A Moment With…Ian McFadyen

Please join me in welcoming Ian McFadyen to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, The Corpse Bell. 

The last thing Penny Carmichael expected when she joined the local bellringing group was for her debut to be thwarted by the discovery of a body just yards from the belfry door. As her husband and his loyal team painstakingly sift through the evidence and delve deep into the dead man’s past, it’s clear that solving Peter Mackenzie’s murder may prove a challenge, even for someone with DCI Carmichael’s renowned detective prowess.

What was a man who’d lived for decades in North London doing in Moulton Bank?  Was his chequered past a factor?

And what about the other members of Penny’s bellringing group. Did any of them have a reason to do Peter harm? 

As the case unfolds, DCI Carmicheal and his trusty team seek answers to a complex puzzle which leads them along various paths and, at times, way outside the comfort zone of their rural Lancashire surroundings. 

This fast-paced, cleverly crafted whodunit is the eleventh murder mystery in the gripping Carmichael series from the pen of Ian McFadyen.

To celebrate the release of The Corpse Bell, it’s over to Ian as he talks about ‘Blind Alleys’ and ‘Red Herrings’.

In my opinion, blind alleys and red herrings are crucial elements in any worthwhile murder mystery.

There’s nothing that gives me more satisfaction as a writer than injecting false trails with the aim of leading the reader off course. Whether it’s the introduction of a possible suspect with a not so plainly obvious reason to be the killer, or a tiny mention of something or other that the reader thinks they’ve picked-up on and is key to cracking the crime, these ploys are essential in creating mayhem for the reader when trying to solve the conundrum.

Even more pleasing for me is when I’m able to add to the reader’s frustration by making the person they have at the top of their suspects list, due to a subtly injected red herring, the next victim of the real killer.

I won’t share any examples of red herrings from my Carmichael series, but one of the classic diversions you may be aware of is in Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, the mystery revolving around who killed a passenger on a train. Christie scatters red herrings throughout the novel, suggesting a number of characters are the guilty one, only to reveal that, in fact, all of them are involved in the murder.

My two golden rules when creating red herrings are always to:

1. Make them credible.
2. Not to overdo it by making the red herring too obvious. A good crime reader will spot those a mile away and you certainly don’t want to insult the intelligence of the reader.

I also try to make the reader think they are clever by spotting the clue, but try and do so in a way that, when they realise they’ve been misled, they don’t feel too cheated and have to admit to themselves that they should have seen it coming.

It’s even better too, if the red herring ties in with the theme of the book or part of a plausible and relevant subplot. For example, if your book is based around a theme of trust, it makes perfect sense to develop a red herring around someone who seems trustworthy but in fact isn’t, but they’re not the killer – that would be too easy for the reader.

Of course, as a writer, it’s only fair to provide enough genuine clues along with the distractions; clues that appear obvious when the book comes to an end and the facts are revealed, normally by a self-satisfied detective well before the reader twigs what’s going on, and hopefully leaving the reader shaking their head as to how they didn’t work it out.

In my Carmichael series I try and introduce as many blind alleys and red herrings as I feel I can get away with. They are a whodunnit writer’s close friend, directing you into the attic when the prize you actually seek lies somewhere in the garden.

Good luck in finding the red herrings in “The Corpse Bell” – Although I hope they catch you out.

About Ian McFadyen –

Ian McFadyen was born in Liverpool and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before becoming a writer.

Ian’s titles are available in Italian and Czech and, although the author isn’t totally convinced it’s true, he’s been favourably compared with Wilkie Collins and Colin Dexter.

He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife but spends a great deal of his time writing in his bolthole retreat on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. The Corpse Bell is the eleventh in his series featuring DCI Carmichael.

Say hello to Ian via his website, Facebook, X and Instagram

The Corpse Bell was released on 24th November 2024. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.