Today it is my pleasure to my blog Jane Isaac to talk about starting a new series. I will give you the synopsis first.
About the Book
You think you know him. Until he’s dead.
When Cameron Swift is gunned down outside his family home, DC Beth Chamberlain is appointed Family Liaison Officer: a dual role that requires her to support the family, and also investigate them.
As the case unfolds and the body count climbs, Beth discovers that nothing is quite as it appears and everyone, it seems, has secrets.
Even the dead…
Guest Post
Doing Something Different
Thank you so much for inviting me onto your blog! This month marks the publication of a not only a new book for me, but also the start of a new crime series.
Those who’ve read my work will know I currently write the DCI Helen Lavery series and the DI Will Jackman series. It can be a difficult decision to change when readers have invested so much in your characters, but I see it more as a break. I’d love to work with both Helen and Will again in the future, but wanted to try something different for the moment, to keep the stories fresh.
After He’s Gone introduces Family Liaison Officer, DC Beth Chamberlain. It’s been an interesting series to research and write as it offers a different perspective on murder investigations, focussing on the victim’s family. Family Liaison Officers are deployed to support families of victims of serious crime like homicide, road death and other critical incidents. They spend a lot of time updating them on the investigation and feeding back information and often get very close. And since most people are killed by someone they know or someone close to them, it affords the opportunity to unravel some really intriguing secrets!
For me, finishing a book represents the end of a journey, but it’s by no means the end of the road. As soon as I completed my first draft of After He’s Gone and sent it off to my editor, I began working on the second DC Beth Chamberlain novel which is scheduled for release at the end of this year, and it’s been interesting to watch Beth deal with the trials of a new investigation. One of the joys of writing a series is that, by the end of the first book, you know the character implicitly and it’s wonderful to challenge and stretch them in other directions.
There’s always a sense of trepidation that accompanies sharing a new book with the world. I realise I’m not alone here, some of the most famous authors, with a stream of books behind them, have spoken of their angst when they release a new title. Will readers like it as much as the last? Will it fulfil their expectations? An editor once told me that every book we write should be better and richer, a development on the last. No pressure there then! These thoughts have been more prominent with After He’s Gone, I guess because I’ve tried to do something different. Hopefully, readers will find it a fresh, interesting slant on the contemporary police procedural. Time will tell.
Author Bio
Jane Isaac lives with her detective husband (very helpful for research!) and her daughter in rural Northamptonshire, UK where she can often be found trudging over the fields with her Labrador, Bollo. Her debut, An Unfamiliar Murder, was nominated as best mystery in the ‘eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards 2013.’ The follow up, The Truth Will Out, was nominated as ‘Thriller of the Month – April 2014’ by E-Thriller.com.
After He’s Gone is Jane’s sixth novel and the first in a new series featuring Family Liaison Officer, DC Beth Chamberlain. The second DC Beth Chamberlain novel will be released later in 2018.
Connect with Jane at www.janeisaac.co.uk .
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