What is your book An Unfamiliar Murder about?
An Unfamiliar murder explores the darkest of family secrets and the ramifications when they are finally revealed.
How did you research this novel?
I do far too much research, it’s my favourite aspect of writing novels! Some of it is just for one line, some of it is edited out completely, but it all works behind the scenes to inform the fabric of the novel in some way.
I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline here but, suffice to say, writing a detective crime thriller is never easy! There’s so much police procedure to research, let alone forensics and pathology. Luckily, I am married to a retired detective who helps tremendously with research points, is my first reader, and introduced me to all the right people.
How would you describe your protagonist DCI Helen Lavery in 3 sentences?
Helen is a widow, raising teenage sons while holding down arguably one of the most responsible jobs in the police force by heading the homicide squad. She’s doing that juggling match that so many of us have had to do at some stage in our lives between work and home. But what makes her super special is that she’s following in her father’s footsteps, he was a murder detective, she’s a murder detective, and she’s driven, tough, and passionate about catching the bad guys.
Which challenges did you face while writing a crime novel? Were you always intrigued by that genre?
I was one of those little girls who went to bed with a torch hidden under the duvet, desperately trying to get to the end of Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven before I was caught! Years later, sitting around the television with my family, watching Hercule Poirot and trying to guess whodunnit. I adore a compelling mystery, so I guess this became the natural genre for me to write. That said, I’d be lying if I said that working out how to inject some of the twists and turns don’t keep me awake at night! Keeping the tempo high while delivering an authentic police investigation and putting the right clues in the correct place is a huge challenge, but also one that I relish.
How do you wind down after a day of writing about murder and dark secrets?
I love to trudge across the fields with my dog, Digity, and take in the country air. It also helps me to work through any sticky issues with plotlines or characters. Needless to say, the story is never far from my mind!
What’s your favorite genre to read yourself?
I’m in a book club in my village and we read a wide range of different genres. My choices are usually crime thrillers though! I love to try to dig out the clues and solve the mysteries in police procedurals by authors such as Peter James and Jeffery Deaver. I am also fascinated by psychological thrillers that make me think, and those that demonstrate the effects of extraordinary things happening to ordinary people. Before I Go Sleep by S J Watson and Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes are particular favourites.