We are joined on Bookaholic today by Crime Author Juliet B. Madison. Juliet has agreed to tell us a little about herself and her new release, Best Served Cold, the fifth title in
the DI Frank Lyle Mystery Series.
Welcome Juliet, it's great to have you here. Where did you get the idea for
the DI Frank Lyle Mystery Series?
I’ve been reading almost nothing but crime fiction since my late teens
and I was sure I could write a crime novel too. About seven or eight years ago
I came up with the idea for a paranormal crime story where the senior detective
on a cold case turned out to be a reincarnation of the original murder victim,
but I decided that working out the mystery would be time-consuming enough. I
kept the reincarnation aspect to a degree because I had a Hindu detective. That
book became Second Chances, the
first in the DI Lyle series.
There may be some bookaholic readers who have not read your books. For their benefit can you tell us a bit about DI Frank Lyle.
DI Frank Lyle is six
feet three inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, modelled on roles played
by my favourite actor Robert Bathurst. At the beginning of the series he is a
recently divorced youthful thirty-nine with a young son, James, whom his ex
wife makes it very difficult for him to see or spend time with. She left Frank
for another man as she got sick of coming second to the job so there are some
pretty acrimonious scenes. By the time of Best
served Cold Frank is five months short of his fiftieth birthday. He is dedicated
to justice and giving a voice to people who have none. He is also a devoted
family man and happily married to his second wife, ex Detective Constable
Jayseera Lyle. He is extremely supportive of his son, James, who came out in
the previous book, Murder in the Wings,
and he adores his little daughter, Jasmine. Unlike a lot of fictional coppers
Frank doesn’t have any real vices; he is not addicted to alcohol, gambling or
drugs and keeps a clear head.
How much research do you have to do for your books?
I have learnt a tremendous amount from reading crime fiction as well as
watching TV crime drama and criminal investigation documentaries. I completed a
Distance learning online course in Forensic science earlier this year and
learnt a huge amount from that. The subjects of bereavement and Type 1 Diabetes
also crop up at various points during the series, but these I can write about
from personal experience. If I have a technical question I usually ask my
author friend, Paul Trembling, who is a real life CSI. I also attended an
inquest once so I draw on that for Coroner’s court scenes in the novels. I’m
aware they don’t have Coroners in Scotland, but things are different south of
the border.
The DI Frank Lyle Mystery Series is set in the 1980s and early
1990s. Why did you choose this particular time period?
I chose this time period because forensic
sciences were very much in their infancy compared to what they are today, which
allowed more scope for mistakes. I also wanted to remind people of a time when
people actually talked to each other face to face rather than resorting to
emails, ipads and cell phones. It’s the era in which I grew up. I was seventeen
in 1992 when both Murder in the Wings and
Best served Cold are set.
I believe Best Served Cold takes the
reader into the darker recesses of the human mind. Do you mind telling us a bit
more about that?
This novel does
go into darker places where I found it hard to go. A man who feels let down by
both the local authority and the legal system, is set on a path from which he
cannot turn back. The book also delves into paedophilia, homophobia,
anti-Semitism and racial hatred; none of which are pleasant subjects. It looks
at the question or whether or not murder can ever be morally justified and
reopens the Nature Vs Nurture debate, which is whether wickedness is inherent
from birth or developed due to life’s circumstances and misfortunes.
Who would you say has helped you the most in writing the series?
My editor, Katrina Bowlin-MacKenzie, who gives
her time for nothing. My cover designer John Holt. My real-life CSI Paul
Trembling, who gives me technical advice. Also everyone who tweets and shares
my stuff on Facebook, everyone who has had me on their blogs to promote Best Served Cold. Malika Gandhi gives
me advice on Hindu-related issues (especially in the first book), Caroline Lee,
who did the wonderful DI Lyle sketch and edited the last part of Murder in the Wings as Katrina was on
holiday.
Are you writing any more books at the moment?
I’m working on the sixth DI Lyle novel, Dead on Arrival, but I haven’t got very far with it yet. I am also
working on a DI Lyle novella A
Murder-Free Christmas, which should be available to pre-order from
Mid-November.
It has been great to have you here Juliet. I am sure your readers will enjoy your latest, and future books.
Thanks Wendy, it has been good to join you on Bookaholic today.
Where can we find you and your books Juliet?
Twitter: @JulietBMadison
Facebook There
are a number of DI Lyle related pages on Facebook but here is a small
selection:
