Author Owen Mullen is back with his new crime thriller - "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead". Let hear out what Owen has to say about his book.
So Owen, can you brief our audience about your life, schooling, education and work?
School was a waste of time for me. Or rather, I wasted time; my own and every teacher’s who tried to get me to work. It took twenty years to appreciate what they were telling me. Life has rules. They aren’t written down but they exist nevertheless. I got that. Eventually. But by then I was thirty five.
Along the way I missed an important clue. At ten I won a national primary schools short story competition – and didn’t write anything else for forty years.
As a teenager my big obsession was music. Early on I realised if I was successful I would probably be rich and famous and pull lots of girls.
So how did that turn out?
Well, you haven’t heard of me, have you? And this morning I caught myself worrying about the electricity bill. So the short answer is: one out of three ain’t bad.
Running around the country in a Transit van with your mates is fun. It’s your very own gang. You against the world. Until you fall out and the dream lies bleeding on the dressing-room floor.
When that happened I went to London [everybody from Scotland goes to London, it’s like first footing at New Year, or ten pints of lager and a vindaloo on a Friday night; a sacred tradition] and became a session singer. I also started gigging with different bands on the circuit.
Back in Scotland - most of us come back with wild tales of great success, none of them true - I wondered what I should do with myself and didn’t have to wait long for the answer. Her name was Christine. We got married, I went to Strathclyde Uni and got a bunch of letters after my name, and toughing it out at Shotts Miner’s Welfare, or dodging flying beer cans at the Café Club in Baillieston, was in the past. The long hair was short now, I wore a suit and pretended to like people I didn’t like because we were ‘colleagues’.
After many adventures I started my own marketing and design business and did alright. Christine and I were very happy, we travelled all over the place; India, Brazil, Botswana, Nepal, Borneo, Japan. One day I suggested we move. To the Greek islands. So we did. We bought land and built a beautiful villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Then the pan global financial crash happened, years of fiscal carelessness finally caught up with Greece; the exchange rate dived and the cost of living in Paradise went through the roof.
I had to do something. Then I remembered the short story competition. I had been good at writing, hadn’t I?I wrote another short story called The King Is Dead…the first thing I’d written since primary school. When I typed the last word [Christine taught me to type] I held the pages in my hand then started to read. An hour and a half, rooted to the chair unable to believe what was in front of my eyes. For four decades I had shunned a god given gift. And as I read I started to understand why. It was awful. Not just bad. Bloody terrible. But I kept going.And now, eight years and seven books later, three literary agents plus two I turned down [they were reading a different book] I am a writer. My books are on Amazon. People buy them and come back for more.One seasoned London agent has predicted I am destined to be ‘a major new force in British crime fiction.’Yeah! So is the moral: follow my example, find something you’re good at and stick with it. Hardly. I didn’t, did I? Do it your own way; it’s your life.
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Can you describe your current book in few lines? What’s it about?
Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead sees Charlie Cameron try to unravel the case of a missing surgeon who is involved in a whistleblowing case and the murder of a politician involved in corruption which the police are treating as a suicide
Is this your debut work? If not so, what have you written?
This book is the 3rd in the Charlie Cameron Glasgow PI series. Apart from this I have 1 book in a new American detective series and a murder mystery set in Pakistan…neither of these are published yet.
Give us an insight into your main character(s)
Charlie is the lead character…he never gives up and never gives in. Charlie only deals in missing persons because he understands the pain of losing someone; although frequently his enquiries take him down very dangerous paths. His co-characters are; Patrick Logue a big hearted, funny, wide boy who would do anything for Charlie. Detective Andrew Geddes tries to help Charlie but they cross swords often when Charlie crosses the line into police enquires. Jackie Mallon, a friend first, but a fiery quick witted thorn in his side most of the time. And Sean Rafferty, a truly evil man. Top dog of Glasgow’s underworld and Charlie’s biggest enemy.
Where did you get idea for this book?
I was reading a magazine and side by side were two stories; an NHS whistleblower and local government corruption
How much research did you do for this book?
Every book takes lots of research; I know Glasgow very well but like every town and city it changes it’s face very regularly. Landmarks come and go etc. Also I have several people I can call on to keep me straight when I am dealing in areas which are new to me. For instance I have a Detective from Police Scotland who is a great source of information
Who is your favorite character in your book and why? (If applicable)
Patrick Logue, it’s impossible not to like him but I wouldn’t want to be him!
Who is your least favorite character and why? (If applicable)
Don’t have a least favourite; they are all as they are to serve the story
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
The hardest part of any book for me is the editing process, very necessary but very laborious
You book release date?
21st March 2017
What are you working on at the minute?
I am working on Charlie 4 at the moment
What are your thoughts on writing a book series?
Series are really great, you get time to let the characters develop. I enjoy watching and reading series too, guess it’s because I know I will enjoy them if I enjoyed the first one.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Keep going…it can be a very disheartening road but don’t give up
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