A.A. Abbott

GREAT CRIME STORY WRITER

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Settings in Fiction – a guest blog by Victoria Goldman

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Places inspire plots

Settings in Fiction illustrated by an English map

A strong sense of setting is important to me when I read. I enjoy books in which the backdrop becomes a character in itself – a haunted English country mansion, frozen Icelandic terrain, or even bustling London streets. I love familiar settings, where I recognise place names and buildings, visualising myself there as the plot unfolds around me.

So when it comes to my own novels, setting is essential to me when I write, using words to paint pictures of tree-lined roads and rundown houses, and eerie grassy parks after dusk.

A murder mystery in a sleepy English town

When writing my murder mystery debut, The Redeemer, I always knew that I would set it in Hertfordshire, on the cusp of rural and suburban life. Firstly, that’s where I live so it’s familiar to me, but secondly, the Jewish community I feature in the book is based on those in Hertfordshire and North-West London (and specifically the one in my own town). To set the book anywhere else just wouldn’t have felt ‘right’.

The difficulty in writing about the place where I live is that it will be instantly recognisable to anyone who lives there, or nearby, especially if it’s a relatively small town with a strong sense of community. This always leads to inevitable questions, from family and friends, in particular – So, who am I in your book? Is [xxx] based on me? Why did you put a park in that location when it’s over there?

To avoid this, I created a fictional Hertfordshire town. Hillsbury has many features of my own real-life hometown – a crossroads with a synagogue and church opposite one another (which partly inspired the book’s plot), a large spacious park, a Jewish cemetery (with a small airfield nearby) and several schools. By writing about a town that doesn’t exist, it doesn’t matter if I’ve moved the secondary school, added a mosque or an extra café, or changed the layout of the roads.

The secret of Whomsoever Lane

I’ve enjoyed going on long walks at different times of the day, at different times of the year, to inspire me and fuel my imagination. I’ve explored roads that I’d never noticed before, taken photos of the finer details and created visual memories of dilapidated houses with rusty gates and rotting window frames, muddy footpaths shrouded by low-growing shrubs, and gravel driveways edged with pristine flowerbeds.

Streets in my book are based on actual streets, and many would probably be recognisable if you drove down them – roads lined with bungalows, terraced cottages or large houses with sweeping driveways. Only one road in The Redeemer is an actual place, simply because I love the name (Whomsoever Lane), although I have moved it to a different location to suit the plot.

In the acknowledgements at the back of my book, I clearly state:

‘Hillsbury is a fictional town loosely based on where I live in Hertfordshire. If you know the area, some of the locations in this book may seem familiar. But I’d like to reassure everyone who lives nearby that none of you have been immortalised as a character in this book!’

Victoria Goldman is a journalist and author whose first novel, The Redeemer, has won praise from Louise Voss, Adam Hamdy, Marnie Riches and many more.

As a British thriller writer, I too love to infuse my fiction with a sense of place. New murder mystery and suspense thriller Lies at Her Door is set in the swanky district of Clifton, Bristol. When a skeleton is found under Lucy Freeman’s garden, the shy young woman is the prime suspect. Yet when she tries to clear her name, she realises that uncovering long-buried wrongs can be lethal…

Book Review – Phosphate Rocks by Fiona Erskine

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Phosphate Rocks by Fiona Erskine is a Scottish noir murder mystery set in a chemicals factory

Scottish noir

Years ago, before I threw caution to the winds and became a full time writer, I worked for a company who proclaimed themselves world leaders in phosphorus chemistry. They, too, relied on solidified bird droppings – the “Phosphate Rocks” of the book’s title – as their raw material. Fiona Erskine’s thriller says a great deal about this, and other little-known (but absolutely fascinating) facts about the industry.  A slice of Scottish noir, it begins in true murder mystery fashion with the discovery of a dead body when a chemical works is demolished. Brisk young Detective Inspector Rose Irvine soon homes in on the one man who holds the key to the mystery: John Gibson, the former shift manager.

Literature meets chemistry

As Rose questions John however it becomes clear that “Phosphate Rocks” is much more than a simple police procedural story. The corpse, encased in a crust of phosphate, is surrounded by ten objects. When John identifies each item, pouring out his reminiscences in the process, we receive a sequence of chemistry lessons. Furthermore, John’s memories are a rich seam of social history. He tells Rose about canny men and glamorous women and a manufacturing environment decaying as much as the deliquescent corpse.

Layers of mystery

Although the mystery is solved, it’s a bitter-sweet victory. Too many other questions remain unanswered. Is Rose the orphaned child of good-time girl Polly, who ended up feeding the fishes? What became of the proud workmen thrown on the scrapheap when the factory closed, victims of head office accountants?

This is not a formulaic, stripped down style of book, but it is beautifully written. If you fancy a refreshingly different crime story, “Phosphate Rocks” delivers it.

For a mystery with a difference, read “The Bride’s Trail”, first in my Trail series of British thrillers. When a shy graduate finds herself framed, can she survive long enough to clear her name?

Multi-Tasking & More: Why We Adore Audiobooks (and Why We Don’t)

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AA Abbott's Chilling Psychological Thriller BRIGHT LIES is now available on audiobook so you can listen through headphones

Before the audiobook version of my thriller, BRIGHT LIES, was released, I ran an online survey about audiobooks. Why did readers love them – or, in some cases, hate them?

Scores on the Doors – those audiobook survey results

Before going into detail, I should comment on the people I surveyed. I write psychological thrillers and mysteries, so naturally, many of those I asked were thriller fans. For instance, I approached my newsletter subscribers, and Facebook groups dedicated to crime fiction and Audible books. It’s hardly surprising that 94% of the 182 respondents loved audiobooks, 73% listened to audiobook thrillers and 60% to mysteries. Non-fiction, adventure stories and historical fiction were also popular with at least 25% of the readers who replied. Nearly half preferred an audiobook to a paperback or ebook.

83% were over 45, perhaps a reflection of Facebook’s popularity in older age groups. However, although I expected a majority of readers to identify as female, I  didn’t think as many as 90% would do so. The age and gender of survey participants explains why so few listened to young adult fiction (6%) or horror (10%). Romance listeners (13%) lagged behind sci-fi (14%) and fantasy (23%).

Despite the skewed audience, the survey results were interesting. Readers generously explained the pros and cons of audiobooks, recommended their favourites, and gave price-saving tips. If you’re on a budget, fear not – it is possible to get hold of audiobooks for free, or certainly cheaply.

Why audiobooks?

Of the 47% who preferred audiobooks to any other format, the reason most often cited was that listeners could multi-task. You can drive, go for a walk, do the chores and even (in one instance) do a boring low-paid job while enjoying audiobooks. Others said they were relaxing, helped reduce eyestrain, eased the loneliness of isolation in the pandemic and really brought a story to life. The last point depended heavily on the quality of narrator. Listeners felt the narrator could make or break a book. Angus King, Jim Dale, Stephen Fry and Stephen Mendel were repeatedly praised.

34% listened when travelling, 28% when exercising or doing chores and 38% when chilling out at home.

Why not?

Audiobooks were left on the shelf by those who preferred to imagine the characters’ voices for themselves, who thought reading was quicker or had hearing problems. A couple of readers had never yet found a narrator they liked: either the voice was irritating or it failed to hold their interest and they zoned out. One respondent was annoyed that audiobooks sent them to sleep (although audio fans mentioned it as a point in favour). Others recognised that audiobooks were expensive to produce, and their high price was justified, but it sadly made them unaffordable on a limited budget. The money-saving tips below should help!

Free and cheap audiobooks

For those on a budget, helpful readers suggested borrowing audiobooks for free from the local library. Free Audible codes are sometimes offered in Facebook groups in exchange for a review. Promotional sites like Chirp also have cheap daily deals, such as 99p/99c audiobooks. (I take the Chirp newsletter myself and have been impressed by the range and quality of deals on offer.) Even full price titles can be purchased at a discount by buying an ebook from Amazon and upgrading to audio. The combined cost is usually much less than the Audible price.

Listening to sample clips on Amazon removes the guesswork, too: if you like a sample, you know you won’t be wasting your time and money.

Recommended writers and narrators for audiobooks

As well as the narrators mentioned above, certain writers were very, very popular. JK Rowling and LJ Ross led the pack, followed by Val McDermid, Peter James, JD Kirk, Elly Griffiths, Denzil Meyrick, James Patterson, Stuart McBride and Terry Pratchett. Others who received several mentions included Stephen King and Agatha Christie. Naturally, given the groups surveyed, there was a preference for crime writers.

Finding audiobooks

Amazon/Audible was the biggest source of recommendations for new audiobooks, followed by social media, libraries, friends, bloggers and Goodreads. Only 6% took any notice of ads. Facebook was by far the most popular social media source (but this is no surprise, given that I mainly surveyed Facebook groups).

More advice from those in the know – publishers, take note!

Seasoned audiobook listeners had several pieces of advice for authors and publishers. They would like to see a wider range of titles in audio, but stressed that good narration and production were essential. Audiobooks should be proofed just like the printed page: there is no excuse for errors. Listeners were looking for narration with a pleasant voice, accuracy and sympathy for the story. They disliked an unduly slow narrator, a heavy regional accent or someone who mispronounced words. Where a series was recorded in audio, they pleaded for the same narrator to be used throughout.

Rumours of death are much exaggerated

Audiobook sales have been rising for years, and rumours of their demise as a result of the pandemic are much exaggerated. Although commuting is down on pre-pandemic levels, housework, gardening, exercising and chilling in an armchair still lend themselves to audiobook listening. It is a flexible format which is here to stay.

I am thrilled that my psychological thriller BRIGHT LIES is now out in audiobook! It’s been narrated by the amazing Eilidh Beaton. Eilidh has already worked with other respected psychological thriller writers, including the excellent Keri Beevis. Hear a clip of Eilidh narrating BRIGHT LIES, here (just click on the arrow under the book cover). She channels teenage Emily’s naiveté and David’s creepiness really well.

In many countries, Amazon will let you add an audio upgrade to your ebook at a modest cost, so do check your local Amazon site!

So What Have Libraries Done for Me? A guest blog by Helen Hollick

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Helen Hollick and her new cozy mystery A Mirror Murder in the Library

I know, that heading conjures a mental image of Monty Python and that scene in  Life Of Brian: “What have the Romans ever done for us?”

The aqueduct, sanitation, roads, education… Hmm, can I add libraries? The Romans provided scrolls, kept in dry rooms, for patrons of the public baths to read. The baths were not just a place to go to get clean, they were the equivalent of a leisure centre, a place for exercise and relaxation. Which included the pleasure of reading.

I am sixty-seven this year (2021) but one of my earliest memories is of leaving the library with a book clutched tightly in my hands, thrilled, because it was one I hadn’t read. I say ‘read’ – that, I’m not sure of. I was not yet four years old. Was I reading by then? I don’t remember, on the other hand, I don’t remember not reading. (For those interested, it was a Little Grey Rabbit book by Alison Uttley).

Books rarely let you down

I was a shy, quiet child, with very little self-confidence, heightened because I was extremely short-sighted. I could see, clearly, what was going on in a book. Books didn’t shout at you when you couldn’t see the board at school, or didn’t mind that you couldn’t see well enough to thread a needle in sewing class. Books were friends, not enemies. Books rarely let you down.

I was a regular at South Chingford Library, east London – it helped that my junior school was almost opposite and I had to pass the library to go home. I wonder, was it that compulsion which made my little legs turn into the library to browse the books, the forerunner of not being able to pass a bookshop now, without at least peering into the window?

At the age of nine I discovered the second love of my life. Pony stories.

I received a book for my ninth birthday. I’m ashamed to admit that my first reaction was one of disappointment. A book. It would probably be Noddy, or a school story (I disliked both). I unwrapped it. There, on the cover, was a girl riding a black pony. Jill’s Gymkhana by Ruby Ferguson. I recall nothing else of that party, only the book. I hadn’t realised, until that moment, that there was such a thing as The Pony Story. I desperately wanted a pony, but we were not in the financial position for ponies, although I did ride at the local stables once a fortnight.

Thank goodness for the library. I devoured everything pony-related that they had. The Pullein-Thompson sisters, Monica Edwards, Pat Smythe, Joanna Cannon, Elizabeth Beresford… And then there was the non-fiction section. How to groom a pony, feed a pony, keep a pony… But there was more than books and reading, more that I discovered because of libraries. I started to write. From the age of about eleven, I scribbled (not very good, I suspect) stories about, well, yes, ponies.

Come school leaving age at sixteen in 1969, I was steered towards working in the library – that same, South Chingford Library in fact. It was heaven, especially when I realised that, as a member of staff, I could take out more than four books at a time!

The secret life of a librarian

Come school leaving age at sixteen in 1969, I was steered towards working in the library – that same, South Chingford Library in fact. It was heaven, especially when I realised that, as a member of staff, I could take out more than four books at a time!

I was still writing, scribbling away – although I had moved on to fantasy and science fiction. Then I came across King Arthur. Mary Stewart’s The Hollow Hills and The Crystal Cave. Fabulous stories, but what triggered my interest, and imagination, was her author’s note where she explained that if Arthur had existed (a very doubtful if, now) it would have been during that period between the Romans (them again!) and the coming of the Anglo Saxons. I was intrigued. I had never much liked the traditional Arthurian tales, the Medieval knights in armour … but a Dark Age warlord? Now that I did like! I pounced on the non-fiction section of the library, re-discovered the beautiful poetic narrative of the brilliant Rosemary Sutcliff, studied Roman Britain, and came across too many novels that just didn’t fill what I was looking for: a realistic man, with faults as well as strengths. No post-Norman nonsense, but a man who fought hard to win his kingdom, and fought even harder to keep it. And as for Guinevere… sorry, I just didn’t see her as a fragile wimp drooling over a Lancelot figure. So there was nothing for it. I decided to write my own novel, where there would be no Merlin, no Lancelot, and Gwenhwyfar would know how to wield a sword. (And there would be horses. I still loved horses – had one of my own by then!)

I wrote whenever I could, and penned quite a few chapters in the library office when I was there on my own, supposedly writing out overdue cards…

It’s murder in that library

As for my latest release,  A Mirror Murder, a ‘cosy mystery’ which I based on my years of working in the library, I plan to alternate between one story set in and around the library, and one in a different location, so book two (A Mystery of Murder) will be set in Devon over Christmas 1971, book three (no title yet!) will be back in the library – again based on my years there. Jan Christopher has been asked to take over one of the Book Delivery Service rounds, selecting and taking books out to the housebound. Of course, one day she finds… well, you’ll have to wait until I’ve written it. Sorry. I wrote A Mirror Murder because I finally realised that the years I had spent as a library assistant ought to be put to good use. All those anecdotes, all those hilarious moments, all those members of the public and the quirky events that happened  –  from the main door that was so heavy it bruised your heels, to the slice of raw bacon used as a bookmark…

It took me well over ten years to write a final version of what eventually became my Arthurian  Pendragon’s Banner trilogy, originally published in 1994 by William Heinemann. The books are still in print, although via different publishers now. Oh and that book that I received for my ninth birthday? I’ve still got it.

So what did my library do for me?

It gave me a love of books, of reading. Library books nurtured my imagination, expanded my existence. My library took me to places in other countries and other worlds. The books kept me company when I was lonely, cheered me when I was sad. The characters within were my friends.

My library helped to show me that I could write, that I could fulfil an ambition – to become a real author.

What have libraries done for you, I wonder?

HELEN HOLLICK – A MIRROR MURDER

Amazon Author Page (Universal Link) http://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

“I settled down with A Mirror Murder and pretty much read it in one sitting, thoroughly enjoyed it.”

The first in a new series of cosy mysteries set in the 1970s… Will romance blossom between library assistant Jan Christopher and DC Laurie Walker – or will a brutal murder intervene?

Eighteen-year-old library assistant Jan Christopher’s life is to change on a rainy Friday evening in July 1971, when her legal guardian and uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, gives her a lift home after work. Driving the car, is her uncle’s new Detective Constable, Laurie Walker – and it is love at first sight for the young couple.

But romance is soon to take a back seat when a baby boy is taken from his pram,  a naked man is scaring young ladies in nearby Epping Forest, and an elderly lady is found, brutally murdered… Are the events related? How will they affect the staff and public of the local library where Jan works – and will a blossoming romance survive a police investigation into  murder?

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Find out more about Helen Hollick on her website and find her on Twitter and Facebook. If her book, A Mirror Murder, tempts you to read more stories about librarians, look no further than The Bride’s Trail. First in my Trail series of thrillers, it features real-life librarian Jackie Molloy saving a saintly cancer researcher from a killer!

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Book Review – Double Identity by Alison Morton

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Book Review. Alison Morton's international thriller Double Identity, set in Paris and London.

Dreams turn to nightmares…

Mel has found the man of her dreams. After an aristocratic upbringing in rural France and a spell in the French army, she’s ready to settle down and make babies. Parisian financier Gérard appears to be everything she’s looking for: rich, handsome and besotted with her. Sadly, a romantic holiday in London turns into the stuff of nightmares. Mel wakes up in a hotel room to find Gérard dead in bed beside her. Worse, London cop Jeff McCracken thinks Mel is the killer.

Partners from Hell

Once her innocence is proven, Mel is offered a job with an elite European spy team. She jumps at the chance. They’re investigating dodgy financial deals with which Gérard was apparently  involved. She hopes to prove him innocent and find his murderer. To their mutual dismay,however, Mel is required to work alongside the newly promoted Jeff McCracken. A man from a deprived background, Jeff regards as Mel as snobby. She sees him as coarse and misogynistic. Perhaps they are both right, but as the case progresses, they learn to work together. What they find causes Mel to question her belief both in herself and her relationships.

Absorbing action thriller

This is an action thriller, with plenty of fist fights and shoot-outs. They’re very believable, as you’d expect from Alison Morton, a former British Army captain. Her knowledge of Poitou in France, where she now lives, is also put to good use. While the genre is a departure for Morton, who previously penned a series of alt-history thrillers, the story follows her tradition of creating ballsy, kick-ass heroines.

Well-written and fast-paced, “Double Identity” is an absorbing read and a perfect piece of escapism during the pandemic. It’s currently on a blog tour, so you can find out more about it here.

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If “Double Identity” has whetted your appetite for an international thriller packed with action, dodgy deals and a strong female lead, look no further than “The Vodka Trail”. It’s the second thriller in my Trail series, and also a superb read on its own!

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Book Review – Vampires of Avonmouth by Tim Kindberg

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A dystopian thriller.

A book review of Vampires of Avonmouth, Tim Kindberg's tense dystopian thriller full of twists

Despite its title, “Vampires of Avonmouth” is a dystopian thriller set in 2087. The villains of this pacy and exciting story are not traditional bloodsuckers. These vampires feed on brainwaves rather than blood.

In the best traditions of detective noir, our hero, David, is cynical and almost exhausted with life. He has good cause. One of the sinister mindsuckers, a vodu, was implanted in his skull when he was abducted by renegades in the African city of Accra. The vodu is neutralised by David’s willpower, but he knows it will escape in the presence of someone he loves. Fearful for his teenage daughter’s safety, David sends her away. He leaves his plum job in Westaf for a humdrum role as an ID cop in the British city of Avonmouth.

Polluted landscapes and polluted minds

The Avonmouth of 2087 is very different from the functional container port you may spy from the M5 in 2021. Built-up, bustling and polluted, it has eclipsed nearby Bristol in size and importance. Like all of the planet outside the free zone of Westaf, it is controlled by a murky multinational network, I&I. While David despises I&I, and in particular the network’s habit of streaming propaganda to the populace via psychic wrist beads, he is effectively tied to his employer for life. However, his boring, loveless existence is turned upside down when travellers from Westaf arrive illegally at the port of Avonmouth. What follows is a thrilling adventure that offers David hope of a better future, while also plunging his life into danger.

Tense, thrilling & full of twists

Tim Kindberg is a fine writer. He has crafted sympathetic characters, a seamlessly flowing story and a believable future world: a hot, polluted planet controlled by Big Data. In addition, he has described them well. Who can read “Above him, wind turbines whumped against the hot white sky,”  and not immediately be transported to David’s side?

I hope that “Vampires of Avonmouth” gains a wider readership than simply dystopian sci-fi fans. They should love it, but so will anyone who enjoys a tense, thrilling tale packed with twists. Author Tim Kindberg is also donating a huge slug of his royalties to foodbank charities, so you’ll be helping the needy when you buy a copy.

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If you like a well-written story packed with twists, tension and characters you’ll love and hate, read psychological thriller “Bright Lies”.  Set in Bristol, Bath and Birmingham, it crackles with “compelling drama”, according to respected American website Readers’ Favorite. Simply click on the cover to start reading.

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