Mr Robotham will be talking about his recent thriller Watching You in the Kiama Family History Centre on Saturday, May 3, at 2.30pm.

Mr Robotham is characteristically frank about his success.

"I am almost what you'd call an accidental thriller writer," he said. "I didn't set out to become a crime writer.

"A partial manuscript of my first novel The Suspect caused a bidding war at the London Book Fair in 2002 and it was only after I finished the novel that I realised I'd written a psychological thriller.

"I've grown to love the crime genre because it is such a broad field and lets me shine a light in the darker corners of society and the human psyche.

"And regardless of what people sometimes think, the best crime novels are driven as much by the characters as by the twists and turns of the plot.

"Success has been flattering and surprising.

"I am enormously grateful to be able to write full-time and to be published so widely.

"Every morning I open my computer to find emails from readers around the world, which is a humbling experience."

All welcome. Afternoon tea provided - cost is $3 members, $5 visitors.