Top Five Books Set in Northern England

Today's guest blog is by author Rachel Abbott. Here she is talking about her top five favourite novels set in northern England.

I love reading books that are set in places I know well, and even better when they get transferred to the TV and I am glued to the screen, trying to recognise places!  I’ve chosen a few of my favourite thrillers/crime novels, and maybe cheated in a couple of places!

Sacrifice by Paul Finch

Paul Finch’s detective, Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is actually based in London, but he has a bit of a roving remit, it seems. The first book of Paul’s that I read was Stalkers, and a reasonable amount of the action takes place in Salford, which – for those who don’t know – lies close to Manchester. But here I have mentioned his second novel in the ‘Heck’ series – Sacrifice.

It’s hard not to like a book that starts off with a young man being burnt alive on a bonfire and builds the body count from there! Moving from Liverpool to Yorkshire and then to the Midlands, it has all the grim humour of that region and Finch’s ingenious plot rings with the authentic voice of the ex-policeman he is. ‘Heck’ is against the clock to find my favourite kind of bad guy, a killer with a deadly plan! Gripping stuff!

 

The Mermaid’s Singing by Val McDermid

My first cheat – because I have named two Val McDermid’s in my list and because this book – like all of the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series – takes place in the fictional town of Bradfield. I have always thought of this as being northern, or possibly north midlands? But hopefully close enough, and I do love Tony Hill. He is so well written as a character, and so consistent.

This book introduces Tony Hill to readers. He is a criminal profiler who has spent years exploring the psyches of madmen. McDermid turns up the suspense by revealing Hill’s damaged past which qualifies him to solve the series of mutilation sex murders even while it condemns him to being the perfect victim. The fictional town of Bradfield sits silently behind visions of torture and terrifying fantasies like a muse. So, it has very element I like, dark psychology and susceptible heroes being torn between good and evil!

Blood Harvest by SJ Bolton

This author, now more usually know as Sharon Bolton, is one of my favourite writers. I have loved all her books, from the early stand-alone novels to the detective series featuring Lacey Flint. I think Blood Harvest was the first of her books that I read, and I immediately bought every other novel by this author that I could find, but I particularly remember Blood Harvest.

The story is set in a remote corner of the Pennines and fairly rings with the claustrophobic atmosphere of rural village life. A woman has lost her little girl but she is not the first to have gone missing. Soon, voices from the graveyard start to haunt them. How can they be heard? Yes, Bolton has had her family build their shiny new house right in the middle of the graveyard! It’s not long before the rotten heart of the village is exposed but it may be a lot longer before you go trekking again across the backbone of England!

A Place of Execution by Val McDermid

My second Val McDermid, but a very different book. This one really resonated with me, because the story references the murderous careers of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, and I used to live on Saddleworth Moor – where some of the bodies of the children they murdered were buried. It’s actually a wild and lovely place – but now with a terrible reputation.

The story starts in the winter of 1963 when two children disappear off the streets of Manchester. A third child goes missing and McDermid paints in the insular community, dead ends and distrust with such skill that one immediately feels the pain of her young detective George Bennett. It’s a book and a plot that spans decades and in so doing takes over the life of another character who is also forced to re-investigate the past. Anything which drags up the dark roots of that time is always welcome.

The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves

I think everybody has come to love Vera since the TV series by the same name was first aired. This is a bit further north than my home town of Manchester, but Northumberland is a beautiful area that I have visited on several occasions. This book has only recently been released, but is getting some excellent, well-deserved, reviews.  In this story, Vera Stanhope finds a dead body in the beautiful lanes around Valley Farm in Northumberland. But there’s another body in the attic, and the only connection is the victims’ fascination with moths. The detective has to try to find out what happened in this idyllic looking place only to discover that Valley Farm is hiding a wealth of horror behind its pretty façade.

Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott is out now on Amazon.

When your life is a lie, who can you trust.  When Maggie Taylor accepts a new job in Manchester, she is sure it is the right move for her family.  The children have settled well although her husband, Duncan, doesn’t appear to be so convinced.  But nothing prepares her for the shock of coming home from work one night to find that Duncan has disappeared, leaving their young children alone. His phone is dead, and she has no idea where he has gone, or why.  And then she discovers she’s not the only one looking for him.   When a woman who looks just like Maggie is brutally murdered and DCI Tom Douglas is brought in to investigate, Maggie realises how little she knows about Duncan’s past. Is he the man she loves?  Who is he running from?  She doesn’t have long to decide whether to trust him or betray him. Because one thing has been made clear to Maggie – another woman will die soon, and it might be her.

More information about Rachel Abbott and her books can be found on her website.  You can also follow her on Twitter @RachelAbbott and find her on Facebook.  You can also read her blog.

The trailer for Kill Me Again can be seen below.

John Creasey and Dennis Wheatley

As part of its celebration of the life and work of classic crime writers I spent a number of hours on Saturday 20 February 2016 re-acquainting myself with the works of John Creasey and Dennis Wheatley courtesy of Peters Fraser Dunlop’s Crime Classic team at their bloggers event.  The event was held at the Groucho Club, Soho, London in the presence of Richard Creasey (the son of John Creasey) Dominic Wheatley (Dennis Wheatley’s grandson) and Charles Beck who is an authority on Dennis Wheatley.

 

Charles Beck & Richard Creasey

The event started with Charles Beck talking about Dennis Wheatley and his work and him explaining that there was much more about Dennis Wheatley than his horror novels which is best known for.  He shared further interesting insights on Dennis Wheatley one of them being that he enjoyed working with Christopher Lee and that the actor really wished that he had been able to act in more films that had been made of Dennis Wheatley’s books.

Richard Creasey

John Creasey's son Richard told several amusing stories about his father including the fact that he started writing under a pseudonym because he was writing so quickly and his publisher could not publish his prodigious output under the same name. When asked about his father (who founded the CWA) on what he would have thought about the CWA now, he explained that he founded the CWA because there was no where for crime writers to gather and talk together and that he thought that his father would have been incredibly pleased with the way in which it had turned out.  He also went on to say that his father would have been really delighted to learn that the CWA New Blood Dagger was named after him.  

It was a fascinating afternoon with clips from various films made of Dennis Wheatley’s books and those of John Creasey being played in the background.

Thanks to Peters Fraser Dunlop’s Crime Classic team for arranging the event.  It was certainly an enlightening event and thanks to @PFDAgents for organising it.

Ayo Onatade & Richard Creasey

Breaking News!!! The Ruth Rendell Award

Copyright Jerry Bauer

A new annual award is launched today by the National Literacy Trust and the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society in memory of bestselling novelist Ruth Rendell. The Ruth Rendell Award will be presented to the author or writer who has done the most to raise literacy levels in the UK either through their writing and books or through their advocacy and championing of the cause of literacy.

Ruth Rendell was a long-time supporter of the National Literacy Trust since the Charity's launch 21 years ago and the award is launched today on what would have been her birthday. The award is sponsored by the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society.

Nominations for authors or writers who have had a significant influence on the literacy cause in the past year are being sought from schools, charities, libraries, booksellers and individuals. The closing date for entries is 31 May.

The judging panel is chaired by Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust. It comprises writer Jonathan Fryer, an ALCS board member, Sue Wilkinson, Chief Executive of the Reading Agency and Ginny Lunn, Chief Executive of Beanstalk. The Reading Agency and Beanstalk are both members of the National Literacy Forum, convened by the National Literacy Trust, which includes representatives from Government, business, local authorities and the voluntary and community sector.

The Ruth Rendell Award will be presented by Ruth's son, Simon Rendell, at a ceremony at the House of Commons in December 2016 as part of the All Party Parliamentary Writers Group annual reception.

Ruth Rendell, who died last year aged 85, was a bestselling author known for writing thrillers and psychological murder mysteries including the Inspector Wexford series. She also wrote under the pen name Barbara Vine and won a number of awards for her books in a career which spanned six decades.

National Literacy Trust Director Jonathan Douglas said: "This brand new award celebrating the commitment of authors to the literacy cause is a wonderful tribute to Ruth Rendell, who was a much-loved author and a powerful advocate for literacy."

Simon Rendell said: "Ruth would be delighted with the idea of an award for literacy, reading was a huge part of her life both professionally and privately. I look forward to presenting the award to a worthy winner next December."

Barbara Hayes, Deputy Chief Executive of ALCS said: "We're thrilled to be supporting such a fitting tribute to Ruth Rendell. Ruth herself was such a champion of literacy and this award will serve to highlight the fantastic work being done by other authors in this area."

For more information, visit: www.literacytrust.org.uk/ruthrendellaward

Linda Fairstein on How I Write What I Know

Today's guest blog is by Linda Fairstein. She is the bestselling author of the series of novels featuring Manhattan prosecutor Alex Cooper.  In 2002 The fourth novel in the series The Deadhouse  was nominated for a Macavity Award.  It was also nominated and won the Nero Award the same year. Entombed the seventh novel in the series won the 2005 RT Reviewers Choice Award for best P.I Novel. The Devil's Bridge is the seventeenth novel in the series.

In 1972, when I joined the office of the legendary New York County District Attorney as a young prosecutor, my awareness of the great work of that institution was forged and informed while I was a law student.  But long before that, my interest was reinforced by crime novels, film, and television, which fictionalized many of the famous cases that had been handled by my predecessors.

I had majored in English literature at an elite women’s college in the 60’s, hoping to fulfill my childhood ambition to be a novelist.   By graduation, I realized my father was right – I had nothing to write about. My second choice was public service, so I went off to law school, never abandoning the dream to become an author.

When Scott Turow’s great courtroom drama – PRESUMED INNOCENT – was made into a movie, the director asked me to consult.  The victim was, after all, a sex crimes prosecutor, just like me.  When LAW AND ORDER:SVU was created, it was based entirely on the work of my unit.   Each time Hollywood knocked on my door for assistance, my desire to work on my own crime novels grew stronger.  The screenwriters and directors were picking my brain because the authenticity of my job experience was what they hoped to bring to the project.  The old adage – write what you know – became more and more meaningful to me.  I started to write the Alex Cooper series of crime novels while I was still a prosecutor, anxious to capture the immediacy and excitement of my job, giving that voice and spirit to my protagonist.

The first five Coop novels were published before I left the office in 2002, after thirty years of work that was a challenge every day, and that I loved more than I could ever have imagined when I started out in the practice of law. I figured that when I stepped out of my high-profile job - where I had been responsible for supervising sex crimes, domestic violence, child abuse, and related homicides for more than 25 years – I would be less likely to be exposed to all the cutting edge forensic developments that had made my day job so unique.  In 1986, for example, I was one of the first five prosecutors in America to be introduced to DNA technology, which helped our team solve a sensational murder case, even though the judge refused to allow the jury to hear about this new science.  How could I possibly keep current enough to make Coop’s investigations as timely as they were in the early books?

The transition was far easier than I had feared.  First, I had three decades of insider information – technique, language, courtroom dynamics – that would carry me a long way in my plotting.  Second, I thought the work was so interesting that I planned to keep my credentials as a lawyer, and to this day I handle scores of cases pro bono and continue to consult on these issues – with corporations, national sports teams, and universities which have seen sexual assault cases increase in such dramatic numbers.  Third is that the best perk of my job was the friendships I made – the young lawyers who honed their skills on my watch, the brilliant detectives who taught me how to investigate every kind of violent felony, and the forensic pathologists who guided me through my first autopsies and made me understand why DNA would become my three favorite letters of the alphabet.  I count on my beloved friends every day to keep me informed and up to the moment on law and science.  In exchange, my pals make cameo appearances in my books – always good guys, of course – covering Coop’s back and helping her make her way through capers and catastrophes.

In crafting DEVIL’S BRIDGE, one of the smartest cops I’ve ever known – Lt. Jimmy West of the Cold Case Unit, who oversees the re-investigation of all unsolved  murders in Manhattan as old as 40 years - took me every step of the way through the NYPD’s manner of investigating the kidnapping of prominent figures…the right way, and the rogue way.  Both directions are always great for fiction.  I never pass up an opportunity to spend a night tour in a patrol car, go to the morgue for a tutorial, or sit in on a lecture at the D.A.’s Office – still working with my former colleagues on reducing the backlog of untested rape evidence collection kits, a project I started fifteen years ago when I still wore my prosecutorial hat.

I think the best surprise of my writer’s life has been the great fun of mixing law and literature.  I’ve had two careers, both of which I’ve loved.  The chance to use the raw, real texture of my legal background to infuse Alex Cooper with authentic style is something for I’m grateful every day.  Need any help with a courtroom scene?  Just give me a call.

Devil’s Bridge by Linda Fairstein is published 18^th February by Sphere, price £7.99 in paperback.

The Manhattan waterfront is one of New York City's most magnificent vistas, boasting both the majestic Statue of Liberty and the busy George Washington Bridge. But Detective Mike Chapman is about to become far too well acquainted with the dangerous side of the Hudson river and its islands when he takes on his most personal case yet: the disappearance of Alex Cooper. Coop is missing - but there are so many leads and terrifying complications: scores of enemies she has made after a decade of putting criminals behind bars; a recent security breach with dangerous repercussions; and a new intimacy in her relationship with Mike, causing the Police Commissioner himself to be wary of the methods Mike will use to get Coop back... if he can

More information about Linda Fairstein and her books can be found on her website.  You can also follow her on Twitter @LindaFairstein.  You can also find her on Facebook.

How can I be sure I trust you?’: Karen Rose talks about writing characters with dark secrets.

Karen Rose is a USA Today best-selling author of seventeen novels.  She has received numerous awards for her novels from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest novel is Alone in The Dark, the second in the Cincinnati series.

Everyone has secrets.  Some of us have weightier secrets than others, but book characters tend to have the deepest secrets of all, because that’s what makes them interesting. 

One of my popular characters was fire-fighter David Hunter, who was featured in four books before he finally got his story in SILENT SCREAM.  David was handsome, polite, hardworking, smart, donated his time to charity, and loved his mother.  I felt a little panicked when I started his book.  “He’s too perfect!” I told one of my friends.  She smiled evilly and said, “I wonder what he’s hiding.”  Bada boom, I had his story.

 

The character’s secret itself is important because it shows where they’ve been and what obstacles they’ve had (or still have) to overcome.  But the reason they’ve kept the secret all this time is equally important because it reveals who they are.  They might keep a secret out of fear or shame, or perhaps out of honour – a promise kept.  Or perhaps even to protect someone.  All facets of the character’s personality.

A character deciding to share his secret denotes a serious trust in the other person. It’s also a serious commitment on the part of the other person because a kept secret can be a heavy burden to shoulder.  Agreeing to accept someone’s deepest demon is agreeing to accept them, warts, baggage, and all.  It’s one of the hallmarks of true love.

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Alone in the Dark by Karen Rose (Headline) is out now £7.99

Former Army Ranger Marcus O’Bannion and homocide cop Scarlett Bishop have met only briefly but when Scarlett receives a phone call in the middle of the night, she immediately recognises the haunting smooth voice asking her to meet him in one of Cincinnati’s roughest areas. On arriving, Scarlett finds the body of a seventeen-year-old Asian girl and Marcus injured. A fierce champion of victims’ rights, Marcus claims the young woman was working for an affluent local family and the last time he saw her she was terrified, abused and clearly in need of help. Having agreed to meet her, both Marcus and the young woman were targeted for death. As they investigate, Scarlett and Marcus are pulled into the dangerous world of human trafficking where they soon realise they are going to have to become as ruthless as those they are hunting. Because if they dont’ how many other girls may end up alone in the dark?