CITY crime writer Simon Beckett is keeping his fingers crossed and trying not to look too keen in the run-up to the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award next month.

The winner gets £3,000 and a barrel of Theakston's beer at the Harrogate Crime Festival.

"I'm not averse to the odd pint," says the Ranmoor writer, who has made the shortlist with his Dr David Hunter novel, Chemistry of Death.

The paperback edition came out in May and the book has sold well here and in Europe, where it made number one in Germany.

He's in high powered company: other shortlisters include Reginald Hill and Alexander McCall Smith.

Apart from chewing the fat at Harrogate with fellow crime writers he's on a panel debating whether women crime writers can get away with more than men.

They certainly can't on the short list. There's only one woman on it.

Jamie go home?
NOT everyone is overjoyed with Jamie Oliver in Rotherham. There's a full scale rant againt him on the www.jamiegohome.com.

The pukka chef is making a TV series to teach the town how to cook good food and has rented a shop in the town centre as Jamie's Kitchen.

The website thunders: "The patronising ethos of the show will damage the reputation of the town even further. I would appeal to people not to collaborate but realise that the urge to get on the telly is too great for some."

But is it a lone voice? The site has had no comments.


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