Dark Waters by Mary-Jane Riley #BlogTour #Q&A

DARK WATERS 

by Mary-Jane Riley

It begins with a macabre discovery on board a pleasure cruiser on the beautiful Norfolk Broads – the decomposing bodies of two elderly men. It appears the dead men did not know each other and police suspect an internet suicide pact.

But journalist Alex Devlin’s search for the truth reveals a darker story. She finds a connection between the two men and possible links to other unexplained deaths.

As she investigates further, the stakes rise and her own family becomes embroiled in the mystery. Her inquiries lead her to the University of Cambridge. Could the roots of the puzzle lie there with a tragedy that unfolded amongst a group of carefree students many years before?

Long-buried secrets come to the surface and Alex’s life and the lives of her family are on the line. As the past and the present collide, Alex questions everything she thinks she knows about those she loves.

DARK WATERS is the third crime thriller from Mary-Jane Riley in the Alex Devlin series. 

DARK WATERS BLOG TOUR

I am thrilled to welcome Mary-Jane Riley to my blog today and delighted that she has had the time to answer some of my questions! Welcome Mary-Jane! 

Can you tell me a little bit about the story of Dark Waters?

Dark Waters is the third in my series featuring investigative journalist, Alex Devlin and it’s probably her most challenging story yet. She begins to look into the deaths of two men on a holiday boat on the Norfolk Broads – they have apparently both taken their own lives. Alex begins to probe the deaths further and starts digging into the men’s backgrounds. But her investigation soon leads her to a much darker mystery, and one that is closer to home than she could ever have imagined, The lives of those she loves will be put in terrible danger.

Which three adjectives would you use to describe your main character, Alex?

Tenacious, caring, principled (but she has got a sense of humour too!).

This novel deals with suicide forums. What were the challenges about writing and researching this topic?

When I was a journalist I wrote about a couple who had killed themselves with a noxious gas in a locked car. The car was found down a no-through road. They had met on a suicide forum, so I knew such things existed. For this book I looked several up online - it was quite distressing to realise how easy it was to find a forum and to access the posts. And the posts were heartfelt and extraordinarily sad. To be fair, at the same time I came across plenty of Google pages for charities to help people who wanted to end their lives, including the Samaritans. However, I wanted to highlight the existence of these forums, although of course I could be alerting vulnerable people to them. But on balance I believe this sort of thing should be out in the open ...the more we know, the more chance we have to do something about it. I hope that makes sense....

This is the third book in a series.  Did you always plan to write a series?

No! But I realised I rather liked Alex and I wanted to see where life would take her, how her romantic entanglements would pan out and how she would cope as a single parent with a growing son.

How has writing this book been different from books one and two?

That’s an interesting one. I think it has been the most difficult, but I’m not totally sure why. Maybe because a couple of the themes are close to home, or perhaps because it took me a while to get a grasp on the order of things. But I think it may be the most satisfying one I have written to date.

What does your writing day look like? Do you have any rituals or a set place and time to write? What do you do if you need some inspiration or reach a plot hole?

I wish I could say I have a very ordered writing day! The trouble is, I have the attention span of a gnat so am very easily distracted. I am lucky that I have a spare room upstairs in which to write (though my eldest son has never quite got over the fact that he hasn’t got his own room in our new-ish house – he has left home, by the way!) I usually write and delete for about an hour before getting a cup of coffee. Then the same again. I’m also up and down taking my dogs for a walk – we don’t have a big garden but it does lead out onto a glorious Common – and the dogs, in fact, are great to talk to about my books as they never cast doubt on my ideas! And I do find walking clears the head and can solve problems and provide inspiration. Actually, I do find talking through a plot problem with my husband really useful, not because he always has the answer (though he does sometimes) but because talking about it can unravel it.

Your stories are always set in East Anglia. What do you love about the area and why did you decide to set your books there?

Oh my word, I have lived here for many years now. We came up with my husband’s job, intending to stay for two years. But we have never left. I love the wide expressive skies, the open spaces, the fresh, tingling air, the lack of cars and, where I live, the lack of streetlights. It’s an area that has different landscapes too, from the flat, sandy beaches, to the eroding cliffs, to the heathlands and the forests. The people are friendly and kind and there is no place I would rather be, and no place I would rather write about.

I read your books because I was on holiday in Norfolk and thought it would be fun to read something set in the same area. What did you last read on your holiday and why did you pick it as your holiday read?

Ha! I read voraciously on holiday and the invention of the kindle changed my packing for holiday life! I take about fifteen books for a week with me.... I’m lucky that both me and my husband like lazing around on a beach reading. So, to answer your question, sort of, I would have taken the latest crime books and a couple of sagas.

Have you ever thought about who might play your characters if the novels were adapted to the screen?

Now that would be lovely wouldn’t it! I think Joanne Froggatt would be good for Alex – I always feel the characters she plays have a world-weariness about them which I like, and she also seems to have tenacity and drive. I particularly liked her in the miniseries, Liar. Malone - definitely Kit Harrington.... those dark curls and the twinkle in his eye get me every time!

Are you working on anything at the moment?

Yes. My lips are sealed.

(Well that's a bit mean!!) 

Have you got a top book recommendation for 2018?

There are so many good books around at the moment, and so many coming out this year. One book I’m very much looking forward to reading is Sabine Durrant’s new one, Take Me In. I absolutely loved Lie With Me - a book I did take to Greece to read - I thought it was beautifully constructed. I have also just finished reading Hell Bay by Kate Rhodes - it’s a crime book set on the Scilly Islands, and she writes the most beautiful prose and her sense of place is exceptional. If you haven’t already, do check it out.

I absolutely will do - sounds right up my street! Thanks so much for the recommendations! 

And thanks so much for a fantastic interview! It's so lovely hearing more about Dark Waters and your writing life! Thanks so much for dropping by! And good luck with your new project....whatever it may be! 

DARK WATERS: MY REVIEW 

I'm a big fan of Mary-Jane Riley and loved The Bad Things which I highly recommend. I started reading Riley's books because they are set in Norfolk where I holiday at least twice a year and I love to read books set in that area. Last year I wrote a piece with Mary-Jane and the lovely Cleo Bannister as part of Cleo's Put a Book on the Map series which you can read here.

But enough about me! Let's get back to book three in the Alex Devlin series! 

Although this is book three, it can be read as a stand alone. There is an overriding story arc running through the novels but as with any good writer, Riley finds the perfect balance, making sure you are either filled in with any necessary back story or reminded of any key details you might need to know. However, I would recommend you went back to the first two books if you have a chance, as I really enjoyed meeting the characters again and seeing how Riley decided to continue to develop their story lines.

I think the thing I like the most about Dark Waters is Alex's character. She's a fantastic protagonist and, as I said, I was pleased to meet her again. As a journalist she has a determination to search out the truth and seek answers but without the restrictions or same protocol as a police officer. She's likeable, relatable, fallible, with enough emotional complication to make her interesting and engaging without becoming too contrived or pitiable. 

The location of the story is so precisely created that it is easy to feel as if you are in Norfolk, and then Cambridge when the story slips back to the 1970s. I really enjoyed the interweaving of a secondary thread from the past. It helped to add further intrigue and layers to the mystery as well as creating a good contrast with the very modern issues of the internet which are explored in the main story line, and secrets from the past.  

Riley's writing is very fluent and you'll find yourself swept along with this thrilling mystery very easily. There are plenty of characters - all well defined and significant - and plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing as the plot delves deeper, uncovering darker, more hidden, secrets.  

If you haven't met Alex Devlin yet then now is the time! I recommend you make a start with Dark Waters and treat yourself to a truly compelling crime thriller from an accomplished writer who certainly understands the genre and how to keep her readers turning the pages until they get to the very last line.

MARY-JANE RILEY

Mary-Jane wrote her first story on her newly acquired blue Petite typewriter. She was eight. It was about a gang of children who had adventures on mysterious islands, but she soon realised Enid Blyton had cornered that particular market. So she wrote about the Wild West instead. When she grew up she had to earn a living, and became a BBC radio talk show presenter and journalist. She has covered many life-affirming stories, but also some of the darkest events of the past two decades. Mary-Jane has three grown-up children and lives in Suffolk with her husband and two golden retrievers.

DARK WATERS is her third crime thriller featuring investigative journalist, Alex Devlin.