David Leadbeater on The Vatican Secret

For me personally, The Vatican Secret is a brand new fusion of styles, involving deep historical research centred around the Vatican, the church and Christianity combined with the action-packed, fast-paced novels that I am used to writing. When I got my publishing deal with Harper Collins/Avon Publishing I knew that I wanted to produce a new series that involved historical research and exhilarating action. I have always had a notion running around my head – that there might actually be a Vatican Book of Secrets – and this seemed like the perfect time to build a story around that idea.

My earlier influences come straight from the books I read in my youth – stories written by the likes of Stephen King, Clive Cussler, Stephen Donaldson and Tolkien. I’m pleased to say that I always enjoyed reading a wide range of genres, which is most probably why I relish mixing writing themes to this day. My more recent influences come from absolutely everywhere… from the authors of fast-paced adventure novels to TV series, movies and everyday life. I am always on the lookout for a new idea and have been known whilst on a family outing to stop the car and park up just to get something down on paper. The same thing can happen in the dead of night. Sometimes I will just have to turn on the light and jot something down on the pad I keep by the side of the bed. I find that ideas gestate from ideas. You find a thread and pull on it, see in what direction it takes you.

Anything can fire my imagination, from a single sentence spoken by a fictional character or even a newsreader, to a scene witnessed in my local supermarket. But nothing is set in stone. Changes do happen during the writing process – for instance, at the onset of planning I never envisioned that The Vatican Secret or its sequel The Demon Code, would involve a secret society hell bent on taking down the Church. I feel these are the best moments – when an idea-swerve just develops out of nowhere or when the actions of a character take on a life of their own, sending you in a different direction to that which you originally intended. 

Although I have written fast-paced conspiracy thrillers before The Vatican Secret was a new venture for me in terms of pacing, depth and length. I had to find a way to keep the excitement ramped up over a longer period whilst at the same time weaving in a large amount of historical fact and fiction. The wonderful places we visit across the globe were inspiring to research and offered a resplendent backdrop to the story.

I love the action/adventure side of writing, and I love the research side. It’s two different styles working in tandem. Switching between the two helps keep the focus fresh. And more often than ever before, whilst researching this book I found myself hoping the description I just entered into Google didn’t get me into trouble!

For me, the characters are the beating heart of the book. Finding the right characters in Joe Mason and his new friends was an absolute must and, fortunately, I feel I was able to do that. The Vatican Secret is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller that takes our heroes around the globe, but it is also a heartfelt story of one man’s struggle to come to terms with the failures of his past, of re-learning to trust in the team dynamic and of awkward relationships that might just grow if properly fuelled. 

The Vatican Secret by David Leadbeater (HarperCollins) Out Now

An ancient relic. A deadly enemy. A secret he'll protect with his life... When ex-MI5 operative Joe Mason is sent to Rome to guard an elderly professor and his daughter, he thinks he's in for an easy ride. But on their first day in the Vatican secret archives, a masked assassin gains entry, shoots Joe's client in cold blood and steals an ancient manuscript. Giving chase, Joe can't imagine what could lie within those pages that would make someone willing to kill. The search for answers leads Joe and his comrades in a race against time, across continents and into treacherous mountains. Only they have a hope of rescuing the Vatican Book of Secrets before a centuries-old enemy can succeed in bringing Rome - and the world as we know it - crashing down..

You can find more information about his books on his website. You can find him on Twitter @dleadbeater2011 and on Facebook.

Books to Look Forward to from Avon (HarperCollins)

 June 2021

The Family Tree is by Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry. The DNA results are back. And there's a serial killer in her family tree... Liz Catalano is shocked when an ancestry kit reveals she's adopted. But she could never have imagined connecting with her unknown family would plunge her into an FBI investigation of a notorious serial killer... The Tri-State Killer has been abducting pairs of women for forty years, leaving no clues behind - only bodies. Can Liz figure out who the killer in her new family is? And can she save his newest victims before it's too late? 

July 2021

It was meant to be the perfect escape... Newly-weds Liam and Laura are spending their honeymoon in paradise: just the two of them on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. But they soon discover that all is not as it seems, and the island has a tragic past. And they can't shake the feeling of being watched... When one morning, they wake to find a message scratched into the window, their worst fears are confirmed. They aren't alone on the island. And this stranger wants them dead. ...but it became the perfect nightmare. The Stalker is by Sarah Alderson.

Ask No Questions is by Claire Allan. Twenty-five years ago, on Halloween night, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing while out trick or treating with friends. Her body was found three days later, floating face down, on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates. It was a crime that rocked Derry to the core. Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating - but someone doesn't want her to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem. But will she expose what really happened that night before it's too late?

August 2021

Stolen is by Tess Stimston. You thought she was safe. You were wrong...Alex knows her daughter would never wander off in a strange place. So when her three-year-old vanishes from an idyllic beach wedding, Alex immediately believes the worst. The hunt for Lottie quickly becomes a world-wide search, but it's not long before suspicion falls on her mother. Why wasn't she watching Lottie? Alex knows she's not perfect, but she loves her child. And with all eyes on her, Alex fears they'll never uncover the truth unless she takes matters into her own hands. Who took Lottie Martini? And will she ever come home?

She had a perfect marriage until her mother-in-law moved in. Saffron vowed to love Miles no matter what life threw at them both. But when her mother-in-law moves into their happy family home, Saffron's shiny life begins to tarnish. Even as Caprice's barbed comments turn to something more sinister, Saffron hopes the new nanny's arrival will shield her from the worst of it. She's starting to feel paranoid in her own home. Little does she realise that Caprice longs for a new daughter-in-law - and she'll do anything to make that happen... The Unwelcome Guest is by Amanda Robson.

'They're dead. They're all dead. It's my fault. I killed them.' Those are the words of Iona Gardener, who stands bloodied and staring as she confesses to the murder of four people in a run-down cottage outside of Belfast. Outside the cottage, five old dolls are hanging from a tree. Inside the cottage, the words "WHO TOOK EDEN MULLIGAN?" are graffitied on the wall, connecting the murder scene with the famous cold case of Eden Mulligan, a mother-of-five who went missing during The Troubles. But this case is different. Right from the start. Because no one in the community is willing to tell the truth, and the only thing DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey can be certain of is that Iona Gardener's confession is false.... Who Took Eden Mulligan is by Sharon Dempsey.

September 2021

How well do you know the woman next door? When Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they're hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour's, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend. Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow's garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems. Why do the other villagers whisper about her? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home? Whisper Cottage is by Anne Wyn Clark.

Stranded is by Sarah Goodwin. Eight strangers. One island. A secret you'd kill to keep.When eight people arrive on the beautiful but remote Buidseach Island, they are ready for the challenge of a lifetime: to live alone for one year. Eighteen months later, a woman is found in an isolated fishing village. She's desperate to explain what happened to her: how the group fractured and friends became enemies; how they did what they must to survive until the boat came to collect them; how things turned deadly when the boat didn't come... But first Maddy must come to terms with the devastating secret that left them stranded, and her own role in the events that saw eight arrive and only three leave.

October 2021

Trick or Treat is by Katerina Diamond. A stranger. A child. A liar who will stop at nothing... When six-year-old Marcus is taken from outside his house on Halloween, there is only one witness: a frightened teen determined to keep himself hidden. After an anonymous tip off, Detective Imogen Grey is called out to an expensive Exeter street, caught up in the buzz of the holiday. But when the police visit Marcus's house, his parents claim everything is fine. Imogen is sure there is more to the family than meets the eye. But just how much more, she could never have imagined... What has happened to little Marcus? And will he ever come home?

The first fall of snow can be fatal...A year has passed since DI James Walker cracked his biggest case yet, and he's hoping for peace and quiet this festive season. But across the fells, a local farmer returns home on Christmas Eve to find footsteps in the fresh snow that lead down to his unused basement - and no footsteps leading away. Days later, his body is found, alongside those of his wife and daughter. Without a neighbour for miles, there are no witnesses and little evidence. And the crime scene has strange echoes of another terrible murder committed at the farmhouse, twenty years earlier... James knows that to catch this killer, he needs to solve a case that has long since gone cold... The Killer in The Snow is by Alex Pine.

Hidden is by Nell Pattison. Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can't hide... The Boxing Day hike is meant to bring their nature group together. Emily, the sister who never lets her hearing loss hold her back. Lauren, the sister who always feels a step behind. Morna, who doesn't get on with Lauren. Ben, whose feelings for Emily border on obsession. Dan, the quiet newcomer to the group. Kai, who isn't just on the hike to enjoy the wildlife. And Alec, the one who knows all their secrets. As the sun sets, a gunshot rings out on the nature reserve. One of the seven is dead. And one of their number killed them..

Jacqui Rose on The Fun of Recurring Characters

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When I was a little girl whenever I saw a movie or read a book, I always wanted to know what happens next to my favourite character, to the point where I’d spend hours writing the sequels of famous novels, everything from Wuthering Heights to Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. So, I wasn’t surprised to find myself having recurring characters in my own books, though it certainly wasn’t a deliberate plan, I just think that there are certain characters that still have so much more to say. They’re like a friend to me; I continue to be interested to see how they evolve, how they react in certain situations and hopefully my readers feel that too. 

I don’t plan my books, nor do I make notes, it’s all in my head and the story seems to evolve right in front of my eyes. I don’t know what’s going to happen nor do I know what characters will appear, so it was a great surprise to meet Alfie Jennings in my first book Taken. I remember beginning to write him and I also remember not thinking much about him, assuming that he would be a side player but the more I wrote the more Alfie began to take on shape, and before I knew it he was the lead male protagonist. Rather than him being just a Soho gangster, he had a story as well as a back story, he had complicated emotions and relationships which needed to be explored. Now I didn’t know all this when I was writing Taken, that started to evolve as I sat down to write each book. Alfie just wouldn’t go away. He had more to say, and so did the people around him so before I knew it I had an ensemble cast who all became firm favourites of my readers, though on a side note I do I think it’s vital for the recurring character to grow and move on emotionally, for them to react to scenarios and people differently otherwise I think it becomes very stale, they become template characters, ones that you can second guess what he or she does. And there certainly has to be continual surprises in their behaviour and they still have to create that enjoyment with the reader as if they were discovering them for the first time.

That’s the great thing about recurring characters because you have the space and the time to explore them. So yes, as you can see, I do love the recurring character but there also is a flip side to them…. As much as I love following my characters journey like a faithful friend, they can make a novel trickier to write. For example, your book needs to feel like a standalone but still have the recurring characters which come complete with a back story. And that’s sometimes difficult; to explain to the reader who hasn’t read the books in order the back story of the characters without making the regular reader have to go over things they already know. For me this might not be such a problem if I hadn’t made my life even harder by introducing a cliff-hanger in my latest book, Toxic! When I came to write Fatal which will be out early next year, I had to think hard about the balance; still driving the story forward, still holding the readers but still merging the backstory and cliff-hanger by showing not telling. It wasn’t easy, but I loved the challenge as I like to push myself as an author, exploring the whole art of storytelling. I’m certainly a big fan of the recurring character but one day the question, the big dilemma will be, when should I kill them off? 

Happily, I’m not ready to see the last of my characters just yet and I hope that neither are my readers but watch this space. But maybe if I kill them off too soon, like they did in Dallas I can always bring them back in the shower and pretend it was just one big dream! 

    
Toxic by Jacqui Rose published in ebook by Harper Collins on 14 June 2018

Sometimes love is toxic…  Bree Dwyer is desperate to escape her husband, take the children and run. But he’s always watching. And she always gets caught. Until her first love, Alfie Jennings, returns to Essex.  Gangsters Alfie and Vaughn have been out of the game for a while, but a life of crime is one you never forget.  To get back on top they need serious money, because loyalty and power don’t come for free. One dangerous job and they’ll have the payoff they need. And Alfie isn’t going to let anyone get in the way, least of all a pretty face like Bree.  It’s time to show Essex what they’re made of. And this time, Alfie and Vaughn aren’t backing down.

C L Taylor on Taking inspiration from true crime; how sensitive should an author be?

If, like me, you watched Simon Toyne’s incredible series Written in Blood on CBS Reality last year, you’ll have discovered that some of the most successful crime novels are based on real life crimes. I thought the series handled the true crimes very sensitively – without resorting to sensationalism or gratuitous detail – but I still felt waves of horror as crimes I’d only ever read about were brought to life in vivid technicolour detail. The victims weren’t names printed in a newspaper or faded photographs. They were living, breathing people, until their lives were so cruelly snatched away.

When I began writing psychological thrillers back in 2011 it didn’t occur to me that authors in my genre might use true crime as a starting point for a story. My early books were based on my own fears – that an abusive ex could return and ruin my happiness, a friend could turn against me or my child might disappear. It wasn’t until my fourth book The Escape that an idea was sparked by a news story. Like a lot of Bristol residents I follow Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s Facebook page and one update caught my eye. A woman had gone on the run with her child instead of taking him to court to hand over custody to the father. The child was in danger, the police intimated, and members of the public should ring them if they saw the woman. It wasn’t a particularly unusual story but what sparked my interest were the comments beneath the post. The woman wasn’t a danger to her child, her family claimed. She loved him and was just trying to keep him safe. The story, and the comments, were a starting point for a psychological thriller about a woman who offers a lift to a stranger then watches helplessly as she is painted as a bad mother and her life begins to unravel.

All though the original real life story made the national news eventually I’d be surprised if anyone other than me (and the family in question) remember it. The news story I based my current novel The Fear on, however, is definitely one that will remain in the public’s consciousness for a long time.  Without giving too much away about my book I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write about a dangerous situation where the woman takes control. Initially I thought the book would be about a female character who confronts the man she believed murdered her sister eighteen years ago. It was an ‘ok’ idea but not hugely original. A second idea struck. What if the man she confronted was the teacher she was involved with as a teenager? In 2012 I, like the majority of the British public, was gripped by the news that teacher Jeremy Forrest had run away with his fifteen year pupil ‘Gemma’. The CCTV stills of them walking hand in hand around the ferry to France were splashed all over the newspapers. As a nation we were gripped by the story but, after Forrest was caught and sentenced, interest faded. But not mine. I couldn’t stop thinking about how that situation would impact on the rest of Gemma’s life. Would she struggle to form relationships with

other men? Would she feel like a victim? Or would she burn with the desire for revenge?

I knew I had to approach the issue of child grooming sensitively. I didn’t want my male antagonist to be a two dimensional bad guy. Neither did I want my reader to blame my female protagonist for what happened. I did a lot of research into the types of children male predators groom – vulnerable children mostly, with emotional or mental health issues, often from broken homes. I considered why my teenaged protagonist might find herself attracted to an older man. A father figure perhaps? Someone with power or who gave her the attention she lacked from home? I also drew on my own school days, remembering the way some of my classmates developed crushes on male teachers. How they’d preen themselves before class and act coquettish and fey. And on the depth of my own – sometimes obsessive - feelings towards one of my male classmates. I held the snapshot of Jeremy Forrest and Gemma holding hands on the ferry in my mind and imagined what might have happened after they arrived in France. Then I took a mental leap and made the story bigger, darker and more terrifying. But I was careful not to be gratuitous or vulgar, closing the door quickly on some of the more disturbing scenes.

The secret, if there is one, to adapting a true crime story sensitively, is to hold the victim of the crime in the back of your mind as you write. That murder victim or groomed child was someone’s daughter, son, father, sister, mother or friend. Don’t use a real tragedy for titillation or shock effect. Writers write to try and understand the world, and the people around them but some true crimes makes no sense. They are brutal, unforgiveable and heart-breaking. We may never know why the murderer, child killer, rapist or paedophile did what they did but, by using them as the basis for fiction, we can at least try.

The Fear by C L Taylor published by Avon is out now.

Sometimes your first love won’t let you go…  When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.  Now 32, Lou discovers that he is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he’s caused.  But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey…