If you want to know how many murders it takes for a killer to be defined as a serial killer, what Philip Marlowe means when he talks about being ‘on a confidential lay’ and why the ‘fruit of a poisonous tree’ is a legal term rather than something you should avoid on a country walk, then Union Club member Amanda Lees has written the reference book for you.
It’s an indispensable guide for fans of true crime and crime fiction who want to look behind the crime, to understand the mechanics of an investigation, to walk in their favourite detectives’ shoes and, most importantly, to solve the clues.
So whether you have a crime novel lurking inside you, or simply a morbid curiosity, this could be the perfect book to sink your teeth into during lockdown.
You can find more information and buy a copy here: A Dictionary of Crime
Read on for our Covid-catch-up with Amanda!
How are you? Have you had the lurgy?
I have had the lurgy and I’m one of those ‘longtail’ people so it’s gone on for weeks…as my agent, the lovely Lisa Moylett, said that didn’t stop my social media game for one second. On a serious note, it’s only in the past couple of days that I’ve been able to breathe properly and my heart goes out to anyone who has suffered from this in any way. It’s not to be taken lightly.
What are you working on today?
I’m working on the final proof covers for my crime dictionary, which is published in July by Hachette, and also on a new fiction series with which I am totally in love. Yes, even the research part. Oh OK, especially that. I am also working on a non-fiction which has sprung out of the series and a standalone psychological thriller based on a very sexy concept I have been working on alongside the crime dictionary. I’m one of those people who not only reads several books at once but tries to write several as well without going completely nuts.
Back to normal or the end of civilisation?
Not sure I want to go back to normal, whatever that is. I’ve always been allergic to it. As for civilisation…I hope we construct a new, kinder, more thoughtful normal. Failing that, I want my normal to include the gentler pace I have discovered during lockdown. And Keanu Reeves. That would make my new normal very civilised indeed.
Funk or Disco (and what’s your favourite dance number)?
Disco all the way…I’ll dance to anything that requires a flick of the hips, a flailing of arms and a lack of inhibition. So probably anything by Abba.
How would you describe YOUR Union?
My Union is a place where I have fallen in love, fallen up the stairs, talked What Women Really Want In Bed and found immense warmth and friendship. Then there are the cocktails…
Cooking up a storm or tv & takeaway?
Cooking up a storm with the odd glass of Prosecco for inspiration and an even odder G&T for relaxation.
Rushing to…. the garden centre or the hairdressers?
I got in a huge order just before lockdown, thanks to my uncanny psychic abilities, so all my seedlings are flourishing. I wish I could say the same for my hair.
Life on other planets?
As long as it doesn’t involve Elon Musk, I’m fine with it.
Can money buy love?
Only if you’re deluded.
Anything you would like to declare?
How much I love and owe to Oscar Wilde…
