Q&A WITH AUTHOR CASEY KING

What’s the inspiration for this book?

As a keen follower of crime and thrillers in both books and film, gritty stories are the ones that draw me in. I started thinking about what would make a woman from the criminal world collaborate with a female detective. What came to the fore for me was that heartache visits everyone, regardless of background. I realised my characters needed a shared sense of loss. Then I did some brainstorming with my agent, Kate Nash. This story grew in my mind to the point where Danielle appeared and demanded not to be ignored.

Tell us about the setting?

Placing this story in Ireland’s capital gave me a range of locations to chose as settings. There is Dublin with the busy hardworking people going about their daily business. Then there is the criminal underworld, which acts as almost a a sub-city, hovering beneath the one you or I may see. In the criminal world there are no boundaries and so while there are offices and residents, there are also containment areas where criminality happens.

What’s the inspiration behind your feisty female main character, Danielle?

Ten years is a long time in the criminal world and the one Danielle returns to is vastly different. I wanted Danielle to look at this world from a different view, with suspicion. Danielle is cautious, almost standing back, but when she is challenged, all that she learned growing up comes back to her. I was fascinated with the question of how far she could go to achieve what she needed to. Danielle and her determination, not only to succeed, but to survive in this world, formed so clearly in my head.

What was the most interesting/bizarre thing you researched for the book?

I try to keep my research to a minimum because I tend to disappear down rabbit holes, but the first thing that comes to mind about research for this particular book is that Danielle likes the taste of a good Irish whiskey. I’ve included one of my own personal favourites in the book, Dingle Whiskey. I’ll admit I had to taste a few different batches and cask strengths to decide which one Danielle might prefer.

What can readers expect from book 2?

Book 2 is set a few weeks after the ending to Deceit. The reader will quickly see what has been happening in Danielle’s world. There are elements that I took from Deceit that continue to create waves in the criminal world, revealing just how dangerous that life is. A new arrival in this novel is one of the most ruthless Flynn brothers, Dwayne, whose presence endangers Danielle’s life more and more. His actions force her to make decisions that could cost her dearly and which could mean losing those she has grown to love and trust.

Exposed, the second book in King's Dublin-based thriller series is out 14 December.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER EXPOSED BY CASEY KING TODAY!