Interview with Russell Wate, author of Death at Chateau Peveril (DCI McFarlane Crime Series, Book 3)

 

Today it gives the Indie Crime Scene great pleasure to interview Russell Wate, whose novel Death at Chateau Peveril (DCI McFarlane Crime Series, Book 3)  is published on 24th October.

Death at Chateau Peveril is the third instalment in your DCI McFarlane Crime Series. Tell us about Sandy McFarlane himself. What sort of man is he, and what type of detective?

Sandy is very much a family man and part of the sub-plot follows him and his family. One of his grandads is a barrister and retired family court judge and the other is a retired senior homicide detective. Both of these never hold back from giving Sandy advice in relation to his cases. Sandy is an intelligent and articulate modern day detective that you in reality find around the world now (I hope that is how people would describe me as a detective!) However, he is naïve and shows his inexperience at times. 

Sandy is called in by the children of Viscount Peveril, who has died suddenly at his French chateau. Why does he agree to take up the case?

Sandy came across the Peveril family in his last case Missing but not Lost so they had become close to him. He and his partner DS Juliet Ashton can’t resist wanting to investigate suspicious deaths especially abroad in beautiful places like Saint-Emilion in France.

Who was Viscount Peveril and what can you tell us about him? 

He came from the Peak District in Derbyshire, England. He was a very proud and charismatic man. As well as leading on charitable causes he was a successful businessman with linseed and flax farms in England and Canada and of course the winery, ‘Chateau Peveril.’

When Sandy investigates, he finds suspicious circumstances surrounding the Viscount’s death, and calls on an old friend, DCI Rich Singh, for help. How do they work together and what is their history?

Because Viscount Peveril’s family residence is in Derbyshire and his body is buried in a church graveyard there, not far from Chatsworth House, Sandy enlists the man in charge of the local detective branch, DCI Singh. They worked together when Viscount Peveril’s grandson went missing, an investigation that coincided with the murder of a policeman in Derbyshire. And they became firm friends. This is the story of Missing but not Lost.

Sandy decides to pursue the case despite opposition from his superiors. How does he go about it? 

He shows his tenacity in three ways, firstly trying to get the French police to call him in, then DCI Singh to enlist his help and finally the Coroner for the Peak District to ask Sandy’s boss for his help. 

You say, “Death at Chateau Peveril is not a classic ‘whodunit’, but an intriguing and fascinating ‘how and why’ mystery, with Sandy using all of the detective techniques at his disposal to discover what has happened.” What is a classic ‘whodunit’ and how does Death at Chateau Peveril differ?

A classic ‘whodunit’ fiction story is where you have a large pool  of suspects and you can move any of them around to fit how you want your storyline to play out. In this case if something has happened to Viscount Peveril there is only one or a very small pool of suspects. This is quite true to reality. The interesting investigative challenge is to find out what happened and then how it happened.

You worked as a senior homicide detective for many years and investigated numerous high-profile cases, including the notorious Soham murders. You received the Queen’s Police Medal for your work as a Detective in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. What made you choose to write crime fiction?

When researching a great-grandfather who was the Commissioner of Police for Baroda in India, I came across a story where in the 1800s the Maharajah’s son tried to poison the British Administrator. I thought that would be a good idea to use as the basis of a storyline, but set in the modern day, and that is how the first book in the series Greed is a Powerful Motive was born. I thought about it for maybe 15 years and then the first UK lockdown arrived and I sat down and wrote it.

How has your experience influenced what you write about? 

Totally. There are so many real detective experiences that I have included throughout all of the books, not just mine but others’. I think that is why people tell me they are so authentic.

As a retired detective, do you think you have a different perspective to other crime writers?

I am in a lucky position in that I still help detectives to investigate crime and in particular child homicide. That helps to keep me very up to date with current techniques. The difference is that I write as some one who has/is walking in the shoes of the detective they are writing about. Those thoughts, feelings and decision-making are all true to life.

Does your experience make you aware of any mistakes or improbabilities in crime fiction or television series?

The biggest let-down for me is that so many crime books finish as soon as the suspect is caught; not even an interview or charge, let alone a court case. The drama involved in a court case is fascinating. Mine always include this element.

What crime writers do you enjoy?

John Grisham and Joy Ellis to name just two.

In the blurb to Death at Chateau Peveril, you hint at the presence of “an intriguing medical storyline”. What can you tell us about this?

The challenge in medical-based investigations is the number of experts that you have for both the prosecution and defence. If we look at the Harold Shipman case or the more recent case of Lucy Letby, the investigation of the medical science involved is totally intriguing. 

How important is humour in your writing?

I now have confidence in my writing to include it more and more in my stories. Without giving anything away, I am told an interview that takes place in Death at Chateau Peveril is incredibly funny. It all came from an idea from how a certain suspect treated his interviewing officers.

Are you working on a sequel to Book 3 of the DCI McFarlane Crime Series, and where do you see him going next?

Yes, I have completed a full readable version of book four, Body Overboard. This is set primarily in Barbados, and DS Juliet Ashton is beyond excited to get to go to her home Island - if she does?

 Waterstones | Amazon | Cranthorpe Millner

About Russell Wate:

The author says: “I am retired senior homicide detective and have been the senior investigating officer in over 100 major crime enquiries, from homicides to international kidnappings and largescale paedophile investigations. One of my most high-profile cases was that of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, two ten-year-old girls from Soham, UK who were murdered by Ian Huntley in 2002, and I subsequently received the Queen’s Police Medal for my work as a Detective in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. I am also well known for my work relating to safeguarding children, and have had published several dozen serious case reviews involving domestic homicide and the death of children, where I have tried to establish what lessons can be learnt from these deaths. Now retired, I focus on voluntary work, helping to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from abuse.”

Instagram