*Blog Tour* The Restless Dead by Simon Beckett

Today, I’m really excited to be a part of the blog tour for The Restless Dead by Simon Beckett. As part of the tour I have some exclusive author content from Simon talking about the Forensic research which goes into the successful David Hunter novels (big thanks to Simon for sharing). Pssst…don’t forget to check out all the other stops on this fabulous blog tour!

*Forensic Crime Writing by Simon Beckett*

Before I visited Tennessee’s renowned Body Farm in 2002, I’d never really given forensics much thought. I was making my living working as a freelance journalist, and although I’d already written several novels they were all psychological thrillers. So when I got off the plane into the humid Tennessee heat, I’d no idea that this trip would lead to my writing a long-running series about a forensic anthropologist.

I’d been commissioned to write about highly realistic crime scene training that was being held at the Body Farm, at the time the only facility in the world to use human cadavers to research decomposition. The course was aimed at providing practical forensic experience for US police officers and CSIs, and although the crime scenes they had to process were carefully staged, the bodies used in them were very real.

On the last day, I was given a pair of white overalls by an instructor and cheerfully told to help excavate a grave containing a body buried six months earlier. It was a surreal experience, and I came away both affected and impressed by what I’d seen. It also provided the inspiration for The Chemistry of Death, the first in my series about British forensic anthropologist David Hunter. A specialist in analysing badly decomposed, burnt or damaged human remains, Hunter is an emotionally wounded narrator through whose eyes we see this grimly esoteric world. It’s therefore vital for him to know what he’s talking about. Which means I have to know what he’s talking about as well.

Since I’m not a forensic expert that boils down to background research. A lot of it. The internet has made accessibility to information easier than ever, providing it’s used selectively, and I’ve also acquired a respectable collection of forensic text books. But whenever possible I prefer to consult a real-life expert, whose knowledge is based on actual experience. If I want insight into, say, the effect of fire on human bone, then I’ll ask a forensic anthropologist who has carried out work in that field. It’s the same for other factual aspects of the stories, whether it’s police procedure, rare neurological conditions or caving: if you don’t know something, find someone who does.

Occasionally my requests for help have been declined, which I can perfectly understand. I’m not sure how I’d feel if a completely stranger wanted to pick my brains either. However, most experts I approach have been happy to assist, and seem to enjoy puzzling over the sometimes-bizarre questions I throw at them. For which I am immensely grateful, since it contributes a degree of authenticity to the books it would otherwise be hard to achieve.

Obviously, this sort of relationship shouldn’t be abused: these are busy, professional people, and I try to keep my questions short and to the point. But gathering the information is only part of it: the real work for the writer comes with integrating it successfully into the narrative. The temptation is to include all those arcane details you’ve so painstakingly discovered, but that’s a mistake. Fascinating as they may be, it’s important to remember that they’re meant to inform and support the story, not overwhelm it.

Working as a feature journalist helped, since that typically involved writing with authority on unfamiliar subjects, as well as presenting often complex information in a concise and readable way. On occasion that led to misunderstandings: after one magazine article about how to cook the perfect chip (journalism isn’t all trips to Tennessee) I received several interview requests myself, as though I were the expert rather than the chefs I’d spoken to.

But that’s a sign you’ve done your job as a writer. When someone picks up a David Hunter novel, I want them to believe he really is a forensic expert, talking about what he knows best. The research itself is only a part of that.

So now for the Blurb:

‘Composed of over sixty per cent water itself, a human body isn’t naturally buoyant. It will float only for as long as there is air in its lungs, before gradually sinking to the bottom as the air seeps out. If the water is very cold or deep, it will remain there, undergoing a slow, dark dissolution that can take years. But if the water is warm enough for bacteria to feed and multiply, then it will continue to decompose. Gases will build up in the intestines, increasing the body’s buoyancy until it floats again.
And the dead will literally rise . . . ‘

Once one of the country’s most respected forensics experts, Dr David Hunter is facing an uncertain professional – and personal – future. So when he gets a call from Essex police, he’s eager for the chance to assist them.

A badly decomposed body has been found in a desolate area of tidal mudflats and saltmarsh called the Backwaters. Under pressure to close the case, the police want Hunter to help with the recovery and identification.

It’s thought the remains are those of Leo Villiers, the son of a prominent businessman who vanished weeks ago. To complicate matters, it was rumoured that Villiers was having an affair with a local woman. And she too is missing.

But Hunter has his doubts about the identity. He knows the condition of the unrecognizable body could hide a multitude of sins. Then more remains are discovered – and these remote wetlands begin to give up their secrets . . .

About the author:

After an MA in English, Simon Beckett spent several years as a property repairer before teaching in Spain. Back in the UK, he played percussion in several bands and worked as a freelance journalist, writing for national British newspapers and magazines. Some of his more memorable assignments included going on police drugs raids, touring brothels with a vice unit and trying to learn how to win a gun fight in Nevada.

To buy this from Amazon just click here

To buy this from Waterstones click here.

To find out more about Simon Beckett follow him on Twitter @BeckettSimon or check out his website here.

*Blog Tour* The Special Girls by Isabelle Grey

Today I’m delighted to host the next stop on the #BlogTour for The Special Girls written by Isabelle Grey and published by Quercus. Don’t forget to check out all the other fabulous stop on this tour!

The Blurb:

They are called the ‘special girls’. How are they special and why were they chosen? Historical child sex abuse is linked to the murder of a young doctor.

A doctor is found beaten to death in woods close to a summer camp for young women with eating disorders. The camp is run by the charismatic Professor Chesham. DI Grace Fisher is called in, but is quickly pulled from the investigation – to head up a cold case inquiry involving Chesham himself.

Some years earlier, one of Chesham’s patients made allegations that he sexually assaulted her.

As Grace uncovers the lies that led to the doctor’s murder, she discovers the full extent of the damage done to the special girls – and the danger they are still in.

This is the third novel in the DI Grace Fisher series which sees Grace investigating the murder of Tim Merrick who was beaten to death, he was a psychiatrist who worked with Professor Ned Chesham  with vulnerable teenage girls who suffer with eating disorders. As Grace starts to delve she finds no clues to the culprit but before she can get too comfy she is pulled from the case to look into an old police enquiry which looked into an allegation of child sex abuse against Professor Chesham.

This is the third novel in the DI Grace Fisher series which sees Grace investigating the murder of Tim Merrick who has been beaten to death, he was a psychiatrist who worked with Professor Ned Chesham helping vulnerable teenage girls who suffer with eating disorders. As Grace starts to delve into the case she finds no clues to the culprit but before she can get too comfy, she is pulled from the case to look into an old police enquiry which looked into an allegation of child sex abuse against Professor Chesham.

I really enjoyed this novel which has a solid and compelling narrative with very believable characters.

First of, I loved the setting of Wryford Hall, an old stately home with a big wooded area where the summer camp is held yearly and where Tim Merrick is found murdered in the opening passages; it is remote and just downright creepy.

I also liked characters in this novel which were all well-rounded who I cared about causing me to read on. I especially loved the main protagonist, Grace Fisher a courageous DI who will do everything in her power to uncover the truth.

There is not much violence in this novel but it does tackle some very dark, controversial themes of historic child sex abuse cases where abusers are figures with political or celebrity status and police cover ups, which are in fact very contemporary issues at the moment and made for a gripping and refreshing read. The content is very emotive and at times just harrowing which the author does a fantastic job of sustaining sympathy for the victims in this case and keeping that emotion at the forefront for the reader.

In this novel it really showed how much the author had done her research into police procedures and forensics which trickled throughout the narrative, giving it a very authentic and believable feel. I thought the writing style was very easy and the story just gripped me from the very start. The investigation has a solid narrative which picked up pace and ramped up the tension with Grace’s career in jeopardy.

If you like police procedurals with a sensitive subject, which I thought the author handled very well, than this is definitely one for you!

Big thanks to Quercus books for my advanced review copy.

This novel isn’t published until 6th April but the good news is you can preorder this from Amazon now just click here.

To preorder this from Waterstones click here.

To find out more about Isabelle Grey follow her on Twitter at  @IsabelleGrey ‏.