Ask the Author: Mick Finlay
Answered Questions (12)
Mick Finlay
Hi Kelly. Thanks for getting in touch and I'm so glad you enjoyed the first two books. I really hope you like the next one. Two Victorian crime books I really enjoyed are Fingersmith (Sarah Waters) and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Kate Summerscale). The Whicher book is true crime based on historical research. I hope you like them! Mick
Mick Finlay
Thanks, Grant. I've thought about that a lot. In the book that was published last week (Arrowood and the Thames Corpses) there is an encounter between them which I won't describe in case you haven't read it yet. But they're getting close!
I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying the books,
Mick
I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying the books,
Mick
Mick Finlay
Hi Kathy. I'm so glad you liked it. Malk did all the hard work. We did have a skype chat about the voices of the characters with intellectual disabilities, and I found a few authentic videos on the internet to send him. I must admit I was worried about the range of characters, but Malk is a real pro. I've just sent book 3 to my editor who has no idea what it's even about, so I'm nervously waiting to hear what he thinks. I completely agree about the Vin Mariani btw - if only!
Mick Finlay
Lots of ways, but because I write historical crime fiction, I do get inspiration from newspapers and books of the era. The British Library Newspaper Collection is brilliant. I try and work out crimes that would be meaningful given the social issues and political controversies of the time.
Mick Finlay
The idea came from a number of places. First, I used to work in services for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities (learning disabilities in the UK), including in some of the old Victorian hospitals that used to be asylums. I've always been concerned by the exploitation of people who have some form of vulnerability. Then recently there have been a few cases of modern slavery in the UK which really appalled me. Developing the book involved a lot of research into the asylum system of the 1890s as well as the Victorian understandings of mental health problems and disability.
Mick Finlay
Thanks, Merrill. Glad you liked it. The Murder Pit was going to come out in the USA later this year, but it has been put back. I don't know for sure, but I think it might be coming out in Feb, 2019. This hasn't been confirmed yet, though. The UK edition is coming out Dec 2018.
Mick Finlay
I love reading about Victorian life in London, visiting museums, and taking tours and trips up the Thames on boats. All this is essential in making Arrowood's world as convincing and authentic as possible. As far as the mechanics of writing are concerned, I like getting stuck on a plot problem or character issue, going for a walk, and finding the solution come to me when I'm in motion. I do enjoy slowly working out the ins and outs of a story, the depths of characters and ways to convey the setting. So much comes to me when I'm not at the computer. Last night a made huge breakthrough in the bath.
Mick Finlay
I don't really get writer's block, but if I don't know where the story should go next, I read more Victorian history and go walking.
Mick Finlay
Book three - have just written sketches of the first four chapters. I'm started to get excited!
Mick Finlay
Everybody has their own route to a published novel. Although some authors have their first book published to great success, they're a tiny minority. Before Arrowood was published, I spent almost twenty years learning to write fiction. I had a handful of short stories published over those years, but it took me a long time to find the right genre for the way I think and write. I hope it doesn't take that long for you, but be prepared to take a few wrong turns along the way, and be prepared for some frustration. Keep learning, keep writing, and be honest with yourself.
Mick Finlay
Thank-you so much for getting in touch, Elizabeth, and I'm really glad you liked Arrowood. I'm just finishing the sequel (The Murder Pit) and it'll be out early next year. The relationships between Ettie, the Inspector and Barnett develop further in the second book, and in quite surprising ways (I think!) Ettie is a bit unconventional and she plays a greater role in solving the case in the second book, where she goes undercover in a sinister farm. Thanks again for getting in touch - I really appreciate it!
Mick Finlay
Thank-you, Kathy! I'm so glad you liked it - it's great to hear. I didn't know if the humour would translate for a North American audience, so I'm delighted it made you chuckle. I've completed book 2 (called The Murder Pit) and it's now with my editor. I'm nervously waiting to hear what she thinks. The publication date is the end of Feb next year in the UK, although I don't yet know when the US publication date will be.
Yes, there will be more backstory on Arrowood, Ettie, Barnett and Lewis, and a few developments .... I think you're right about expectations. I was always worried that the cover (in the US) and that the focus on Sherlock Holmes would give slightly the wrong impression. I've been discussing this with my publishers. In the UK, where it's been out for longer, the average Amazon ratings (out of 64) are 4.3-4.4, so the US ratings are very different. But there are only 6 so far, so hopefully that will change.
I'm very, very grateful to you for getting in touch, Kathy. I really appreciate you taking the time.
Mick
Yes, there will be more backstory on Arrowood, Ettie, Barnett and Lewis, and a few developments .... I think you're right about expectations. I was always worried that the cover (in the US) and that the focus on Sherlock Holmes would give slightly the wrong impression. I've been discussing this with my publishers. In the UK, where it's been out for longer, the average Amazon ratings (out of 64) are 4.3-4.4, so the US ratings are very different. But there are only 6 so far, so hopefully that will change.
I'm very, very grateful to you for getting in touch, Kathy. I really appreciate you taking the time.
Mick
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
May 13, 2020 01:07AM · flag