Who doesn’t love a tense thriller with unpredictable twists? I’m A.A. Abbott – known to friends as Helen – and I believe a good read is one of life’s greatest pleasures. As well as writing thrillers, I read lots of them, and you’ll find them reviewed in my blog.
My last three books are psychological thrillers heavy on domestic noir. Flat White Lies. murder mystery Lies at Her Door and Bright Lies all reveal evil below the surface of perfect families. The Trail series of crime thrillers features family drama too, as three clans fight for control of a vodka business.
Love losing yourself in a book?
If you love losing yourself in a book, you’ve found a kindred spirit here. As a child, I learned to read in the blink of an eye (my dyslexic friends and relatives were less lucky, and I publish special large print editions to help those who struggle with a traditional paperback). The eldest in a large family, I had huge fun dreaming up tales for my younger siblings – one woodland saga lasted for two years, with weekly updates. I was brought up near Whipsnade Zoo, and couldn’t resist mentioning the wild wallabies in the woods in The Grass Trail.
City life and the business world seep into my books too. After all, everyone says, “Write about what you know,” and I’m very familiar with cities and the corporate world. Although I’m now based in Bristol in the English West Country, my career in finance also took me to buzzy Birmingham and the City of London. They’re both places to which I often return, especially vibrant Birmingham with its friendly folk and independent coffee shops. It has fantastic real ale pubs and cocktail bars too. Strangely enough, the characters in my crime thrillers seem to like drinking there as much as I do!
Research is vital when I’m writing about something I don’t know. I’ve had help from clubbers, police detectives, forensic specialists, prison officers, abuse survivors and DJs, among others. Researching vodka manufacture was also fun, involving a trip to the Chase distillery in the deepest Herefordshire countryside. Both their vodka, and the distillery tour, are highly recommended!
Of course, it’s not just about getting facts right – you deserve to read crime thrillers that are well-written and exciting. So that mine really hit the spot, twenty readers and a professional editor help me perfect each book before it’s released.
I also asked readers, “What Am I Like?” – in other words, did my crime fiction remind them of anyone else? Writers they mentioned included John Grisham, Robert Galbraith, Ruth Rendell and Jeffrey Archer, so I’m in good company. Take a look yourself – don’t forget, you can download samples of crime thrillers like The Bride’s Trail from Amazon. (I’ve given you the link for Amazon UK, but my books are also available on all other Amazon sites across the globe, and to order from bookshops in many countries.)
Stay in touch!
Do stay in touch with my newsletter and check the News page on this website for details of book launches, offers and events. I love reading my stories in public, talking to book groups and business networks and joining in the fun at literature festivals, both online and in real life. Do drop me a line at aaabbottATaaabbott.co.uk if you need a speaker at your event. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and LinkedIn, so feel free to connect with me there. I look forward to meeting you – and chatting about books!
