ora and gidday everyone.

So over the weekend there was an hesitant-yet-exciting 'return to normalcy' for the crime writing community with one of the world's leading crime fiction gatherings, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, taking place live and in person, after going fully online in 2020 due to the global pandemic. Many precautions were in place - social distancing, masks and more - despite the Tory government in the UK pronouncing 'Freedom Day' earlier this month (against most scientific advice and common sense) and removing most protective restrictions. 

Unfortunately I was unable to attend Harrogate this year, so watched on with some degree of FOMO as many old friends I haven't seen for a couple of years all gathered together and seemed to have a really wonderful time. It seems that while lots of precautions were taken (people being double vaxxed, distancing and masks, spacious outdoor tents for events, restrictions on entry etc) and the usual, famous Harrogate vibe couldn't crack on in full force, that for everyone who went this was a really amazing event. And a bright light at the end of a long tunnel of cancelled festivals, missed book launches, Zoom-only gatherings with fellow passionate crime writers and readers. 

I'm hesitantly hopeful that in the months to come we'll be able to gather a little more, cautiously of course. While I've thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful array of online events over the past 16 months (eg our recent 'Four Critics Four Continents' review of the year's best books, which is the kind of thing unlikely to happen pre-COVID), I really miss our crime and thriller writing tribe. It's a wonderful community overall, full of creative and generous people. I always come away from events feeling invigorated and inspired. And while I certainly appreciated them 'back then', and knew I was lucky to get to the many things I did (even though I missed a lot as a stay-at-home Dad too), I think all of us may now have an even greater appreciation for the good times we get to spend in person with good people.

What a wonderful honour - this overgrown kid from New Zealand got to chair an amazing panel of New York Times bestsellers and award-winning storytellers at Bouchercon, the world mystery convention, in Toronto in October 2017. Kate White, myself, Kathy Reichs, Linwood Barclay, David Bell, and Michael Bracken

Nothing's guaranteed. None of the things that seem a usual, common part of our life will last forever, and they can be torn away unexpectedly. So in that vein, I thought I'd spend today's post just sharing my deep appreciation for the broad crime writing community and all the wonderful events, from book launches to crime panels at arts and books festivals to library events to a wide array of crime writing festivals and conventions big and small. I

I'm thankful I've got to meet and hang out with so many murderous minds. I've learned so much, had so many great conversations and 'remember for a lifetime' experiences. I'm a lucky guy. Kia ora rawa atu (thanks heaps). 

Here's a wee sprinkling, a photo essay of gratitude. 

Torchlit parade, Bloody Scotland, September 2019

So, let's start at the end, so to speak. I didn't know at the time of course, but Bloody Scotland in late September 2019 wasn't just my final book festival of an extraordinary year that kickstarted back with the first-ever Rotorua Noir in January (and included my first appearance onstage at Harrogate, great times at Newcastle Noir and Crimefest, and my first appearances at Noireland and Bute Noir, as well as getting to interview Val McDermid one-on-one on the big stage before a sold-out crowd at Edinburgh Book Festival) but would be my final festival for a long, long time. 

Here's the torchlit parade on the Friday night from historic Stirling Castle, with a front row including Denise Mina, David Baldacci, Manda Scott and 'Ambrose Parry' (Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman). I'd had the honour of walking alongside Liam McIlvanney, Denise Mina and Val McDermid at the front the year before - this time I'm tucked a row or two back (you can see my head between Denise and David). Fun times at a wonderful festival. 

Meeting the dashing Jeff Siger at Iceland Noir in late 2014

A really cool festival that I got to attend in 2014 is Iceland Noir, a wonderful smaller event that had a terrific vibe and some amazing people. It was the first time I met some of my fellow Murder is Everywhere writers, including Jeff Siger and Annamaria Alfieri. I also tried Hákarl (fermented/rotted shark), explored some of the volcanic landscapes, and had a fun chat with bestselling crime writer Peter James when we unexpectedly ran into each other while soaking in the geothermal wonders of the Blue Lagoon. I was hoping to return to Iceland Noir last year, but of course that didn't happen. One day again, it's a wonderful wee festival. Well worth a look when possible.

Fifteen minutes later, I was onstage, chairing a crime panel... 

While there's always lots to look forward to in a festival programme, things planned well in advance, some of the fun is the spontaneous events that occur, and live long in the memory. I may have taken that slightly too far at the Hamilton Garden Arts Festival back in February 2012, where I'd been asked to chair the crime writing panel (Kiwi crime novelists Paul Cleave, Ben Sanders, and Vanda Symon, true crime writer Scott Bainbridge). Relaxing with some frisbee beforehand, I threw a little hard, and high, for Vanda, who'd be tall if she were a hobbit. Paul's favourite frisbee that'd been thrown in several countries, slowly floating further and further into the lake. Oops. 

A quick dip, drying myself with the festival director's dog-hair-covered towel from the back of their station wagon, and we were away racing for what turned out to be a really fun panel. And a festival none of us would ever forget - I know, the others keep reminding me now and then, years later. Oh well. Fun times with great people. 

Chairing the 'Land Down Under' panel at Newcastle Noir in 2019

Hmm... you may be starting to think all I do at festivals is get up to hijinks. And yes, the frisbee and torchlit parades and thermal pools (not to mention the late-night conversations, midnight swims, backup singing for Fun Lovin' Crime Writers and other such things) are all tonnes of fun. But I do sometimes 'work', though can we really call it work when it's so much fun? I've been blessed to chair crime writing panels at many amazing festivals and crime conventions in a few countries. Here's one with some fellow Kiwis and Aussies at Newcastle Noir in May 2019: Vanda Symon, Nathan Blackwell, Rachel Amphlett, Helen Fitzgetald, and myself. It was raucous, full of laughter, sweary, tonnes of fun, and we gave out antipodean chocolate biscuits to the audience. What more could you want?

First of its kind: Rotorua Noir opened with a pohiri at Te Papaiouru marae in Ohinemutu

Having experienced so many wonderful crime writing festivals in the UK and beyond, I'd been keen for a while to create something like that for my home country, where there were often crime writing panels as part of big literary festivals, but there was nothing like Harrogate, Bloody Scotland, Iceland Noir, Crimefest, Noireland, Bouchercon, Newcastle Noir, Deal Noir,  Left Coast Crime, Malice Domestic and all the other wonderful events specifically celebrating our wonderful crime & thriller genre, and bringing together the 'crime tribe' for a (long) weekend.

Once again, I was lucky, getting to join forces with fellow Kiwi Grant Nicol, who I'd also met at Iceland Noir in 2014 (Grant was living in Reykjavik then), to create Rotorua Noir, New Zealand's first-ever crime & thriller writing festival. We aimed for 'small but awesome', akin to Iceland Noir or Bute Noir etc, and it was brilliant. We sold out months in advance, and despite a few things going wrong on the weekend (authors getting sick and not being able to show up on the day, internet difficulties creating a very stressful afternoon for me ahead of the Saturday Night Quiz, etc), it went better than we ever could have hoped. We combined that wonderful 'crime tribe' vibe with Aotearoa stylings to create something I think everyone who attended will remember for a long time. 

A multi-national crew or mystery lovers: Sibylle (Germany, lives in USA), Craig (Kiwi lives in UK), Jacky (UK), Alan (Australia), Kati (Finland) and Kiwis Vanda Symon and Michael Bennett

It was a real privilege and honour to be able to share something like this with Kiwi authors and readers, and with several visiting guests from overseas (Finland, Iceland, Scotland, England, Switzerland, Australia, the USA etc). 

And for those who've asked off and on since, yes, post-pandemic, Rotorua Noir will be back (I also didn't realise at the time that would be my last visit home for two and a half years and counting. Life turns unexpectedly). 

Realising that my 'photo essay' is becoming more wordy than I intended as I reflect in gratitude, a few quick hits: 

Strangers on a train - bumping into Laura Lippman as we disembarked, after I'd been reading Laura Lippman from London to Harrogate in 2016 with no idea she was a few seats behind me.

As delightful as our first meeting on the train was, this is one of Laura's favourite photos. We decided to use the 'big green chair' when I interviewed Laura, and thereafter it became a thing. I conducted several author interviews there in 2016, 2018, and 2019

After chairing panels on lots of assorted topics (legal thrillers, screen crime, European crime, etc) and author mixtures, and doing some cool one-on-one onstage sessions too, it was a real privilege to get to showcase Aussie & Kiwi crime writers a bit at several UK festivals in 2018 and 2019, including here at Harrogate: me, Vanda Symon, Jane Harper, Christian White, Stella Duffy

In recent years the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers band has become a welcome fixture at UK crime writing festivals, and they've dragged a host of people onstage for backing vocals. At Bloody Scotland in 2018 it was my turn along with Stella Duffy, Simone Buchholz, and Lilja Sigurdardottir, among others. 

A criminally inclined crew at the London premiere of season 1 of Bosch: Ali Karim, Michael Connelly, Ayo Onatade, Mike Stotter, and myself. 

Early days: onstage at the Christchurch Writers Festival in 2012 following a crime debate event then the presentation of the Ngaio Marsh Award to Neil Cross (Graham Beattie, Paul Cleave, myself, Neil, Ben Sanders, Ruth Todd, Michael Robotham, and Vanda Symon) 

Playing with fire: with Val McDermid, Liam McIlvanney, and Denise Mina at Bloody Scotland in 2018

Barely scratches the surface, but I think that'll do. It's strange times we're living through, where so much is unavailable to us, yet at the same time I'm finding myself profoundly grateful for many things, and perhaps even more appreciative for some of  the things - like crime festivals and book events - that I've been blessed to experience and enjoy over my years. An interest turned passion that's opened so many doors and brought me so much. I hope I've given plenty too, and will keep working to do so. 

Thanks for reading. Sorry if it got a little indulgent today. I'm just feeling reflective and oh-so-grateful after all the updates from friends and fellow crime-lovers at Harrogate over the weekend. 

What are some of your favourite memories or stories from crime and mystery events? 

Until next time. Ka kite anō.

Whakataukī of the fortnight: 

Inspired by Zoe and her 'word of the week', I'll be ending my fortnightly posts by sharing a whakataukī (Māori proverb), a pithy and poetic thought to mull on as we go through life.

He hono tangata e kore e motu; ka pa he taura waka e motu

(Unlike a canoe rope, a human bond cannot be severed)