In the latest of our books series, crime fiction writer STUART NEVILLE shares his escapes in Portstewart, his fascination with the Nazi who met with CHARLES HAUGHEY and the time he had A PINT WITH JEFF BECK …
Crime fiction superstar Stuart Neville has been called ‘an exceptional talent’ by Lee Child and ‘a major new voice in Irish writing’ by John Connolly. These are just tasters from a stream of praise received by Neville over the last few years.
Stuart’s journey began with The Twelve (2009, Vintage), which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best thriller. He has published six more critically acclaimed books since then. His work has been translated into many languages including German, Japanese, Polish, Swedish and Greek.
Stuart’s fourth novel Ratlines (2013, Vintage), about Nazis harboured by the Irish state following WWII, is currently in development for television. It was short listed for the Crime Writers’ Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award.
Those We Left Behind (2015, Vintage) was Stuart’s first outing with hugely popular protagonist DCI Serena Flanagan. The second in the series, the highly anticipated So Say The Fallen is out today.
On home
I’m based in County Armagh, where I live with my wife Jo, and our two kids, Issy and Ezra. We have an old Edwardian house on the edge of town, a short drive away from the library Jo manages. We chose it simply because we wanted a period house, but one that we could afford. Our favourite restaurant is probably Harry’s Shack, up in Portstewart, right on the beach. If we’re heading out for a night, it’s most likely to be in Belfast. There’s a real buzz about the city these days.
On creating
My home office is right at the top of the house, in a loft conversion. It’s quiet up there, with five flights of stairs to get to it. It’s also where I keep my guitars and my recording gear; I was a musician in a former life, but alas it’s a hobby now. On the walls are a few awards, including the LA Times Book Prize, which I won for my debut, The Twelve. There are also a couple of framed photos: I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of my heroes. One photo is me with my favourite author, James Ellroy, along with our agent Nat Sobel, and David Torrans, owner of the great No Alibis bookstore in Belfast. Finally, there’s a photo of me with Jeff Beck. I’d just been to one of his shows in Dublin and went for a pint after. I was just about to leave the pub when in walks Beck and his band. He was very gracious when I gushed at him. I didn’t even try to be cool about it.
On his favourite bookshop
It has to be Belfast’s No Alibis, of course. I’ve launched all of my books there, and David has become a good friend over the years. In fact, he almost had to be an emergency stand-in best man at my wedding! David is a much loved figure in the crime fiction world, and not just in Ireland. No Alibis has become a must-visit spot for touring authors from all over the planet. Everyone from Michael Connelly to Lee Child has done events there. It’s one of those bookstores you can’t leave without buying something.
On literature
James Ellroy’s American Tabloid is my favourite novel of all time; it’s sprawling and complex, pacey, and beautifully written. If you ask crime writers for the best suspense novel ever written, Red Dragon by Thomas Harris will come up again and again. It’s Hannibal Lecter’s first appearance, but he’s really a minor character. It’s just a perfect example of its genre. Marathon Man by William Goldman is a book I could read over and over, as is Jack’s Return Home (aka Get Carter) by Ted Lewis. I’d love to be able to write as well as Megan Abbott or Dennis Lehane. I could go on and on …
On escapes
My wife and I are very fond of Portstewart, and I’ve used it in the past as a writing retreat. I just book an apartment for the weekend, lock myself away, and churn out as many words as I can. We also like Barcelona – Jo used to live there – so we visit when we can.
On crime fiction’s popularity
There’s a human need to confront the things that scare us, but to do it safely. That’s why we’ve told scary stories throughout history. It’s also why we like roller coasters! Certain sub-genres will come to the fore at any given time. A few years ago it was Scandinavian crime, right now it’s domestic noir – or grip-lit as some are calling it. In a couple of years, it’ll be something else, but it’ll still be crime. It’s a huge and multifaceted genre.
On Ratlines
I saw a documentary on the topic by the late Cathal O’Shannon, and I was shocked by two things. First, the sheer number of people – mostly collaborators from European nationalist movements – who came to Ireland. I’ve heard figures into the hundreds. Second, the fact that many didn’t sneak in through some back door, but were actually aided by the state. One figure stood out: Otto Skorzeny, who owned a property in Kildare from 1959 to 1969. He was a rarity in that he was a bona fide Nazi SS officer who had been tried for war crimes, though he’d been officially “de-nazified” by the time he got here. When it emerged that he was known to have met with none other than Charles Haughey, I thought, if I don’t write a novel about this then someone else will. Ratlines is currently in development for a TV series, but it’s early days yet.
So Say the Fallen (€17.99, Harvill Secker) is now available from bookshops nationwide.
Image by Philip O’Neill
Sophie Grenham
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