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Published by Saxon Publishing
Ebook : 3 December 2016 | Paperback : 6 December 2016
It’s my turn today on the blog tour celebrations for Scared to Death and I’m delighted to welcome Rachel to the blog with a guest post. I do love a crime thriller and although I haven’t had time to read a copy in time for the blog tour, I have purchased a copy from Amazon to add to my reading mountain, so a review will follow at some stage!
Everybody has a motive
When sketching out the initial idea for a new story, one thing I try to do is ascertain what motivates each and every one of my characters.
It doesn’t matter if they’re one of the good guys, or one of the bad guys. Everybody has motive for what they do. Something that drives them.
My antagonist in Scared to Death is motivated by power and revenge.
My protagonist, Kay Hunter, is obviously motivated to catch the bad guy, but she’s also driven by the need to prove herself to her colleagues and to her superiors. Notwithstanding this, she is incredibly tuned in to the motivations of those around her. This means that although the series is named after Kay, she is only one member of a strong character cast.
Her team comprises two detective constables and two police constables, and she reports to a detective inspector. All these characters have individual motivations that drive them. Whether that is to prove themselves on their first major incident investigation, or to be seen as an integral part of the team so that once the investigation is concluded they open up new career opportunities, it’s my responsibility to ensure that they get the chance to shine.
When the story starts out, the team has only just been put together by the Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Devon Sharp. As the investigation unfolds and the team’s resilience is tested, the supporting cast also get their time in the spotlight.
This is really important for me, and although I can’t remember where I heard the advice or who said it, the fact remains that secondary characters in a story don’t know they are secondary characters. Every single one of them matters.
It is my hope that readers of Scared to Death will grow to like each and every one of Kay Hunter’s colleagues as much as they like Kay Hunter herself. After all, in time those team members may one day have stories of their own to tell…
About the book:
A serial killer murdering for kicks. A detective seeking revenge.
When the body of a snatched schoolgirl is found in an abandoned biosciences building, the case is first treated as a kidnapping gone wrong.
But Detective Kay Hunter isn’t convinced, especially when a man is found dead with the ransom money still in his possession.
When a second schoolgirl is taken, Kay’s worst fears are realised.
With her career in jeopardy and desperate to conceal a disturbing secret, Kay’s hunt for the killer becomes a race against time before he claims another life.
For the killer, the game has only just begun…
Scared to Death is the first book in a new crime thriller series featuring Kay Hunter – a detective with a hidden past and an uncertain future…
If you like Angela Marsons, Peter James and Mark Billingham, discover Rachel Amphlett’s new series today – at a special launch price.
About the author:
Rachel Amphlett is t
he bestselling author of the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the new Detective Kay Hunter crime thriller series, as well as a number of standalone crime thrillers.
Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel’s novels appeal to a worldwide audience, and have been compared to Robert Ludlum, Lee Child and Michael Crichton.
She is a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold, being sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint in 2014.
An advocate for knowledge within the publishing industry, Rachel is always happy to share her experiences to a wider audience through her blogging and speaking engagements.
You can keep in touch with Rachel by signing up to her mailing list via her website (http://www.rachelamphlett.com)
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon UK | Goodreads
