Hi Kate, welcome to BritCrime.
Thanks for having me.
Why crime as a genre? What about crime novels appeals to you?
It sounds odd, considering it's a real thing, but I like the escapism. It is so far removed from my life (thankfully!) yet it's an almost voyeuristic need to know what happens to the characters that keeps me reading. I love the pace, the suspense, the tension, everything!
I think I was boring my family and friends with my bookish posting on FB and Twitter! My cousin said to me that I should write about the books I was reading, and hey ho, Bibliophile Book Club was born. I needed a safe place to get my thoughts about the books I was reading out of my brain, and never in a million years did I think that people would be reading my reviews!
Do you have a particular favourite sub-genre, such as psychological thrillers or police procedurals?
I'm partial to a psychological thriller, but I read so many of them that there has to be an absolutely killer twist for it to really grab me! I really enjoy the procedurals too though. I love the level of detail that they go into. I'm a MASSIVE fan of Scandinavian crime fiction too, the eerie coldness lends itself so well to the stories. To be honest though, I'll read any of them so long as I'm hooked early on!
So who’s on your Must Read list?
Do you have any pet peeves – overused tropes, clichéd characters, etc?
I'm not one for romance, so I cannot stand the token love interest cropping up in books. It really detracts from the meatiness of a plot for me, so I really don't like to see it coming. I don't mind the clichèd flawed main characters, Harry Hole and Harry Bosch are two prime examples of that and I love them both!
Who is your favourite character from a crime novel, and why?
Lately it has to be Ari Thór Arason from Ragnar Jónasson's Dark Iceland series. I think he's a brilliant example of a detective who displays an excellent sense of humanity, while carrying out his duties. It helps that the books are set in Iceland though!
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
I still blog for myself, as a hobby and something to quiet my mind. It helps me to keep organised (within reason!!!!) and gives me something to do. Since I started though, I've met (loosely used term because it's all online!!!) some lovely people. Authors, publishers and bloggers alike, and I'm lucky enough to count some of them as my friends now. Book bloggers are a supportive lot, and I'm especially lucky to have a select few (affectionately known as blogsquad) that have become great friends and I wouldn't have that were it not for becoming a blogger.
Have you ever thought of turning your own hand to crime (writing, I mean!)
Oddly enough, I have. I even went so far as to write down a couple of ideas. However, English wasn't my strongest subject in school. My creative writing is atrocious, so I don't think I'd ever be able to get my ideas out of my head and onto paper. That being said, I have yet to read a book that has my idea anywhere in it, so you never know!
Nothing wrong with your English as far as I can see! So, any advice for anyone thinking of starting a crime fiction blog?
I guess the only advice I can give is know your subject and your audience. If you love crime fiction, that will translate into your reviews, which will pique the readers interest. I'm still relatively new at blogging, so I don't know if I'm qualified to give advice! I will say never be afraid to ask for help though.
Lastly, you’re hosting a fantasy crime fiction dinner party – who would you invite? Can be writers, other bloggers, whoever. Alive or dead!
Ooh that's a tough question!!! I think I would invite Jack Reacher, Ragnar Jónasson, Harlan Coben, Harry Bosch, the Blogsquad 5 and Lee Child! Ask me this question again and the answers would probably be different but these are who I'd love to talk to now!
Thanks for the investigation, Ms. Marsh...
And thank you, Kate. Personally I’m intrigued to read your unique idea – get writing, I say!
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Ava Marsh is the author of psychological thriller, Untouchable. Her second book, Exposure, is out now with Transworld.
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