Meet Jane Casey…..And Maeve Kerrigan.

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I have long been a fan of the Maeve Kerrigan series from Jane Casey (and indeed her other novels).  Today I thought I would tell you a bit more about them (review or two to follow) so I caught up with Jane, who is a lovely lady as well as a terrific writer and she kindly agreed to answer a few questions for me. Here is what she had to say.

 

Maeve as a character develops brilliantly over the course of the books. Does she tell you where she wants to go when you are writing?

When I started to write about Maeve I made her quite lacking in confidence and vulnerable but she was angry about being those things! She’s gained in confidence and experience as she’s weathered some of the horrible things I’ve thrown at her. She’s young so there’s room for her to grow and change in a way that an older character might not. Someone picked up on the fact that she’s getting much less abuse from her colleagues in the latest book, which is deliberate – she’s earned their respect and maybe intimidated a few of them along the way, even if she’s not quite popular yet. She still has plenty of issues to work through, though. It feels as if her development has been quite natural rather than a deliberate plan on my part, though. I do feel as if I’m in her company when I’m writing, rather than inventing her, if that doesn’t sound too mad.

 

Is it difficult, especially these days in a large crime fiction market, to come up with fresh mysteries?

It’s all about character for me, and telling a gripping story, not old-school mysteries where the way the murder was committed is as important as why it happened. In real life, murders tend to be fairly prosaic. My books are grounded in reality (probably the influence of my husband who is a criminal barrister and very critical of anything too far-fetched). Plots are absolutely key, of course, and I love changing direction so readers are surprised, but as long as the characters are original, the stories have a freshness to them even if they’re a reworking of good old Cain and Abel. Mind you, there is nothing worse than that thrill of fear when you read a back cover and think someone else has written your book before you did. Luckily it usually turns out to be very different indeed.

 

Which of the novels is your favourite and why?

I love THE RECKONING because it has a very twisty plot and introduces a lot of key characters who missed the first book, THE BURNING. It sets up a couple of long-running storylines too. But I really enjoyed writing THE STRANGER YOU KNOW, which probably shows. Letting Derwent off the lead is always fun.

 

Favourite character from the series?

It’s got to be Josh Derwent. I’m not just saying that because I know you’re a big fan… Generally, ‘bad’ characters are more entertaining than ‘good’ ones. He is such a great foil to Maeve – he goads her, and bullies her, and forces her to stand up to him. Their banter is so much fun to write. If she worked with someone who gently encouraged her she’d probably still be too scared to open her mouth, but Derwent makes her too angry to stay silent. I always make sure she gets the upper hand in the end, though. And I think it’s increasingly clear that there’s more to Derwent than being a loud-mouthed misogynist. I don’t really like to do single-note characters. Everyone is complicated; everyone has reasons for behaving the way they do. Every book gives another angle on the characters which is why I love series fiction – developing them over time is fascinating.

 

Dead or Alive pick 3 people to have a drink with and why

Alexander the Great, Charles Dickens and Gwyneth Paltrow. Alexander because he has always fascinated me – he was so young and yet such a great general, and he changed the ancient world in such a short space of time. Dickens because you could guarantee he’d be interesting, whether he was talking about writing or social campaigning. Mind you, I don’t think you’d get a word in once he started yapping. Gwyneth because my chances of meeting her are nil, and I find her fascinating. I don’t mind that she’s super-privileged and perfect; she keeps trying to tell us that that’s not the full story and she gets torn apart for it, which seems unfair… I would love to see the real her behind the image.

 

First thing (apart from the people!) you would rescue from a burning building

I’d gather up as many paintings as I could. Paintings are such a vulnerable art form – burn a picture and it’s gone for good. Books go on forever, as many a zealot has discovered. Burn them, ban them – they come back even stronger, like weeds.

 

Dogs or Cats?

I’ve always had cats, since I was three and brought home a stray tabby. My first cat was my companion growing up, and lived to be about 19 – she was very special. I have a black-and-white cat called Fred, who came from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home. He’s getting old and sleepy, poor thing, and competes with the computer for lap-time. My older son, who is almost four, likes to stroke him while saying, ‘When Fred dies, we can get a kitten/puppy/other pet.’ Fred does not appreciate this.

 

Find out more here: http://www.maevekerrigan.co.uk/

Follow Jane on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JaneCaseyAuthor

 

Thank you so much Jane! Now shall we take a look at a couple of the Kerrigan books? Recently while I was reading “The Stranger You Know” my good friend and close book buddy Hayley popped round for her usual perusal of my bookshelves before she embarked on the annual family holiday. Again as usual she asked me what I was reading. Upon telling her the response was “Why havent I read those?” then I got  the look.   Trust me when you get the look you jump to it, so I retrieved The Burning from its place and handed it over with a sheepish grin and tried to look innocent. I failed. When I received an excitable message from her later in the week telling me how much she had loved it, I thought hey, great…tell me why then I can tell you lovely readers. So first review from Hayley for the first novel, then my review for the most recent. Here we go…

 

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Hayley’s words. (and hey she hasnt even MET Derwent yet!)

Wow, I loved this book. I couldn’t put this one down until I had read through to the very end! Maeve is a very believable character and one I like a lot. Working on pretty much an all male police team looking for a serial killer, she works very hard to track down the killer. The twists and turns  this story took were fantastic and kept me gripped. I had to know if my theories were right, and if they weren’t how the heck would this one end! A mighty fine read, I look forward to more from this author and lead character!

Thanks Hayley – Yes yes I will find the others for you……

To purchase The Burning clickety click here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Burning-Maeve-Kerrigan-ebook/dp/B0049U48F0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376639968&sr=1-1&keywords=the+burning

 

 

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My review

So here we are at book 4, in a series I have loved from Jane Casey,  namely that of Maeve Kerrigan and more importantly (Sorry Maeve!) her sometime boss and sidekick the adorably unlikeable (but loveable) DCI Josh Derwent. This instalment finds Maeve and co on the track of a serial killer….However she is put in a difficult position when it becomes clear to her that the prime suspect is Derwent himself…

I adored this book for many reasons. Firstly the series main characters are all so very good, and much as I have a  crush on Derwent, Maeve is just as loveable – I especially like her ironic and plausible outlook on her own psyche and actions – often telling herself off as she dives head first into a situation she KNOWS she should avoid..and the way she tends to just fall into the people who are eventually going to become important to her and gives them pieces of her soul without even realising she is doing it. As someone who often has those “lightbulb” moments herself I can relate. As for Josh Derwent, well. He is difficult to describe..the best I can do. You know that silly game you play with friends called “Marry, Sleep with or Kill ?”…well in the book world Josh Derwent would be my answer to all three. Really. And he’s getting a bigger role in each novel…this one was, as described to me by the author “Wall to Wall Derwent” and that made me one happy reader. The aptly named Godley is also a treat as he tries to keep the unruly pair under control and the rest of the cast of unlikely and likely characters all add to the whole. The relationships developed amongst all the characters over the course of the novels is beautifully done – so much so that often the best bits don’t have anything to with their current mystery.

So that leads nicely on to talking about this particular mystery. It had some terrific twists and turns – and no I wasnt automatically sure during reading that my beloved Derwent wasnt a murderer…nor will you be until you read it yourself and find out. Is he? Is he not?  The current murders have their roots planted firmly in the past…and a death that Derwent was caught up in during his teenage years – in the telling of the tale you come to understand him and his motivations a lot more. I always enjoy a book where the past intrudes on the present and this one is a classic and brilliantly imagined example of that. So enjoy. You know you want to. What? Not met Maeve and more importantly (yes yes I know) Derwent (book 2 onwards)  before? Well you need to start with “The Burning”.

 

To purchase The Stranger You Know clickety click here. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Stranger-You-Know-ebook/dp/B00CQ1D5DU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376640039&sr=1-1&keywords=the+stranger+you+know+jane+casey

 

Also available

The Kerrigan Series

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Other novels

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Once again my Thanks to Jane Casey and to Hayley!

Happy Reading Folks!

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4 Responses to Meet Jane Casey…..And Maeve Kerrigan.

  1. Clare ryan says:

    PLEASE TELL ME THAT THERE WILL BE AN-OTHER MEAVE KERRIGAN BOOK? I JUST LOVED THE STRANGER YOU KNOW AND REALLY WANT ONE MORE BOOOK???????????

  2. Jim Hughes says:

    Anyone tell me when the next JaneCasek is due out?

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