Crime Thriller Book Club Author Q&A
When was your first book published, and what were you doing before
you were a writer?
The Devil in the Marshalsea is my debut novel - it was published at the
end of March 2014. I’ve worked in publishing for the last twenty years,
as a commissioning editor. I specialise in music memoirs - music is my
great, sustaining love along with reading, so I’ve been very lucky to
combine the two.
Who or what has influenced your style of writing?
I was really inspired by Hogarth’s paintings. They are so full of life - wit
and tragedy, laughter and cruelty. His portraits of London life are
unequalled I think. And so familiar. Men and women drinking, fighting,
having affairs, shopping, going about their business. I recognised these
people - and it gave me the confidence to write about the 1720s from
that perspective. We’ve changed a lot since then - and we haven’t
changed at all.
How do you get yourself started on a book?
With The Devil in the Marshalsea it began with my main character, Tom
Hawkins. He’s a good-natured, charming, somewhat feckless gambler unintentionally dangerous to himself and others. As he’s so terrible with
money I thought I might start him off in a debtors’ prison. After that I
quickly stumbled across the extraordinary story of the Marshalsea gaol
and its head keeper William Acton, who was tried for murder in 1729.
Writing historical fiction provides endless possibilities in terms of story –
but for me there is always an instinctive ‘click’ when I find the one I want
to explore. I’ve written a second book and am now researching a third
and in all three cases, one particular fact or story has pulled me in. It’s
not spooky – just intuitive.
How much research do you have to do, which are the most difficult
types of scenes to research, and have you ever had to go to extreme or
unusual lengths to research a scene?
With historical fiction you never stop researching. For the first book I had
to discover all the basics - the clothes, the food, contemporary maps of
London - every little detail. But every time you start a new scene some
new question arises. The trick with research is to learn as much as you
can and then use almost none of it. The other trick is to really enjoy it.
What do you do when you are not writing?
The laundry.
Who’s your favourite literary character (or antihero) and why?
I’m drawn to outsiders, to the broken or abandoned. Deeply flawed,
lonely characters like Stevens in The Remains of the Day. Or
Frankenstein’s monster - that probably sounds peculiar to anyone who
hasn’t read Frankenstein - but just thinking about him breaks my heart.
Are you a keen reader of crime fiction? Who is your favourite crime
author?
Yes - but I wish I had more time to read. I find it hard to read fiction
when I’m writing. I’ll read non-fiction instead – something completely
different from what I’m writing.
My favourite crime writer is probably John Le Carré. But does he
consider himself a crime writer? I’m not sure.
If you were recommending your book to a friend – how would you
describe it?
I suppose I’d say it was a dark historical novel inspired by a true story,
set in 1720s London. To which they would presumably reply, ‘yes I
know, I’m your friend. Why are you banging on about your novel again?’
Which of your characters did you most enjoy writing?
Samuel Fleet - Tom’s cell mate - was fun. He’s dangerous,
unpredictable and clever, full of restless energy. And Tom himself though I could cheerfully throttle him at times.
What would you like readers to take away from the experience of
reading your novel?
I hope they find it a satisfying and gripping story that brings another
world to life. I hope too that they find the characters stay with them long
after they’ve finished the book. There are some underlying themes in
there too - trust and betrayal, friendship, faith, the nature of evil. The
usual suspects in a crime novel…! Look - if people just like it for the
swearing, I’m happy.
What's the most outlandish idea you've ever had for a storyline, and has
it made it into one of your books?
Honestly, there is nothing more outlandish than real life. While I was
researching The Devil in the Marshalsea I found a couple of veiled
references to prisoners being shackled to rotting corpses as
punishment. Possibly true, possibly an exaggeration. I didn’t include it in
the novel because I felt I had a duty to be sure of my facts. The
verifiable truth was dark enough.
What are you currently working on?
I’ve just delivered the first draft of a sequel. It’s set a few months after
The Devil in the Marshalsea and again is based loosely on a real and
very dramatic story. It’s moved out of the gaol of course and ranges from
the royal court to the criminal underworld. I have lots of ideas for future
novels - it’s such a fascinating time in British history and there’s so much
to explore. And Tom has a long, dangerous road ahead.