Books: The Kate Daniel's Series comprises: - The Murder Wall
- Settled Blood
- Deadly Deceit
- Monument to Murder
More information about Mari Hannah: www.marihannah.com
@mariwriter
The Kate Daniels Crime Series begins with The Murder Wall, published April 2012 and has journeyed Mari Hannah in a whirlwind all the way to the second Polari First Book Prize in November 2013.
We spoke to Mari Hannah about the origins and future of her "maverick" DCI Kate Daniels. An original character but grounded in the real life murder detective in Hannah's life, her partner who worked at Northumbria Police.
Hannah used her inside knowledge to create a realistic portrayal of character and process, "I’ve seen first hand how they relate to one another, how they use humour to deflect some of the awful things they have to deal with on a daily basis" Hannah says, as Daniel's team in her first case as SIO (Senior Investigative Officer) navigate the complicated journey of the calling card murders.
However, Hannah is quick to assert that Daniels is nothing but a work of fiction, and relishes what that means for her writing, "creating a fictional heroine means I get to
play at being a clever, edgy – some might say arsy – detective, one who doesn’t
always play by the rules. She’s a bit of a maverick is Kate."And what a journey it's been for Kate and Hannah. With the series already four books deep, it's an abundance of stories for any reader that is yet to delve in to the gritty Tyneside crime novels. With the additional bonus of a character tackling her sexual orientation in a hetero-normative institution. In The Murder Wall the issues of coming out are explored through the conflict of the professional and personal lines blurring with a murder suspect.
Hannah had already written the first three novels by the time the publishing deal with Pan Macmillan came along which meant that the three could be published in quick succession, providing steady momentum.
Hannah is "immensely proud" of the success of the four books over the last eighteen months and in particular for winning the Polari First Book prize in November this year noting the benefit of this on book sales as well as new opportunities - Hannah was invited to write an article for The Guardian and will be taking part in Polari Up North in March 2014.
Hannah entered the world of crime writing based on what she likes to read as well as it giving her the opportunity to write what she knows.
She says, "I’m a former Probation Officer. My career was cut short following an assault at work, a wrist injury that required extensive surgery. So my experience of working with a range of criminal justice agencies informs my writing to some extent. This is particularly true of my new book Monument to Murder which is set partly in a prison. Having worked in one myself for three years, I’d like to think it gives the novel an extra something, an authenticity people feel rather than see as they are reading it."
Hannah's influences hail from the recent British Crime genre Canon, she cites "The first crime novels that inspired me to write one of my own were undoubtedly Patricia Cornwell’s debut Post Mortem, Michael Connolly’s The Black Echo and Ian Rankin’s early Rebus novels."
And there's more to expect and enjoy. The fifth outing for Kate is in re-write stage, and Hannah alludes to what's to come... "I can’t say much about Kate’s private life. However, the next in the series sees her struggling with particularly vicious crimes and a case that takes her away from her operational area in search of a dangerous criminal."
By Katie
