The Truth Will Out (31 page)
Read The Truth Will Out Online
Authors: Jane Isaac
Tags: #Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, #Mystery, #Police Procedurals, #Thrillers & Suspense, #Crime, #Kidnapping, #Murder, #Crime Fiction
“Hi, Helen. God! You look awful!” Helen struggled to keep the split in her lip together as she smiled. “There are hoards of reporters out there,” Jo continued, oblivious to the atmosphere she’d interrupted. “You’re front page news. Always thought there was something shifty about that Fitzpatrick.” She sniffed.
Jo rambled on but her mere presence in the room lightened the mood.
“Well, boys,” Jo eventually said. “I bet you’re really proud. Your mum’s a hero.”
Helen shot her mother an awkward glance.
“Yes, she is,” Jane Lavery said, her face impassive. “A hero… ”
Interview
with the
Author
When and why did you start writing?
Although I’ve always had an interest in writing, it was a diary that my husband and I kept during a gap year to travel the world, some years back, that prompted me to take it up seriously. While photos held memories, the words conjured up the essence of each and every place we visited and encouraged me to enrol on a creative writing course on my return.
Initially I studied non-fiction and did some freelance work for newspapers and magazines, then later started the fiction side of the course and fell in love. I wrote a few short stories and eventually decided to try my hand at a novel. I wasn’t even sure whether I’d manage to complete a whole book but as soon as I finished
An Unfamiliar Murder
I started
The Truth Will Out,
and am already working on a third, a new crime thriller set in Stratford-upon-Avon.
I love the psychological element of putting ordinary people in extraordinary situations and watching their characters evolve alongside a criminal investigation, so I guess I was always going to write in the mystery/thriller genre. An avid crime reader for many years and a fascination with police investigations and criminal elements, it seemed the right decision to write books I like to read myself.
The character DCI Helen Lavery is both strong and vulnerable. How did you come up with the character, and do you see any aspects of yourself in her?
I knew from the beginning I wanted to avoid the tired, divorced alcoholic detective who lives alone (a role done brilliantly over the years by other authors) and do something different with Helen. I decided to make her realistic, a regular person like you or I, so that we feel her journey. It didn’t take long to establish that a single parent managing the most difficult job in the police force whilst raising teenage boys is not unrealistic in modern day policing.
What makes Helen special is that she has little interest in the statistics, politics and resourcing issues that dominate the senior echelons of the police force. She raced through the ranks to follow in her late father’s footsteps into this ‘hands on’ role to make a difference and put away the ‘really bad guys’. Leading the murder squad is her ultimate ambition forcing her to occasionally adopt unorthodox methods in pursuit of a killer.
It always makes me chuckle when people ask if Helen is like me. Her personal side is made up of fragments of people I know, acquaintances, and a lady I passed by in a café in London. (It’s incredible how a chance encounter can have such an impact!)
I have great admiration for Helen and I’m sure if she was real we’d be friends, but that’s where the similarities end. Helen likes to investigate murders; I prefer to write about them.
How did you research the police and forensic procedures referred to in the book?
I’m quite fascinated by forensic developments, the work of detectives and the techniques they employ to solve a case. I think it is important to reflect the police procedural side as accurately as possible in order to keep the novel authentic. There is nothing worse than reading a story and thinking - that would never happen!
I probably spend as much time researching as I do writing a novel and although I do read books and research online, I do prefer the personal approach. I’m very fortunate to have built up lots of contacts throughout the police force and related organisations that are willing to talk through the reality of potential scenarios, although it should be said that real police investigations are actually very methodical and quite laborious in pursuit of the truth, so fiction tends to focus on the more exciting elements.
How do you feel Helen’s husband’s death has shaped her character?
Losing her husband plunged Helen into life as a single parent. She feels the weight of being both a mother and father to her boys whilst pursuing her passions in her job, but it does have its disadvantages in the unsociable hours and demands it places on her personal life, hence the need for her mother to help out with childcare. Whilst being very protective over her boys, she’s also forced to make choices between her personal and professional life and constantly wondering whether she has got the balance right.
I think many people, for whatever reason, find themselves in situations these days where they have to juggle both home and work life. A lot of working parents diligently manage their time between their children and fulfilling the demands of a challenging job and question whether they are doing both well.
What would you have done in Eva’s position if you had witnessed your friend being attacked?
Ah! The thousand million dollar question.
The natural reaction would be to call the police, an ambulance and rush to Naomi’s side, but then I have nothing to hide.
What fascinates me is that the decisions we make as individuals are often coloured by external circumstances beyond our control. There are times in all our lives when we are required to make quick decisions and judgement calls, which can have wide-reaching consequences.
Eva is essentially a nice girl, she wants to do the right thing, but her secret leaves her cornered: she can’t contact the police and she can’t go to Naomi as she fears she may be next, so she goes on the run. It was interesting to watch her own character develop as she pushed her life aside and tried to disappear, and how later she dealt with the truth and turned things around.
The novel approaches sensitive subjects including police corruption, drug trafficking and domestic abuse. How important was it to you that these topics were covered accurately?
I think it’s important for books to emulate the world in which we live and touch on subjects that exist in the murky underworld of society, but it can be challenging to research and reflect them accurately.
I admit after spending so much time in the company of police officers, I did find it difficult to write about the dark world of police corruption. It makes for exciting fiction, but we should remember that it’s extremely rare. It seems police officers rarely receive the praise they deserve. I have nothing but respect for their bravery, integrity and the fact that they put their own lives in danger every day to keep us all safe.
Although domestic violence is quite a small part of the book, I found it very upsetting to research something that is very real and has wide-reaching ramifications for anybody who has ever been affected by it.
When it comes to drugs trafficking and organised crime, what interests me are the motivations behind the actions. Aside from the obvious money and power, what makes a formerly upstanding individual become involved with the criminal fraternity? And more to the point, what makes a serial killer? With this in mind for Nate’s character, I consulted a psychologist to help me with his background profile to ensure that his motivations and actions were believable.
Your first novel
An Unfamiliar Murder
was published in the USA, how do you feel about publishing in your home country for the first time?
With improvements in communications, it’s so much easier to carry out business across the globe. Although my first publisher was in America, we shared lots of Skype meetings in order to maintain that personal touch and, as the book was also released on Amazon UK and stocked in my local bookshops, it was also available in this country which meant that I could still carry out lots of events to celebrate its release.
That said, it was lovely to work with Legend Press on
The Truth Will Out.
Based within an hour of my home, I was able to travel to London to meet the team and discuss the book and schedule with my editor, which made the process feel more exciting and special.
Who are your favourite crime writers?
From an early age I was captivated by Conan Doyle’s enigmatic Sherlock Holmes, his relationship with Moriarty and his powers of deduction. I also enjoyed the mysteries of Agatha Christie and used to love to sit and watch Poirot and Miss Marple with the family, trying to guess ‘whodunit’.
In recent years I’ve enjoyed the twists and turns of Jeffery Deaver, the police procedurals of Peter James and the psychological suspense of Linda Castillo and Elizabeth Haynes.
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www.janeisaac.co.uk
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