My Life of Crime: by N. M. Brown author of The Girl on the Bus and his most recent Toys In The Dust (available for pre-order now)
Having grown up in Central Scotland, he studied English at Stirling University, where he began penning poetry, drama scripts and short stories. However, his real commitment to writing resulted from spending a snowy winter attending some fireside writing workshops in Perth.
More recently, Norman’s love of crime fiction led him to create the weary detective Leighton Jones. Having based his debut novel for Bloodhound Books- The Girl on the Bus- around this character, Norman felt so intrigued by him that he decided to give Jones at least two more outings. Carpenter Road the second novel featuring Leighton was be published in June 2018 to critical acclaim, and Toys in the Dust is due for release in March 2019.
Aside from his family, Norman’s other passion is cooking, which may explain why culinary elements always seem to creep out of his kitchen and into his stories.
So let's crack on and find out all there is to know about NM Brown's My Life of Crime
Two books that have influenced me
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Despite
the terrible oil painting book covers, this is one of the most engaging books
ever. It fuses genres and has provided the blueprint for many modern novels. Almost
all of the traditional plot lines are evident here - especially the hero’s
journey. The depiction in the opening chapter of the poor orphan tending to his
parents gravestones, being confronted by a mud-caked convict is amongst the
best I’ve ever read. I defy anyone to read those first pages, and then put the
book down.
But perhaps the most engaging aspect was the
convict’s description of the other young man hidden with him who can creep
through your bedroom window ‘that young man has a secret way of getting at a
boy, and at his heart, and at his liver...’
I can see this character reflected in my own
writing. His DNA has been inherited down through the centuries and can be found
even in my current antagonist - the stranger- from Toys in the Dust.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Although I
have always enjoyed crime fiction, this was a novel that really flipped the
genre for me. The story is told from the perspective of the murder victim-
after she has been killed. The opening
line is the perfect hook (pardon the fish pun): ‘My name was Salmon, like the
fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6,
1973’. The thing I found most intriguing was the shift in perspective from
focusing on the actual crime, to exploring the emotional damage that Susie’s
death had on those close to her. However, the vivid depiction of her murderer -
hidden in plain sight - was another influence on my own crime novels where the
danger may come from the most innocuous people.
Two Songs
Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen. To me
Springsteen is an American storyteller, and I could have chosen any number of
songs that showcase his ability to
create credible characters living on the fringes of society and yearning for
something better, but this song - and the album of the same name - uses the
fairground to explore the idea of love and all the thrills, fears and illusions
that romance brings.
Fairgrounds have also always fascinated me and I
love how they feature in works by Ray Bradbury and Stephen King - films like
The Lost Boys - and songs by artists like Dire Straits.
In terms of influence on my writing, you will
see the rocky relationship of Springsteen’s song reflected in Leighton’s
relationships, which are complex and often unfulfilled, and yet there is always
the promise of something more.
Exit by U2. As a teenager I spent little time in
school. Preferring instead to bunk off with to the local reservoir with a
packet of cigarettes and a Stephen King paperback - ironic or karmic given my
current role as a teacher. Anyway, the one area I did enjoy was playing drums
in a band. It was a messy haphazard affair but we enjoyed playing local gigs
for our peers. One of the best gigs was in our school hall where we opened by
playing a cover version of this track. At the time, U2 were embracing Americana
so the song brought a little bit of that warm foreign land to our dark wee
hall. I associate this track with that time of my life, on the cusp of
adulthood, but also with the dusty landscape in which my novels are set.
Two Films/TV Dramas/plays that influenced me
Bosch - Amazon. Without a doubt, this series is
most influential on my own writing. Titus Welliver brings something to the
character of Harry Bosch that I never found in the novels. He reveals a
humanity and pathos in the character, which underpins his decisions. Harry is a
tough cop, and that toughness is
partnered with a clear moral code, but I’m equally impressed by his
attempts to maintain a relationship with his daughter. The show explores Harry’s life beyond the
cases of Hollywood Division, and consequently we see him as a fully realised
character with flaws, fears and regrets just like the rest of us. This is something
I have brought to my own depiction of detective Leighton Jones, who I hope is a
fully realised character with hopes and fears.
Macbeth by Shakespeare. My favourite drama. This
is full of gothic elements - murder, madness, ghosts and passion. It forces the
audience to sympathise with Macbeth as he attempts to gain more in life, and
loses everything. It is without doubt the single most influential piece of
drama on the gothic genre- everything from Dracula to Scooby Doo owe a debt to
Macbeth.
Whilst I don’t consciously think about Macbeth
as I write, I’m certain that aspects of this powerful story echo through the
darker scenes of my own novels.
Two People
Peter Paterson was my high school English
teacher. Despite being a bit of a misfit in school (see previous comments) I
attended almost all of my English classes. This was mainly due to my teacher
-an educated, humble and good humoured man who nurtured any creativity he found
in his pupils. He was a man who remembered how it felt to be a child, and this
made him an excellent and empathic teacher. Without doubt Peter influenced my
choice of career and I was fortunate enough to work alongside him for a number
of years.
Stephen King. His work has always represented
the best type of storytelling. He often writes in casual
conversational tone
that draws you in. As a teenager I would often ride buses with a battered
paperback for entertainment. Back then it was all about the thrill of the
supernatural,- and I still hate clowns-
but over the years I have been increasingly appreciative of his non-horror
novels. The Body and Joyland are my favourites, perhaps because they both
explore the idea of growing up and facing loss, but they are also nostalgic
depictions of summer days, walking along railroad tracks and, of course, a
fairground.
Of course, one of the best things about King is
the origin of his first novel Carrie- written on the toilet of a trailer and
thrown in the trash, until his wife rescued it. Stephen King made it possible
for any of us to become writers.
I remember getting a couple of reviews for The
Girl on the Bus that compared my style to King’s. I can’t remember if that was
meant as a criticism but I took it as a complement.
Two seven-year-old girls, Tina and Suzy, are
playing in a dusty creek when a stranger appears and strikes up a conversation.
He is sad that he doesn’t have a doll to play with, like the girls do, so Suzy
hurries home to fetch one. When she returns, Suzy discovers both Tina and the
stranger have vanished.
A short while later, traffic officer Leighton
Jones, who is fighting his own demons, is driving home from the scene of a
near-fatal accident. When Leighton sees a young girl race out in front of his
car and vanish into the countryside, he reports the sighting. Unfortunately,
his superiors, who are increasingly concerned about Leighton’s mental health,
doubt the child exists.
But after Tina’s mother confirms her daughter’s
disappearance, Leighton risks his job by pursuing his own investigation of the
case.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Californian
countryside, a child killer is relentlessly searching for the one who got away.
Leighton has his work cut out. Can he prove his
sanity and find Tina before the stranger does?
Social Media:
@normthewriter
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