NK Chats To… Ian McFadyen

Published November 19, 2024 | By Laura

Hi Ian, thank you so much for joining me today and inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for your latest book. Can you tell me about your novel, Blood Matters and what inspired it?

Blood Matters is the tenth book in my Carmichael whodunit series. It’s set in rural Lancashire (as they all are) and starts with the discovery of a body down a dark unlit road. The murder victim is not from the area but is known to some of the residents of the small hamlet where he’s discovered. It quickly becomes apparent that the deceased was seen by the young man who found him and countless other people, less than 30 minutes earlier in the local pub, having a heated argument with one of the village residents.

The book was inspired by a twist I thought of when I was driving about 18 months ago.

What were the challenges you found when writing your novel, especially when it’s part of a series?

The main challenge when writing murder mysteries in a series is to come up with ideas for a plot, characters and a twist that are not just different from anything else in previous books in the series but that aren’t similar to whodunits written by other authors.

Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?

I’d go for tracks from the 80’s or 90’s.

From idea, to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you?

It’s remarkably haphazard in that I write ferociously at times, but I can also not put finger to keyboard for a week or two if I’m mulling over how to tackle something I find tricky that’s coming up soon. I only write in the mornings and rarely write more than 1000 words a day (usually more like 500). Despite my seemingly chaotic approach I generally take about 1 year to write the first draft then 6 months recrafting parts to make them ready to share with my copy editor.

What’s your favourite word and why?

It’s a rude one so won’t share. I also like the words cake and whisky though!

In your opinion, what are the common mistakes aspiring authors make?

I’m not sure I’m qualified to say. However, I think it’s important to focus on telling the story rather than demonstrate how clever you are at using language.

What type of scene do you find it hardest to write?

Scenes involving only two people that are predominantly dialogue. I try and keep these as infrequent and short as I can in my books.

What other fictional detective would you most like to make a cameo in the Carmichael series?

Endeavour Morse.

How do you research your novels? How do you know when you have enough?

I had a good friend, who sadly passed away, who was an ex-police Inspector. He helped me a lot in the early days of my writing – mainly advising me if the storylines were close to real life in the police force. For my first five or six books the main characters were from worlds I had some experience of, so little research required. But by the sixth book my list of occupations did run a bit dry. It was then I started to do more research into new occupations I was giving my characters and worlds I have never entered.

To be honest the internet and rooting out people who are employed in jobs such as a veterinary practice (as I needed to do for one of my books) isn’t too hard to do – and when they know you’re a writer they generally love telling you what goes on.

Any other advice for aspiring authors wanting to write in the crime genre?

Keep it fast paced, make sure you have plenty of red herrings but be fair to your reader by making sure there are enough hints along the way to enable them to work out the killer and what his/her motive was before it’s revealed.

Would you rather –

Have the ability to see into the future or be able to visit the past?

Visit the past.

Have the ability to move things with your mind or read minds?

Read minds.

Sing or dance to your favourite song for the rest of your life?

Dance.

Have money or power?

A bit of both would be fine for me.

Have an endless summer or winter?

I need long summers and short winters (but like them both).

Tea or coffee?

Coffee in the morning and with cake otherwise tea.

Movie or book?

Book.

Morning person or night owl?

Morning person

Paperback or eBook?

Paperback

About Ian McFadyen –

Ian McFadyen was born in Liverpool and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before becoming a writer.

He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife but spends a great deal of his time writing in his bolthole retreat on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. Blood Matters is the tenth in a series featuring DCI Carmichael.

Say hello on Facebook, X and Instagram.

About Blood Matters –

When the body of Doug Pritchard, an aging music journalist with a history of sensational scoops, is found face down in a dark roadside ditch, DCI Carmichael and his team embark on an investigation that takes them in several directions.

What did Pritchard uncover?

Did that secret bring about his violent demise?

And do the tragic deaths of two local pop idols, twenty years before, have any relevance to his murder?

As DCI Carmichael delves deeper into the case it becomes clear that, despite the outwardly close connections of the residents of the small hamlet of High Maudsey, neither long term friendships nor family ties should be taken at face value.

This the tenth in his series of well-honed detective novels by Ian McFadyen featuring DCI Carmichael, leads the detective and his team through as many twists and turns as the quiet country lane where Doug Pritchard’s body was discovered

As with all McFadyen’s Carmichael novels, this book is packed with a host of intriguing characters and an expertly crafted plot; and once again the author displays his skill as a writer in the great tradition of English crime novels.

Blood Matters was released in October 2024. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US.