THE STORY BEHIND: 'THE SOUTH BINNESS MURDERS' A GRIPPING CRIME THRILLER BY PAULINE ROWSON
What was your inspiration for the book?
That things aren’t always what they appear to be on the surface — and contrasts. Here I chose to have a blood-stained abandoned boat belonging to a Portsmouth refuse collector — who could either have had an accident and fallen overboard or been murdered — and an art theft which isn’t an art theft in the usual way.
The contrast is between the visible world of art with the invisible one of a refuse collector (after all no one really looks at the bin man!), and between someone who creates and another who disposes. Essentially, though, it’s a tale of greed and guilt which lead to murder and which Andy Horton has to solve.
Did anything surprise you during the writing process?
The killer! But then he or she always should! When I start to write each book I have no idea who did it, how they did it and why they did it. It makes for somewhat messy writing, but aside from a beginning, usually a body or body parts somewhere on DI Andy Horton’s patch, (or blood stains in this case), I have nothing else worked out, save for one or two brief character sketches. As I write and research the first draft more ideas and information come to me and so the light begins to dawn.
Was there anything interesting or funny that happened while you were writing the book?
One of the most interesting things was working out what the blood stains on the abandoned boat in Langstone Harbour meant. In order to do this I consulted a forensic scientist, an expert on Blood Pattern Analysis. He could tell me how the victim might have met his grisly end and what could have killed him. Why he was he killed though and who did it was down to me — or I should say down to the killer, who DI Andy Horton, of course, manages to find, but not after many trials, tribulations and red herrings along the way . . .
What really inspires you?
The sea is always by far my greatest inspiration and all my novels revolve around it — so much so that it is almost a character, taking on life, creating and setting the mood. I also love getting into a really complex puzzle that my detective has to solve.
I love the “what if?” question which I am always asking, and then hopefully answering during the writing of the novel. The research element is inspiring, especially the forensic research, and I’m inspired by the feedback from readers who enjoy immersing themselves in DI Andy Horton’s life so much that they tell me he (and Sergeant Cantelli) are part of their family. They’re part of mine too!
How do you want readers to feel when they’ve finished your book?
Satisfied. Saying “Well, I’d never have guessed that!” And wondering what happens next in DI Andy Horton’s tumultuous life. Raring to read the next instalment, and walking, sailing or riding the Harley Davidson alongside him as he solves his next complex case.
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