Is there anywhere in the country outside London as closely linked to crime as Brighton?

The general consensus of the panel on the closing event in the Dark And Stormy festival was that with its combination of faded glamour, retired gangsters and “rubble beach”, Brighton always won out.

Recalling an uncomfortable encounter with a crime-obsessed policeman, host Cheeky Guide creator David Bramwell admitted “under the surface of our city beats a dark heart”.

But this celebration of Brighton’s criminal side was more like a freewheeling variety show combining an author panel discussion with readings, live murder ballads from Silver Swans, carefully-sourced clips from film historian Frank Flood and even a quiz.

The ever-changing structure prevented the show from getting bogged down, and provided lots of laughs – some unintentional such as when Bramwell inquired whether writer Danny Miller had any links to organised crime.

The guests also included authors Colette Macbeth, Erin Kelly and S J Watson, whose blockbuster Before I Sleep, is soon to be seen on the big screen albeit with Brighton excised from the final cut.

They gave something of an insight into crime-writing – including the fact most had never intended to become embroiled in the genre – as well as their own working methods.

If the aim was to provide inspiration for new reading, the queues at intermission for the book stall suggested that had certainly been achieved.