Talking Books With Janice Hallett

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a book tour at Waterstones, Birmingham. Crime and mystery writer Tom Hindle was in conversation with one of my favourite authors, Janice Hallett, who has recently published her third book, ‘The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels‘, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to find out a little about the background of, not just this book, but of her other best selling titles, ‘The Appeal‘ and ‘The Twyford Code‘.

Here are some of the highlights of the night. (It has to be said that Tom Hindle asked some brilliant questions.)

On the Alperton Angels

It was a nerve wracking experience after the first two books, so much darker than the first two, I wondered whether my readers would travel with me.

It’s not a conventional book, it’s the reading of a box of files – resources, transcripts, pages from books, transcribed messages. You take these things out of the box and read them – what do you then do with them?

The structure came from working on magazines. You refer to research, keep it in case you need it in future. I thought it would be an idea to read the writers research instead of the book that comes from it.

Where did it come from? All sorts of places. The script within is an actual one that I wrote and it did win an award in 2005, so the scriptwriter is sort of me. Amanda is singular, contained and driven by her work. She’s inspired by hard nosed current affair journalists – I’m in awe of how focused and driven they are. There’s an awful film called Artemis 8, which I think starred Sting and is about angels coming to Earth, that partly inspired Gabriel.

On The Appeal

I originally thought of it as a TV series, then decided to write it as a novel, but it comes from screen writing/script writing/writing dialogue. I felt free writing this as it had no deadlines etc.

I like writing like this. The Alperton Angels does have a conventional novel within it, ‘White Wings’, but I love to write this way, piecing it together like clues.

Inspirations

I love true crime, I read and watch anything and hate myself for it. We now consumer tragedy and crime as entertainment which is very conflicting. I wouldn’t rule out writing true crime.

Other writers? I have been compared to Agatha Christie, but for me it is more about the TV adaptations and films. The first writer I read was Enid Blyton, there is extraordinary rhythm to her prose. The books that Steve reads in The Twyford Code are what I take inspiration from.

I love Thomas Hardy, very dark novels, also very character driven.

Writing Difficulties

Books bring their own difficulties, for instance the procedural aspect of Alperton Angels needed much more research. I needed to look at pacing, when things would be revealed. There was not so much research for The Appeal or The Twyford Code.

I don’t plan, I just write the first draft.

When I was stage writing it was out and out comedy, so I do add humour to my books. I’ve spent my life making inappropriate jokes so now I add them to my novels! It’s a bit like Happy Valley, lots of humour in the darkness.

Strangest Question asked on a book tour

If you were to commit a murder, how would you do it? My answer was I’m not sure, but I would make sure I was on a book tour so I had lots of alibis!

What next?

I’ve got a novella coming up in Oct 23 – The Christmas Appeal. Yes, we’re heading back to the Fairway players and the world of The Appeal!

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