A reader writes...

Mes Amis

Someone has written in with a valid question:

At Bouchercon last year, I really enjoyed the panel you did with Guthrie, Swierczynski, Robotham and Knopf, but I have to ask: what was the story that caused a furore on crimescenescotland? And where's the link I'm sure you promised people?

My response is: I'm glad that you enjoyed the panel. Thank the other, far more talented writists there who made the day very special indeed (not because Robotham kept touching me under the table - that was the reason I had him and Chris Knopf between me and Swierczynski) by being erudite, witty and charming.

But, yes, the story was called ANGEL and it was about prison rape. I had a problem initially because it made my skin crawl when I read it. This is not a pleasant story. It is from a very talented writer, however, and part of what works for me is that it becomes a piece not about prison rape but about punishment and self destruction.

But its not pleasant.

And that's why we published it. We thought it was about more than just a horrible sequence of events happening to a man.

On a related subject, CSS is not dead. We're regrouping. Coming back maybe quuarterly or bi-yearly for fiction, but we'll be back.

Fuck it, we need more complaints like we got for this story's content!

Au revoir

Russel