Wednesday 24 October 2018

BEST OF CRIME with Mel Sherratt

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 




Today I'm delighted to welcome 

MEL SHERRATT

for her Hush Hush blog tour

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...




... AUTHORS
At the moment, it’s Cara Hunter. She has two books out in a series, and a third on its way that I have read too, as an early copy. She writes police procedurals. I find her style so energetic, raw and her storylines and plots so fast and furious that I can’t turn the pages quick enough. Her main character, DI Adam Fawley, reminds me so much of David Tennant in Broadchurch that I almost imagine it is him as I read.


... FILMS/MOVIES
Seven is one of my all-time favourites as I find it so cleverly plotted, dark and disgusting and yet compelling at the same time. Morgan Freeman is one of my favourite actors too. 

The first time I watched it, I had no idea what was going on, and then when it all became clear, I thought it was so clever. So much so that I used the same method for one of my novels – can’t tell you which one though!


... TV DRAMAS
Line of Duty. Although there is a huge amount of poetic license in the procedural element of the plot that has me shouting at the TV a fair amount of times, this is a show that is built on fantastic recurring characters, and a sense of being right there in the room in the investigation with them. I remember one scene being in the interview room for the whole hour and it was so tense. I was sitting on the edge of my seat. Vicky McClure is one of my favourite actresses too.


... FICTIONAL KILLERS
Bonnie and Clyde. A love story within with the violence. 


... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
I thoroughly enjoy the lead detectives in the series Unforgotten. Nicola Walker is a terrific actress and with her DI, I just love their ‘ordinariness.’ I pride myself in keeping my characters as ordinary as possible. They may have colourful backgrounds but they are nice to their colleagues and families. I like that sense of normality. As well, the emotion they bring to each show and then the ability to flip that to a one line of humour is great writing.  


... MURDER WEAPONS
That would have to be death by chocolate…
    

... DEATH SCENES
It has to be the shoot out at the end of Enemy of the State, where Will Smith is playing one crime family against another. The way he plays them both is just genius, and I love how he comes out of it after climbing under the table to hide. 
  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
Research for my novels is so varied that there is never the one, and always a few new ones with each subject I tackle. I tend to buy a lot of non-fiction books on each subject I write about too. 


... WRITING TIPS
I use a Twitter hashtag #keeponkeepingon so I guess that would be my writing tip. It’s so easy to get carried away in the first few happy chapters as we get to know our characters. Then comes the middle muddle and often that’s where writers stop because they have lost the momentum, and the faith to see it through to the end. My advice would be to carry on – write a ‘dirty’ first draft that no one will see. Once the words are down, they can always be edited. No one can edit a blank page. 


... WRITING SNACKS
Coffee and a biscuit. Any biscuit will do, but cake is much better. 


About MEL SHERRATT
Mel Sherratt is the author of ten novels, all of which have become bestsellers. In 2017, she was named as one of her home town of Stoke-on-Trent’s top 100 influential people.
She lives in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with her husband and terrier, Dexter.

Find Mel Sherratt on her website, on her Facebook page and on Twitter - @writermels


About HUSH HUSH



Publisher's description
A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.
All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.
To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?


Hush Hush was published by Avon in paperback on 18 October 2018.


Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

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