DI Hunter Wilson never has just one problem to solve.
Three elderly women he knows have died in mysterious circumstances. Hunter appears to be the only link.
A little girl goes missing on a cold winter’s night. When his team discovers cocaine hidden at the farm where she was living, the search becomes even more urgent.
Why did the women die? And what did the child witness?
Hunter must find the answers to these questions to ensure his family and his city are safe.
Hunter’s Blood is The fifth brilliant instalment of Val Penny’s Edinburgh Crime Mysteries, it is a real joy to read and has become my favourite of the series. The plot line was very well researched and was written in a very believable way that it could have been a real life case and not a fictional one. From the first chapter Hunter’s Blood is a riveting, fast-paced, well-crafted story with a familiar cast of characters with some new faces added in. What Val does best as an author is in her descriptive passages which are very vivid throughout Hunter’s Blood you can defiantly picture yourself as a key character in the Novel Spending Christmas Time in Edinburgh and taking in all the festivities. Val as an author is also brilliant at writing the dialogue for her characters so that interaction between them feels very believable and also in weaving the different strands of the books plot together, this storyline is not just about the who, but the why and the how as well so by the end everything has been very neatly tied together as there is action, with humour and romance brought in to the lighten the plot.
I highly recommend that if you are on the look out for a new crime author to start reading or a new series to follow or just love a good police procedural set in Scotland, then you won’t be disappoint at all, go buy yourself a copy of Hunter’s Blood and then get the others in the series, Val is defiantly a author to watch out for and I can’t wait for the next book in the series
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.
It’s the summer of 1995. The US Peace Envoy, Fred Martinson, begins to broker a peace deal for Northern Ireland. The world holds its breath as the first tentative steps are taken.
Jones, an 18-year-old from suburban England, has stumbled through education and yearns to be a football reporter. He is offered a place at Milton College, a former secretarial school with a clandestine partnership with GCHQ in seeking the communication stars of the future. Before he knows it, Jones has been recruited, paired with Jenny Richmond, who is every bit his equal, and sent to Northern Ireland to undertake skills development and resilience testing with the Young Communicators Unit (YCU).
Training becomes a matter of life and death when a group of trainee spies learning on the job are betrayed to their death, and their most promising member, Isadora Brown, is taken hostage. MI5 and YCU are sent a video of her reading demands by a mysterious organisation called Red Line.
What if a group of young trainees were forced onto the frontline to deal with one of the most sensitive issues in UK history? What if political relations were so sensitive at the end of The Cold War, that only a group of deniable students could change history and keep super powers from ruining the first steps of a peace deal in Northern Ireland?
It’s a race against the clock to find and free Isadora, and make sure the US peace talks aren’t sent up in flames.
How did you get started writing? I’m a trained journalist and have written for as long as I can remember. I enjoy creating new landscapes with words and trying to fill them with colourful people. One of my earliest memories is standing up and reading a story I created at primary school. However, the notion of writing a novel never really hit me until I needed to rethink my life. I lost my father in October 2020 and needed something to throw myself into, to divert my brain away from that pain. Hence, after only eight months, Topaz was born.
What drew you to write a novel I think the turmoil of losing a loved one led me to want to temporarily live in a different universe, that I could shape and hone. In the past, when I needed space or to reset, I’d disappeared to Northern Ireland and I’d previously spent time living near Belfast in the 1990s. But in the middle of the pandemic, I decided to build that new universe in my head, on paper and then add interesting dimensions. That’s not to say I hadn’t attempted novels in the past, I did once in the early 2000s, but this came together due to the perfect storm of life at that time.
Which writers past or present have influenced your style of writing? I studied English Literature and have always enjoyed the classics, I like to delve into a character irrespective of the era or genre and try to get under their skin. I enjoyed reading Thomas Hardy and D.H. Lawrence. However, it was John Le Carre, Ruth Rendell and Ian Fleming that inspired me to look into thriller and espionage fiction. The only tweak I needed for my own style was to remove to machismo element and perhaps look at the flaws, weaknesses and humour of the main protagonists. So, my style is somewhere between the humour of Andrew Cartmel (Vinyl Detective) and the spy thriller fiction of Charles Cumming.
When you first started writing did you find it hard to get publisher interest? I had no intention of publishing Topaz. Tough love by my family was used to urge me to look into publishing and I have to thank Hayley Webster, the Book Doctor, for helping me pluck up the courage to send out the manuscript to Spellbound. The team there have been fantastic and I enjoy the flexibility and warmth of working with Sumaira and Nikki.
There are many interesting characters in your Novel, do you have a particular favourite one? There is a character called Declan McNally, a Derry man, who is a grizzled former spy and in Topaz becomes part of the management team at Milton College. I’ve enjoyed seeing his character change from a rather forlorn and frustrated man, to a reinvigorated and re-energised operative. He seems to get his inspiration from the youngsters on the team and discovers his humour whilst holding onto his little quirks. I enjoyed seeing him develop.
What kind of research have you have to undertake for your Novel? Not a great deal for Topaz. The story has been rooted in my head for an awfully long while. However, when you’re writing about places and themes so dear to you, you need to double check for accuracy and ensure you’re not being insensitive about certain communities. I had friends who I could call upon to help with aspects of that, but nothing beats returning to Belfast, Lisburn and other key areas to ensure everything is correct!
Are the characters in your books based on any real life? I’m tempted to skip this question! In all honesty, I think every character has traits that I’ve garnered from people I’ve met in my life. But I’ve also tried hard not to re-imagine friends, colleagues or contacts in the Topaz universe, as that wouldn’t be fair.
Do you have a particular favourite scene in the book and why? There is a scene where the main protagonist, Jones, phones back to his university Halls to arrange for his clothes to be delivered to Lisburn. His two friends have been drinking all day and the carnage of trying to hold an important conversation with someone so drunk and so easily distracted still makes me laugh when I read it. There are other, more emotional, explosive and violent scenes throughout the book, but without giving away spoilers it would be difficult to explain.
Do you see any of your characters personality in yourself and vice versa? Both Jones and Jenny Richmond have my humour, challenges and traits in abundance. But neither are based on me. Jenny’s imposter syndrome, Jones’ struggle with his unique set of skills and even how their relationship blossoms due to their need for mutual support and care in a challenging context, reflects my own experiences in life. But Jones and Jenny are braver and more intelligent than I’ll ever be!
If you can, would you give us a sneaky peak into any future novels you might planned. Topaz is book one in the Topaz series. The second book, Wild Flowers, completes the first and takes us on another more exotic journey where the team meet politics, relationships and their first steps into international espionage head on. The third, which I’m currently finishing, is called The Mainstay, and is back in Belfast, Lisburn and the fictional village of Ballyramsey. This is a standalone story with a strong whodunnit vibe.
If you had the opportunity to write a novel with any writer alive or dead, who would it be and why? In his books, Ian Fleming used to understand the technical detail behind every piece of equipment, the geography of every landscape and even the cuisine of every location. John Le Carre added the layers of emotion and feeling that brought his characters to life without being prescriptive to the reader. With that in mind, I’d probably want to meet those two incredible authors in a bar somewhere and craft a story together
Do you have words of advice you can share with anyone who is interested in writing a Novel. Write about what and who you know and don’t expect the reader to have any prior knowledge. Take them on your journey and help them through the different aspects of your story. Use your language and narrative to add colour and don’t try to be someone else or mimic a style, as that can often come across uncomfortable. Remember, the literary world is now full of celebrities and influencers who see writing a novel as part of a portfolio career. We all need to complete against that troubling trend
Karen Moore is passionate about all things noir – crime, mystery, thrillers – and writes in that genre.
She has been writing all her life, mostly for work purposes, and is now delighted to be able to spend more time developing her own creative work.
Her debut novel, Torn, is a dark tale of intrigue and betrayal set in Sicily and North Wales. Release is the sequel, although it is written as a standalone novel for people who may not have read Torn.
Karen worked as a tour guide across Europe, North America and Canada, followed by a career in PR and marketing. She has lived in France and Italy, and is now based in Cheshire, England. Her cat, Lexi, often appears in her social media feeds.
BLURB
When Hanna’s estranged mafioso husband, Luciano, is released early from a Sicilian prison, she fears he will come after her and her young daughter, Eva.
The revelation leaves her with a dilemma. Invited to Sicily to attend her best friend’s wedding, can she really take the risk?
But even staying at home in North Wales may not be safe. Something strange is going on at her old cottage in the hills. As the lines between Sicily and North Wales blur, Hanna uncovers a criminal operation that leads her to fear for Eva’s life all over again.
Will Hanna ever be able to release herself from Luciano’s grip? Or will her discovery lead her into even deeper danger?
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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
Chapter Two “Released? But… but… how’s that possible?” Hanna sank into the nearest chair. The day suddenly darkened, the sun disappearing behind a cloud. A chill spread through her body, as if the blood flowing through her veins was turning to ice. “Sergio heard about it from one of his sources. That’s all we know at the moment. We don’t have any more details.” Hanna felt dizzy, her head pounding as she tried to take in the devastating news. “I just don’t believe it. Christ, he’s only served, what, not even a couple of years of a fourteen- year sentence. What could have happened to quash that? Surely it must be a mistake?” “Probably some technicality drummed up by his lawyer. It all seems to have been done on the quiet. Sergio’s doing some digging as his newspaper’s interested, but he’s not hopeful. No one seems to know anything much. Even Sergio’s dad – and he’s in the police – has only just heard.” “Are you sure he’s been released for good? It’s not a temporary reprieve of some sort?” “The informant reckons it’s permanent.” Hanna felt goosebumps prick on her arms. “This has come as a hell of a shock. I wasn’t expecting him to get out for years, even if he didn’t serve his full term. I thought Eva and I were safe, but now, who knows? And great timing, too, what with your wedding coming up…” “Hope it won’t change your mind about coming over,” said Ceri hesitantly. “No, no, it’ll be fine. Once I get my head around it.” “Well, see how you feel. I wouldn’t want anything else to happen. You and Eva have both been through enough already.” “If you hear there’s any possible threat…” “I’ll let you know straight away if there’s any further news. Try not to worry too much. I’ll call again in a day or so, or sooner if there’s anything urgent. Take care, and give our love to Rhys and Eva.” “Will do. Love to Sergio too. Speak soon. Ciao.” Hanna ended the call, her mind in a whirl. How could Luciano have been set free with all the overwhelming evidence against him? God knows what lengths his family lawyer and associates had gone to in order to secure his release. Probably pulled strings in high places, called in a favour or two, or brought pressure – or even blackmail – to bear on those with influence. She was aware of Rhys hovering close by, his face drawn into a deep frown, his gaze an unspoken question. “It had to happen one day,” he said gently, leaning down and wrapping his arms around her. “Yes, but I never imagined it would be so soon.” She rested her head briefly on his shoulder, then suddenly pushed him away, hunching over as she struggled for air, on the verge of a panic attack. “Are you OK?” asked Rhys in concern, bending over her as she wheezed and tried to catch her breath. “I’ll be f…f…fine. Just give me a minute…” “Try to take deep breaths.” She followed his advice. As she gradually calmed down, her breathing returned to normal. “Feeling better?”
Hanna nodded. “Try not to worry. It’ll be fine, you’ll see. After all, you’ve not heard from Luciano or his family one way or another since he went inside,” Rhys pointed out reasonably. “There’s nothing to say that things will change now, or that you’ve any reason to fear…” She looked at him, a flicker of anger in her eyes. “But his father and brother were also sentenced, remember? Pretty difficult for any of them to act from inside prison. Now Luciano’s free, he could well try to get Eva back. I always thought it was strange that he gave her up so easily.” “But didn’t he agree to leave you alone as long as you didn’t grass on him to the authorities?” “Yes, but he doesn’t play things by the rules. And the fact he was arrested so soon after Eva’s release might have made him suspect that I had something to do with it. He might come after me wanting revenge.” “Really? Isn’t that pretty unlikely now, in the circumstances?” Hanna sighed. “Rhys, anything is possible with Luciano.” As she said the words, she realised yet again how little she had known of Luciano’s true character during their time together. So many sides, so many personalities: exciting lover, caring family man, and at the same time a heartless and hard-nosed criminal, married to his family’s business interests. Rhys took hold of both her hands, fixing her with his steady gaze. “You and Eva have a new life here, far away from Sicily, with me to protect you. You should both be safe enough now.” “Yes, you’re right,” said Hanna with a faint smile, more to appease him than out of any real conviction. After all, she remembered only too well that it was here in North Wales that Eva had been kidnapped by one of Luciano’s rivals, trying to muscle in on her husband’s lucrative illegal business interests back in Sicily. If it had happened once, it could happen again.
REVIEW OF RELEASE
In Release author Kare Moore has Created a brilliant, foreboding mystery where nothing is as it seems and that will keep you guessing until the very end. Right from the beginning the novel develops nicely into a great physiological suspense that utilises the back story and characters of previous novel Torn, In Release the storyline moves forward but it is a great Standalone novel and you don’t have to read in order. There is also the main character Hanna and you can’t help but immediately fall in love with her quirky, strong, courageous, protective and vulnerable personality, you really want her and her daughter Eva to be able to escape in North Wales from her husband and his family and his shady business. The storyline of Release is compelling, the characters are fully rounded and are brought to life throughout that story in a way that makes them feel like so life like but more than that, Karen writes in a way with such compassion and love for her characters and there back story. Release is a very interesting book in that it plays on the traditional suspense novel in that it concentrates on showing the emotions and relationships of the characters in this novel, along with utilising the backdrops of North Wales and of the Isle of Sicily that provide a great backdrop to the book that help move the storyline forward. Throughout the novel you will you will feel the anger, confusion, hope and determination of the characters themselves, Overall this was a very entertaining and highly thoughtful novel that kept me wanting to turn the next page. I would recommend this to those who enjoy a more emotional/psychological thriller novel. If you have not yet read Torn and Release i recommend that you do now, I look forward to reading the next book for Karen Moore, as she is a author to watch out for.
Pamela’s inspiration for the Inspector Campbell series is primarily how the past influences the present. Particular inspirations for Shifting Sands are: the sun, sea and sand of North Norfolk, and swimming.
When messages of death are sent and two bodies are found on two different Norfolk beaches Inspector Campbell and his team find themselves unravelling a complex case.
Pamela St Abbs lived in Norfolk most of her life. She has always loved Scotland and has now lived there for over ten years. She is married with a grown up daughter and son.
The first Inspector Campbell mystery, Smoke Shadows, was inspired by the scenery Pamela was surrounded by while she was growing up. Water Weal grew from working on the Fens of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Twisting Tide is the third book in the series and features the sandbanks and mud flats of the Wash. She loves to write detective fiction with tense, interesting plots.
Shifting Sands, the fourth Inspector Campbell Mystery is out now in paperback and kindle edition. The wonderful North Norfolk coastline was the background for this tale of duplicity and tenacity.
Pamela St Abbs and Mary Bale are one writer. Her Anglo-Norman crime novel, Threads of Treason, is written under the name of Mary Bale. This has been published by Pen and Sword Books.
Pamela St Abbs has also published on kindle a small collection of short stories, A Short Journey to St Abbs, which includes an Inspector Campbell story and a story which was a runner up in a competition judged by Ruth Rendell. She also has written a children’s book Hesty Bunny New Home under the name of Pammy Bale https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0063KJC78/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
The Norfolk accent frequently uses “hint” instead of “hasn’t” and this is used from time to time in the speach of some of the people in the Inspector Campbell mysteries to give a feeling for their locality. she also paints the front cover images that are used on the Inspector Campbell series
1. How did you get started writing?
It was a gradual development from drawing and painting. I started adding words to pictures, then drawing cartoons, and it soon spilled in to stories.
2. What drew you to write a novel
The library used to supply my reading addiction. After some years I read a book that made me feel I could make a decent go at writing one myself. It turned out far more tricky than I expected. So I undertook a variety of courses and developed the books by reading them at Writers’ Circle meetings.
3. Which writers past or present have influenced your style of writing?
Although he writes in a completely different genre, the way John Le Carre develops intrigue and his characters in his spy stories is compelling. Ruth Rendell and P.D. James were two fabulous people and two amazing writers. They dominated British Crime writing for over 20 years. Gnaio Marsh is a great Golden Age author. Her descriptions fill her novels with atmosphere.
4. When you first started writing did you find it hard to get publisher interest?
It was nearly impossible to get publisher’s interest. Macmillan showed some early interest with the first Inspector Campbell Mystery, Smoke Shadows and put me in touch with an agent. Unfortunately this didn’t work out. It was when Kindle came on the scene and I put my then 3 Inspector Campbell Mysteries on and my “Threads of Treason” written under the pen name Mary Bale, a publisher made an approach for this book and it was consequently published.
5. There are many interesting characters in your Novel, do you have a particular favourite one?
My favourite character at the moment is Barbs, the landlady at the Gull Inn in Shifting Sands
6. What kind of research have you had to undertake for your Novel?
Shifting Sands is the fourth Inspector Campbell Mystery and a lot of the groundwork has been developed through the previous books. Norfolk is the place where I grew up. Story lines are developed from all sorts of routes from life and lines of enquiry that catch my interest. Legal procedures come within my professional background. And it is amazing how much can be found out on the internet.
7. Are the characters in your books based on any real life?
The characters in all the stories just pop into my head. They must generate somewhere in my brain from a character soup made from all the people I meet.
8. Do you have a particular favourite scene in the book and why
I love being next to the sea so I like all the beach scenes, particularly the meeting of Georgia Lomond and Bradley Yorkman.
9. Do you see any of your characters personality in yourself and vice versa?
Yes, a little bit of me must be in all my characters; although the characters seem to develop without conscious input from me.
10. If you can, would you give us a sneaky peak into any future novels you might have planned.
The next Inspector Campbell Mystery may well deal in some way with the problems in his past that have been building up for him during the first 4 books.
11. If you had the opportunity to write a novel with any writer alive or dead, who would it be and why
Writing a novel is a totally individual creative activity for me. Also, it would be difficult to balance ideas with another person.
12. Do you have words of advice you can share with anyone who is interested in writing a novel
Only start writing if you are driven by an internal desire. It will be a long process which will draw on all your intellect, emotions and energy but may give huge fulfilment for the writer.
Deborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland. Always restless and fighting against being a responsible adult, she worked in several jobs including secretarial, marketing, reporting for the city’s freebie newspaper and a stint as a postie – to name but a few.
Through it all, she always read crime fiction and, when motherhood finally settled her into being an adult (maybe even a responsible one) she turned her hand to writing what she loved. Deborah started with short stories and flash fiction whilst her daughter napped and, when she later welcomed her son into the world, she decided to challenge her writing further through online courses with Professional Writing Academy and Faber Academy. Her debut novel, Hold Your Tongue, is the result of those courses.
How did you get started writing?
I always loved writing as a kid but, as life took over, I left it for a good while. I started writing again when my daughter was two years old. I was at home full-time and wanted something just for me that would keep the old grey matter ticking over whilst she napped. I began scribbling then moved to exploring flash fiction and short stories and then got up the courage to send it out to competitions. I was amazed when I experienced some success.
What drew you to write a novel?
I had embarked on a six-week online Professional Writing Academy course called ‘Introduction to Crime Fiction’ and it ignited a fire in my belly. This led me on to taking the seed of an idea that I created on that short course forward to a Faber online course ‘Write the First 15K of your novel’. By then I was excited to think I might actually be able to write a novel.
Which writers past or present have influenced your style of writing?
I’ve always devoured crime fiction and there are too many writers, past and present, that have influenced my writing for me to be able to narrow it down. There’s a wealth of talent out there but I’m a sucker for a police procedural or a thriller. I guess Mark Billingham’s DI Tom Thorne was the first police procedural series that I was desperate to get my mitts on every book.
When you first started writing did you find it hard to get publisher interest?
I was very lucky in that I sent out the opening chapters to four agents and then got a request for the full MS from my wonderful agent, Oli Munson, at AM Heath. This led to interest and an offer from Random House in Germany, followed by an offer from Transworld UK. It all happened in a matter of months and was a whirlwind to say the least.
There are many interesting characters in your Novel, do you have a particular favourite one?
I’d have to say my main character, DI Eve Hunter. She has a special place in my heart. I’ve thrown so much at her and she’s always fought back and taken it on the chin. She’s a strong, determined, capable woman and I admire that about her.
What kind of research have you had to undertake for your Novel?
I admit to not doing much research. My debut was born out of years of reading and watching crime. I did have to speak with a specialist at the University of Aberdeen to find out what would happen if your tongue was cut out. I think they were a tad worried it wasn’t purely for research!
Are the characters in your books based on any real in life?
No. I steered clear of that!
Do you have a particular favourite scene in the book and why?
It has to be the prologue. It was the first scene I wrote and that’s scene was pivotal for how the rest of the book would go. It was the first thing I posted to the Faber course forum and I was blown away by the tutor and fellow students’ feedback. That prologue largely stayed as it was when it hit the shelves.
Do you see any of your characters personality in yourself and vice versa?
I think I’m quite a determined person and I’ve learned I’m much stronger and more capable than I think at times, so in that sense I do see some of myself in Eve.
If you can, would you give us a sneaky peak into any future novels you might have planned?
Book two in the DI Eve Hunter series, OUT FOR BLOOD, will be out in ebook in November 2020, followed by the paperback in December. It explores human trafficking and prostitution in Aberdeen and the glaring divide between the rich and poor. I’m about to start writing book three in the series.
If you had the opportunity to write a novel with any writer alive or dead, who would it be and why?
It would have to be Stephen King. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed his books for years and own a very battered copy of his writing advice book ‘On Writing’. I love the way he writes and there’s so much to be learned from him – especially when it comes to characterisation and building suspense.
Do you have words of advice you can share with anyone who is interested in writing a novel?
Make time for it. Place as much importance on it as any other appointment in your week. Keep turning up even on the bad days, but most of all believe.
In the run up to Christmas, a serial killer stalks the streets of Aberdeen . . .
A brutal murder. A young woman’s body is discovered with horrifying injuries, a recent newspaper cutting pinned to her clothing. A detective with everything to prove. This is her only chance to redeem herself. A serial killer with nothing to lose. He’s waited years, and his reign of terror has only just begun . . .
Introducing DI Eve Hunter, HOLD YOUR TONGUE is your new obsession.
Hold your Tongue Won the 2020 Scottish Crime Debut of the Year at this years Bloody scotland Crime Festival
A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment.
Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.
As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.
Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long – and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down…
Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?
Lexie Conyngham is a historian living in the shadow of the Highlands. Her historical crime novels are born of a life amidst Scotland’s old cities, ancient universities and hidden-away aristocratic estates, but she has written since the day she found out that people were allowed to do such a thing. Beyond teaching and research, her days are spent with wool, wild allotments and a wee bit of whisky.
1. How did you get started writing? I think I’ve been writing since I realised you could – I was always scribbling stories, and when I read Agatha Christie when I was eleven, I realised I wanted to write murder mysteries. I’ve never really stopped! I know I have to do other work as well, partly to continue finding inspiration, but writing is what I’ve always wanted to do.
2. What drew you to write a novel Long-windedness! I find short stories very difficult. Occasionally I find an idea that fits best as a short story or a novella, and I do make myself write short stories regularly as a discipline, but it’s not my place. I did do the requisite awful poetry when I was a teenager, and I’ve tried my hand at radio scripts, but I feel most at home with what I read most – novels. I like complexity in a story and novels give me the room to bring that in.
3. Which writers past or present have influenced your style of writing? I suppose most of the writers I’ve read have in some sense influenced my style one way or another, even if it’s thinking ‘Oh, no, I don’t want to do it that way’ or ‘I like that but I don’t think it’s me’. I would love to write like Kate Atkinson or Val McDermid, and I admire Jane Austen, Dorothy L. Sayers, Dorothy Dunnett and C.J. Sansom. Intelligence and wit always draw me in.
4. When you first started writing did you find it hard to get publisher interest? I found an agent pretty quickly but we parted company soon after. It was due to illness but I found the whole experience a bit disheartening. This was back in 2011 when ebooks were just starting out, really. Two friends who had just bought their first Kindle basically locked me in their dining room until I agreed to try publishing via Amazon, and they helped me with the tech stuff which seemed pretty daunting then! I put my first two books up, and was rather surprised that people seemed to like them! I love being indie, having the power to choose my own covers and titles, and go with my own schedule, and though I sometimes find publicity daunting I’m prepared to do it for the sake of my independence!
5. There are many interesting characters in your Novel, do you have a particular favourite one? I enjoyed writing the main character, Charlie, because he grows so much in the course of the novel. He thinks a trip to Aberdeen is the greatest adventure he’ll ever have, and he’s quite content with that – he has no idea how much further he’ll have to go.
6. What kind of research have you have to undertake for your Novel? Of course I’ve been to Leith Hall and explored the area, as well as visiting Amsterdam, and taking a closer look at the part of Aberdeen where the duel happened. I visited the Tolbooth in Aberdeen which is a great little museum with a view of the very site of the duel. Down in Edinburgh I looked at all the papers that were brought together for the criminal case (some really interesting witness statements!), and went to several museums to look at clothing and household items of the period. I like maps showing me what the surroundings were like at the time – sometimes they’ve changed more than you might expect. And I read lots of books! I always put together a Pinterest board for a new book to collect images that inspire me so when I’m feeling adrift I can quickly take myself back to the right historical period.
7. Are the characters in your books based on any real life? In the case of this book, yes, very much so. John Leith and his wife, mother and uncles were all real. Charlie, the main character, existed, but there was very little about him other than his witness statement. I could decide whether he was young or old, brave or timid, kind or cruel … When I use real characters I’m always a little nervous about messing up history, so it’s much more fun to fiddle at the edges of what we actually know.
8. Do you have a particular favourite scene in the book and why I enjoyed writing Charlie’s arrival in Amsterdam, trying to see it through his eyes, a strange and confusing place, and also trying to see the old city past the way it appears now. Charlie is excited and scared, and doesn’t know where to go and whom to trust, but he’s still taking in all the new sights and sounds, learning his new surroundings, and worried that he will never be able to go home, too.
9. Do you see any of your characters personality in yourself and vice versa? I suppose something of me slips into all the characters. I’m a bit like Charlie in that I’m a cat – I like to stay on my own territory at home. And if I had the chance I’d like to be as good a housekeeper as Harriot! She’s a good strong character, the kind of woman who can run her estate with competence and tell others what’s required. I’d like to think there’s a little bit of me in her, too … maybe.
10. If you can, would you give us a sneaky peak into any future novels you might planned. I’m working on the twelfth in my Murray series at present, The Dead Chase, and I’ve reached 1820. I’ve given myself a particularly horribly complicated plot, which I’m regretting! It’s set in London, Brighton and Lewes in Sussex, so I’m also on relatively unfamiliar territory. It’s going very slowly!
11. If you had the opportunity to write a novel with any writer alive or dead, who would it be and why Hm, interesting one! It would need to be someone I admired, obviously, and with whom I thought I would get on well … I think it might have to be Dorothy L. Sayers. We have a few interests in common, but I could learn a huge amount from her. I might not so much write with her as sit at her feet and wonder!
12. Do you have words of advice you can share with anyone who is intrested in writing a novel The best advice you can give to a writer is ‘Write!’ Don’t just sit there dreaming of your acceptance speech for the Booker or the Golden Dagger – and don’t put it off till tomorrow. Write something every day. It doesn’t have to be good, but it does have to be down on the page. The more you do, the better you get, the closer you are to your dream.
Latest Novel
See, Charlie, it might be near twenty year since Culloden, but there’s plenty hard feelings still amongst the Jacobites, and no so far under the skin, ken?’ Charlie Rob has never thought of politics, nor strayed far from his Aberdeenshire birthplace. But when John Leith of Leith Hall takes him under his wing, his life changes completely. Soon he is far from home, dealing with conspiracy and murder, and lost in a desperate hunt for justice.
Inspiration for The Slaughter of Leith Hall:
A good friend of mine, from whom I had previously stolen a story about a skeleton, went to work as a guide at Leith Hall, a National Trust property in Aberdeenshire, and came across the story of John Leith, the laird in 1763, who was killed in a duel in Aberdeen. Though it looked very straightforward, the family had always had questions about the incident – why was the duel not properly organised? How had John, a kind and level-headed man, managed to fight with one of his best friends? How many shots had there really been? Why had the killer or killers threatened John’s servant? She thought it would make a great novel, and handed the idea to me on a plate, along with the loan of the printed family history. I was intrigued, and began to have a poke around to see what might actually have happened, and why, and The Slaughter of Leith Hall is the result.
The Murray of Letho Series: Death in a Scarlet Gown Knowledge of Sins Past Service of the Heir An Abandoned Woman Fellowship with Demons The Tender Herb Death of an Officer’s Lady Out of a Dark Reflection A Dark Night at Midsummer (novella) Slow Death by Quicksilver Thicker than Water A Deficit of Bones
The Hippolyta Napier Series: A Knife in Darkness Death of a False Physician A Murderous Game The Thankless Child A Lochgorm Lament
The Orkneyinga Murders Series: Tomb for an Eagle A Wolf at the Gate Dragon in the Snow
Standalones: Jail Fever Windhorse Burning The War, The Bones and Dr. Cowie
Short Story Collections: Thrawn Thoughts and Blithe Bits Quite Useful in Minor Emergencies
A veteran freedom fighter and friend of Mandela is forced to break all his loyalties and oppose the ruling ANC party – a party he’s been a member of all his life – to confront corruption and venality at the very top. As he faces political attacks and sinister threats from a faction in the SA security services the ageing veteran finds his life is now endangered. Recognising the need for help, he recruits a young ‘Born Free’ idealist to assist him. She too is soon drawn into danger as together they stumble upon a clandestine plot at the highest level of government to poach and kill rhino and export their lucrative horns to South East Asia. Intent on catching the poachers and exposing the trade, they manage to install a GPS tracking device inside a perfect replica of a horn which they follow through a diplomatic bag into Vietnam. Anxious that intimidation by the security services will prevent them from exposing the truth, they decide to break cover in UK using a sympathetic British MP to reveal all they know in a House of Commons speech, under parliamentary privilege. But first they must establish the truth. Will they be able to do so, or will they be killed before they can? The stakes are high. Has Mandela’s ‘rainbow nation’ been irretrievably betrayed by political corruption and cronyism? Can the country’s ancient rhino herd be saved from extinction by poachers supported from the very top of the state
About The Rhino Conspiracy by Peter Hain
Crouching high up out of sight when the world watched Nelson Mandela walk to freedom from a prison in the Cape Winelands in February 1990 was a South African army military sniper nobody was ever told about.
He becomes my character ‘The Sniper’ who in middle-age is corralled back into duty to protect a Game Reserve against rhino poacher attacks. And later to be persuaded against his better instincts to deploy his lethal skills against emissaries from the corrupt President behind the poaching.
The fictional safari park the Sniper helps is inspired by Thula Thula Game Reserve and his employer, ‘The Owner’ by Lawrence Anthony who founded and owned it.
The Rhino Conspiracy by Peter Hain will be published by Muswell Press in September (£14.99)
Labour MP for Neath between 1991 and 2015, Peter Hain was a senior minister for twelve years in Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s governments, where he served as Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland, as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and as Leader of the Commons. He was also Europe Minister, Foreign Minister and Energy Minister. He chaired the UN Security Council, and negotiated international Treaties curbing nuclear proliferation and banning the conflict-inducing trade in blood diamonds.
Peter Hain’s childhood was spent in apartheid South Africa, a period that came to an end when his parents were forced into exile in 1966.
A leader of the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Anti-Nazi League in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s, he obtained degrees at Queen Mary College, London, and Sussex University.
Married with two sons and six grandchildren, he is a keen football, rugby, cricket and motorsport fan.
Over nearly 50 years in politics Hain has written or edited twenty-one books – including his biography Mandela (2010), memoirs Outside In (2012), Ad & Wal: values, duty, sacrifice in apartheid South Africa(2014), and Back to the Future of Socialism (2015). He is also the author of numerous pamphlets and media articles, and has appeared widely on radio and television, as well as being an experienced public speaker.
Lexie Conyngham is a historian living in the shadow of the Highlands. Her historical crime novels are born of a life amidst Scotland’s old cities, ancient universities and hidden-away aristocratic estates, but she has written since the day she found out that people were allowed to do such a thing. Beyond teaching and research, her days are spent with wool, wild allotments and a wee bit of whisky.
‘See, Charlie, it might be near twenty year since Culloden, but there’s plenty hard feelings still amongst the Jacobites, and no so far under the skin, ken?’Charlie Rob has never thought of politics, nor strayed far from his Aberdeenshire birthplace. But when John Leith of Leith Hall takes him under his wing, his life changes completely. Soon he is far from home, dealing with conspiracy and murder, and lost in a desperate hunt for justice.
Rebecca McKinney is a writer, therapist and community development practitioner, living and working in Midlothian, Scotland. She shares her home with her husband, two teenagers, three cats, and a growing collection of musical instruments.
A man who glimpses other people’s inner worlds, and a woman who can foresee death. Can they trace a missing girl before the worst happens?
Harrison Jones is a university lecturer with a secret: he moonlights as a psychic detective. Amy Bell is a paramedic who has the uncanny knack of knowing things are going to happen before they do. From their first accidental meeting on an Edinburgh bridge, both of their lives are destined to change.
Harrison invites Amy to help him investigate the disappearance of a beautiful young singer. The search will lead them into the murky world of human trafficking, from Edinburgh to the streets of Athens, and into the darkest corners of the human mind…
Quick Q and A with Author
What kind of research did you have to undertake for Siren Song?
I have to say, I delved into an awful lot of websites that might now have me on some kind of watch list. I had to read about everything from human trafficking to psychedelic drugs…
Do you have a particular favourite scene in Siren Song and why?
I really love the scene in Harrison’s kitchen where he is making Amy breakfast and she’s questioning him about what it means to be psychic. It’s a meeting of two minds— quite a gentle and domestic scene. I loved writing that.
There are many interesting characters in Siren Song, do you have a particular favourite one?
Harrison, the male protagonist. I drew inspiration from so many of my favourite characters from other books and films and just poured them into him. He’s smart and troubled and quite sexy beneath his slightly geeky intellectual exterior. I love spending time in his company.
If you can, would you give us a sneaky peak into any future novels you have planned to write after Siren Song?
I’m currently working on the follow up to Siren Song with the idea that this will be a three-book series (or more if there is an appetite and I have the energy!). I always have about three or four novel ideas bubbling around in my head at any one time. I’ve got a couple of other more realist/literary projects that are half-finished, which I want to return to at some point.
Excerpt of Siren Song
PROLOGUE
Before dawn, in the coldest hour of the morning, two men launched their inflatable dinghy out of a remote, rocky cove. There was no village here, no fishing boat, only a rutted dirt track and a stony, inhospitable beach. The two men breathed hot vapours into the air and rowed for an hour without speaking, pulling hard against the tide, keeping their strokes as smooth and quiet as possible. If either of them had qualms about the nature of their task, they harboured them in solitude.
Far from shore, they started the outboard motor. The lights of the land faded and a swell began to rise around them. Half an hour later, they cut the motor, searched the night for other boats and listened hard for any signs that they were not alone. They saw only faint starlight reflecting from the rolling hills of water and heard the only slap of waves against the boat.
Their inert passenger lay in the bottom of the boat, clothed in an anonymous grey tracksuit. The two men manhandled the body overboard and watched it slip into a trough between waves. There were so many bodies drifting about in this sea now, one more made no odds. The whole Mediterranean had become a mass grave, a purgatory for thousands of nameless, unidentifiable refugees. This one wasn’t nameless or a refugee, but who would know the difference?
The hair had been cut off and the water would disfigure the features and discolour the skin. Possibly the fish or the birds would feast on the flesh before it became too putrid.
The younger of the two men wasn’t religious but he prayed for the body to float out to sea and for the soul to float up to heaven, and he prayed that this evil business would not blow back at him later. When he’d finished praying, he spat into the water and picked up his oars. The body rose high on the shoulder of a wave and sank again. Within a couple of minutes, it was gone.
Amazon Link to Buy Siren Song
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THERE'S BEEN A MURDER 