OUR
WRITERS MEAN BUSINESS OUR
WRITERS MEAN BUSINESS 
How did you get started in your writing?
Darkhouse came from this one scene that I needed to get
out; it was playing in my head like the opening to a movie. I wanted to
find out what happened next, so I started writing. It turned out to be the
prologue. And thankfully, I now know what happens next…
Last book you bought?
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall
Smith. When you spend your time steeped in death and violence, there is
nothing more uplifting than dipping in to the world of Mma Ramotswe of the
No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency; a beautifully written series, gentle,
funny, heart-warming, feelgood. I adore them.
Desert Island Books?
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton and Rebecca
by Daphne du Maurier. If the character of Russell Tupper from the American
show, Huff, ever wrote a book on anything, I’d bring that along too.
Tell us about your latest book?
It’s called Darkhouse and it’s a thriller
about an NYPD detective called Joe Lucchesi who leaves New York with his
family for a quieter life. But someone out there doesn’t want that
to happen, someone whose life has been anything but idyllic, someone who
knows he can pounce when Detective Lucchesi least expects it. I’m
really fascinated by the idea that your life can be going along wonderfully
and then BANG: you make one decision and everything goes horribly wrong.
And in Darkhouse, the bad choices are not just made by the bad guys. Joe
is a very human hero with a family he loves. And I don’t care what
job you do, if you’re a good person, you’ll bring your emotions
with you…which cranks it up all the more.
And what's in the pipeline?
The sequel, The Caller. It evolved as I was writing Darkhouse,
so it’s wonderful to now have the chance to see it all come to life…or
death for that matter. Always the death…
How do you go about doing research for your book?
In many different ways. Lots of it is tracking down the right books,
articles, reports etc. Also, I have a wonderful friend who I call my source-eress,
who seems to magically bump into people who are really relevant to my research;
she’ll call me up, “I met this woman at a party whose husband’s
brother is a serial killer. Would he be any use to you? Here’s his
number…” In fact, many of my family and friends have suggested
people to me. It’s such a huge help. Other than that, I have found
experts on line or read about them somewhere, cold-called them and asked
to meet them or email them questions. Not one person said no, which blew
me away because I’m a first-time writer. They were all so gracious,
kind and interesting, it was one of the best parts of writing Darkhouse.
Why did you approach the Darley Anderson Agency?
I had only heard fabulous things about Darley Anderson and funny
as it sounds, there was something about the agency’s entry in the
Writers’ and Artists’ Handbook that I warmed to. Also, Irish
writers are mentioned as is crime fiction, so it fit with what I’d
written.
What advice do you have for people hoping to find their first publisher?
Get an agent. Darley Anderson if you have any sense...!
May 2005