Hitchcock made some strange films but Rope is one of the very strangest. We tried to make sense of it in a conversation with David Runciman

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! Today is the 1st in our series of live eps recorded at the Regent St Cinema in London: David talks to crime writers Nicci Gerrard & Sean French (aka @niccifrench.bsky.social) about Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948), based on Patrick Hamilton’s play. Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

It’s always a thrill. Our new book has arrived! Out in February

At a time when not much seems funny, this is genuinely funny: www.theringer.com/2025/11/25/n...

Eleven years ago, I wrote to Tom Stoppard to ask about this coup de théâtre from 1949. It took me down an unexpected rabbit hole - in memory of Stoppard, here's what I found.

An utter masterpiece. It couldn’t be more different from our work, but it’s one of our great inspirations. It’s now on BBC iplayer and not to be missed!

What an extraordinary (and terrifying) statistic!

A child seems to have witnessed a murder. But there doesn't seem to be a victim. Puzzled? You can find out the truth on Kindle for less than a pound.

Today is Angela Lansbury’s 100th birthday. 📸 Yousuf Karsh (1946)

There’ll be lots of people queuing up to say nice things about Danny Thompson but for me it’s those double bass contributions on the life changing Spirit of Eden . Cheers Danny youtu.be/HSfGvuiFOWI?...

Excellent evening @regentstcinema.bsky.social for a screening of #Rope, followed by @ppfideas.bsky.social live podcast recording with #DavidRunciman and @niccifrench.bsky.social 👏

Rope is one of Hitchcock's weirdest, most disturbing works - which is saying something. We'll be talking about it with David Runciman for the @ppfideas.bsky.social podcast. www.regentstreetcinema.com/movie/ropeli...

🔔 First in our ‘Films of Ideas’ live recordings coming up next Friday. Join us, we’d love to see you there! ⬇️

'Believe nothing, trust no one'. We're talking about our bleak philosophy of fiction and of life at 2.30 Saturday 13 September at the Bloody Scotland festival in Stirling.

Edge of Darkness

You can get The Memory Game, our very first book, for just 99p on Kindle. So old it has no mobile phones, no internet, no AI and the female protagonist smokes like a chimney. We're still rather proud of it, though.

Rope is one of Hitchcock's weirdest, most disturbing works - which is saying something. We'll be talking about it with David Runciman for the @ppfideas.bsky.social podcast. www.regentstreetcinema.com/movie/ropeli...

A really illuminating piece

New post: "The Radicalisation Spiral" Why are so many people becoming radicalised? Is there any way to stop it? With an antivaxxer running the US health dept + extreme discourse dominating politics it's an increasingly pressing question. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

youtu.be/frAEmhqdLFs?... RIP to a true GOAT

Why would you clean up a murder scene? The Lying Room is now so cheap on Kindle that we're virtually paying you to read it.

Forget your enemies. What if it’s your friends and neighbours you can’t trust? Out now in paperback!

You can now 'buy' our recent book, Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?, for basically no money at all.

It's not your enemies you should be frightened of, it's your friends. Our new book is now available for less than the price of something that costs a pound.

We did a Q and A about our new book, us and more thenerddaily.com/nicci-french...

Big shout out to ALL authors shortlisted in #BritishBookAwards2025 but esp crime/thriller nominees @radiomukhers.bsky.social @richardosman1.bsky.social @niccifrench.bsky.social Claire Douglas, Chris Whitaker & @susiedent.com Thrilled @express.co.uk is involved www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2023...

Heading to Aberdeen tomorrow for Granite Noir. Marisa and I will be talking @ambroseparry.bsky.social with @niccifrench.bsky.social on Saturday night at the Music Hall, and there are still tickets to see the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers on Sunday night: www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/gra...

Hear us tomorrow talking about two of our favourite books. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

RIP Marianne Faithfull. Four years I ago I sat in on a conversation between her and Courtney Love. She was very ill but indomitable. www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

Bowled over by Alison Flood's review of The Last Days of Kira Mullan in this week's Observer www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

In all good bookshops now!

What if your friends were also your enemies? Published tomorrow!

In bookshops on Thursday!

What if you had visions and one of them was of a murder? People don’t believe you. Can you even believe yourself? Our new book is published next week.

Let’s end the year with my top five books of 2024, all reviewed for @crimefictionlover.bsky.social - and they’re all crackers! Congratulations to AK Turner @ianrankin1.bsky.social @anncleeves.bsky.social @niccifrench.bsky.social and Marie Tierney. crimefictionlover.com/2024/12/deat...

2024 - My Year in Books @claremackwrites.bsky.social @ellygriffiths.bsky.social @carysgreenauthor.bsky.social @mwcraven.bsky.social @nikkismithauthor.bsky.social @ruthwarewriter.bsky.social @gillymacmillan.bsky.social @jodipicoult.bsky.social @carolwyer.bsky.social @gillianmauthor.bsky.social

How on earth do two people collaborate? One of us (Nicci Gerrard) writes about it. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Ready for a hard morning’s signing

Happy Santa Lucia to all who celebrate today ✨ Sharing a flashback to a Lucia mini procession in an Oslo kindergarten, for some reason I was trusted with the Lucia crown and lit candles 🫠 If anyone fancies baking lussekatter (Lucia saffron buns) this weekend I’ll gladly share a recipe 🎄🧑🏻‍🎄🥨🇳🇴👸

Really good and absolutely terrifying movie!

Lovely to see this in Alison Flood’s thrillers of the year in today’s Observer New Review

Can you solve the crime you’re accused of from inside prison? Find out on Kindle for less than a pound.

The Guardian obituaries are now the first thing I read. What a lovely piece by Valerie Grove about Lynne Kerwin and a fabulous Nobby Clark photo of her with James Baldwin

For September our new book is available on Kindle for the frankly absurd price of 99p.