How I turned to crime
From struggling writer to published author.
I never thought I’d write a murder mystery novel. Or get it published.
Then again, I never thought I’d pass my driving test or give up smoking.
Now before you get the idea that self-doubt’s my default state, think of it as a safety mechanism, a defence against failure and rejection, if you like. Writing and selling your work is filled with both.
There was a time when I could have papered my bedroom with rejection slips from publishers. Okay, it was one wall. Writers like to embellish. We tell stories, after all.
Or not, when it came to murder mysteries.
There I was, loving every episode of Inspector Morse on TV, marvelling at the complex plots and characters, wishing I could write something as good. My regular dose of Lieutenant Columbo, dismantling another perfect murder, should have given me a few clues.
But I felt inadequate.
How would I ever match the quality of these shows?
Then one evening, I was watching an episode of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, starring Joan Hickson. Having watched A Murder is Announced many times, I knew the plot inside out.
Only this time, I noticed something I hadn’t spotted before.
The clues were hidden in plain sight.
Had I discovered the secret to writing murder mystery novels?
Doubt and indecision prevented me from getting too excited. But I loved the idea of an ordinary person solving a complex murder, making a difference.
But who could it be? An investigative journalist, as I’d once wanted to be? A former police officer, turned private investigator?
Miss Marple’s secret love child? Maybe not.
What if the sleuth was an environmental health officer (EHO) like me, utilising all the experience and skills I’d developed over the years?
It would be different, setting me apart from all the other authors trying to come up with something new. Keen to develop the idea, I wrote copious notes about characters and murder plots. I consulted books on writing crime fiction, determined to get things right.
But it took a stroke of good fortune to pull everything together.
Thanks to an introductory offer from a book club, I bought an omnibus of the first three Alphabet Murders by Sue Grafton. From the moment I started reading, the story, or should I say the central character, grabbed my attention and refused to let go.
Feisty private investigator, Kinsey Millhone, gave me a template I could adapt for my own stories. In no time at all I’d have a bestselling series, translated into foreign languages, adapted into a successful TV franchise that would sell all over the world.
Did I mention how writers like to embellish?
The reality turned out to be a series of frustrated hopes and disappointments I’ll save for future posts. Let’s just say, the road to publication was neither short nor smooth.
I even gave up writing at one point.
But a few lightbulb moments, some dogged determination, and lots of hard work turned my dream into a reality on 19th June 2016.
No Accident, the first novel in what would become the Downland Murder Mystery series, was published by an independent US publisher.
I spent an anxious week, convinced no one would buy the book. Even if they did, they spot errors everywhere. Then the first reviews were posted on Amazon.
Readers liked No Accident. They liked my EHO sleuth, the irreverent humour. No one guessed or worked out the identity of the killer.
My days with Morse, Miss Marple and Kinsey Millhone had paid dividends.
Thanks to the enormous boost in confidence, the Downland Murder Mystery series has now reached ten novels.
When I started the third, I jumped from a planner – with a Lever Arch file of notes – to a pantser. These writers go by the seat of their pants, letting stories evolve organically without a detailed plan.
Now all I need to do is get my books noticed among the other seven million in Amazon’s store.
It’s a fresh challenge that feels as daunting as writing a murder mystery once felt.
That’s why I’m here, looking to connect with readers like you.
If you’re interested in looking behind the scenes, exploring ideas and inspiration, sharing insights into characters and settings, and recommending books and authors, let’s connect.
If you love reading crime fiction, or curling up in a favourite armchair to read about characters you’ve grown to love, why not subscribe and be part of the journey?
As a pantser, I don’t know where the journey will take us, but we can make it fun, exciting and rewarding.