On a recent visit to Hong Kong, crime writer Peter James is sitting in Stanley Street's Luk Yu teahouse - a fitting interview venue for a novelist acclaimed for the authenticity of his best-selling books.
In 2002, at a seat just opposite his, local tycoon Harry Lam Hon-lit was assassinated by a mainland hit-man, hired by one of the victim's business rivals. The shooting shocked the city, not least because it took place in one of the city's most upmarket dim sum restaurants, frequented by the city's elite.
'Have you ever wondered why so many mafia hits take place in restaurants? Most people in danger of being whacked are on their guard almost all of the time. But the one time they aren't, is when they bring that first morsel to their lips after the food has arrived. That's when they are totally distracted and vulnerable,' James says, dabbing at the corner of his mouth with his napkin to counter the effects of an unexpectedly juicy dumpling.
James has been a regular visitor to Hong Kong over the years, although he has yet to make contact with local police for research purposes. But knowing James, it's only a matter of time.
His Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, based in and around Brighton, has sold more than five million copies around the globe, and been translated into 33 languages. The Brighton-born writer has long had a close working relationship with the Sussex police (the force that covers Brighton), in order to gain insights into the milieu and community he writes about.
'I've been going on patrol with the Sussex police for many years. And now I'm a kind of trusted member of the police community, as the police can see that I depict Brighton's crime picture realistically and responsibly, and so I'm allowed greater access.'