Phil Hall

If you want it to go on forever, then it does. You need to write crime or romance if you want to sell stuff these days, because they're the things that people buy. So I thought, I'll create the new Morse and Lewis. I've got these two really good friends. One is a glasses-half-full guy and, you know, take on the world and... He's always happy, relentlessly happy.

If you want it to go on forever, then it does. You need to write crime or romance if you want to sell stuff these days, because they're the things that people buy. So I thought, I'll create the new Morse and Lewis. I've got these two really good friends. One is a glasses-half-full guy and, you know, take on the world and... He's always happy, relentlessly happy.

And the other guy is really cautious. The glass is half empty. I'm not going to watch the match tonight because I know we'll lose. But the two together are really good opposites. And so I thought, I can take that basic character, obviously extend it and change it and develop it a little bit, and create two characters. They're my two leading detectives.

And the other guy is really cautious. The glass is half empty. I'm not going to watch the match tonight because I know we'll lose. But the two together are really good opposites. And so I thought, I can take that basic character, obviously extend it and change it and develop it a little bit, and create two characters. They're my two leading detectives.

And then because I live in and around Reigate, I thought, well, that's the place to write about. Do your friends know that they were used? Oh, they do. They do.

And then because I live in and around Reigate, I thought, well, that's the place to write about. Do your friends know that they were used? Oh, they do. They do.

Oh, absolutely, yeah. I mean, the current one starts off with like a chase like you get at the start of a James Bond movie.

Oh, absolutely, yeah. I mean, the current one starts off with like a chase like you get at the start of a James Bond movie.

I was walking it so you could pick up the sights and the sounds so you can describe it to people. Because you can't just say he ran down here and he ran down here and he ran down there. You've got to change it a little bit. But making it local means you can walk the area and feel it and sense it and then try and capture that idea when you put the story together.

I was walking it so you could pick up the sights and the sounds so you can describe it to people. Because you can't just say he ran down here and he ran down here and he ran down there. You've got to change it a little bit. But making it local means you can walk the area and feel it and sense it and then try and capture that idea when you put the story together.

absolutely yeah and one or two people have said to me the thing they like about the books is the fact that they can relate to the area and they can walk this piece and they can walk that bit is that a bit tricky though in case somebody says well actually you got that wrong because if it's based on fact it's based on fact

absolutely yeah and one or two people have said to me the thing they like about the books is the fact that they can relate to the area and they can walk this piece and they can walk that bit is that a bit tricky though in case somebody says well actually you got that wrong because if it's based on fact it's based on fact

I'm sure I have. Things change. So one of the stories has a murder, takes place outside the Barclays Bank, which, of course, most listeners will know, used to be in the Hind of the High Street, but it's no longer there. So it dates the book a little bit.

I'm sure I have. Things change. So one of the stories has a murder, takes place outside the Barclays Bank, which, of course, most listeners will know, used to be in the Hind of the High Street, but it's no longer there. So it dates the book a little bit.

Yeah, that can be a problem. But there is quite a lot of variety, so I state the books have been in the Surrey Hills, and I did that deliberately so that... It was Ryegate and Red Hill and all of the podcast area, but also some of the hills outside. So I've got quite a lot of variety to play with. Whilst I like to try and create and describe an area, I don't want anybody's house to have a problem.

Yeah, that can be a problem. But there is quite a lot of variety, so I state the books have been in the Surrey Hills, and I did that deliberately so that... It was Ryegate and Red Hill and all of the podcast area, but also some of the hills outside. So I've got quite a lot of variety to play with. Whilst I like to try and create and describe an area, I don't want anybody's house to have a problem.

So one of the stories features a fire and a house burns down. So you don't actually have a specific address for that? No, absolutely not. So that's based on an estate near Redhill, on the east side of Redhill. And I walked the estate so I could describe it and I got to know it very well. But when it came down to it, I picked a number that doesn't exist.

So one of the stories features a fire and a house burns down. So you don't actually have a specific address for that? No, absolutely not. So that's based on an estate near Redhill, on the east side of Redhill. And I walked the estate so I could describe it and I got to know it very well. But when it came down to it, I picked a number that doesn't exist.

Tell me why that is. The body that features in the start of the story is discovered in the Baron's Cave, which is actually just underneath the Castle Grounds where we are now. And I chose that because... It's an interesting location to use and all the people I spoke to, nobody really knew very much about the Baron's Cave. Hardly anybody had been to visit it.

Tell me why that is. The body that features in the start of the story is discovered in the Baron's Cave, which is actually just underneath the Castle Grounds where we are now. And I chose that because... It's an interesting location to use and all the people I spoke to, nobody really knew very much about the Baron's Cave. Hardly anybody had been to visit it.