Val Culley

Important advice for aspiring crime writers from author P D James Over the years P D James has consistently maintained that setting is a k...

Is this a ghost story or is it a crime novel? My 2015 edition of The Haunted  Hotel , first published in 1878 The Moonstone by Wilkie Colli...

Use your memories to help you write with assurance Many crime writers believe the setting is one of the most important elements in a novel...

It is with a big sense of achievement, but also with some trepidation, that I have just published my first novel on Amazon. Death in the Hi...

Looking out on a beautiful scene from your hotel window in Italy can be an important part of the holiday for many people. A view of the Vene...

An 18th century portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who is considered to be the first female English travel wri...

Peschiera Maraglio at the foot of Monte Isola If you ever feel like getting away from it all for a while, I can recommend a small lake islan...

Easter is a lovely time of the year to visit Italy as the weather is beginning to warm up and the spring flowers are in bloom. Many towns ha...

The skyline of the Città Alta captivates the imagination whether on a crisp Christmas night (above) or a warm summer's day (below) I hav...

Yellow mimosa flowers (pic: Pixabay) All over Italy, men will be seen carrying bunches of prettily wrapped mimosa to give to the woman in th...

When booking flights to Italy you might be puzzled to see references to Caravaggio airport near Milan. A portrait of Caravaggio from about 1...

On Valentine’s Day, and any other occasions when there is an excuse to crack open the bubbly, you will find me drinking Prosecco. A prosecco...

What could be more warming on a cold winter’s day than looking back at your summer travel photographs and remembering how hot it was when th...

With spending cuts and grim economic forecasts dominating the news, it would not be surprising if one of the first things you decided to giv...