Q&A WITH STEPHEN WILLIAMS
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
Hi, my name is Stephen, and I live in the windswept hills of the Yorkshire Dales. Before that, I lived in London for many years and love the contrast between the two. I use both settings in my novels and populate them with fallible, complex, funny and, I hope, relatable characters. I put them in situations that will test who they are and what they stand for while giving the audience some edge-of-the-seat thrills! Hearts are broken, and blood is spilled.
Do you have a favourite crime thriller podcast and how did it influence your writing?
I love a crime thriller podcast! I grew up in a household with no television, so the radio was my friend on the long winter nights. Listening to the dramas on Radio 4 used to fire my imagination. Podcasts are an extension of that. One that stood out in recent years was That Was Then. It concerned a student who died twenty years ago. Over the episodes, it is revealed that the person convicted of his murder, now free, has scores to settle. Its format uses secret tape recordings of one of the students. Gripping.
Did you listen to any specific podcasts while writing your book?
I don’t tend to listen to anything while writing, although if it’s been a good session, I will dance around the kitchen with a beer or glass of wine in the evening! I usually write early in the morning when the house is still asleep. It’s the best chance to get a few hours with no interruptions.
What’s the most interesting thing you had to research for this novel?
When researching Dead Town, I was grabbed by a few things. One was finding out about all the people who live in stealth vans — disguised campervans that present as normal ‘work’ vans — around the capital. It’s an entire hidden community. Another was delving into the possibilities of augmented reality, namely that what we view through a screen or hear in an audio can’t always be trusted. It’s fascinating but also terrifying.
What kind of thrillers do you love?
The kind of thrillers I love reading are always character-driven, and the setting must be a key element. Karin Slaughter is a favourite. I loved Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, and Cath Staincliffe always delivers. I like locked-room mysteries, tech thrillers and those that cut straight through the heart. I’m still reeling from reading Wuthering Heights as a teenager!