Page 49 - Reader's House Magazine Issue 49

Patient Vengeance masterfully weaves suspense and emotion, delivering a gripping narrative with complex characters and unexpected twists. A thrilling journey of resilience and retribution that captivates from start to finish.
Ken Webb masterfully blends historical insight with captivat- ing storytelling, creating works that educate, entertain, and inspire readers worldwide.
setting and tone of this latest installment?
As a reader, I find crime fiction works when there
is a solid sense of time and place. I wanted my read- ers to fully understand the temporal and geographical context of my stories. If that is always made clear, I believe the story can flow more easily. I chose Swin-
to an early 50s guy annoying
the neighbours by playing his music too loud. Every so often I drop in music and other cultural references which I think readers might appreciate. Ignorance of these never detracts from the narrative.
It was not really a pivot. I still write History books and get much pleasure from that. It was a case of finally having the time to fulfill a desire I had had for
a long time to delve into crime fiction. The process of imagina- tion, development of characters and creating plot twists I find great fun. I guess my earlier writing experience has helped, though the two areas I write in are of course worlds apart.
Julie Trax Down takes readers back to Spence Hargreaves’ early days as a detective in the 1980s. How did your own experiences growing up in Swindon and your memories of that era influence the
thousands of people, stu- dents, parents, colleagues.
You learn much about character and personality
in a teaching environment. This has helped with some
of the character develop-
ment in my stories. My experience in schools
certainly helps to add some realism to any times I am writing about a school situa- tion. I hasten to add I have not worked with or taught any of the nefarious types that appear in my stories (at least as far as I know).
The Spence Hargreaves series delves into complex, often dark themes such
as obsession, fantasy, and the macabre. How do you balance the intricate details of crime investigation with the psychological depth of your characters to create compelling narratives?
As a reader, I enjoy a strong narrative, and seek stories that entertain and enthrall. I never want to be overwhelmed with forensics, ballistics, police procedure. For me, motive and psychology are always far more fascinating. Hence, in my sto- ries, I try to delve into the ‘why’ more than the ‘how’. Each of my regular characters has their unique traits. I like my ‘villains’ to be smart, complex and imag- inative, if not exactly someone you invite around for dinner.
Your detective, Spence Hargreaves, is known for
his love of blues music, particularly Eric Clapton. How did you decide to weave this passion into his character, and what role does music play in shaping the mood and themes of your novels?
The blues obsession adds some colour to Spence Har- greaves. He can be tough, he
is smart, he bends the rules at times but he is someone essen- tially likeable. The music aspect humanises him. I can relate
don as the location for “Spence” because I grew up there, and have been a frequent visitor back there since emigrating. The 1980s works well because my first four “Spence” novels are set in the early 2010s when he is a DI. I found the idea of discovering his early days a lot of fun.
After years of writing history textbooks, what has been the most rewarding and challenging aspect of switching to fiction, and how do you see the future of the Spence Hargreaves series evolving?
Though my History writing has been very satisfying, I have discovered enormous pleasure in writing crime fiction. Thinking up plot lines, twists, playing with the characters, allowing
my imagination to wander into often dark corners is a lot of fun. I do not know where the story
is always going. I start with a big idea, know ‘who did it’, but once I start writing, the imagi- nation takes over which is one reason why writing crime fiction is such fun. Future stories? I hope to continue Spence’s inves- tigations as both a world-weary DI in the early 2010s, and as a young enthusiastic DC in the 80s/ early 90s. In the future, I hope to create a new set of char- acters, perhaps based in Sydney, who knows?
As a former teacher and lecturer, you’ve spent much of your life in education. How has your background in teaching shaped your approach
to writing crime fiction, particularly in developing characters and plots that engage readers?
Decades of teaching and lecturing have brought me into contact with hundreds, perhaps
Reader’s House II 49