What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Three Times A Killer (The Derry Murder Mysteries Book 3)?
For years, I’d been writing the successful and highly acclaimed dark humor series, the Derry Women. Two years ago, though, I decided to pivot and try my hand at crime writing, a genre with different readers and different rules. Could I pull it off? Apparently I could, as the first in the Derry Murder Mysteries, You’ll Get Yours, became a bestseller (for a few weeks anyway) and seemed to have garnered me a legion of new, satisfied readers eager for more. So I gave it to them. And quickly. The second, Death in Small Measures, came out six months later, last December, and was also a bestseller. To my shock, they sold so much that both the Mystery Writers of America and the Crime Writers Association in the UK welcomed me with open arms. I am now a proud member of both.
Never one to rest on my laurels, I started writing Three Times A Killer immediately after finishing the second. (It’s only by chance that the third in the series has ‘three’ in its title.) Don’t be alarmed. Writing quickly doesn’t necessarily equal writing badly. I already had eight full-length novels under my belt and, thankfully, never seem to suffer from writer’s block nowadays. Fingers crossed this new book will be as well received as the first two.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Three Times A Killer (The Derry Murder Mysteries Book 3), what would they be?
Ha! I love this question, though maybe I know a bit too much about music, and the songs I’ve chosen might have people shaking their heads. I say...head to Youtube to check them out! For the pedantic and PC DS Nancy D’Arcy, it has to be “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” by the Spin Doctors.
For louche ladies-man-in-his-mind DC Tom Lyons, either “What’s New Pussycat?” by Tom Jones or “Daddy Cool” by Boney M.
For tech whizz DC Fern Hawkins, stuck at her desk as she is, and with maybe a new love interest in her life, Kraftwerk’s “Computer Love.”
DC Hens Cahill listens to RetroCharts in the book (!), so he doesn’t have a theme song per se, but when he’s in his car with Lyons en route to an interview, music is always at the fore, and as obsessed with music as I am, those scenes are always a joy to write. I always wonder if the readers seek out the songs…? It would be great if they do.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
One of the reasons I decided to switch genres is that crime fiction—Scandi-noir, police procedurals and murder mysteries—is my favorite to read. I especially love foreign ones, which explains why I chose to keep the location of my new series the same as my last, in my mother’s hometown of Derry, Northern Ireland. I lived there for years as a child (during the Troubles!) and nowadays it seems I’m never out of it. I’m not a native, no, but I think I know the city well enough to give my books the verisimilitude the genre requires. As for specific Police Service of Northern Ireland rules (they are quite different to even the rest of the UK), I am grateful that a member of the PSNI met with me, gave me a tour of the station, answered my many questions (and still does). The odd questions this poor person has to put up with! But, again, I’m very grateful.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Being new to the genre, I’m not sure if other crime writers do this, but it became obvious to me with the complicated plot of the first book that I would have to construct a murder board in my home. I do this now with every book, complete with arrows and pins, maps and photos of victims and suspects, friends and family that I’ve culled from Google searches of strangers who just look how I imagine my characters do. And I visit Derry to get photos of the actual crime scenes to put on the board; I wonder if the local tourist board will start conducting Derry Murder Mystery tours of all my murder sites, ha! Visitors to my home are startled when they see my murder wall. If they didn’t know what I write, it would definitely look suspicious! Is he a serial killer? A stalker? No, just a crime writer.
Another writing habit is that I must write outside, and thankfully I live in California, so the weather’s usually perfect for it. And I simply must listen to music when I’m writing, though I’m very picky about my music. I can’t listen to the same type of music over and over. I used to have to think long and hard about what playlist I would choose to listen to before I started writing for the day—wasting time I should have spent writing—and then I discovered RetroChartsRadio, which, really, changed my life! It plays every UK Top 40 hit from the twentieth century on random elimination, which means two things: no repeats for six weeks, and many songs that radio and playlists seem to have forgotten! Music problem solved in one! I’m so grateful to RetroCharts, I always give them a mention in my books. And, no, I’m not being paid by them, ha! I never write without also listening to RetroCharts now.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
I don’t, but friends have told me I’m the king of manifestation. I think of it more as good luck landing in my lap (or the universe aligning a certain way in my favor? I did something very, very good in a different life?) I don’t even want to bring up my current living situation, as it’s so marvelous and I don’t want the evil eye shining on me. But I will admit...thanks to a great friend, I get free flights around the world, so when I’m not writing I’m usually traveling. Name a country and I’ve probably been there, might even have written a few pages, done some editing there. Thankfully, I know many people around the world due to years teaching ESL, so I am graciously welcomed with open arms wherever I choose to go, which is more exciting than just landing on the tarmac as a tourist.
It was when I was at the CWA’s Dagger Awards ceremony in London in July—wearing a tuxedo for the first time in my life, my lovely ‘mammy’ at my side, champagne glass in my hand, surrounded by all these famous and talented crime writers, that I thought… “But I just got this plan in my head two years ago! How did it come to this so quickly?” Honestly, I was feeling a bit of the imposter syndome but, then again, my sales prove I had the right to be there. Manifestation, good luck, karma, the universe aligning or hard work? Maybe a bit of all five.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I’m not sure if murder is a genre that readers ‘take’ things from. However, I always remember wise words from a friend of mine, who told me she respects books she’s learned something from. It takes some research, but I always try to include something in my books that might not be known to readers, might enlighten them. In Three Times A Killer, we get insights into behavioral psychology and the shocking history of experimentation on humans (as opposed to lab animals) that readers might not be aware of. We also learn about gold mining in Northern Ireland (I never knew!). Most importantly, however, hopefully readers will think, ‘that was a good read! Never saw that coming!’ I hope the plot keeps them on the edge of their seat and they’re eager to sink their teeth into my next murder mystery.
