It was in
March that I had a quiet chat with Publisher and Writer Rowland White at
Penguin-Random House’s Crime
& Thriller party. I’ve known Rowland for many years, as we were both Undergraduates
from Liverpool, though Mr White is much younger than I and he went to the
University while I went to the Polytechnic. But more importantly we share a
common interest in thriller fiction. I asked my usual question when surveying
the upcoming offerings from publishers; a question I know is one that rattles
within the industry –
“So Rowland, what have you got coming that is new,
fresh and vibrant in your thriller list?”
Rowland, smiled “I think you’ll like this debut, it’s
very special, from a young writer named Richardson, Matthew Richardson” a
name that meant little to me “it’s titled
‘My Name is Nobody”, he continued thrusting a review copy into my hands.
I have enjoyed
much of what Rowland
White and his colleagues at both Penguin-Random
House / Michael Joseph as well as his own imprint have recommended – especially
when it comes to espionage thrillers.
So Rowland
described
MY NAME IS NOBODY
'I know a
secret. A secret that changes everything . . .'
Solomon
Vine was the best of his generation, a spy on a fast track to the top. But when
a prisoner is shot in unexplained circumstances, and on his watch, only suspension and exile beckon.
Three
months later, in Istanbul, MI6's Head of Station is violently abducted from his
home. With the Service in lockdown, uncertain of who can be trusted, thoughts
turn to the missing man's oldest friend: Solomon Vine.
Officially
suspended, Vine can operate outside the chain of command to uncover the truth.
But his investigation soon reveals that the disappearance heralds something
much darker. And that there's much more at stake than the life of a single spy
. .
Espionage thrillers
are a particular interest of mine, as anyone sharing time in a bar with me will
attest to, so broke the spine of the debut and found myself reading long into
the night.
Our reviewer
Amy Myers concurred that this debut is indeed one to grab as she wrote –
My Name is Nobody is a spy thriller based around the machinations of MI6 in London. Despite
the activities of our security services being deeply cloaked in shadow;
Richardson makes
the activities on display appear truly authentic; and frighteningly so.
Read the Full Review HERE
So as MY
NAME IS NOBODY hits our bookshelves today, Shots Magazine tracked down
Matthew Richardson as we had a few questions to ask.
Ali So firstly Matthew, can you tell us a
little about where the fascination to write an espionage thriller came from?
Matthew The
first books I really remember reading for fun were Agatha Christie novels. So
when it came to writing a book of my own I was in no doubt that I wanted to
write something that was story-driven. My first interest in the world of
politics and espionage came about through reading the works of le Carré and Frederick
Forsyth, so having a go at a spy thriller of my own seemed the logical next
step.
AK So tell us about your early reading, and
which books made an impression
MR It was
The Ghost by Robert Harris that really
made me want to write thrillers. I was already interested in politics, but the
novel showed how politics and espionage are inevitably interlinked. Harris also
manages to write sentences to die for while never compromising on narrative
drive. Much harder than it looks.
AK Specifically, what authors do you read
currently, and why?
MR I like
reading broadly across all genres. John Grisham is a real favourite. Robert
Harris, as mentioned above. Otherwise an eclectic mix: Ruth
Ware, Frederick
Forsyth, Sebastian Faulks, William Boyd, Hilary Mantel, David Baldacci. For
sheer fun, I still don’t think many can beat Dame Agatha.
AK Tell us a little about your first
writings, and what inspired you?
MR I
wrote a lot through university, honing the structural and stylistic side of
things but searching for a story and an angle on the world. It was only when I
started working in Westminster that I felt I had found a story to tell.
AK I see you were in academia for a period
in Durham and Oxford, could you tell us a little about that time, and what it
brought to your writing?
MR I
think my time studying English at Durham and Oxford allowed me to read enough
to understand the basics of style and character. The sheer volume of material
to digest makes you very comfortable with the written word.
AK And at Oxford, you didn’t get a tap on
the shoulder from Her
Majesty’s Secret Service…….laughing….?
MR No. I
was too busy trying to become a writer……laughing…..
AK And where did the idea for ‘My Name is
Nobody’ spring from?
MR I
started working in Westminster as a researcher and speechwriter and soon
discovered that Westminster is much smaller than it looks on TV. People call it
the Westminster Village, almost like Midsomer with the
nuclear codes. I thought it was the perfect setting for a spy thriller. It
started with setting and then moved to character. But just walking the streets
of Westminster during my lunchbreaks was enough to get inspired.
AK I see you are represented by Euan Thorneycroft, so
tell us how you found your debut novel in print; and the journey to Penguin-Random-House?
MR I seem
to be one of the few people who got my foot in the door through the slush pile.
I submitted three chapters to Euan and everything went from there.
AK So was it the plot or the character of
Solomon Vine [your protagonist] that helped shape the narrative?
MR The
plot changed across the various drafts, but the character of Solomon Vine
stayed the same. He was the one constant from beginning to end. So definitely
character.
AK And did you plot heavily or rely on an
outline and just follow the muse?
MR A mix
of both. As it went through the various drafting stages, the plot and back
story began to get progressively more complicated. By the time I reached the
final draft I needed a proper plan to make sure everything fitted together.
AK And tell us about your work in political
journalism as your debut is hugely topical in these days of perplexing
geo-politics?
MR My
work has mainly been in speechwriting and research. Working in politics has certainly
given me an insight into what goes on behind the scenes and how disorientating
it can often feel when you’re in the trenches as these things are happening
around you.
AK And what’s next for Matthew Richardson?
MR Book
two is going through the editing stage now. It should be out in summer 2018.
Watch this space!
AK Thank you for your time
A Thank
you.
Shots have copies of this remarkable
debut available from our bookstore HERE
and it comes highly recommended.
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