I am trying to give the best performance possible in 400 pages. I want readers to be scared; I want them to be moved. Entertainment doesn't necessarily mean something trivial, but it does mean people wanting to get to the end of a book.

Having worked as both comedian and crime writer, the one thing I know is that both involve the delivery of a performance.

When I began to write, I was surprised at how little London had been used in crime fiction. Places such as Edinburgh or Oxford or L.A. seemed to have stronger identities.

I admire writers such as Elmore Leonard who can nail a character in three or four lines of dialogue, so he doesn't need pages of back story or clumsy exposition.

Hot Fuss' was all based on fantasy. The English influences, the makeup - they were what I imagined rock was. I'm a dreamer, you know? So I dug into that dream and made 'Hot Fuss.' But hearing people call us 'the best British band from America' made me wonder about my family and who I was.

I think any critic that takes a swipe at 'Full House' is like taking the family dog. The dog brings you joy and happiness and makes you forget your problems, and that's all 'Full House' does. Literally, taking a potshot at that show is like taking the family dog.

When I imagine my viewer - and it sounds saccharine - but it's a family thing. People in line for my books came as families.

A family is too frail a vessel to contain the risks of all the warring impulses expressed when such a group meets on common ground.