Page 18 - Reader's House Magazine Issue 48

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STAR INTERVIEW
porary crime fiction. Her works are a testament to her talent and passion, and we are thrilled to share her insights and experiences with our readers in this exclusive interview.
What do you read when you’re working on a book? And what kind of reading do you avoid while writing?
I read a lot of non-fic- tion articles in relation to whatever research rabbit hole I’ve disappeared down when writing a book. These are often forensic related, especially in relation to latest developments within different fields of expertise. It all depends on the story.
quality to their settings and chara- cters while making it look so easy.
What kind of reader were you as a child?
Voracious – I could read before I started school and ran out of books very quickly because I was reading ahead of my classmates. I’ll be forever grateful that there was a decent school library – and a well-stocked public library – in the town where I grew up to continu- ously fuel my imagination. That, and access to my grandad’s crime fiction collection.
What advantages does
being indie offer over being trad-published? Any disadvan- tages? What specifically made you choose the indie route?
I was told when I started out that “no-one is interested in rea- ding thrillers by female authors” and “vampires are big this year, not spies” so that sent me off down the indie publishing route. The numerous advantages include not handing over a chunk of royalties to publishers and agents, and the freedom to licence my IP wherever I can without constraint. The disadvantage for some might be the business side of things – but I’m lucky that I love that aspect as much as the creative side of being indie.
Have any of your books been trade published or have you sold any rights eg translation, large print, audio, to third par- ties? If so, why did you choose to go trad in this respect?
I’ve licenced my rights to tradi- tional publishers for foreign rights in several countries – I don’t speak the languages so it makes sense
to licence out rather than arrange for the translations myself. I don’t licence out any English language book formats such as audiobooks or large print – that’s something I do “in house”.
Tell me about how you ‘ac- cidentally’ became a private investigator and how it will help develop future stories.
That all started in early 2020
– in fact, that year has been responsible for some of the most exciting projects I’ve done during my writing career including the Case Files: short crime fiction
Rachel Amphlett
captivates readers with her intricate plots, dynamic characters, and dedication to authenticity, making her
a standout crime author.
Rachel Amphlett’s A Fatal Silence is a masterful addition to the Detective Kay Hunter series, deliver- ing a gripping and intense thriller that captivates from the first page. When a young woman’s body is discovered at a music festival, Hunter faces a daunting investigation with no leads and an unknown victim. Amphlett expertly weaves a complex narrative filled with suspense and unexpected twists, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The fast-paced plot and well-developed characters make this book a standout in crime fiction. Am- phlett’s storytelling prowess shines, ensuring that fans and new readers alike will be thoroughly engrossed.
sed in a story of my own – I find it too distracting, and crime fiction has always been a form of escapism for me, so it acts as a bit of a carrot when I’m in the final throes of my own story and chasing a deadline :)
story podcast.
I knew I wanted to write an amateur investigator story (which is still in development, a.k.a. going around in my head) and although I was fairly confident about murder investigations
from a police point of view after writing so many books in that genre, I didn’t have the comfort of knowing much about private investigators.
I stumbled across an online course that was reasonably priced and spent my afternoons working through the material to the point where, about halfway through, I had the opportunity to do a quiz to test my knowledge to date.
Well, that turned out to be an online exam and before I knew it, I had an invitation to go to Lon- don to sit the formal exam for a BTEC Level 3 in Private Investi- gation. There were a few hiccups between 2020 and summer 2022 to actually get there what with Covid and other matters, but I passed the exam and became a qualified PI in August 2022.
What was very apparent from the course are the limitations imposed upon investigators when it comes to data protection and privacy issues – I like to make my crime fiction as realistic as possible, the same as I do with my spy thrillers, so having more practical information about what
18 II Reader’s House
I tend to avoid reading crime fiction when I’m immer-
What genres do you especial- ly enjoy reading?
I’ve always loved spy thrillers and crime fiction so these are my “go-to” reads. I really enjoy historical crime fiction too – es- pecially CJ Sansom’s Shardlake series.
What book are you planning to read next?
The Year of the Locust –
Terry Hayes’ follow up to I Am Pilgrim. I bought it as soon as it was published but due to a de- adline I’m having to save it until I’ve finished my current project. I can’t wait to read it.
What books and authors have impacted your writing career?
My grandad loaned me his copy of The Eagle Has Landed when I was 11 years old, and
that sent me off down the path
of reading spy thrillers. It’s still
a favourite genre of mine. I’ve learned a lot from reading other crime thriller authors’ works over the years while honing my craft, particularly Lee Child, Michael Connelly and Robert Crais who manage to convey a cinematic