I first came across the fictional lawyer/detective Harry Devlin more than 20 years ago when I was given the task of reviewing books during my first job in journalism at The Ormskirk Advertiser.
I loved the fact that the action was set in a familiar landscape and I confess I was strangely attracted to the central character. But then I felt the same way about Columbo!
So it was a great thrill in April 2004 when I met the author, Martin Edwards, in his other life as the Head of Employment at Liverpool law firm, Mace and Jones.
Our paths crossed frequently over the next two years and I interviewed him several times. Each time asking the same question. Will Harry Devlin make a comeback?
At the time Martin was hard at work on his other crime series set in The Lake District but in 2007 he revealed a contract had been signed to write a new Harry Devlin mystery.
And I had been waiting ever since.
So was the waiting worth it?
Defintely. I read the whole book in one sitting one Saturday and I was impressed with the pace of the plot and its contemporary setting. Harry, or at least his firm has come up in the world but his determination to solve a series of crimes is unwavering, give or take the diversion of a few encounters with the fairer sex. I won’;t reveal anymore except to say the title of the book has nothing to do with the popular sixties song and everything to do with Sefton beach.
Here Martin reveals hwo he came to strat writing and where the ideas for Waterloo Sunset came from.
Jane: When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer and why crime?
Martin: As a ninth birthday treat, my parents took me to see a Miss Marple film and I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I got home, I tracked down the Agatha Christies that my grandmother, who lived with us, kept in the house.
It was my first introduction to adult fiction - before that I'd been reading the Famous Five and Captain W. E. Johns - and I still had a wide-eyed delight in puzzles and mysteries. One of the first Christies that I read was 'And Then There Were None', a stunning example of how to
pull the wool over the reader's eyes - and, certainly, over mine! I loved the twists and turns of the plot and the startling revelation at the end, as well as the spooky setting.
It was reading this book and other Christies that made me want to become a crime writer myself - and to strive to mystify my readers as she had baffled me!
Jane: Although you have written many short stories it was Harry Devlin who was the subject of your first crime series. Where did he go?
Martin: After writing seven books about Harry, I wanted to try something different. I'd written plenty of short stories, but I had an idea for a novel that really appealed to me and Harry didn't fit into it at all.
The idea became TAKE MY BREATH AWAY. I still think it is an ambitious and really interesting book, a psychological suspense novel with a touch of political satire. But because it did not have a series detective, it did not make a huge impact.
After that I wrote a historical novel, based on a real life murder case. I am hoping this will be published towards the end of 2008. It's more of a 'mainstream' literary novel than my other books.
I was then asked to write a new series, which became the Lake District Mysteries.
By the time I'd written three, 2008 was approaching and I really wanted to write about Harry again. I felt I could take the Liverpool books to a new level. And fortunately my publishers both here and in the US agreed.
My next novel will be set in the Lakes, but if WATERLOO SUNSET is a success, I may go back to Harry after that. WATERLOO SUNSET was a lot of fun to write and I hope this comes across very clearly. It is meant to be a book that a wide cross section of people will find truly enjoyable.
Jane: Why set the second series in the Lake District?
Martin: My publishers wanted a new series with a rural setting. I'd always loved the Lakes, and it had never been used for a British mystery series before. My previous books had urban settings, so it was good to take up a fresh challenge.
Jane: How do you manage your workload as a full-time lawyer and novelist?
Martin: I think effective time management is important, so I try to avoid wasting time. In practice, this means that I aim to organise my day by not sitting in rush hour traffic jams, so I start work later and finish later.
This suits me as I am an 'owl' rather than a 'lark'. In the evenings and at weekends, I work on my novels. I also update my blog every day. The blog is called 'Do you write under your own name?' (www.doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com) and is a great way of getting in touch with readers all over the world. The positive feedback helps keep me at it whenever the going gets tough.
Jane: What are you reading at the moment?
Martin: 'On Murder' by Thomas De Quincey. 'Light Reading' by Aliya Whiteley. 'The Headhunters' by Peter Lovesey.
Jane: What advice would you give aspiring writers.
Martin: Determination is the key. It's vital to keep at it when you would really rather be doing something easier. If you are passionate about writing, things will eventually work out for you. If you aren't, you might as well do something easier!
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