DI Gus McGuire Book 7
When the past unravels, all that’s left is death.
Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly,
When DI Gus McGuire is called out to the murder of a pregnant woman, the crime scene tells him that this killer is not only taunting them … he’s also just getting started.
Lavender’s green,
With ritualistic precision, the killer has placed a series of clues beneath the victim’s feet. Gus soon realises that these clues link back to his mother’s past as a child in foster care in Scotland.
When I am king, dilly dilly,
Troubled by his mum’s secrets, Gus is in a dark place. Side-lined from the main investigation, Gus works another murder, not realising that the two are linked and that the killer is closer than he realises … Dangerously close.
You shall be queen.
Then the killer begins to target people near to Gus. Angry and determined Gus races to unravel the past and catch this sadist before the loss is too much for him to bear.
Q&A
Thanks so much for inviting me onto your blog. I’m chuffed to bits to be here. –
When and where do you prefer to write?
I have a home office where I tend to do most of my writing although, before Covid, I did tend to write at Leeds Trinity University where I am doing a PhD in creative writing focussing on marginalised groups and in particular Young Adults in crime fiction. I also used to go to my local pub The Hare and Hounds, but again don’t any more. I don’t have a particular time when I write. I just do it when I feel inspired, However, when I’m working on a novel, I like to write around 2000 words a day.
I often promise myself that I’ll ring fence a writing time, but I’m too disorganised for that.
– Do you have a certain ritual?
When I settle down to write I have coffee nearby (I allow myself a couple of cups of the real stuff and then move onto decaff) at all times and I have a kettle in my office. I light a candle and once I’ve procrastinated for ages, I eventually settle down. I use a SAD light too, because I suffer from depression and anxiety and the serotonin supposedly helps.
– Is there a drink of some food that keeps you company while you write?
Ooops – already answered that in regards to the drink. However, I do tend to eat my lunch and/or breakfast at the computer which is not really a good idea, as I often spill ( or if you’re Scottish like me, slitter everywhere).
– What is your favourite book?
I have so many favourite books that I’d find it difficult to limit myself to just one. It’s the same with authors too. I have so many go to authors that I couldn’t list them in any sort of order. However, the one I most look forward to reading is probably Stuart MacBride. I love his quirky humour.
– Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?
I have considered writing a sort of crime fiction police procedural Vampire novel – but not sure how that would go down, nor when I’d find the time as I have so many ideas for my Gus McGuire series and my Nikki Parekh series as well as an idea for another series that keeps me up at night.
– Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?
I think all my characters are made up of little bits of people I know, or see round and about as well as people form telly or wherever. I’m a bit of a nosey bugger and snippets overhead conversations often make it into my books as well as characteristics from different people. I think authors just soak up all sorts of nuggets that they use in a book sometime down the line
– Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?
I carry a notebook in my handbag and jot stuff down, then when I get home I copy it into my ideas book which currently has the logo ‘The Ponderings Of A Prosecco Infused Mind Notebook’ on the front.
– Which genre do you not like at all?
I find it hard to read historic fiction – but will happily watch it on TV
– If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
Not sure I’d want to co-write a book, but if I did maybe Stuart MacBride would be up for a new series with me?
– If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, which one would you chose and why?
I’ve been to Morocco and India, some of my experiences from those trips made it into previous books. I’d really love to go to Iceland and see the Northern Lights – I saw them a few times in Aberdeen when I was a kid, but I doubt you’d be able to see them there very often nowadays. I would like to set part of a book there – though maybe not all of it.
Thanks once more for having me. It’s been lovely to answer all your questions.
Thank you, Liz Mistry and Rachel’s Random Resources
About the author
Born in Scotland, Made in Bradford sums up Liz Mistry’s life. Over thirty years ago she moved from a small village in West Lothian to Yorkshire to get her teaching degree. Once here, Liz fell in love with three things; curries, the rich cultural diversity of the city … and her Indian husband (not necessarily in this order). Now thirty years, three children, two cats (Winky and Scumpy) and a huge extended family later, Liz uses her experiences of living and working in the inner city to flavour her writing. Her gritty crime fiction police procedural novels set in Bradford embrace the city she describes as ‘Warm, Rich and Fearless’ whilst exploring the darkness that lurks beneath.
Struggling with severe clinical depression and anxiety for a large number of years, Liz often includes mental health themes in her writing. She credits the MA in Creative Writing she took at Leeds Trinity University with helping her find a way of using her writing to navigate her ongoing mental health struggles. Being a debut novelist in her fifties was something Liz had only dreamed of and she counts herself lucky, whilst pinching herself regularly to make sure it’s all real. One of the nicest things about being a published author is chatting with and responding to readers’ feedback and Liz regularly does events at local libraries, universities, literature festivals and open mics. She also teaches creative writing too. Now, having nearly completed a PhD in Creative Writing focussing on ‘the absence of the teen voice in adult crime fiction’ and ‘why expansive narratives matter’, Liz is chock full of ideas to continue writing.
In her spare time, Liz loves pub quizzes (although she admits to being rubbish at them), dancing (she does a mean jig to Proud Mary – her opinion, not ratified by her family), visiting the varied Yorkshire landscape, with Robin Hoods Bay being one of her favourite coastal destinations, listening to music, reading and blogging about all things crime fiction on her blog, The Crime Warp.
Author Links
FB https://www.facebook.com/LizMistrybooks/
Twitter @LizMistryAuthor
Website: https://www.lizmistry.com/
Book Link
B for Bookreview 