David Hewson

I just love doing different things, which is what being a working author is like.

Edam and Gouda are genuine Dutch cheeses, but the real thing is a lot less bland than the varieties most of us experience in the U.K.

Stand outside De Eland, on the Berenstraat Bridge over the Prinsengracht, and you see what real Amsterdam life is like.

Authors do this for a living, and if you take their work for nothing, you are depriving them of a living.

Although I'm deaf in only my left ear, when there is noise all around, I'm unable to distinguish sounds and can't hear anything.

In the world of crime novels, the annual Audible Sounds of Crime awards are a pretty big deal, and I was thrilled to be shortlisted for my fifth novel in my bestselling Nic Costa series.

Viral infections, such as mumps, rubella and meningitis, cause inflammation of the inner ear or auditory nerve, resulting in permanent damage.

In London, the home of the quick deal is that outer ring of the seven circles of hell, Tottenham Court Road, where, as a rule, finding something with an advertised price is as likely as spotting a mermaid under Vauxhall Bridge.

Alfriston is a compact village set around a rather traffic-weary High Street, mainly of old, timbered buildings. The principal sights lie to the east on the river side.

Once you get over the culture shock, Filey is a pleasant spot, particularly at the beginning or end of the summer, when the hotels are half full. The brave go in winter, when the wind can be bitter and biting and Filey resumes its real life as a tiny, introverted fishing community.

In Filey, you eat early to prepare for the highlight of the evening: social intercourse of a kind one thought relegated to Stanley Holloway monologues.

Flash turns up the optical volume so that whatever lies behind the lens - be it film or a digital sensor - is a little more receptive.