Starting a brand new series after more than twenty years, while already having a series that is reasonably well-established, is either (A) courageous and commendable (B) somewhat bizarre or (C) stupid. Whichever applies in my case, there is clearly something in the air as several friends and colleagues including Val McDermid and Elly Griffiths have recently put their best-selling series on hold to head off in different directions. While not speaking for them, the simple fact is that the voice in a writer’s head – unless that writer has been drinking heavily – should never be ignored and, if it’s telling you to change tack, there’s usually a very good reason.
I have been living with the central character in my new series (DS Declan Miller) for a couple of years. He was one I’d created for a TV series which may or may not see the light of day, but by the time I sat down to write The Last Dance he was someone I had already come to know very well. I certainly knew a lot more about him than I did about Tom Thorne when I first slapped him on the page twenty-three years ago.
I like Miller a lot. This is always handy when a character is living inside your head, but never more so than when they are supposed to be funny. The Miller books are very different in tone and setting from anything I’ve written previously, because not only will there be no country music*, I’ve finally decided to let my comedic instincts run riot, so yes…there will be jokes. Comedy is hugely subjective of course, so let’s see if readers agree with me. I should make it clear though that, while I hope/pray that The Last Dance is a book that will make you laugh, I am still writing about the same dark subjects that are the bedrock of all crime fiction. Miller inhabits a world of pain, grief and violence, but I am fierce in my belief that humour and seriousness are not mutually exclusive.
Despite purchasing all manner of expensive elixirs online I am not getting any younger, so it’s doubtful that my new detective will have as many outings as his grumpy north London predecessor. All the same, there are a lot more stories I want to tell. I’m a writer of commercial fiction, so at the end of the day that decision will be made by readers, but I very much hope that those readers will take Declan Miller to their hearts every bit as much as they have with Tom Thorne.
*But there is dancing.
<a href=”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1408726351/pocketessentials-21″ rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”><em>The Last Dance</em> by Mark Billingham – (amazon.co.uk)</a>
The Last Dance by Mark Billingham is published by Sphere
