Virginia Andrews – I first read Flowers in the Attic when I was fourteen. It was my first ‘dark’ read and it was certainly dark! When my own daughter reached that age, I decided there was no way she’d be reading it! Although I thoroughly enjoyed the series, it was My Sweet Audrina (a standalone novel) that captivated me the most. It’s been well over thirty years since I read it but I still remember the power and drama of the truth being revealed. I’m not sure if I can ever recreate that feeling in my own writing but it’s definitely something to aim for.
Patricia Cornwell – Postmortem is my favourite Crime book ever. As it’s at the beginning of the Kay Scarpetta series, I think it’s more plot driven than character. And what a plot! There appears to be no pattern with the killer striking at random. Yet when the twist is revealed, it’s simple but so, so clever. We’re just finding out about Kay Scarpetta but already the stage is set for an extraordinary female protagonist. This was the book that made me want to read more Crime and more importantly, write it.
Colin Dexter – I first encountered Inspector Morse on television with John Thaw playing the grumpy, opera loving, beer drinking, crossword solver and failed Oxford student. When I read the books I discovered he was even grumpier! But equally as loveable and I always felt sad he’d remained a bachelor. Colin Dexter is the master of ingenious plots and just when you think you’ve got it, he whips you round in another direction. This would come across clearly on the TV programme. If there were still ten minutes to go, then Morse hadn’t yet caught the right culprit. The best thing though was that Colin Dexter always had a cameo role in each episode and this continued with the spin off series for Lewis and Endeavour. After his death, there was an episode of Endeavour that featured a poster for a retirement party for Inspector C. Dexter, with his photo. It was a very sweet tribute to such a brilliant writer.
Kate Atkinson – although Postmortem is my favourite Crime book, my favourite novel ever is Life After Life. It’s such a clever story but not in a pretentious way. I would love to know how Kate Atkinson plotted it because it’s so intricate. It’s a book you could read again and again and spot new things each time. However, my favourite Kate Atkinson character is Jackson Brodie. There are five books in the series, starting with Case Histories. Former soldier and police officer, he’s a reluctant private investigator but needs must. He’s another grumpy but loveable rogue, helped enormously by Jason Isaacs playing him in the TV adaptation. With all her books, I find that the plots are like a set of Russian dolls. You take the top half off the biggest one and keep going, wondering if you’ll ever come to the end. Just marvellous.
William Shaw – William Shaw is my current favourite police procedural writer. Like my main protagonist, DS Alex Cupidi is a former Met officer who’s transferred to a different force, in this case, Kent, in south east England. It’s an interesting setting with a mix of seaside resorts and ports, picturesque country villages, the most important cathedral in England and major towns. The most interesting location of all though is Dungeness, where DS Alex Cupidi lives. Part of Romney Marsh, it’s on the coast. As well as being home to many birds, it’s also home to a nuclear power station and the Dungeness Estate is now owned by EDF Energy. It’s a bleak but unique place that William Shaw brilliantly brings to life in his books.
Joy Kluver has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. More recently she’s been escaping the madness of motherhood by turning her hand to crime novels. A book blogger, she’s also part of the First Monday Crime team and if you’ve been to any of their events it’s likely you’ve eaten one of her cookies. She also organises author talks for her local library. Joy lives in SW London with her husband and three children. Joy is represented by Anne Williams at the Kate Horden Literary Agency.
