“He’d found an angel for his collection. But one angel at a time was never enough…
Detective Beth Young has just joined the Cumbrian major crimes team when a body is found posed in a ritualistic manner – arms spread and graceful wings attached – at a crumbling castle in the hills of the Lake District.
The entire police force are on red alert. But Beth begins to feel she’s the only one who can follow the disturbing clues left by the twisted killer. Because she doesn’t think like everyone else. To Beth, crimes are puzzles she can solve. Even if real life is a little harder.
As more bodies are discovered in derelict stately homes across the Lake District, she knows she’s in a race against time.
But the killer is looking for another victim to add to his collection… Will Beth be able to save her? Or will he get there first?”
I am delighted to welcome you to the blog today and to my stop on The Silent Dead blog tour. The Silent Dead is the start of a gripping new crime series from one of my go-to authors, Graham Smith, and was published by Bookouture on 30th November 2018.
To celebrate the book’s release I am delighted to have a brilliant guest post from Graham Smith to share with you today…
New Faces and Old Friends
As a reader I love the familiarity of reoccurring and series characters whose exploits I’ve followed over a number of years / novels. However, I also take great interest in broadening my horizons and meeting characters and authors who are new to me. After all, every great series / character has to start somewhere.
One day while scaling the lower slopes of Mount-To-Be-Read for my next read, I happened to start thinking about my own writing and how it’s a mixture of old faces and new friends. As soon as the thought entered my head I went all introspective and started comparing the different characters, from their personality traits to their methodology and how they engaged not just me, but also my readers.
A quick recap for those unfamiliar with my writing
My debut novel, Snatched from Home featured a grizzled DI, Harry Evans, who is facing enforced retirement as well as an immense personal trauma.
The next series I wrote was about a Utah doorman, Jake Boulder, who found himself on the trail of serial killers.
Now we come to my latest series which features a newly promoted DC Beth Young whose first case in FMIT sees her investigating bodies which have been left in the cellars of derelict country houses.
All three characters have their own individual traits which neither of the others share, yet they all have a strong desire to bring about justice for the victims, a keen investigative mind and a determination to get results regardless of what it may cost them on a personal level.
Individually they have their failings and baggage, DI Harry Evans is bereaved and is trying to dodge a retirement which is largely being enforced due to his renegade ways. He’s politically incorrect in a VERY type way and while he has the hardened carapace of an embittered man, he has a good heart and will always find a way to do the right thing. His stamping ground is Cumbria and he thinks of it as a personal fiefdom.
Jake Boulder is a different kettle of fish altogether. Glaswegian by birth he enjoys the rough and tumble of tossing drunks and the girls who’re attracted to his quick fists and ready wit. Coupled with his PI friend Alfonse Devereaux he gets himself embroiled in all manner of escapades as they take on cases with ever more complexity. He’s resolute, brave and smarter than you’d expect for a doorman, but the only person who can control him with any measure of success is his narcissistic, grandchild-wanting mother.
Beth Young is something of a step into the unknown for me. As a somewhat cynical man in my forties, I gave myself a challenge when choosing to have a mid-twenties female lead. DC Beth Young is on an upward trajectory in the police although it’s results that drive her rather than opportunities for promotion. A puzzle-solver by nature she has a quirky mind that works best when allowed to think on a lateral level. She’s loyal, determined and resourceful, and when she’s put under the most extreme pressure she can always find a way to triumph regardless of the odds against her. Like Evans she’s based in Cumbria although she’s in Penrith to Evans’ Carlisle. A constant driver for Beth is the search for the man who thrust a broken bottle into her cheek.
If anyone would like to jump in on the first of any of these series, they are as listed below.
DI Harry Evans – Snatched from Home
Jake Boulder – Watching the Bodies
DC Beth Young – The Silent Dead
Thanks ever so much, Graham. It always amazes me how authors manage to create totally different characters with each new series they start.
The Silent Dead by Graham Smith was published in the UK by Bookouture on 30th November 2018 and is available in paperback, eBook and audio formats (please note, some of the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | amazon.com | BookDepository | Goodreads |
Graham Smith is the bestselling author of four explosive crime thrillers in the Jake Boulder series, Watching the Bodies, The Kindred Killers, Past Echoes and Die Cold. Watching the Bodies spent over two weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart and Amazon CA charts. Graham is also the author of the popular DI Harry Evans series and has collections of short stories and novellas. His latest novel – The Silent Dead is published by Bookouture and set in Cumbria / the Lake District, featuring DC Beth Young.
He is the proud father of a young son. As a time served joiner he has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since 2000 he has been the manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.
An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer for the well-respected review site Crimesquad.com since 2010.
When not working, his time is spent reading, writing and playing games with his son. He enjoys socialising and spending time with friends and family.
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