Today I'm delighted to welcome
ADAM HAMDY
to share his BEST OF CRIME ...
... AUTHORS
Deon
Meyer. I absolutely loved his
post-Apocalyptic epic, Fever, and have just started reading his crime
fiction. Late to the party, I know, but
I’m glad to have learned of this cracking author.
I believe
in supporting new talent and know how hard it can be to get a signal boost when
you’re starting out, so here are a couple of highly recommended forthcoming
debuts. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn
Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is unlike any other crime book you’ll have ever
read, a true rollercoaster for the mind.
The Devil’s Dice, by Roz Watkins is a well-written modern detective tale
that deals with a controversial contemporary theme.
... FILMS/MOVIES
Prisoners
is a crime thriller that really sticks in the mind. Written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by
Denis Villeneuve, it is about the abduction of two girls and the responses of
their families and the police. It is a
powerful, often challenging film that kept me gripped until the final
frame. Brilliantly written and
exceptionally well put together with compelling performances from a cast that
includes the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Viola Davis and Maria
Bello.
... TV DRAMAS
I love
Amazon’s adaptation of the great Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels. Titus Welliver is perfectly cast, the
production values are great, and season three has to be one of the best
examples of how to script a detective story.
I can’t wait for the new series, which is due early next year.
My all-time
favourite crime show has to be The Wire.
I loved the realism and complexity.
Watching an episode felt like one hour spent cruising the mean streets
of Baltimore.
... FICTIONAL KILLERS
How many
people say Hannibal Lecter? He’s
probably the only fictional killer I’d have to dinner, provided I was doing the
cooking.
I’ve got to
say John Doe, the serial killer played by Kevin Spacey in Seven. He wasn’t just taking lives; he was trying to
enlighten people. I always find
philosopher killers far more sinister than those who simply perpetrate mayhem.
... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES
William of
Baskerville, the protagonist in Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. He’s a man out of time, possessed of an
intelligence and open-mindedness that would be more at home in the modern
world. How much has been lost to the
world because of ignorance and superstition?
Not just physical objects, such as the one at the heart of the book, but
opportunity and advancement. How far
might humanity have come if it hadn’t been constrained by repressive dogma?
And before
we get too heavy, and because detectives don’t always trade in doom and death,
I’m going to share my guilty pleasure; The Big Lebowski. Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski is the most
chilled-out detective one could ever encounter, and a couple of hours in his
company puts a smile on most people’s faces.
... MURDER WEAPONS
I have a
doozy in my new book, but I’m not going to pimp my own twisted tools. Probably a bowling alley. David Mitchell’s novel, Number9Dream, has a
gruesome sequence in which one of the characters, a Yakuza gangster, takes his
enemies to a bowling alley and uses their heads as pins. Twisting something as innocent and fun as
bowling and turning it to murder is devious.
The victims have that horrible five or six seconds of anticipation as
the heavy ball comes thundering down the lane…
... DEATH SCENES
So many
memorable death scenes, but I’m going to go with Willem Storm’s death in
Fever. The book opens with Nico Storm
telling us about his father’s murder, so I’m not giving any spoilers away. Even though I’d known it was coming for
hundreds of pages, Willem’s death was an emotional gut punch, a mark of truly
great writing. And it was all a…to say
any more would be a spoiler, so I’ll just leave it there.
... BLOGS/WEBSITES
When I
started out, I learned a lot from Wordplay (http://www.wordplayer.com/) a website created by Ted Elliot and
Terry Rossio. It’s aimed at
screenwriters, but there’s lots of useful information on character development
and the essentials of good storytelling.
Like a lot
of writers, I’m a bit of a research junkie.
I use hundreds of obscure blogs and websites to research weapons,
national foods, clothes, locations, local dialect, countless things. In addition to the less travelled paths,
there’s lots of good information available from big beasts like the CIA and
FBI. Both publish thousands of documents
on their websites. If you’re an author
or filmmaker, the FBI has a special liaison office to assist with research into
the Bureau or its work.
... WRITING TIPS
A writer’s
life tends towards solitude. If I didn’t
make a concerted effort, I’d happily live as a hermit. Beneath the bravado, I’m very shy, so much so
that I’m often queasy with nerves before social events. But I learned long ago that living to the
fullest and taking an interest in life is the best research. Talking to people, learning about the detail
of their lives, learning new skills, putting yourself in unusual, uncomfortable
or challenging situations, all of these things can add depth and realism to
one’s writing. Highlights from my many
reckless episodes include picking up hitchhikers, becoming a temporary guardian
to a pair of traveler children, impersonating a military official to travel
through security checkpoints in the Middle East, and spending a lot of time
with a number of serious organized criminals and at least two murderers, all of
which was nerve-wracking, but led to some creative nuggets.
... WRITING SNACKS
If I get up
to stretch my legs, I invariably find them leading me to the kitchen. Luckily I’ve figured out that if the snack
cupboard is bare, my weak will can’t betray me.
Roasted and salted pistachios are my snack kryptonite, so I can’t have
them in the house. The sedentary life of
a writer makes snacks the enemy, so my one daily indulgence is a cup of freshly
ground black coffee with a shot of double cream.
About ADAM HAMDY
Adam Hamdy is the author of the Pendulum trilogy, a series of conspiracy thriller novels. James Patterson described Pendulum as ‘one of the best thrillers
of the year’. Adam is currently adapting
Pendulum into an eight-part series
for Hardy, Son & Baker and NBC Universal.
Prior to becoming a writer, Adam was a strategy consultant
and advised global businesses in the medical systems, robotics, technology and
financial services sectors.
Find Adam Hamdy on his website and on Twitter - @adamhamdy
About FREEFALL
Publisher's description
James Patterson hailed Adam Hamdy's first PENDULUM novel as
'one of the best thrillers of the year'. The high-octane follow-up, FREEFALL,
is perfect for fans of Gregg Hurwitz's ORPHAN X and Terry Hayes' I AM PILGRIM,
with a story as unexpected as a sniper's bullet.
JOHN WALLACE IS A TARGET
Hiding off-grid after exposing the shadowy Pendulum
conspiracy, Wallace is horrified to discover he is still marked for death.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE HE CAN TRUST
DI Patrick Bailey is still reeling from the murder
investigation that nearly cost him his life.
FBI Agent Christine Ash is hunting a serial killer with a
link to an unfinished case
HE MUST FIND THE TRUTH
The death of a London journalist triggers an investigation
that brings them back together, hurling them into the path of an unknown enemy.
BEFORE THE KILLER FINDS HIM
Hunted across the world, they are plunged into a nightmare
deadlier than they could have ever imagined.
Freefall was published by Headline on 2 November 2017.
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