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“Someone’s about to turn their last page…” sets an ominous tone for The Bookseller. Can you share what inspired this particular story and its setting in a quiet, Bristolian bookshop?
I’ve always been interested in second hand bookshops. It was something of an obsession in my late teens and early twenties. I still can’t walk past one without going in. I used to trawl around Thorpes in Guildford which was just such a wonderful emporium with so many different rooms and so many books to discover. No longer there, alas. Bookshops like these were full of surprises at every turn and once the seller knew your tastes you would be guided to a shelf or pile somewhere which they knew would interest you. This quiet, sometimes fusty, but always tranquil setting seemed a great one to upset and discombobulate with a murder.
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As the seventh book in the DS Cross series, what can readers expect from this latest instalment in the series?
The development of George Cross as a character. The story of his disjointed family coming back together continues. He has a deep relationship with his father, which is mutually dependent. His father’s illness in this book together with his mother’s increasing involvement in their lives – she left when he was a small child – both add a layer of not altogether welcome complexity into his life. There is a development at work with his partner Ottey which shakes his working routine and pattern to the core. But at the centre of it a mystifying murder. Why would someone want to kill a bookseller and in such a violent manner? It’s a puzzle from the very start.
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We love that this novel explores the world of bookselling - how did you approach researching this?
In a sense writing this book was just a good excuse to delve into my long held passion for bookshops old and new. I visited various rare booksellers in London, travelled to Hay on Wye – can you believe I’d never been there before. Spoke to Goldsboro’s own David Headley and Bernard Shapero, among others. I met with Sheila Markham whose collections of conversations with booksellers were invaluable. I also spoke to a lot of independent booksellers to get their perspective on the difficulties and pleasures of running an indie in the modern world. I think if I hadn’t become a writer, I could well have been a bookseller. I felt a little guilty when talking to these wonderful people that I was about to murder one of their number!
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Your novels, including The Bookseller, seem to walk the line between intricate plotting and character-driven storytelling. What’s your process for weaving together these elements in your books?
I think character is my main drive and preoccupation when writing crime fiction. It’s certainly one of the predominant pleasures for me. Your characters can be so surprising, even to an author, if you give them enough rein. It’s fascinating to see where they can take you. Some of the plot derives from character so in a sense they are interwoven anyway. I don’t plan, so simply follow George wherever he takes me in a case. In the second draft I will often add a layer of complexity that I didn’t have a chance to seed in the first draft. I feel that a strong narrative drive is essential in crime fiction. It’s what keeps the reader hooked, hopefully.
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DS George Cross is praised for his portrayal of living on the autism spectrum. How do you approach writing his character, and what new challenges does he face in The Bookseller?
My approach to writing George is quite disciplined. Because of his condition there are quite a few rules that can’t be broken, which is at times frustrating. But they have to be abided by to remain authentic. It can be quite tricky, though. George never has gut instincts about a case, nor does he ‘like’ someone as a suspect. He can only follow the evidence as he finds it. He’s obsessed with routines and patterns and it’s often by examining them that he gets results. He doesn’t hypothesise or speculate. This is where the secondary characters come into their own, such as Ottey, Mackenzie and Swift. One fundamental rule I have is that we never laugh at George. With him, yes, and often at other people’s reaction to him. But never him. I’m not an expert on Autism Spectrum Condition by any means, I am simply an expert on George’s autism. One of the main challenges George faces in The Bookseller is personal. He has to deal with the ill health of his father.
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Where do you see DS Cross heading in future instalments? Do you have plans to further explore his character in ways readers might not expect?
Yes, definitely, but I don’t really want to give anything away. I think his obsession with crime and bringing the guilty to justice means he’ll continue for some time. I hope.
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What are your top writing tips for other aspiring crime writers?
Write every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot. If you want to write a novel, I wouldn’t sit down and start at page one. It’s too daunting. There’s too much wordless darkness and too many blank pages ahead of you. Just write snatches of dialogue you already have in your head. Favourite scenes you’ve been mulling over, wherever they come in the book. Get into the habit of writing every day because if you ever get out of it you’ll find it really difficult to get back in.
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Can you share some of your highly anticipated crime books for 2024 - or some old favourites that inspire you?
I loved Dominic Nolan’s White City. I always look forward to new work by Mick Herron, Tara French, Elly Griffiths, Michael Connelly, Liz Nugent, MW Craven, SA Cosby, and Denise Mina.
