My Life of Crime by A. M. Peacock (Adam) Find out what his literary, cinematic, musical influences are and more!
A.M. Peacock grew up in the North East of England before leaving to study for a degree in music technology at the University of Hull. A subsequent return to his hometown of South Shields saw him spend seven years as a teacher in a local college before changing careers to become a trade union official.
Having always been an avid reader, he took to writing after being encouraged to do so by his PGCE tutor. He has since gone on to produce a number of short stories, winning the Writers’ Forum Magazine competition on two occasions, as well as producing articles for both the local press and a university magazine.
A.M. Peacock is passionate about crime fiction and his debut novel, Open Grave, is the first in what he hopes will become a series of DCI Jack Lambert books.
Away from writing, A.M. Peacock enjoys watching films, playing guitar and can often be found pavement pounding in preparation for the odd half marathon.
Two books that influenced Adam:
1984 by George Orwell:
Alongside my writing, I also
work as a trade union official. With that in mind, I am quite
politically-minded so reading this particular book really blew me away. I have
a soft spot for anything dystopian, and I hope to one day write a dystopian
novel myself. The world that Orwell creates is both vivid and harrowing. It’s a
book I often think about and I believe that is the sign of a great read. The
fact that parallels can be drawn between the world Orwell imagined and the one
we now live is, quite frankly, the stuff of nightmares.
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo:
I am a huge fan of Jo Nesbo and
reading his Harry Hole series is what made me want to get into crime writing.
In many ways, Harry is a typical detective—depressive, a big drinker, and a
loner. However, I find myself fascinated by the man Nesbo has created and I am
invested in the ups and downs of his life throughout the series. The atmosphere
Nesbo creates in his books is also fantastic, with Scandinavia providing a
great setting for this. Please note: these books aren’t for the faint-hearted,
Jo Nesbo has a rather sadistic imagination when it comes to killers!
Two Songs that influenced Adam:
Time of your Life by Green Day:
I used to play in a band when I
was younger and this was one of the first songs I learned to play on the
guitar. It’s such a powerful, understated tune, something unusual for a band more
known for their distorted guitar riffs. It reminds me of being in school, a
more carefree time in life, and is also the song I played when I won a talent
competition whilst on a Haven Holiday when I was fifteen!
Waltz #2 by Elliott Smith
Another acoustic track! Although
a big fan of rock music, I do love a melancholy tune. I’m a fan of most of
Elliott Smith’s stuff but this particular track really stands out to me. The
line: ‘I’m never gonna know you now but I’m gonna love you anyhow,’ is such a
powerful line and it gets me every time. Knowing that he committed suicide
gives an added poignancy to his music as you can sense the sadness in all of
his songs.
Two Films that
influenced Adam
Pride:
This film, based on the true
story of miners’ strikes of the 1980s, is a wonderful piece of cinema. The
acting is fantastic, the cause is a just one, and the music in the film is
absolutely superb. It makes me proud to work for a trade union. The sense of camaraderie
you get between what would appear to be such contrasting demographics is very
inspiring. I always recommend it to people!
Apart from the fact that Bill
Murray stars in this, Groundhog Day has such a positive message to it that I
cannot help but feel influenced by it. Murray’s character lives the same day
over and over again, and his misery is there for all to see at the start of the
film. However, the underlying message of learning to appreciate life and live
in the now is put across so well in this film that I find myself watching it on
a regular basis and it always cheers me up.
Two People (famous or not, fictional or real- it’s entirely up to you) that influenced your life and explain why:
Jeremy Corbyn:
I began a teaching career in
2009, just as the coalition government came into power. During the seven years
that I spent teaching, I was privy to the devastation that funding cuts had on
both the workplace and my wider community in the North East of England. As
things got progressively worse, I found myself bereft as there appeared to be
no alternative to the status quo. When Jeremy became the leader of the Labour
Party, I found myself inspired by many of his beliefs and the message he tried
to put across. Politics isn’t simple, it never is, but Jeremy Corbyn helped me
believe that there may be another way of doing things which puts the interests
of people above clinging to power. He’s taken a lot of flak for this, but I
still have hope.
Mark Hudson:
I am loathed to choose just one
teacher, as there are so many I could mention, but my former PGCE tutor, Mark,
has to have had one of the biggest influences on my life. It was his
encouragement and feedback that got me into writing some ten years ago. Without
his support it is highly unlikely that I would be here now, having had a novel
published. For that, I cannot thank him enough. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know
that this has happened for me, actually!
Also supply blurb from most recent novel, author
bio, author photo and book cover (date of Adam's debut novel Open Grave was released on 26th September
2018.
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| Available here |
DCI Jack Lambert is no stranger to inner demons,
having struggled with his own since the admission about his sexuality.
When two bodies are discovered in an open grave,
Lambert must put his personal worries aside and work the case. But when the
body of a local thug shows up on the banks of the River Tyne, the DCI’s
criminal past comes back to haunt him.
Meanwhile, a local celebrity singer claims that she
is being stalked. Could there be a link to the killings?
As the bodies start to pile up, Lambert realises
the motive lies in the past and that the killer is taunting them.
The clock is ticking. Can
he catch the murderer, or will one of their own end up in an open
grave?
Fascinating. Thanks for sharing, good luck.
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