How would you describe the novel?
The Unquiet Grave was derived from my love of a particular sub-genre of crime - stories that are driven by the hunt for a hidden killer, someone who is operating not only without interference from the police but whose activities are not even suspected let alone detected.
My detective, DI Brook, is in disgrace and has been cast down to the basement to work on the coldest of cold cases and, after initial frustration at his demotion, begins to develop a connection between several old murders. If I’ve succeeded, the novel should read like the literary equivalent of taking apart a Russian doll as the case has many layers with twists and turns to puzzle and challenge the reader along the way.
Congratulations on being nominated for the EMBA. What do you know of the award and how does it feel to be on the shortlist?
I have followed the award since its inception as I think it’s so important to support our region and the astonishing range of creativity that takes place within its borders. We have so many talented writers, and indeed artists, in the East Midlands a fact reflected in all the shortlists so far. This year is no exception and I am extremely flattered to see The Unquiet Grave selected. Being a Derby author I have always been keen to be involved and as soon as I had a qualifying novel I alerted my publishers to put it forward for consideration. The fact that it is not just a crime award but a literary prize makes it all the more exciting given the struggle the crime genre has had to gain critical and literary acceptance these past few years.
Do you think crime thrillers will ever been seen as the equal of literary fiction?
There are those who see the crime genre as inferior but those people will have to accept crime writers as equals if the quality of writing in the genre continues to soar. The genre has given the world great writers like Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene, Elmore Leonard and George Pelecanos who are up there with the best. Many of the thrillers I read from new writers are written with such a linguistic skill that I have no qualms about suggesting the genre is in safe hands. AD Miller’s Snowdrops was nominated for the Booker a year or two ago and I’m proud that the East Midlands Book Award judges have seen the literary merit in The Unquiet Grave. Debut writers like the uber-talented Sarah Hilary and award-winning Denise Mina keep us all on our toes with their lyrical gifts and the future for crime is undoubtedly bright.
I'm told that you're not a big reader of crime novels, and that your preferred reading material is literary fiction, so how come you're writing crime thrillers?
I’m an English teacher and my first love is literature. In addition, reading crime novels often feels like a busman’s holiday though I do like to keep an eye on the opposition to make sure I’m on top of my game. I too have wondered why I write crime, not literary novels, and can only assume it’s part of an impulse to create order out of chaos. Thrillers have endings. Not all literary fiction feels the need to wrap things up and that can be a little unsatisfying when you come to the end of an 800 page book. It’s also possible I don’t feel confident enough that I can entertain and enlighten readers without the straitjacket of a structured plot. Having said that, I do try to write my thrillers with as much literary flair as I can get away with.
How important do you think awards are for writers?
That’s a tough question and let me say straight away that no writer writes with a view to winning awards. But of course, they are very important for stimulating interest from potential readers. And to have your book selected by peers is extremely gratifying on a professional level. The fact that it might stimulate more people to read my work is just an added bonus.
The Unquiet Grave is up against a diverse range of books. Have you checked out the opposition?
I was at the shortlist announcement and listened in awe to Kerry and Alison read from their respective books. I’m under the cosh of a deadline at the moment for my fifth novel, A Killing Moon, but as soon as that is out of the way, I’ll be catching up on my EMBA reading.
Your books are like fiendish puzzles with both DI Damen Brook and the readers made to work for their answers. Do you set out to write complex plots?
The answer is yes and no. Yes, because when I read a thriller I want to be excited and baffled and challenged. If I fail to guess the ending and the identity of the killer yet can acknowledge that I was given all the clues then I’m a happy reader. No, because writing a complex plot is not just a matter of wrapping your story in red herrings. The twists and turns have to be natural, they must fit the story and be consistent with the characters and their likely motivations or thriller readers will rightly feel cheated.
You've a real talent for tapping into people's fears and crafting chilling imagery. Is it easy to scare people?
Thank you. It seems to come easily which happily, if people are affected by my work, must mean I’m a normal person because all I do is I tap into my own fears and anxieties to look for inspiration. I know I shouldn’t but when I come up with a great way to terrify, bamboozle or grip the reader, I can’t help but smile at the effect I might be about to produce. I guess that’s why we write – to touch people’s emotions whether fear or love.
A product of a troubled past, DI Brook is a multi-layered character struggling with his sanity. How alike are you and your protagonist?
I’m flattered that you think Brook is multi-layered because I do work hard to write credible characters whether heroic or villainous. Brook has a dark past and the things he’s experienced have taken their toll on his mental condition. That said, I don’t want to lay it on with a trowel and Brook tries to wear his mental turmoil lightly to help him function. I’ve never had a mental breakdown I’m pleased to say though I understand the stresses that can weigh on all of us from my time as a full-time teacher.
The Derby backdrop is clearly one you're familiar with, adding a real authenticity to the writing. Some Midlanders set their crime novels in London fearing that a local setting might harm sales. Was that ever a consideration for you?
It was never a consideration once I discovered that Derby didn’t have a fictional detective walking the streets. There were so many advantages to using my own turf that the idea of moving my detective to London’s crowded constabularies never arose. I can check locations with ease and I can make my stories distinctively local so that they stand out from the crowd. In fact having originally self-published my first novel, Reaper, it was vital to choose a local setting as it allowed the further advantage of being able to pitch my work directly to local people. I could tailor and market my book so much more effectively for local readers, who were bound to react more favourably to an unknown thriller writer setting his work in Derby against yet more fiction set in London.
Your route to publication has been a little unconventional, hasn't it?
I suppose it has. Like most writers who find readers of their manuscripts reacting very positively to their work, I sought to get my first novel Reaper nationally published. To do this I went along the traditional path of sending a synopsis and sample chapters to agents and publishers but like many found my route blocked.
In 2006, when I decided I couldn’t improve Reaper further without damaging it, I decided the time had come to self-publish. At that time this meant paying for the production of a physical copy to sell from a website and local stores.
Luckily Reaper struck a chord in Derby and local sales were strong enough to merit plenty of publicity and I was then able to send copies to agents. But still no publisher came forward with a deal. Only when I uploaded Reaper to the Harper Collins’ website Authonomy did I get noticed and signed a 2-book deal shortly after and internationally re-released The Reaper in 2009 and The Disciple in 2010.
How has your self-publishing experience helped, or hindered, your career?
It has done both. When I was self-publishing I had to do everything and learnt many new skills which was great but as a consequence I did tend to question everything Harper Collins did with regards to marketing and editing my novels and we didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Book covers and the blurb on the back were usually matters of contention. I’m sure Harper would have preferred a complete novice who accepted everything they said without a murmur but there we are.
Is there one book you wish you had written?
There are many books I wish I’d written because I admire (and envy) the skill of the author. I doubt I’ll ever write anything as good as The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen) or Catch 22 (Joseph Heller) but if I reach the top of the thriller genre, I might like to try. A John Banville in reverse, if you will.
Thanks Steven. Good luck with the EMBA, and with book five in what’s been an excellent series.
The Unquiet Grave is available to buy from all good bookshops and online.
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