It is with great pleasure to have an inteview with author Rachel Abbott. Rachel is the author of Only The Innocent. Rachel was born near Manchester, England. She is currently living in central Italy where she is now focusing on writing.Interview with Rachel Abbott:
Tell us about your book:
It would appear on the face of it that the book is about a murder and its subsequent investigation. But the cold-blooded execution of famous philanthropist Hugo Fletcher is simply the beginning, and as the story develops it is clear that his death is only the first link in a chain of events which reaches a horrific climax.
The victim was revered the world over for his charitable work with trafficked Eastern European prostitutes, and as at least one of these girls is missing, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas who is heading up the investigation is certain that there has to be a connection.
But nothing is as it appears on the surface. A web of complex relationships is gradually revealed and it seems that everybody has something to hide. As each horrific secret is exposed, Tom Douglas begins to realise that this is much more than a simple murder case. And he has a terrible dilemma to face – whether to punish the guilty, or protect the innocent.
Was there a basis for your story? A previous experience? Something else?
I read a lot of thrillers, and I love them. But many of them only actually reveal the personality and the emotions of the people who are investigating the crime, or who are suffering at the hands of the perpetrator of the crime. I wanted to write a story about a murder, but I wanted to actually understand the motives of the murderer, and wanted to explore whether there is ever a time when murder is justified. I’m not saying whether it is or it isn’t. In the end, that’s left for the reader to decide. But the crucial basis for my story was thinking up a reason why a woman might commit a murder, and why this might be her only option.
I have to say now that this was not based on any previous experience! It was simply an idea that intrigued me.
What research did you have to perform to back up your story? Any research which really opened your eyes or gave you new respect for a topic or profession?
I did a huge amount of research. My husband was very concerned, because my research was into Eastern European prostitution and ways of killing a person that could go undetected! But I also had to research times of aeroplanes, driving times between certain places – all the little details that I hope make things realistic.
I found the research into human trafficking to be both fascinating and horrific. I don’t think I had realised when I started that it has become so huge a problem that in London a special task force has been set up to deal with the issues.
What is your method for writing a book? A certain amount of hours every day? A certain routine? Are you character/story builder or an outliner or some other method?
I don’t really have a routine. I have phases, and I am a process person. The first phase is the thinking phase – and this can be done when I’m doing other stuff; cooking the dinner, walking the dogs, having a bath. The thinking phase is not just about what happens, but why it happens. That’s really important to me. Once I am clear on that, I start the next phase – the planning.
The planning phase is the longest. I need to understand every aspect of all my characters – what motivates them, what has happened to them in the past – even what they look like in huge detail. I create a character sheet for each person. Then, because I like plots that have lots of twists and turns, I have to map out all of the main storylines and where they interconnect – a kind of flow chart really.
Once I’ve done all that, the writing actually comes quite easily, and because I know every aspect of the book by this time, I can literally just sit down and type away. However, the downside of this is that I write very long – with far too much detail. So then comes the hard part. The editing. That’s the final stage, and takes longer than the writing.
So I would say that the planning of Only the Innocent took about three months, the first draft writing about six weeks, and then the subsequent editing about another three months.
Once I actually get to the physical writing part, I had no set routine. I just spent every waking moment at the computer.
What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your book?
I would love to say something deeply meaningful here – but actually I hope they come away with a sense of satisfaction, feeling that all the strands that have been intriguing them throughout the book have come together. And also with the realisation that not everything is what it seems, and that maybe – just maybe – murder might be the only solution!
Visit Rachel at: http://www.rachel-abbott.com
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