© Mark L. Fowler 2024
Since starting this blog back in 2018, I’ve interviewed a multitude of people, including museum curators, live streamers, and retired police officers. Amongst the list are many authors of crime, thriller, suspense, horror, and historical fiction, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed speaking to them all. In this month’s blog I’m delighted to be adding to the list by welcoming crime fiction author Mark L. Fowler for a chat about the importance of crime fiction, his new release, his advice for budding writers, and more.
I started by asking him to tell us a bit about himself.
I have been writing fiction of one kind or another for most of my adult life. To date I have published thirteen novels, mainly in the crime fiction genre, though I have also written psychological suspense and one Gothic novel. Aside from writing I am also a musician, playing keyboards and guitar and doing a bit of singing too! I am based in North Staffordshire, which is the setting for my Tyler & Mills detective series. I have just published the sixth book in that series, and plan to write more. Danny Mills is a local, born and bred in Stoke, whilst Jim Tyler, in many ways a darker character, has come to Stoke from London. They are very much a chalk and cheese duo, and many fans of the series comment on how much they love the banter and the at times tense but warm and affectionate relationship between the two detectives.
In your opinion, how important is the crime fiction genre in today’s world, and why did you choose to write it?
I write mainly in the detective crime genre because I do enjoy the genre, both as an author and as a reader. I was brought up watching crime dramas on TV in the seventies and eighties and I’ve never grown tired of a good mystery series. I also happen to think that the crime genre enables important commentary on many themes, societal and psychological.
The next book in your popular Tyler & Mills series is out this month. Could you tell us about it?
The latest book in my Tyler & Mills series is BLOOD ORANGE. All the titles in the series have a colour in the title!
Here’s the blurb:
When a grocer is found dead in his corner shop, it seems clear that he was killed by the same man apprehended for other robberies in the area. But DCI Tyler is not convinced that the case is that simple.
The pressures of inner-city policing are relentless, and Tyler is only adding to his reputation as a maverick and a liability by keeping on with the investigation, despite repeated warnings from above. But the detective, true to form, is like a dog with a bone, regardless of the consequences.
When complaints about his methods start to pour in, Tyler becomes more convinced that he is onto something. Putting his career, his friendship with colleague Danny Mills, and even his own well being in jeopardy, the DCI remains as single-minded as ever in his quest for truth and justice.
As with all the books in the series, Blood Orange concerns a murder and a resulting investigation to uncover the who and the why, and is essentially a murder mystery story. But I also delve into the characters of the two detectives, their flaws, their histories, and their motivations for doing what they do. Readers also comment regularly on the humour in the series, and I feel that this is an important element, not only balancing the, at times, darkness of the narrative: after all, murder is a dark subject indeed. It also highlights the need for humour when doing a difficult job and under immense pressure, and reveals, I hope, the very real human side of the police detectives involved. I have had so many readers asking me to continue with this series, and that is not only encouraging but also deeply satisfying, as I do feel a responsibility to my readers to deliver on their investment of time and money into reading my books.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of writing their first crime fiction novel?
My advice to budding crime writers ... read widely, not only in the genre that you are thinking of writing in, but beyond that to deepen understanding of technique, characterisation and storytelling. And also try to have fun. You will spend many hours alone at the computer and if you are not enjoying yourself it is extremely hard to maintain enthusiasm over the weeks and months it takes to complete a manuscript.
I’d like to thank Mark for taking the time to chat to me today. It was great to get another author’s insight into crime fiction and the life of a writer.
~ T.G. Campbell,October 2024
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A KALEIDOSCOPE OF MURDER:
An Interview with Mark L. Fowler