I’m just back from Bristol and Crimefest 2015. I’m off booze for life. Well, maybe a couple of days.

Of course, there’s more to these crime bashes than drinking. There’s networking – something I’m not very good at – and meeting new people – which I’m even worse at. And you catch a panel or two, not including your own.

I saw some great panels this year. Caro Ramsay moderated a great line-up to talk about detective duos and later formed part of a panel on Psychopaths: Not very nice or just misunderstood? It was all very informative, entertaining and I learned that Stuart Neville wanted Francis Dollarhyde to get away at the end of ‘Red Dragon’. Which was controversial.

Craig Robertson was part of a group talking about Crime at the Borders of the Arctic and also chaired one on Mean Streets and Small Towns, during which he attempted Icelandic. And apparently failed.

Neil Broadfoot had a tough panel with Social and Political life in Crime Fiction but I had to return on Sunday so missed him with Anna Smith on Lawyers and Journalists: Upholders of truth and justice? Or…can we trust you? I think the answer to both of those questions is no.

And Mason Cross, international man of mystery, was there, first on a panel taking Thrillers from Psychology to Action, chaired by the always good value Stav Sherez, and then moderating the psychopaths session that featured Caro Ramsay.

I was delighted to meet up with Susan Wilkins, Howard Linskey and David Thorne four our panel on Villains as Heroes. Fergus McNeill was an excellent chair for the event and the panel had some very interesting things to say on the subject. I was my usual eejit.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Sex and Crime panel, hosted by the erudite Barry Forshaw, featuring Antonia Hodgson, Nev Fountain, Peter Guttridge and Simon Toyne. It was a very witty 50 minutes, a bit spicy here and there. For anyone who saw me, I was fanning myself because the heat and not because of any rising blood pressure caused by immoral thoughts. I’m was thinking of doing a one man talk on the same subject but knowing me it would be all over after two minutes.

Can I just say that everyone I’ve mentioned above are superb live and if you ever get a chance to see them, take it. Tell them I sent you. No, on second thoughts, don’t. They might not let you in.

Of course, there was a lot – LOT – more going on. A host of superb authors entertaini

I enjoyed a relaxing moment or twenty listening to the Cathedral bells tolling on Sunday

ng, enlightened and perhaps even enraged over the four-day event.  Crimefest is a great place for fans of the genre, not just for writers and bloggers. You can meet your favourite authors, buy them a drink, get books signed, buy them another drink, talk to them about their work and even buy them a drink or three.

Bristol is a beautiful city and the sun came out on Friday and hung around till Sunday, which was thoughtful. I didn’t take the trusty Nikon this year and forgot my phone took shots until it was too late so have no pics of the panels. However, you’ll find a couple on Twitter if you’re of the notion.

Speaking of which, a number of people were tweeting during the sessions. I didn’t because I’ve got a mobile phone that is so old the read out is in Latin but I was able to retweet some of them when I got home and wound up the PC. I really need to get a better phone.