A Deathly Silence by Jane Isaac

About the Book

When the mutilated body of a police officer is found in a derelict factory, the Hamptonshire police force is shocked to the core.

DCI Helen Lavery returns from injury leave and is immediately plunged into an investigation like no other. Is this a random attack or is someone targeting the force? Organised crime groups or a lone killer?

As the net draws in, Helen finds the truth lies closer than she could have imagined, and trusts no one.

But Helen is facing a twisted killer who will stop at nothing to ensure their secrets remain hidden. And time is running out...

A gripping thriller perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, S.J. Watson, B A Paris and Sophie Hannah

Title: A Deathly Silence

Author:  Jane Isaac

Published By: Legend Press

Publication Date: 15th October 2019

Links: 

UK:  Amazon           US:   Amazon

Waterstones

WHSmith

Author Q and A with Jane Isaac

Welcome to Sincerely Book Angels blog. 
Thank you so much for inviting me onto your blog, it’s lovely to be here!


What was the inspiration behind A Deathly Silence? 
Police officers face more than their fair share of trauma and tragedy in their careers. With A Deathly Silence I wanted to explore how it would feel for an officer to face murder within their own family and how they’d react. The narrative is partly told through the eyes of Detective Chief Inspector Helen Lavery who is investigating the crime, and partly through the eyes of PC Blane O’Donnell whose wife, also a cop, is found brutally murdered in a disused warehouse.

Did you always want to be a writer? 
Not at all. I’ve always been a big reader and a perennial student – interested in everything, which is pretty important for a novelist because of all the research involved. I’ve taken an eclectic mix of different courses over the years including law, sociology, sign language and pottery! It was a creative writing course that introduced me to the world of writing fiction in my late thirties.


What other jobs have you had? 
I was a Civil Servant for the first eighteen years of my working life, and then left to take a job as a part time buyer for an engineering company which I balanced with working on my books. I’ve been writing full time for almost three years now.


How did it feel when your first novel was published?
It was a very special moment. It’s so difficult to attract an agent and a publisher; many of us authors have had long and rocky roads to publication. I feel privileged now to be able to do something I enjoy for a living.


Can you please tell us a little about your publishing story. 
Although I found an agent fairly quickly, they struggled to find a publisher for my first novel and eventually it was released in the US by a small publisher in 2012. Luckily it was nominated for an award and I was able to sign with London based Legend Press with my second offering. Legend have gone on to publish many of my subsequent books.


What other books have you written? 
I have written three books in the DI Will Jackman series, set in Stratford-upon-Avon: Before It’s Too Late, Beneath the Ashes and The Lies Within. Two books in the DC Beth Chamberlain (Family Liaison Officer) series: After He’s Gone and Presumed Guilty.

A Deathly Silence marks the third in my DCI Helen Lavery series, following An Unfamiliar Murder (my debut) and The Truth Will Out.


Have you ever had writer's block? 
Yes, I get little blind spots in my writing all the time. Sometimes, I can’t think how to create a scene, or effect a particular twist in the story. Occasionally, I know how I want a scene to start and finish, but not how it will play out.


If so how did you overcome it?
Usually, I’ll spend a day researching, or I travel out to a location to get a feel for the place. If that doesn’t stimulate the creative juices then I’ll take a few days out and read someone else’s work. Our brains live with our plotlines and characters constantly. Occasionally, mine decides it needs a rest😊


What motivates you to keep writing?
I love the twists and turns of a good mystery and it’s such a buzz working through it all and bringing it to the page. Plus, readers are so lovely and supportive, I always find their messages very motivational.


Where is your favourite place to write? (can we please have a picture)

This is my writing room, it’s very functional. In reality, as long as I have a laptop or a notebook, I can write anywhere.

Do your characters moods ever affect your mood and vice versa? 
I’m not sure their moods have a lasting effect on me but I do feel I have to get ‘into character’, to feel what they feel, in order to bring it to the page. If I’m writing a sad scene, it’s not unusual for me to cry though I am able to detach and the feelings don’t continue afterwards.


What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Read as much as you can in and around the genre you are interested in. Write something every day, even if it’s a diary entry or just a few lines of narrative. And have fun. Publishing is a tough business, it’s important to enjoy the process of creating your work.


Which authors inspire you?
Goodness, there are so many! I particularly like the early Nicci French psychological thrillers and the police procedural series by Linda Castillo which is based in the Amish community in the US.


What are you reading at the moment?
The Fear Within by J S Law and it’s gripping!


If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits?
Every Breath You Take by The Police


Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of your book? 
I would love to see Helen Baxendale play DCI Helen Lavery. I can really picture her in the role.


What is your next book about? 
I’m just putting the finishing touches to the third book in my DC Beth Chamberlain, Family Liaison Officer series, due for publication next year, where a body has been buried in concrete. Concrete has preserving properties, so it makes for a very interesting mystery!


Thank you so much for joining us on our blog today and good luck with the book.
Thank you, that’s so kind!

Sincerely 

Book Angel x

About the Author

Jane Isaac studied creative writing with the Writers Bureau and the London School of Journalism. Jane’s short stories have appeared in several crime fiction anthologies. Her debut novel, An Unfamiliar Murder, was published in the US in 2012, and was followed by three novels with Legend Press: The Truth Will Out in 2014, Before It’s Too Late in 2015, and Beneath the Ashes in 2016.

Jane lives in rural Northamptonshire with her husband, daughter and dog, Bollo.

Visit Jane at janeisaac.co.uk or on Twitter @JaneIsaacAuthor

Follow the rest of the blog tour here...