15 Mar 2024
Take a wander down the cobbled pathway of Waxhouse Gate, the Cathedral an imposing edifice before you, and slip surreptitiously inside the wood-panelled environs of the Mad Squirrel Tap. There, if you have chosen the right day, you will find a cabal of criminal masterminds who are literally plotting murder.
But there’s no need to call the police, for March 19 sees the inaugural meeting of St Albans Noir at the Bar, a gathering of local crime writers assembled like suspects in a Christie novel to regale audiences with tales of death and detectives.
Kate Griffin (Fyneshade), Rachel Blok (The Fall), Heather Critchlow (Unburied), Dr Luke Deckard (The Secret Circle Podcast) and M J Alridge (Eye For An Eye) have been brought together by J K Nottingham (Jasper’s Brood) for the purpose of sharing the secrets behind their stories.
Noir in the Bar has already proved hugely successful at other locations across the country and the globe, including London and Edinburgh, and offers the perfect way for writers and readers of crime fiction to come together in a friendly and convivial atmosphere and share their work.
In the run-up to this free event, we grilled some of these writers to find out more about their careers and inspirations… Anything they said can and will be used as evidence against them…
Heather Critchlow, creator of the Cal Lovett Files, moved to St Albans with her husband 11 years ago after working in London as a business journalist, seeking somewhere “vibrant and green” to settle and raise their young children, with goods links to the capital.
“After looking around we decided St Albans was the perfect choice and it’s proved absolutely the right decision. A few years ago we moved from the centre to Marshalswick and love having both the fun of the city and the woodland and fields on our doorstep. I grew up in rural Aberdeenshire so it’s important to me to have access to green spaces.”
Despite writing about regeneration, commercial property and finance for many years, she had harboured a lifetime ambition to be an author.
“I wasn’t originally sure which genre my writing fitted into but I’ve embraced crime writing as the perfect outlet for dark stories, complex characters and pacy plots. My Cal Lovett Files series features a true crime podcaster investigating Scottish cold cases, driven by the case of his own missing sister who vanished when he was a child.”
The first in the series, Unsolved, came out in May last year, Unburied was published in January and Unsound, the third in the series, will be out in September.
Although her books are not set in the city, she finds St Albans a great place to meet up with other crime writers.
“As writing is a solitary pursuit, it’s particularly important to connect with other authors and share experiences and ideas. I’ve written a lot of my books in different cafés in the city and had endless plot ideas while running in the countryside around St Albans – often listening to true crime podcasts! Having that space to think is important and I find it far easier to make time for my writing here than I did while living in London. The local bookshops are also incredibly supportive and a source of inspiration in themselves.”
She is delighted to be taking part in Noir at the Bar, having been a guest at various similar events elsewhere in the UK: “My hope is that the event becomes a regular fixture in the St Albans calendar, somewhere we can get together, have fun and support each other. I’m keen to be involved on an ongoing basis and it would be wonderful to bring some guest authors to the city for future events as well.”
Host of true crime podcast Secret Circle, Dr Luke Deckard describes himself as a newbie to St Albans, having moved here with his wife during the pandemic after falling in love with the area when visiting friends.
He has been fascinated with murder mysteries and crime fiction since childhood, embracing everything from Sherlock Holmes to The X-Files.
“The genre has always held a special place in my life,” he explained. “My take is that crime fiction has a dual identity. One side is there to entertain; to grip readers with inciting events and intrigue; to transport you into dark, seedy and corrupted places one is unlikely to ever go and be faced with situations one hopes the readers never find themselves in!
“The other aspect of the genre has more to do with sociopolitical commentary, whether we admit it or not. The genre holds a mirror up to society and allows us, the authors and the readers, to examine its nasty, macabre realities and delve into the human condition. Go back as far as Poe through Conan Doyle and Raymond Chandler to the big authors today like Ian Rankin, Sara Paretsky, Lee Child, Mick Herron, Val McDermid et al, and you’ll see their works, while fun and brilliantly written with superb characters, they have something important to say about the world we live in.”
Having written “an unholy amount” of scrips for several true crime podcasts, plus fiction set in Victorian London, he is now looking closer to home for inspiration: “I have ideas for St Albans-based stories that I plan to focus on in the near future.”
Along with Heather, Luke was instrumental in bringing Noir at the Bar to the city: “After three years of living in St Albans and finding so many crime writers here, I realised we needed to get together and do something fun. There are Noir at the Bars literally all over the world, and the idea behind it is simple: writers (published and unpublished) come together to share their work, be encouraged, and engage with each other… and why not do that over a drink?”
Award-winning playwright Jeff “JK” Nottingham, whose first novel Jasper’s Brood was published last September, moved to St Albans seven years ago after starting a family.
“We had some dates in St Albans before we got married, and especially remember a picnic in the Vintry Garden. So when we started a family, we had St Albans in our sights as a beautiful city, rich in history, and endlessly explorable.
“I set myself the challenge of getting published before I was 40, and I signed with my publisher about a month after my 40th, mid-pandemic! I didn’t set out to write crime, but I had an idea to write from the point of view of a contract killer in a rural setting, partly inspired by an actual (still unsolved) 2002 murder of a banker on his doorstep in a small seaside town in northern Scotland where I used to live.
“It fits into the crime genre, although writing from the point of view of a traditional antagonist isn’t very typical. The crime-writing community is amazing, and really welcoming.
“It’s fantastic to meet other seemingly ‘normal’ knowing we all have these slightly twisted tales buzzing around in our heads! St Albans seems to play host to quite a few of us!”
Like his peers, Jeff has been inspired by the city in which he now lives: St Albans is definitely going to have a chapter or two in my next book – a follow up to my debut – because it’s got so much built-in character: all the hidden passages, surprising twists and turns, and then just the fact that we have this huge abbey bursting with stories and historical importance, sitting above a relatively small town – it’s actually a dream for inspiration and atmosphere.
“I live a stone’s throw from the Abbey in one direction, and the ruined Nunnery in the other, and on my doorstep is the actual ‘Alban’s Well’ where Saint Alban’s head is supposed to have ended up after rolling down Holywell Hill! Hot cross buns were invented here! I could go on…”
He is both excited and scared to be taking part in Noir at the Bar: “I’m more used to writing scripts and hearing other people interpret what I’ve written, so it’s a thrill to be able to read my own work to an audience. It’s also a little bit scary, but I believe we should say yes to the things that scare us – that’s what I tell my kids anyway!”
Former English teacher Rachel Blok, the talent behind the DCI Maarten Jansen books, moved to St Albans from Durham about 15 years ago. She had always wanted to write, but simply did not have the time until she was off on maternity leave and grabbed the opportunity while her children were napping.
“Four of my novels were set in St Albans. It’s such a beautiful city! The first is set in the lake during a freezing winter, when a body is discovered. The second is set in the Ayot villages and St Albans, as well as Blakeney in Norfolk. The third was set in the Roman Theatre and the fourth in St Albans Cathedral. The fifth was a departure – set on board a luxurious cruise ship. I was ready for a change!
“I’ve tried writing other stories but for the moment, crime is definitely my favourite genre in which to write – I love the structure it provides and I love exploring the layers of darkness beneath an otherwise beautiful and tranquil environment.”
Out of all the authors attending Noir at the Bar, Kate Griffen, creator of the acclaimed Kitty Peck series, has the longest connection to St Albans. Her family moved to Watford from London when she was four, and she soon became a regular visitor.
“As a child, I loved history and old buildings so St Albans became my favourite city nearby. When I got married it was the obvious place for us to set up home as my husband’s family were based in Potters Bar. We’ve lived here for 29 years now, apart from a brief spell in Chesham when we were lured away by the appeal of a very old house. It didn’t last. The siren call of St Albans was too strong to resist.”
A former local newspaper journalist and press officer, she was always tempted by the prospect of writing her own stories, rather than those of other people.
“Ten years ago, I thought I’d test myself by entering a competition to find ‘a new voice in crime’ run by Stylist Magazine and Faber & Faber. Unbelievably, I won on the basis of 6,000 words which went on to become the four Kitty Peck books published by Faber. Historical crime is my patch – the Kitty Peck series focused on the seedy world of Victorian music hall and the criminal underbelly of London. My most recent book, Fyneshade, published by Viper, is also set in the Victorian era. It’s a cold, dark and twistingly murderous take on the ‘governess gothic’ genre and is an homage, in particular, to Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw.”
Although her books are not set here, she says she’s constantly inspired by the “glorious buildings and the strong sense of the past beneath our feet” found in St Albans.
“For many years I worked as communications manager for the wonderful and wonderfully eccentric Conservation Charity, SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings), which was actually set up by William Morris in protest at Lord Grimthorpe’s unsympathetic restoration of St Albans Abbey. Until recently, St Albans didn’t have a strong literary tradition, but that’s changing fast. As writers – and readers – we are very lucky to have such a friendly and supportive branch of Waterstones on the high street.”
She says she leapt at the chance to get involved with Noir at the Bar: “I’ve got to know several St Albans’ crime writers and you couldn’t wish for a more friendly or more supportive bunch. Also, they are all insanely talented – and that’s why I urge people to come along to meet them and discover their books.”
Matt “MJ” Arlidge moved to St Albans with his wife Jennie in 2007, three days before the arrival of their first child Chloe.
“New city, new baby, it was a real baptism of fire, but we threw ourselves into the local scene – baby classes, the Sopwell Lane pubs, the market, the annual panto – and soon felt totally at home. A Londoner by birth, I wasn’t sure how I would feel living somewhere else, but I’ve never looked back!”
Before becoming a novelist, he started his career a few junctions down the A1 at BBC Elstree, working as a junior story-liner on EastEnders.
“My responsibilities were limited – coming up with storylines for Sonia Jackson and Wellard the dog – but I fell in love with TV drama and storytelling in general. I’ve always loved stories that set your pulse racing, so crime was a natural fit for me. I’m fascinated by the psychology of criminals – why people do things that they know to be harmful or morally wrong. Sometimes by examining what seems most abhorrent, perverse or troubling, we discover what is really important in life, what makes us human.”
Although he has never set a book in St Albans, with his DI Helen Grace series set in Southampton, he always includes local landmarks and people in his books for the enjoyment of eagle-eyed readers.
“Many familiar names have made an appearance – from local primary school teachers to St Albans mayors – and in my latest book, An Eye for an Eye, local pub The Rat’s Castle plays a leading role!
“St Albans has always had a thriving creative scene, from the film festival, to the Abbey Theatre, to Cathedral concerts and much more besides! I think it’s a city which naturally attracts creative types – year on year there seems to be a greater, wider, more inclusive offering for lovers of art, dance, drama, film and good storytelling!”
He offered his own take on why people should come to Noir at the Bar: “Put simply, books and beer.
“You’ll hear some of the finest new crime writing around, with readings from a bevy of local authors, plus you’ll get to enjoy these noirish offerings over a pint of the finest beer in Hertfordshire thanks to the good folks at Mad Squirrel. Who could ask for more?”
Noir at the Bar is at the Mad Squirrel Tap on Tuesday March 19. A meet and greet starts at 6.45pm, and the evening ends at 8.45pm following social and book signing. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/groups/noiratthebarstalbans
