Karl Malden's Bobble Nose

If you'd asked me about San Francisco a wee while ago, I didn't know an awful lot about it. I grew up in the 1970s and remember a TV programme called The Streets Of San Francisco - I don't remember it well, just car chases up and down really steep, bumpy hills, a very young Michael Douglas, and Karl Malden's 'bobble nose' - that's what we called it as kids anyway - and a cool theme tune which I'm now humming to myself. I knew SF had a cool bridge over the Golden Gate Harbor, and knew that Alcatraz prison was set out in the bay. Oh, and it's in northern California and often is very misty there.That was about it though. In the past few weeks I've learned a little more in preparation for attending this year's Bouchercon World Mystery Convention which starts next Thursday 14th and runs until Sunday 17th. Oddly enough I've read a couple books set in and around SF recently - one of them Deadlock by Sean Black (which I heartily recommend) - which was purely coincidental, and I've also caught a couple of TV programmes set in the city.

I'm looking forward to visiting the west coast. My previous trips to the US have been to New York (3 times), Baltimore, Florida and Indianapolis. With the exception of the latter, they've all been on the eastern seaboard, so I'm looking forward to discovering the differences and imagine a totally different feel and culture out west.

Bouchercon is going to be fabulous this year. There are some amazing events taking place and the line up of authors attending is second to none. And yes, I'm also there. I have two panels that I'm going to be talking on, as well as being a part of the 'continuous conversation' sessions. Also - at 7.30 pm on Thursday 14th - as part of the opening ceremony I'll be signing and giving away copies of my latest book (Judgment and Wrath in the USA) completely free of charge (Thanks to my US publisher William Morrow and Co). If you're attending the conference, hurry along and get your free copy while they last. If it's anything like last year, my copies of Dead Men's Dust went like the proverbial hot cakes.

While I'm in SF I am of course going to do the trip to Alcatraz, and ride the cable car, and proibably dress in a nice colourful shirt (in-joke with a few of my friends). On my return I will do a full report, so watch out for it in a short while.