PJ -You worked\u00a0in children\u2019s TV\u00a0and stand up before \u00a0becoming a crime novelist? \u00a0 \u00a0What nudge\u00a0you\u00a0towards \u00a0the\u00a0genre?<\/p>\n
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MB – I was really not\u00a0enjoying the work I was doing\u00a0for TV where scripts tend to \u00a0be developed by \u00a0committee. I\u2019d taken my\u00a0name off\u00a0several projects before I finally \u00a0 \u00a0decided \u00a0 I\u2019d had enough, but even\u00a0though \u00a0I\u2019d written all \u00a0 sorts of \u00a0stuff \u00a0 before\u00a0that \u00a0(terrible \u00a0poetry, bad \u00a0plays, my own stand-up material) I \u00a0was wary about \u00a0trying my \u00a0hand at a \u00a0novel. Once I \u00a0 \u00a0took\u00a0the plunge,\u00a0however, it was always\u00a0going to be crime. Put\u00a0simply,\u00a0crime \u00a0 fiction had been my passion from\u00a0a\u00a0very\u00a0early age. \u00a0 \u00a0Once I\u2019d\u00a0discovered\u00a0Sherlock Holmes, aged eleven \u00a0 (me, not him) I was\u00a0hooked. I\u2019ve talked in \u00a0 many\u00a0interviews\u00a0about how the work I\u2019d \u00a0 done\u00a0up to that point influenced and \u00a0 helped me. From TV writing I learned\u00a0the\u00a0discipline of deadlines and delivery and the importance of \u00a0 \u00a0dialogue, which, as a TV writer is \u00a0pretty \u00a0 much \u00a0all you\u00a0have to \u00a0work \u00a0 with. Stand-up \u00a0 taught me about engaging with your audience quickly and keeping them engaged. A\u00a0crime novel contains \u00a0many \u00a0 \u00a0similar elements to a \u00a0 stand-up \u00a0routine. It is full of \u00a0punchlines \u00a0 \u00a0 (though usually \u00a0very dark\u00a0\u00a0ones) and, of \u00a0 course, \u00a0 \u00a0timing is \u00a0 \u00a0everything. I firmly believe that a \u00a0 novel is a performance…<\/p>\n
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What \u00a0 about you? \u00a0Your background is rather more academic than mine. How does a classicist\u00a0come to murder so\u00a0many people on \u00a0the page? Was it all that Greek tragedy?<\/p>\n
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PJ – No, I think it\u00a0\u00a0 was Homer’s Odyssey,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 which I read in\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 English\u00a0 when I\u00a0 was about\u00a0 seven\u00a0\u00a0 (precocious,moi?) – plenty\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 of\u00a0\u00a0 crimes\u00a0 in\u00a0 there.\u00a0 Although I\u00a0 read classics for a couple\u00a0\u00a0 of\u00a0\u00a0 years at\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Oxford, I then changed to Modern\u00a0\u00a0 Greek\u00a0\u00a0 and did\u00a0 a\u00a0 Masters in\u00a0 comparative\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 literature, much of which\u00a0\u00a0 involved\u00a0 analysing\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 that well\u00a0 known crime writer\u00a0 DH\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lawrence.\u00a0\u00a0 I’m really an academic manque, whence my studying for\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a PhD\u00a0 in\u00a0 creative\u00a0 writing at this advanced\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 age. You\u00a0\u00a0 mention Greek tragedy, which\u00a0 I\u00a0\u00a0 read a lot\u00a0\u00a0 of – no\u00a0\u00a0 shortage\u00a0 of crime, murder etc\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 in that either,\u00a0\u00a0 but the\u00a0 biggest\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 classical\u00a0\u00a0 influence on\u00a0 my early\u00a0\u00a0 writing was Plato. My\u00a0 Quint Dalrymple\u00a0 series, set\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 in an independent Edinburgh\u00a0 in the\u00a0 2020s,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 had\u00a0 more\u00a0\u00a0 to do with the\u00a0 Republic than\u00a0 science\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 fiction, though\u00a0\u00a0 Orwell and\u00a0\u00a0 Huxley are\u00a0\u00a0 also\u00a0 presiding\u00a0 deities and\u00a0\u00a0 there’s a\u00a0 hefty\u00a0\u00a0 Blade Runner\u00a0 homage in the\u00a0 last\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 book. I\u00a0 think I’d describe my\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 approach to\u00a0 crime\u00a0 writing as\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 intellectual\u00a0 rather\u00a0 than\u00a0 academic,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 actually, even though I\u00a0 know that will\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 lead to\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 endless mockery. I start a\u00a0 book\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 with\u00a0 ideas – I\u00a0 don’t mean plot or\u00a0\u00a0 character\u00a0\u00a0 ideas,\u00a0\u00a0 though\u00a0 they’re\u00a0\u00a0 there too, but political\u00a0\u00a0 or\u00a0 even\u00a0\u00a0 philosophical\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 concepts. Body Politic and its successors raise all sorts of issues about totalitarianism,\u00a0 education, the environment (especially\u00a0 the\u00a0 energy\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 water\u00a0 supplies), censorship, cloning and\u00a0 so on.\u00a0\u00a0 I like a crime novel that asks the\u00a0\u00a0 reader to\u00a0\u00a0 think.\u00a0 So,big man, any problem with\u00a0\u00a0 that?<\/p>\n
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MB – No problem at all. Any crime novel \u00a0 \u00a0that \u00a0does \u00a0\u00a0not\u00a0\u00a0ask the reader to \u00a0think is \u00a0not \u00a0worth \u00a0reading, \u00a0 though it does \u00a0of\u00a0course \u00a0also \u00a0need to ask \u00a0 the reader \u00a0to \u00a0\u00a0feel. That said, I\u2019m \u00a0wary of \u00a0any \u00a0 \u00a0novel that \u00a0is \u00a0issue-led. I \u00a0think if \u00a0 you sit down\u00a0\u00a0to write your \u00a0 \u2018child \u00a0 \u00a0abuse\u2019 novel \u00a0or your \u00a0\u2018multiculturalism\u2019 novel \u00a0 or \u00a0whatever it \u00a0 \u00a0might be, the \u00a0chances \u00a0are that you\u00a0 \u00a0will write \u00a0a bad book. I \u00a0completely \u00a0 \u00a0agree with \u00a0 the notion \u00a0that crime fiction is \u00a0uniquely \u00a0 placed to \u00a0 look at \u00a0 the world\u00a0\u00a0we live in ways that perhaps \u00a0the \u00a0 \u00a0 so-called \u00a0literary novel has \u00a0neglected to do in \u00a0 \u00a0 recent \u00a0years. \u00a0But it still has to begin\u00a0with the \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0story. \u00a0If in the course of \u00a0telling \u00a0that story, \u00a0 \u00a0the writer gets to \u00a0shine \u00a0a light \u00a0into \u00a0certain \u00a0 \u00a0dark corners of the\u00a0world, to \u00a0 explore big ideas, \u00a0 then \u00a0 so \u00a0much the \u00a0better, but…at \u00a0least for \u00a0me…story is \u00a0 King. You \u00a0can \u00a0 raise the issues\u00a0 \u00a0of course, but \u00a0 \u00a0surely the best way to make them \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0palatable, to \u00a0 sugar what is not always \u00a0a \u00a0particularly \u00a0pleasant \u00a0pill,\u00a0 \u00a0is \u00a0to \u00a0cloak them \u00a0within a compelling \u00a0narrative.<\/p>\n
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PJ – Certainly \u00a0emotion and story are essential components \u00a0of a fictional \u00a0approach \u00a0to\u00a0ideas, but let me go back to your \u00a0interesting \u00a0point \u00a0 about the novel as \u00a0 performance.\u00a0\u00a0With \u00a0your background \u00a0in theatre\/YV, that may mean \u00a0something different to you \u00a0than it\u00a0would to \u00a0certain modern \u00a0theorists. \u00a0We could go as far back as the original \u00a0 theatre\/\u00a0literary critic, \u00a0Aristotle, with his unities \u00a0 of \u00a0 \u00a0action, time and space; the \u00a0 emotions of \u00a0 pity\u00a0and fear roused \u00a0 by the performance\/ \u00a0text which lead to catharsis for \u00a0the \u00a0 \u00a0viewer\/\u00a0 \u00a0reader; \u00a0the ideas of sin \u00a0and the tragic \u00a0 flaw; as \u00a0 well \u00a0as \u00a0the \u00a0concepts of \u2018peripeteia\u2019, the\u00a0sudden change that \u00a0 reverses \u00a0the hero\u2019s \u00a0fortune, and \u2018anagnorisis\u2019, the moment of\u00a0recognition when ignorance gives way to understanding. Critics \u00a0 have \u00a0applied \u00a0these \u00a0lines\u00a0of \u00a0 thought to crime \u00a0 fiction with varied results. \u00a0 \u00a0As \u00a0both \u00a0practising \u00a0 crime novelist \u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0theatrical type, do you find \u00a0them relevant \u00a0at any stage in the \u00a0creative process?<\/p>\n
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MB – These were \u00a0 \u00a0certainly concepts that I was very \u00a0familiar \u00a0 \u00a0with as \u00a0someone \u00a0who had studied\u00a0drama at \u00a0 university and I \u00a0think \u00a0they \u00a0can \u00a0certainly be \u00a0applied \u00a0to a lot of crime fiction. \u00a0 Anagnorisis is\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0surely of \u00a0fundamental importance in \u00a0most \u00a0 conventional \u00a0mystery fiction. \u00a0 That said, I \u00a0 would\u00a0categorise \u00a0myself as \u00a0less of a \u00a0theorist in \u00a0this \u00a0 regard and more of a \u00a0\u0091shameless \u00a0 \u00a0show-off\u2019. I vividly\u00a0\u00a0remember writing \u00a0stories at \u00a0 \u00a0 school and the \u00a0overwhelming buzz at being asked to \u00a0come to \u00a0 \u00a0the\u00a0 \u00a0front of the class and read it \u00a0to my classmates. \u00a0 That was \u00a0an \u00a0 incredible \u00a0rush. I think \u0096 and I\u2019m really\u00a0 \u00a0not \u00a0being flippant \u00a0 here \u0096 \u00a0that this is still part of \u00a0 the \u00a0 impetus for me to write \u00a0today. I am \u00a0still in some\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0senses performing to others (though \u00a0hopefully the \u00a0class \u00a0 \u00a0 is a little bigger…) A writer\u00a0is\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0performing,\u00a0 \u00a0providing an \u00a0entertainment \u0096 \u00a0though that \u00a0of course \u00a0can \u00a0 take many forms. Added \u00a0to \u00a0that, these \u00a0days\u00a0the writer is \u00a0 \u00a0constantly \u00a0asked to perform in a more \u00a0 conventional \u00a0 sense, at \u00a0 festivals and so on. I\u00a0know \u00a0that many writers \u00a0 \u00a0 hate this, but \u00a0it is very much \u00a0part and \u00a0parcel of the \u00a0 writer\u2019s role \u00a0today. A\u00a0\u00a0writer \u00a0 must sell themselves as \u00a0 much as their work. Is this an \u00a0 \u00a0 aspect of the business \u00a0 that you\u2019re\u00a0totally \u00a0 comfortable with? \u00a0I\u2019ve \u00a0happily \u00a0 shared many \u00a0platforms \u00a0with you over the years and \u00a0I know\u00a0how \u00a0 \u00a0 good you are \u00a0at this stuff, but would you be \u00a0 happier \u00a0 going back to \u00a0 those days when it was\u00a0\u00a0no longer \u00a0 \u00a0necessary? When the \u00a0writer\u2019s job \u00a0 finished when they \u00a0 had \u00a0delivered the \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 book?<\/p>\n
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PJ – I was fortunate to do \u00a0 \u00a0 a \u00a0lot of touring \u00a0earlier in \u00a0my \u00a0career\u00a0\u00a0and did \u00a0indeed \u00a0enjoy the \u00a0performance \u00a0side of the \u00a0 \u00a0 business, even\u00a0when \u00a0you \u00a0were on the stage with \u00a0 \u00a0me… But \u00a0seriously, \u00a0I \u00a0agree\u00a0\u00a0that \u00a0standing up in \u00a0public and \u00a0reading \u00a0from \u00a0your work is \u00a0as \u00a0much\u00a0a \u00a0 \u00a0part of it as the actual writing – we are, \u00a0 \u00a0 after \u00a0 all, in our small\u00a0way \u00a0the \u00a0heirs of \u00a0Homer and the \u00a0 rhapsodes, \u00a0who \u00a0 provided the\u00a0only \u00a0form of \u00a0 entertainment in \u00a0their \u00a0 time (well, \u00a0apart \u00a0from\u00a0\u00a0cutting \u00a0people to pieces \u00a0in \u00a0 battle). And \u00a0an \u00a0important \u00a0part of the\u00a0 \u00a0self-editing process is \u00a0 \u00a0rereading the \u00a0 \u00a0text, preferably aloud, \u00a0to be\u00a0\u00a0sure it \u00a0flows \u00a0well – \u00a0 especially \u00a0 the dialogue sections. Is that\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0something you do (in a locked \u00a0 \u00a0room with \u00a0the \u00a0curtains \u00a0drawn, of\u00a0\u00a0course \u00a0– wouldn\u2019t want to \u00a0 frighten \u00a0the \u00a0 \u00a0neighbours)? And do you\u00a0think \u00a0it\u2019s \u00a0actually \u00a0 \u00a0impossible \u00a0now for authors \u00a0 to \u2018make \u00a0the\u00a0grade\u2019 if \u00a0they\u2019re shy \u00a0 and \u00a0 \u00a0retiring?<\/p>\n
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MB – I think that \u00a0sadly \u00a0we \u00a0 may have got to that \u00a0point. I think\u00a0\u00a0many \u00a0 agents are reluctant \u00a0to take \u00a0on \u00a0 new authors \u00a0unless those\u00a0authors show at least \u00a0 some \u00a0 enthusiasm \u00a0for \u00a0self-promotion. \u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0pretty obvious that even \u00a0though \u00a0 \u00a0you\u2019ve \u00a0written a \u00a0wonderful book,\u00a0your chances \u00a0 of that \u00a0book \u00a0even being taken on \u00a0if \u00a0you\u2019re a\u00a0 \u00a0painfully \u00a0shy hermit are \u00a0seriously reduced. It\u2019s \u00a0not just \u00a0personal\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0appearances, of \u00a0 course. These days we \u00a0are all \u00a0encouraged to\u00a0engage \u00a0 frequently \u00a0 with \u00a0social media \u0096 \u00a0 Facebook, Twitter, blogs like\u00a0this one \u00a0\u0096 \u00a0 and \u00a0all these \u00a0 things involve time that might be \u00a0better\u00a0\u00a0spent \u00a0 \u00a0writing. But these are the \u00a0 \u00a0realities of modern-day\u00a0\u00a0commercial \u00a0 \u00a0publishing \u00a0and speaking personally, I\u2019m \u00a0 \u00a0fairly happy\u00a0doing all \u00a0 that \u00a0stuff. And \u00a0yes…when I\u2019m \u00a0not wasting my time \u00a0on\u00a0\u00a0Twitter \u00a0 I am often to \u00a0be found \u00a0pacing \u00a0around my \u00a0office reading\u00a0dialogue out \u00a0 loud. As you \u00a0 \u00a0 say, it\u2019s the best way of finding out if the\u00a0flow \u00a0 is \u00a0right, \u00a0if \u00a0the \u00a0words you have \u00a0blithely put into a \u00a0 character\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0mouth are bogus. \u00a0For me, \u00a0 dialogue \u00a0is everything. A \u00a0 \u00a0writer may\u00a0write like an angel when it \u00a0comes \u00a0 to \u00a0 describing \u00a0landscape \u0096 interior\u00a0or \u00a0 exterior \u0096 but if they \u00a0have a \u00a0tin-ear for \u00a0 \u00a0 dialogue, I\u2019m not\u00a0interested. The \u00a0writers I \u00a0have \u00a0always \u00a0 admired are those that \u00a0can\u00a0 \u00a0reveal \u00a0everythingthrough \u00a0their \u00a0 dialogue. Who needs \u00a0 clumsy\u00a0\u00a0backstory if you \u00a0can tell a \u00a0reader all they \u00a0 \u00a0need to know \u00a0about a\u00a0character in \u00a0a few lines \u00a0 of \u00a0 dialogue? You can see \u00a0it in novels like\u00a0\u0093The \u00a0 Friends Of Eddie \u00a0 \u00a0Coyle\u0094 or in the work of \u00a0the \u00a0 greats like\u00a0Elmore \u00a0Leonard of \u00a0course and \u00a0I think \u00a0 a writer like George\u00a0 \u00a0Pelecanos is \u00a0wonderful \u00a0at \u00a0this. Just fantastic dialogue. \u00a0 \u00a0I\u2019ve always\u00a0\u00a0believed \u00a0that \u00a0it\u2019s a good \u00a0thing as a \u00a0writer to know your \u00a0 limitations;\u00a0 \u00a0to \u00a0have a good grasp \u00a0of the \u00a0things you\u2019re \u00a0good and bad at. I \u00a0think\u00a0 \u00a0that \u00a0 dialogue \u00a0is something I do pretty well, whereas I\u2019m utterly \u00a0 lost\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0when it comes to descriptions of \u00a0landscape \u00a0for example. \u00a0 What do\u00a0you \u00a0think your \u00a0 \u00a0particular strengths and \u00a0weaknesses \u00a0are? I\u2019m\u00a0\u00a0talking \u00a0about \u00a0writing, obviously. \u00a0 Your \u00a0support for \u00a0 certain Scottish\u00a0sporting teams \u00a0is \u00a0 clearly a\u00a0huge \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0weakness…<\/p>\n
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PJ – It\u2019s \u00a0never struck me that your descriptions of \u00a0place are \u00a0 \u00a0limited, \u00a0though that may \u00a0be a)\u00a0\u00a0because they\u2019re \u00a0urban and \u00a0thus tap into \u00a0 the \u00a0classic noir setting and \u00a0b) \u00a0my \u00a0critical\u00a0faculties \u00a0have been \u00a0donkey \u00a0 punched by your \u00a0coruscating \u00a0passages of \u00a0dialogue. I \u00a0agree\u00a0\u00a0with you about \u00a0 \u00a0George Pelecanos, very much the \u00a0heir to \u00a0 Chandler, \u00a0 Higgins and the still\u00a0\u00a0very \u00a0 much alive Leonard. I certainly \u00a0regard \u00a0 \u00a0dialogue as \u00a0more of a means \u00a0to various\u00a0ends \u00a0 regarding character \u00a0 and plot \u00a0rather than the \u00a0jewel in \u00a0 the crown. \u00a0Knowing your\u00a0\u00a0limitations, \u00a0as Clint said, \u00a0is \u00a0essential. \u00a0I\u2019m \u00a0tempted to \u00a0say – \u00a0again, not wholly flippantly –\u00a0 \u00a0that I don\u2019t \u00a0 have any. \u00a0This is \u00a0not a boast, \u00a0rather a \u00a0 desperate attempt to convince myself\u00a0\u00a0that \u00a0 \u00a0 the world is \u00a0my mussel, winkle and, er oyster. \u00a0 Realistically, I know \u00a0that \u00a0 \u00a0I have to\u00a0\u00a0tone down \u00a0my desire to write ideas-led and \u00a0 symbolic\/ \u00a0 \u00a0 metaphorical crime fiction and\u00a0concentrate \u00a0 more on \u00a0 character \u00a0development. \u00a0I think \u00a0I\u2019m pretty good \u00a0 at plot surprises \u00a0– I\u00a0like to keep \u00a0 myself and the \u00a0 reader \u00a0on our toes. Enough \u00a0about \u00a0moi (for the time \u00a0 being).\u00a0Let\u2019s turn \u00a0to \u00a0the \u00a0issue of the series. \u00a0 You\u2019ve concentrated on DI \u00a0 \u00a0Tom Thorne, though you\u00a0have \u00a0 written a \u00a0 stand-alone novel \u00a0as well as \u00a0 collaborating on \u00a0a teen fiction \u00a0 trilogy. Was\u00a0 \u00a0writing a series \u00a0something \u00a0you wanted to do from \u00a0 before you \u00a0 were \u00a0even published? Is it\u00a0a result of \u00a0 \u00a0commercial \u00a0 demands since publication? How do \u00a0 you \u00a0motivate yourself to\u00a0 \u00a0stick \u00a0with the \u00a0same characters, \u00a0and do you see there \u00a0 being a limit \u00a0(a la \u00a0 Rebus) \u00a0to\u00a0Thorne\u2019s \u00a0 career?<\/p>\n
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MB – I always \u00a0wanted to write a series. I had read the \u00a0 Robicheaux \u00a0and \u00a0Bosch \u00a0novels. I\u00a0had read all of \u00a0 Chandler, I had read Rebus, \u00a0Resnick et al. \u00a0 \u00a0Perhaps \u00a0things might have\u00a0worked out differently if \u00a0I \u00a0had read \u00a0a few \u00a0series \u00a0that were past their \u00a0sell-by date, but I was\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0lucky enough to have read \u00a0some of \u00a0the best and I \u00a0always wanted \u00a0to do \u00a0it. \u00a0Of course, at the\u00a0time I sold my \u00a0first \u00a0book, series \u00a0 were the Holy \u00a0Grail and pretty much \u00a0the first \u00a0question\u00a0publishers \u00a0 asked about \u00a0Sleepyhead \u0096 \u00a0 the first book \u0096 was, \u0093is it the \u00a0start of a series?\u0094 \u00a0 I\u00a0 \u00a0could honestly say then that it was \u00a0(though \u00a0I might well \u00a0have lied even if \u00a0 that hadn\u2019t been\u00a0my \u00a0 plan). Of \u00a0course, I think things have changed, \u00a0 thanks to \u00a0the \u00a0 success of standalone\u00a0books such \u00a0as \u0093Tell No One\u0094 and \u00a0 \u0093Mystic River\u0094 \u00a0from \u00a0 authors who, up to that point had \u00a0been\u00a0best known \u00a0 for \u00a0series, but the series \u00a0remains \u00a0very \u00a0popular. I\u2019m still very happy \u00a0 writing the\u00a0Thorne book, \u00a0 \u00a0but \u00a0remain aware that the \u00a0series has \u00a0its \u00a0 pitfalls and that you have to take\u00a0steps \u00a0to \u00a0avoid \u00a0getting \u00a0stale. \u00a0For me, this means stepping away from \u00a0Thorne \u00a0now and\u00a0 \u00a0again to refresh \u00a0myself and to \u00a0refresh the series. I \u00a0 did this with \u0093In The \u00a0Dark\u0094 \u00a0and \u00a0have just\u00a0done it \u00a0again with \u00a0the book that\u2019s \u00a0coming in August. That \u00a0is \u00a0 not only a \u00a0 standalone novel,\u00a0but something very different to \u00a0anything \u00a0I\u2019ve \u00a0 \u00a0written before. So, I\u2019m fully prepared \u00a0to \u00a0fall on\u00a0my arse. It \u00a0 certainly worked \u00a0first time \u00a0 around, in that I think the book \u00a0that \u00a0followed \u0093In \u00a0The\u00a0Dark\u0094 \u00a0 (\u0093Bloodline\u0094) is one of the \u00a0strongest \u00a0books in \u00a0the \u00a0series. Taking that break \u00a0allows you\u00a0to \u00a0 return to familiar \u00a0 territory fired up and I think \u00a0the character \u00a0 is \u00a0re-energised as well. \u00a0Or\u00a0you \u00a0can take a different approach \u00a0 to a series: \u00a0switch \u00a0from a third \u00a0to a first person\u00a0\u00a0narrative \u00a0for \u00a0example, as Michael \u00a0Connelly did \u00a0 brilliantly with \u00a0\u0093Lost \u00a0Light\u0094. As to there\u00a0being a \u00a0limit…well I \u00a0 hope \u00a0I know when \u00a0I\u2019ve reached it. \u00a0That\u2019s the \u00a0key, isn\u2019t it? Someone\u00a0once said \u00a0 \u00a0that all \u00a0 writers write one book too many. Often it\u2019s more than \u00a0one, \u00a0of \u00a0 course,\u00a0\u00a0but the trick is knowing when that is. \u00a0I\u2019ll \u00a0 certainly stop \u00a0writing about \u00a0Thorne the \u00a0day I\u2019m\u00a0bored \u00a0with \u00a0him. If I don\u2019t, then \u00a0readers \u00a0will get bored \u00a0with \u00a0him too. At \u00a0the moment, I\u2019m \u00a0still\u00a0enjoying \u00a0it. I like the \u00a0cast of \u00a0 \u00a0characters, moving them from foreground to \u00a0 \u00a0background and\u00a0vice \u00a0versa. I like \u00a0the long \u00a0threads \u00a0 interweaving…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve \u00a0written \u00a0three\u00a0different \u00a0 series: \u00a0Quint, Mavros and \u00a0 Wells. All very different, \u00a0of\u00a0course. There is far \u00a0 \u00a0more action \u00a0and a lot more \u00a0on-stage violence \u00a0in the Wells books,\u00a0\u00a0which, it \u00a0 could \u00a0be argued \u00a0are subsequently more commercial than the \u00a0 earlier \u00a0 books.\u00a0\u00a0Having written those earlier books, was it \u00a0 cathartic \u00a0in \u00a0any way (we\u2019re back to \u00a0the Greeks\u00a0\u00a0again!) to kick \u00a0 some ass in the \u00a0Wells books? And \u00a0what\u2019s it been \u00a0like \u00a0going \u00a0back to Mavros\u00a0and \u00a0 \u00a0Quint?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
PJ – I fully \u00a0agree \u00a0that taking \u00a0a break from a \u00a0series – \u00a0even \u00a0if it\u2019s to \u00a0write other series, as in my\u00a0case – is \u00a0 \u00a0 beneficial to the \u00a0writer. Whether it is to the \u00a0reader is another \u00a0matter \u00a0– I\u2019ve \u00a0 had\u00a0people \u00a0asking for more Quint books for years. \u00a0That series \u00a0was \u00a0 more \u00a0ideas-driven and overtly\u00a0satirical than my \u00a0 \u00a0others and a new book \u00a0would clearly \u00a0have extra \u00a0interest, \u00a0given \u00a0the\u00a0current burning issue of \u00a0Scottish \u00a0independece. \u00a0 Of course, my \u00a02020s Edinburgh was an\u00a0\u00a0independent \u00a0 city-state from the \u00a0 beginning, so it \u00a0could be argued \u00a0that I\u2019ve already \u00a0handled\u00a0the \u00a0 question. But \u00a0it would be \u00a0interesting to consider if a \u00a0group \u00a0of \u00a0city-states (with \u00a0Glasgow\u00a0an \u00a0 international centre of the fashion \u00a0 industry, \u00a0 natch) could come together as a \u00a0nation – a\u00a0bit like \u00a0 the cities \u00a0 in ancient Greece did when their interests \u00a0 \u00a0 (occasionally) coincided. The\u00a0\u00a0Quint backlist has \u00a0 recently come \u00a0out in ebook \u00a0form and I have a deal for \u00a0 a \u00a0new book – when\u00a0I get \u00a0round to writing it. The \u00a0 thing with \u00a0series is \u00a0never say never. \u00a0After the \u00a0synopsis for the\u00a0fourth \u00a0Mavros \u00a0book was \u00a0turned down, I \u00a0 went off in a major huff \u00a0and wrote the first of \u00a0the\u00a0\u00a0Matt \u00a0Wells \u00a0books, The Death \u00a0List – driven by anger and \u00a0the desire for \u00a0revenge \u00a0 on my \u00a0ex-publishers and \u00a0agent. I certainly had the last laugh as \u00a0 the \u00a0 \u00a0book is my bestselling title and did\u00a0well in the US as well \u00a0 as \u00a0the UK \u00a0 and several other countries. On the \u00a0surface, it\u2019s true \u00a0 that\u00a0the Wells \u00a0 books are more \u00a0commercial, but there\u2019s \u00a0plenty of \u00a0satire going \u00a0on \u00a0 underneath –\u00a0among my targets \u00a0have been crime \u00a0writers, \u00a0 neo-Nazis, \u00a0Satanists, Christian \u00a0fundamentalists,\u00a0the \u00a0 serial killer \u00a0novel, the FBI \u00a0etc \u00a0etc. And just \u00a0when I thought it \u00a0was safe to go back in \u00a0the\u00a0\u00a0Aegean, \u00a0 along came an offer for two \u00a0more Mavros books. That \u00a0 series, \u00a0featuring a \u00a0half Scots\u00a0half \u00a0Greek \u00a0missing \u00a0persons specialist, tries \u00a0to relate the \u00a0 various \u00a0very \u00a0different Greek pasts\u00a0to the very \u00a0 complicated Greek \u00a0 \u00a0present. Each book has a \u00a0different setting (cf \u00a0Michael \u00a0Dibdin\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0Zen \u00a0 novels) and each is a take on different crime \u00a0genres – \u00a0 noir \u00a0(very \u00a0non-urban), the\u00a0political thriller, \u00a0 the gangster novel. The most \u00a0 recent, \u00a0The Silver \u00a0Stain, \u00a0set in Crete, has\u00a0several large digs \u00a0at Hollywood, \u00a0 as \u00a0 well as describing the horrors of war and their \u00a0 long-lasting\u00a0 \u00a0effects. As \u00a0you say, it\u2019s important \u00a0to ring the \u00a0changes \u00a0before the writer \u00a0and the \u00a0 reader get\u00a0bored. I\u2019m \u00a0 interested by your forthcoming \u00a0\u2018very \u00a0different\u2019 \u00a0novel \u00a0(and, of \u00a0course, the idea\u00a0\u00a0that you might fall on your arse). \u00a0 Want \u00a0to tell \u00a0 us anything about \u00a0it?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
MB – It\u2019s about \u00a0 \u00a0three \u00a0British couples who meet on holiday in Florida and \u0096 in \u00a0the way \u00a0 that\u00a0\u00a0people often do on holiday \u0096 become fast friends. \u00a0 As is nearly \u00a0always the case \u00a0with these\u00a0things, this \u00a0turns out \u00a0to be a terrible \u00a0mistake. They stay in touch \u00a0 when they return \u00a0home\u00a0and the novel is \u00a0structured in \u00a0three parts, each of \u00a0which \u00a0revolves around a dinner \u00a0 party\u00a0at the house of each couple. It\u2019s \u00a0almost \u00a0like a \u00a0classic three \u00a0act play, though of course it\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0still a crime \u00a0novel, so \u00a0there is an \u00a0extremely dark \u00a0undercurrent. On \u00a0the last day of their\u00a0holiday, a \u00a0girl \u00a0has \u00a0gone missing \u00a0and this very much colours what happens between these\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0six people when they get back to the UK. So, it\u2019s a \u00a0far more \u00a0 \u0091domestic\u2019 book \u00a0than anything\u00a0I\u2019ve written \u00a0before and is also \u00a0the \u00a0first in which a significant \u00a0 amount of the action takes\u00a0\u00a0place in the \u00a0US. The book\u2019s \u00a0shout line will almost \u00a0certainly \u00a0be something like: \u00a0 \u0093Perfect\u00a0strangers. Perfect holiday. Perfect \u00a0 murder\u0094. \u00a0You get the \u00a0idea. So, we\u2019ll see, but I\u2019m very\u00a0excited \u00a0about \u00a0it. As I \u00a0did with In \u00a0The Dark, there is a brief cameo at \u00a0 the end from a\u00a0certain country \u00a0 music-loving copper \u00a0which will \u00a0reveal what has happened to Thorne\u00a0\u00a0since the \u00a0 end of Good As \u00a0Dead and therefore where we will pick him up \u00a0 in the book I\u2019m\u00a0 \u00a0currently writing. More and more I \u00a0think I\u2019m concerned \u00a0with \u00a0the\u00a0effects\u00a0of \u00a0violence on\u00a0people, the different ways that \u00a0 it touches their \u00a0lives, more so \u00a0than the violence itself and\u00a0\u00a0the \u00a0 mechanics of it. This is what most of the \u00a0writers I \u00a0 respect seem to be \u00a0doing and I\u2019ve\u00a0noticed that often it \u00a0tends to be \u00a0 the way writers in \u00a0this genre go as they \u00a0get older and\u00a0more \u00a0experienced. I\u2019m \u00a0perfectly \u00a0happy \u00a0writing about violence, don\u2019t \u00a0get me wrong, and I\u00a0won\u2019t deny \u00a0 \u00a0that the very act of doing so \u00a0can often be thrilling \u00a0in itself \u0096 but I \u00a0think I\u00a0\u00a0discovered in \u00a0this book that \u00a0there can be as much violence \u00a0(albeit of a \u00a0 different \u00a0sort) –\u00a0as much damage inflicted in a seemingly \u00a0 innocuous \u00a0 conversation between two women\u00a0over coffee as there \u00a0is in \u00a0 the sort of scene I \u00a0might be more associated with. I \u00a0 don\u2019t think\u00a0I\u2019ll \u00a0be writing a cosy anytime \u00a0soon, but \u00a0there\u2019s \u00a0not as much…blood. And \u00a0yourself? You still\u00a0\u00a0spraying plenty \u00a0 of gore up the \u00a0 walls?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
PJ – You \u00a0certainly seem \u00a0to be \u00a0 making full use of both your imagination \u00a0and \u00a0your theatrical \u00a0background\u00a0there. \u00a0Good luck with it. Two \u00a0 of my Matt Wells novels were \u00a0set in the States (Maps of \u00a0 Hell \u00a0and The\u00a0Nameless Dead). I was \u00a0fortunate in having \u00a0an American \u00a0editor, who \u00a0corrected my numerous \u00a0 linguistic\u00a0and other \u00a0solecisms. As for my current \u00a0 \u00a0painting-the-walls-red \u00a0activities, I\u2019ve just completed \u00a0a book, but\u00a0I\u2019m \u00a0not \u00a0going to \u00a0tell you anything about \u00a0it for the time being. So there. \u00a0I\u2019ll \u00a0shortly \u00a0be \u00a0starting the fifth\u00a0Mavros novel, The Green Lady, set \u00a0 in 2004 \u00a0(the year of \u00a0the Athens Olympics) and dealing with the\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0disappearance of a young girl (the \u00a0inspiration being a \u00a0British \u00a0toddler \u00a0called Ben Needham, who vanished\u00a0on the island of Kos \u00a0in 1991 and has \u00a0never been seen since, \u00a0rather than Madeleine McCann).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Moving on, consider this. The crime \u00a0novel, and I use the term to include \u00a0everything \u00a0from cat \u00a0 mysteries to ultra-hardboiled, is a curiously \u00a0conflicted genre \u00a0from a \u00a0 theoretical point of view. On the one hand, the \u00a0 detective\u2019s \u00a0efforts\u00a0\u00a0almost always lead to the \u00a0re-establishment of order, \u00a0at \u00a0least to some extent – \u00a0ie \u00a0it\u2019s a conservative, maybe even\u00a0repressive\/ \u00a0 opium of the \u00a0masses genre. \u00a0On the other, protagonists – even \u00a0cops – are \u00a0 often anti-authoritarian, \u00a0self-obsessed and \u00a0 problematised by their jobs, \u00a0often despairing that the \u00a0 criminal \u00a0side of human nature can ever be \u00a0brought\u00a0under \u00a0control. Do you think \u00a0 this inherent contradiction \u00a0 undermines crime novels? Or are you \u00a0primarily \u00a0interested \u00a0in\u00a0telling \u00a0stories that people enjoy, \u00a0without reference to \u00a0 theoretical and \u00a0ideological \u00a0 issues?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
MB – You\u2019re \u00a0being awfully mysterious \u00a0about the novel \u00a0you\u2019ve just completed. Is it \u00a0your chick-lit opus? A \u00a0 serial-killer\u00a0thriller set in the early \u00a0seventies where a \u00a0murderer dispatches \u00a0his victims in accordance with \u00a0the \u00a0narrative of assorted\u00a0prog-rock classics? \u00a0I\u2019m presuming you won\u2019t \u00a0 dignify those questions with an \u00a0 \u00a0answer…<\/p>\n
So, back to the highbrow \u00a0stuff. \u00a0I\u2019m not sure \u00a0it\u2019s fair to say that the detective novel \u00a0is by its very \u00a0nature conservative.\u00a0\u00a0Plenty of writers use the \u00a0form as a way into an \u00a0analysis of the world that is \u00a0anything \u00a0but conservative and while I \u00a0would\u00a0not categorise myself as such, I \u00a0 reject the idea that it is \u00a0repressive or an opium of the \u00a0masses. At the same \u00a0time, I am\u00a0firmly \u00a0opposed to the idea that \u00a0reading \u0096 in whatever genre \u0096 must \u00a0be hard \u00a0work\/good for you. \u00a0That seems to me to be an\u00a0antiquated idea that \u00a0 would seem \u00a0ridiculous were you to apply it to almost any other \u00a0art-form. Does \u00a0 the majority of rock\u00a0music or popular cinema have less \u00a0 importance than \u00a0up-itself tuneless jazz or arthouse movies? I \u00a0don\u2019t \u00a0think that any\u00a0work of art \u00a0is undermined by the simple \u00a0fact that it \u00a0does not have people scratching their \u00a0chins in a \u00a0thoughtful manner\u00a0\u00a0afterwards. I said something similar earlier, but \u00a0 it seems to be that \u00a0reading for pleasure is perfectly valid. I \u00a0start from the\u00a0\u00a0premise of a \u00a0story that readers will enjoy. \u00a0That enjoyment can take many forms \u00a0of \u00a0course and there may \u00a0well be an\u00a0examination of ideological issues in there \u00a0 \u00a0somewhere, but story comes first. Character comes first. I \u00a0think \u00a0there\u2019s a\u00a0\u00a0danger of over-thinking this stuff. While I \u00a0myself have \u00a0often talked about the \u00a0unique position of crime \u00a0fiction as a vehicle\u00a0\u00a0for looking at the world, there \u00a0are \u00a0occasions when crime writers are \u00a0simply guilty of stamping their \u00a0feet in \u00a0the face of\u00a0literary snobbery, \u00a0as though saying, \u0093God \u00a0damn it, WE have ideas \u00a0too! WE are writing \u00a0thoughtful and \u00a0analytical stuff too!\u0094\u00a0Fine and dandy, but \u00a0you know \u00a0what? \u00a0Sometimes we aren\u2019t and I have no problem with that. Do you not \u00a0 \u00a0think that the\u00a0very strength of this genre lies in its size \u00a0and scope? \u00a0From \u00a0Morse to Reacher? From Martin Beck to \u00a0Stephanie \u00a0 Plum?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
PJ – I might have know you\u2019d bring prog-rock \u00a0in. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The \u00a0 previous space was my not dignifying your questions\u00a0with an etc. \u00a0There\u2019s \u00a0 so much talk about people\u2019s next books these days – \u00a0Facebook, Twitter, \u00a0blogs \u00a0etc – that I\u2019ve decided\u00a0to write a \u00a0book without telling anyone \u00a0what it is. \u00a0Obviously that game \u00a0will have to stop some time, but not \u00a0yet… Point of\u00a0 \u00a0clarification – in your last section, you say story \u00a0comes \u00a0 first. And then you say character comes first. But earlier you \u00a0 said\u00a0\u00a0dialogue came first. Is this a three-way tie or are you \u00a0being the \u00a0Guy Pearce \u00a0character in Memento (it\u2019s amazing where\u00a0\u00a0Post-Its can be \u00a0stuck, isn\u2019t \u00a0it?)? The point is, I suppose, \u00a0that the writing process \u00a0is organic and \u00a0all its components \u00a0work\u00a0together like a well-tuned \u00a0engine when things are \u00a0going \u00a0well. Can I press you some of your \u00a0answers? (Not that I\u00a0necessarily \u00a0 disagree, but I\u2019d like some more \u00a0fleshing out – term courtesy \u00a0of P. Cornwell.) \u00a0What evidence do you \u00a0have for\u00a0crime fiction \u00a0not being the opium of the masses? \u00a0The high \u00a0proportion of \u00a0 books from the genre in the bestseller lists\u00a0 \u00a0suggests it \u00a0might be. It\u2019s certainly true that many writers (including \u00a0moi) \u00a0 use the genre to explore subversive ideas and\u00a0attempt to overturn \u00a0 ideologies, \u00a0but is that actually possible in a commercial \u00a0market, \u00a0where publishers control \u00a0what is\u00a0available to readers? \u00a0(We\u2019ll talk \u00a0about ebooks laer if we\u2019re \u00a0still alive.) Put it \u00a0this way – while some \u00a0of my favourite crime\u00a0\u00a0writers are \u00a0bestsellers, many aren\u2019t. Would you \u00a0at least accept that some \u00a0 bestselling crime fiction aims low (and\u00a0\u00a0sometimes still \u00a0misses) in terms of \u00a0providing reading pleasure of a \u00a0reasonable \u00a0quality? How many \u00a0more\u00a0unimaginatively written and weakly \u00a0 plotted serial killers novels \u00a0does the reading public need? My \u00a0problem \u00a0(or rather\u00a0joy) is that I\u2019m doing a \u00a0PhD in creative \u00a0writing. That \u00a0involves both writing a novel and commenting on \u00a0 it critically, so I\u2019m\u00a0\u00a0coming at the issue from two rather \u00a0different angles. Of \u00a0course, the \u00a0writer can merrily produce \u00a0books for large numbers of\u00a0adoring \u00a0readers \u00a0and blithely \u00a0imagine that there\u2019s nothing ideological going on – but \u00a0 \u00a0critics will see structures of power\u00a0and entitlement whatever \u00a0the \u00a0 writer and reader think. The police procedural is a good \u00a0example of \u00a0this (and, \u00a0in fact, the\u00a0mysterious novel I\u2019ve just \u00a0finished is one – \u00a0oops…). Many \u00a0people would accept that \u00a0contemporary British society \u00a0has a\u00a0lot going \u00a0wrong for it, but \u00a0most cop novels end with the baddies \u00a0in jail or dead \u00a0and the \u00a0status quo re-established, even if\u00a0the \u00a0protagonist has been \u00a0physically \u00a0or psychologically damaged. This is \u00a0very different \u00a0from the great noir writers \u00a0of the\u00a0Thirties, Forties \u00a0and \u00a0Fifties, who were much more pessimistic about \u00a0capitalist society. \u00a0 Is there a danger that telling a\u00a0good story is actually \u00a0 telling a pack \u00a0of lies? (I know you won\u2019t take this personally \u00a0– \u00a0I subject my own \u00a0writing to this kind\u00a0of questioning.) As \u00a0regards size \u00a0and scope – \u00a0well, I think that there was much \u00a0more of that about a decade \u00a0ago, \u00a0when\u00a0publishers were less \u00a0squeezed economically. I\u2019m a hundred per \u00a0 cent certain that the \u00a0Quint novels wouldn\u2019t be taken on\u00a0by a major \u00a0 publisher \u00a0nowadays.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
MB – Yes, story comes first. And character. Oh, and dialogue. \u00a0It\u2019s \u00a0turning into that old Monty Python sketch. Our first\u00a0weapon is \u00a0fear. Fear \u00a0and surprise. OK, our two weapons are etc etc. I suppose \u00a0I\u2019m saying that \u00a0these three things are\u00a0fairly inseparable and are \u00a0all more important to me \u00a0when I begin a book than any \u0093issue\u0094. It\u2019s \u00a0very hard for me to provide\u00a0\u00a0evidence as to why crime fiction is \u00a0not\u00a0the opium of the masses, \u00a0though I think Stieg Larsson is \u00a0probably the crack-cocaine. I\u2019m not sure \u00a0that publishers control \u00a0what is available to readers. Yes, they have a very \u00a0major say in \u00a0which books\u00a0end up on supermarket shelves perhaps, but almost \u00a0all \u00a0books are available from independent bookshops or online, aren\u2019t\u00a0they? \u00a0 I\u2019m not sure that bestseller lists have ever been chock-full of \u00a0ideas-led \u00a0novels and \u0096 playing devil\u2019s avocado here \u0096\u00a0that may of \u00a0course be because \u00a0the majority of readers prefer something a little \u00a0less challenging. Or \u00a0occasionally, things\u00a0that may actually\u00a0seem \u00a0a little more challenging \u00a0because they have an arty-looking \u00a0jacket and are translated from\u00a0\u00a0Norwegian\/Danish\/icelandic. Yes, \u00a0nobody could deny that some crime novels \u00a0aim rather low, or it might \u00a0be kinder to say\u00a0that they could be aiming a \u00a0little higher, but I\u2019m \u00a0not quite cynical enough to believe that the majority \u00a0of writers \u00a0aren\u2019t at\u00a0least\u00a0trying\u00a0to write a better novel than they \u00a0did \u00a0last time. I\u2019m afraid I don\u2019t quite buy into the idea that \u0091noir\u2019 \u00a0 writers are\u00a0somehow, by their very pessimism, doing anything more \u00a0worthwhile \u00a0than anybody else. It\u2019s perfectly obvious to anyone\u00a0with \u00a0an iota of sense \u00a0that the vast majority of violent crime is never \u00a0neatly solved. Loose ends \u00a0are not tied up in a nice\u00a0neat bow. The \u00a0goodies are not wholly good and are \u00a0often far worse than the \u00a0baddies. That said, there is a place for those\u00a0\u00a0novels that seek to \u00a0do no more than provide an escape; to ring-fence the \u00a0darkness. It\u2019s \u00a0not what either of us is interested\u00a0in doing, but I\u2019m not \u00a0about \u00a0telling anyone what they should and should not be reading. Aside from \u00a0 Jeffrey Archer of\u00a0course. No excuse for that. And I fundamentally \u00a0disagree \u00a0with the suggestion that a good story is a pack of lies. \u00a0You\u2019ll be\u00a0\u00a0suggesting that Orcs and Hobbits don\u2019t exist in a \u00a0minute…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I \u00a0mentioned buying books online and clearly there \u00a0has been an enormous change \u00a0in the way people buy and read\u00a0books in \u00a0the last couple of years. I\u2019m less \u00a0worried about how people read \u00a0books and rather more concerned about the\u00a0\u00a0quality of the books \u00a0available to them. Now, it\u2019s easy for anyone \u0096 and \u00a0there are plenty \u00a0of them doing it \u0096 to write a novel in a\u00a0few weeks, slap a \u00a0jacket on \u00a0it and bung it up on Kindle for 99p. I have no problem with that \u00a0per \u00a0se, but what I do see\u00a0happening is that this is leading to people \u00a0 demanding that the price of e-books comes down across the board. \u00a0Readers\u00a0are \u00a0being hoodwinked into believing that books are too \u00a0expensive. The fact is \u00a0that books remain very cheap in this\u00a0country \u00a0(try buying one in Scandinavia, \u00a0Australia, South Africa) but with \u00a0the advent of the e-book, people are \u00a0becoming\u00a0convinced that they \u00a0should get them for next to nothing; that they \u00a0are somehow \u00a0entitled\u00a0to get them for next to nothing.\u00a0They believe \u0096 \u00a0 wrongly \u0096 that the packaging and production of a traditional book is \u00a0 expensive and therefore an e-book\u00a0should be substantially cheaper. \u00a0The fact \u00a0is that on a \u00a36.99 paperback, the cost of producing the \u00a0book is about 20p, \u00a0and\u00a0let\u2019s not forget that e-books are also \u00a0subject to VAT. I recently \u00a0received an e-mail from someone \u00a0complaining about\u00a0having to pay \u00a33.99 for \u00a0one of my e-books. \u0093Why \u00a0should I pay so much for something as ephemeral as \u00a0the words?\u0094 This \u00a0is\u00a0profoundly depressing and more than a little worrying. \u00a0How do you \u00a0see this brave new world of e-publishing panning\u00a0 \u00a0out?<\/p>\n
PJ – And our fourth weapon is theme…as \u00a0demonstrated by the \u00a0original Swedish title of Larsson\u2019s first book, Men Who \u00a0Hate Women.\u00a0\u00a0Interesting to consider why it was changed so radically in \u00a0English. \u00a0Anyway, my point about publishers – and it would apply to agents \u00a0too\u00a0– \u00a0is that they act as gatekeepers as regards whose books are published \u00a0 in the first place. Of course, to jump ahead to your comments\u00a0about \u00a0ebooks, \u00a0that is no longer completely the case, but I\u2019ll come back to \u00a0that. I don\u2019t \u00a0think I\u2019d necessarily use the term \u2018ideas-led\u2019 to\u00a0\u00a0describe the kind of book \u00a0I enjoy most – and I certainly wouldn\u2019t \u00a0force it or anything elseon others \u00a0(at least until after the \u00a0revolution). It\u2019s\u00a0rather that there are ideas in \u00a0the books – either in \u00a0the characters\u2019 heads or in the plot or whatever. \u00a0Dickens is a good \u00a0example of a writer\u00a0who was hugely interested in ideas and \u00a0even more \u00a0in ther practical application. Interestingly, he was also \u00a0fascinated \u00a0by crime and\u00a0criminals, as well as coming up with the immortal \u00a0 Inspector Bucket in Bleak House, one of the first fictional police \u00a0 detectives. Obviously\u00a0Dickens was a genius, but he was also a \u00a0bestseller. \u00a0There\u00a0are\u00a0contemporary crime writers who take on \u00a0big issues and sell \u00a0well – Ian\u00a0Rankin and Minette Walters spring to \u00a0mind. In fact, you\u2019ve \u00a0done so yourself. But there are also a lot who \u00a0aren\u2019t interested in anything \u00a0but\u00a0the old tropes (I LOVE that word, \u00a0and not just because it comes from the \u00a0Greek). Of course, as there are \u00a0plenty of readers who want\u00a0nothing more than \u00a0a straightforward read on \u00a0their way to\/ from work – who\u2019s to say that \u00a0there\u2019s anything wrong \u00a0with that? It\u2019s still a free\u00a0country…just. OK with \u00a0that, \u00a0Griznahk?<\/p>\n
And so to epublishing. It\u2019s HERE and \u00a0 there\u2019s very little we as authors can do about it – except maybe \u00a0considering \u00a0doing the whole\u00a0publishing thing ourselves. There will \u00a0still have to be \u00a0gatekeepers, but I suspect they\u2019re more likely to be \u00a0web-based entities \u00a0(bloggers,\u00a0on-line reviewers etc) than traditional \u00a0publishers. The fate of \u00a0the old-style music business suggests that \u00a0publishers who don\u2019t embrace\u00a0the \u00a0eworld are doomed. Many of them are \u00a0trying to do so, to their credit, but \u00a0change is so rapid that one \u00a0wonders how successful they\u2019ll\u00a0be. The issue of \u00a0price is a tricky one. \u00a0To be honest, I think the 99p ebook may be a passing \u00a0phase. Soon most \u00a0readers will realise that\u00a0the majority of those \u00a0are trash. As for the \u00a0person who believes that words are ephemeral, I refer \u00a0her\/ him to the \u00a0Roman poet Horace\u00a0(crazy name…), who correctly foresaw his \u00a0work (ie \u00a0his words) as a \u2018monumentum aere perennius\u2019, a momument (duh) \u00a0that \u00a0will outlast\u00a0those cast in bronze. The digital age makes this even more \u00a0 certain, although there will be an awful lot of age-proof works \u00a0floating\u00a0\u00a0around in the clouds. It\u2019s immortality, Mark, but not as we \u00a0know \u00a0it.<\/p>\n
I guess we should end by a quick mention \u00a0of our most \u00a0recently published books. What\u2019s yours?<\/p>\n
MB – The book that\u2019s out at the moment is Good As \u00a0Dead, which will be published in paperback in March. The new novel – the \u00a0fall-on-my-arse one, will be published in August. Just in time for people to \u00a0read it on holiday as a warning against befriending anyone they\u00a0encounter \u00a0round the pool. Yourself?<\/p>\n
PJ – My latest hardback, hot off the press (for how many more years \u00a0will we be able to say that?), is The Silver Stain, the fourth\u00a0Alex Mavros \u00a0novel, this one set in Crete and referring to the German invasion in \u00a01941, as well contemporary issues such as \u00a0dope\u00a0cultivation.<\/p>\n
And having said that\u2019s the end, here\u2019s the real end. Name your \u00a0three favourite crime \u00a0novels.<\/p>\n
MB – Trust you to finish with the toughest question at all. This list will be completely different ten minutes from now, but since you\u2019re pushing me…OK,\u00a0three books in no particular order and for very different reasons:<\/p>\n
The Maltese Falcon<\/em> \u00a0by Dashiell Hammett<\/p>\n The Big Blowdown<\/em> by George Pelecanos<\/p>\n Red Dragon<\/em> by Thomas Harris<\/p>\n God, now I\u2019ve thought of three completely different ones…bugger!<\/p>\n PJ – It is a completely frustrating exercise, as you say, but my three would be the Sherlock Holmes stories (not novels), Hammett\u2019s Red Harvest and\u00a0Ellroy\u2019s White Jazz. Arg, that makes both of us look like macho noirists. To balance that – something MB won\u2019t be allowed to do – ha! – I would say that I\u00a0also admire Patricia Highsmith and have a soft spot for the glorious Gladys Mitchell.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PJ -You worked\u00a0in children\u2019s TV\u00a0and stand up before \u00a0becoming a crime novelist? \u00a0 \u00a0What nudge\u00a0you\u00a0towards \u00a0the\u00a0genre? MB – I<\/p>\n