For a number of years, both during his service in Sussex Police as the Divisional Commander of Brighton and Hove and subsequently, Graham Bartlett’s input has been a pivotal element to the success of my Roy Grace novels.  He has applied his extensive and varied policing experience to review my draft novels so as to ensure they are procedurally 100% accurate, that the mannerisms, characteristics and culture of the police shine through, and his eye for detail helps immensely with accuracy and continuity.  As an additional bonus he is always huge fun to work with and has an extremely creative and inventive mind.

Being able to call on the services of someone as experienced and knowledgeable as Graham Bartlett is an amazing resource. Not only does he know exactly what he’s talking about, but he’s immensely patient when it comes to answering the stupidest of questions and – most importantly – combines expertise with genuine creativity and understanding. He has made the book so much better than it would otherwise have been.

Graham's advice has been invaluable in ensuring the procedural accuracy of my books. Quite simply the best in the business. Friendly, approachable and an unrivalled source of policing knowledge.

I first heard Emma speaking during a live Facebook discussion about crime fiction – she was explaining that people with personality disorders are not necessarily mentally ill. It was fortuitous timing as I was in the middle of writing a piece about a character in a secure hospital – I quickly realised Emma’s input would be invaluable.

I gave Emma some background information on my characters, and sent her the piece, a 10,000-word epilogue to my main story. Emma’s feedback was incredibly detailed and insightful, helping me to understand very clearly the circumstances my character would find herself in. After she read the piece, we had a Zoom call and talked through the story, and together discussed ideas that would strengthen it. She talked about situations she had experienced within secure hospitals, what patients there were like, what altercations would and could arise between the patients… it was absolutely fantastic to be able to talk with someone who had such vast knowledge and experience in this area.

Emma is a keen reader of crime fiction, and this also fed into our discussion – she was able to help me develop the plot and make the story not only more believable but more compelling and give the characters greater depth.

I wholeheartedly recommend Emma as an adviser for writers who need to understand the work of a Clinical Forensic Psychologist and the patients they treat. I’m working on my next book and already I can see Emma’s help will be crucial in developing my plot and characters.

I highly recommend Graham's editorial services, which add vital authenticity to the writing process. Graham is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and professional – able to chat around plots to ensure they stay faithful to both the author's vision and police procedures. I'm hugely grateful for his help. I'm currently gaining his advice for tricky scenes in my new book, which is proving a godsend.

Graham is a crime writer’s dream – an author himself but with knowledge of policing at every level. This means that he is able to assess fictional police procedures in need of a reality check as well as offer solutions to anything too implausible. It also means he knows to be tactful and encouraging in the process which is one of the many reasons it’s such a pleasure to work with him!

Graham is helping me with my fourth novel, in which police procedure plays more of a part than my previous novels, and I'm finding him a delight to work with. Crucially he always responds quickly, his answers are authoritative and decisive but he's creative: on occasion he's suggested a solution that would still make my story work. He's also enthusiastic: you get the sense he enjoys channelling his vast experience in this new direction. I've only just starting asking for his advice but hope this is a working relationship that will continue.

Having just used Graham for the first time, I have found his help and advice invaluable. I am writing a novel with elements of crime in the plot. Graham was not only able to correct what I had written but came up with many suggestions to improve both the police procedural sections and also add to the credibility of the overall plot. And he was quick, too!  Very pleased.  

I asked Graham’s advice on police procedure when I was writing The Stone Circle. Graham was prompt, professional and very encouraging (even though I’d got quite a few things wrong!). I was very impressed by the way that he was able to combine his years of policing experience with an instinctive knowledge of how stories work. Instead of saying ‘delete this bit’ he came up with alternatives and suggested solutions. Graham was joy to work with.

I simply couldn’t have written my novel, Three Hours, without Graham’s help. He was able to give me detailed factual information, which was invaluable, but also to help with what I was trying to achieve in a more creative way. Rather than just saying ‘that can’t be done’ which I fully expected, he helped me find a way to make it work. I wholeheartedly recommend him to any author lucky enough to work with him.

If you want to save your police procedural blushes and are serious about writing authentic crime fiction, look no further than former Chief Superintendent, Graham Bartlett. Not only is he highly experienced in all things criminal, he genuinely understands the dramatic imperative.

Graham gave a very speedy and helpful response, including suggesting some fixes for plot issues which was so useful.

Graham has advised me on crime situations and police procedures for two of my psychological thrillers. He responded to my requests swiftly and answered all my questions thoroughly. I would highly recommend his services to other crime writers.

I love writing mysteries and have always wanted to write procedurals, but was nervous about accurately representing the technical aspects of police work. Graham gave me detailed feedback on my story with advice on making the relationships, reactions, and procedure more realistic. Best of all, this was all done with a lot of encouragement and sensitivity to keeping the integrity of my story. Now I feel like I have something that is both action-packed and factually accurate. If anyone wants to write crime and needs an expert eye to review the realism in their story, I wholeheartedly recommend Graham Bartlett.

Graham was recommended to me for police procedural advice on my new book. Invaluable help and informative insight into real police work makes him my go-to guy for all future books. I’m so glad I found him!

Graham’s skills both as a through-the-ranks officer with the Police Force for 30 years, as well as an expert story-teller in his own right, put him in the unique position of being able to understand, and help create, plausible and engaging drama. His advice on procedure went far beyond authenticity, actually enhancing the dramatic content of the piece. I am very much looking forward to working with him again.’ Ben Jones, Screenwriter and Actor.