Murder One

Dr John Curran is a world expert on Agatha Christie and has used his extensive knowledge to pen THE MURDER GAME, which examines the games authors played with their readers and the importance of puzzles in Golden Age whodunits.

Victoria Dowd delved into the genius behind the stories that fed this landmark book - from The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to Magpie Murders, and related diversions including cryptic crosswords and Agatha Christie herself. In THE MURDER GAME John reveals that it is the ludic qualities of classic crime fiction that continue to intrigue. At its heart is the ‘whodunit’ game between writer and reader, but there is also the game between detective and murderer, between publisher and book-buyer, even between the writers themselves.

If you missed this brilliant event, John will be back at the Lexicon discussing his exhibition on the 5th floor of the library, featuring his own Agatha Christie artefacts - on 5th November. Contact the library to book!

Victoria Dowd is a Golden Age expert, an award winning bestselling author whose lastest brilliant (we read it, we love it!) novel DEATH IN THE AVIARY is a locked lift mystery set on Dartmoor in 1928, featuring a fabulous new detective Charlotte Blood.

Professor John Dean O'Keefe (our second professor at Murder One, we like to keep our standards up!) quizzed Mary Watson (first pic), Amy Jordan and Gill Perdue (b/w) about their novels and what really goes on behind Closed Doors.

Three brilliant women, three brilliant books: The Cleaner (which just hit the British charts!) The Dark Hours and The Night I Killed Him. Check them all out!

Photos by @ghollandphoto , books by !

Kitty Murphy was the brains behind this event: The Role of Women from Victim to Sleuth. It's one we could look at from so many angles, and one that definitely interested the media covering Murder One events!

Joined by Catherine's Kirwan and Ryan Howard and Amanda Cassidy, in Kitty's last question she asked, if she was found dead that evening, which one of them had done it and how? Catherine Kirwan and Amanda both opted for insulin, and Catherine Ryan Howard said it would be by all three of them!

Chris Whitaker's path to writing ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK was very different from a lot of authors. He held our audience captivated with his honesty about a very difficult childhood and his dramatic career on the trading floor, one that resulted in his losing a million pounds and narrowly avoiding arrest. Edel Coffey's fabulous questions showed us all how bringing his own, often bitter, life experience to story, has produced incredible books that are now published in 31 languages.

Edel asked why Chris set his books in the US, and he explained that he had picked up a book in the library, a book on writing as therapy, and one of the first exercises was writing about the last place where he could remember being happy. That was when he was 9, when his dad took him to Disneyland...

Chris has been on the road in the USA non stop since ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK was released - he's done nine tours, and left us for another one! - selling millions of copies to readers who loved the book and are now finding out about his own incredible story - we were absolutley thrilled that he could join us at Murder One!

Fabulous photos by

Live readings are a fantastic experience, and last Sunday morning was no exception!

Stories leapt off the page and voices came to life as acclaimed authors Michelle Dunne (A Good Mother), Karen Fitzgibbon (Never Look Back), Conor McAnally (Bullets In The Water) and Jake Arnott (Blood Rival) took to the stage to share readings from their latest work.

Each writer offered a unique perspective and style to this vibrant celebration of crime fiction.

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Michelle Dunne - Author Karen Fitzgibbon

Saturday morning we were joined by four fabulously talented writers Lucy O’Callaghan (Obsession), James Murphy (How To Be Dead), Joseph Birchall (In Plain Sight) and R.B. Egan (The Landlord) who took to the stage to read from their latest novels.

It was a really insightful glimpse into the creative minds behind the stories and a wonderful opportunity to listen to the authors read from their own work.

Photos by

James Murphy Writer Lucy O'Callaghan Joseph Birchall

What makes a truly brilliant villain—or a twist so clever it leaves readers breathless? International bestseller Ruth Ware (The Woman in Suite 11) and thriller powerhouse Steve Cavanagh (Two Kinds of Stranger) had a high-stakes conversation about plotting the perfect crime, writing razor-sharp suspense, and the deliciously dark minds that drive their stories.

In conversation with author Michelle Dunne, these two masters of misdirection revealed how they craft morally complex characters, ingenious plots, and those gasp-out-loud moments that have become their signature.

Fab photos by !