Criminal minds descend on South Devon

The scene is set for a delightfully devious celebration of crime and thriller writing on the English Riviera, as some of the country’s most scheming criminal minds descend on South Devon’s beautiful bay.

Over four days (20th - 24th April) the festival will host talks from eminent authors, murder mystery plays and crime writing workshops, in the birthplace of the greatest selling crime writer of all time, Dame Agatha Christie.

Among highlights will be an exclusive afternoon audience with prolific whodunit author Simon Brett at the Palace Theatre on Tuesday 20th April. Simon’s detective novels include the Charles Paris, Mrs Pargeter and Fethering series. He’ll be joined by special guest Diane Janes, an author of both fiction and investigative non-fiction specialising in crime.

Following their sell-out event during the annual Agatha Christie festival, the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway will again be hosting a murder mystery in Great Western tradition on Tuesday night. Guests on the train will be able to enjoy a mystery with actors from the Candlelight Theatre Company and delicious cuisine courtesy of the chefs at Hennessy Restaurant in Torquay.

On the afternoon of Wednesday (21 April) the historic Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey will be the crime scene for Mayhem in the Middle Ages, with Michael Jecks and Bernard Knight, founding members of the Medieval Murderers crime writing group.

Matthew Clarke owner of The Torbay Bookshop and one of The Festival organisers said: “For a festival that's just in its second year, the 2010 programme is bursting with an amazing array of events from drama to 'murder dinners', from a writer’s workshop to numerous opportunities to meet bestselling authors in interesting surroundings. The feedback from the authors and people attending last year was extremely positive and it now looks as though 'Sleuths' will become an integral part of The English Riviera's event calendar.'

For more information, visit englishriviera.co.uk/sleuths.