Historical Romance and Crime with Bill Kirton

A very warm welcome to an interesting and hugely talented writer, Bill Kirton, who is based in the north of Scotland. It is many years since Bill was featured on the Reading and Writing blog so I am very pleased that his new novel, The Likeness, is now available. I’ve read the prequel, The Figurehead, and look forward to catching up on Helen and John’s story some years later. I love the blending of crime and romance set in Victorian Aberdeen. Here’s a little about the story.

The Likeness

Aberdeen, 1841. Woodcarver John Grant has an unusual new commission - creating a figurehead to feature onstage in the melodramas of a newly-arrived theatre group. Simultaneously, he’s also trying to unravel the mystery of the death of a young woman, whose body has been found in the filth behind the harbour’s fish sheds.

His loving relationship with Helen Anderson, which began in The Figurehead, has grown stronger but, despite the fact that they both want to be together, she rejects the restrictions of conventional marriage, in which the woman is effectively the property of the husband.

As John works on the figurehead, Helen persuades her father, a rich merchant, to let her get involved in his business, allowing her to challenge yet more conventions of a male-dominated society.

The story weaves parallels between the stage fictions, Helen’s business dealings, a sea voyage, stage rehearsals, and John’s investigations. In the end, the mystery death and the romantic dilemma are both resolved, but in unexpected ways.

The Likeness is available on all Amazon sites - the link will take you to your own country.

Thanks for sharing some of the background to your latest novel, Bill!

I’ve been writing for decades and yet I keep learning new things about how to do it. That was brought home to me by my latest novel, The Likeness, which was published last October, It’s the sequel to The Figurehead and I only wrote it because a few readers said they wanted to know how the central relationship between wood carver John Grant and Helen Anderson, the daughter of a successful ship owner, developed. So, despite the fact that I’m labelled ‘crime writer’, the impulse for starting The Likeness was largely concerned with romance.

To my puzzlement, it took four years to write (which is three years longer than any of my previous novels). Then there was the fact that I only got the ending right after six attempts at it. Why? Probably because of Helen, who wasn’t just the central female character, but the central character, full stop. The crime element is still there because there’s still a mystery death to be explained but, alongside that, the story of Helen’s first steps in becoming part of her father’s business took me to some interesting, and highly enjoyable situations.

The book is set in Aberdeen in 1841, a time, of course, when women of a certain social status took piano lessons, sewed samplers, deferred to their men, ran households and were comprehensively trapped in roles which many, probably most, found oppressive. Despite the fact that Mary Wollstonecraft had written A Vindication of the Rights of Women some 50 years earlier, men were still writing books with titles such as Advice to Young Ladies on the Improvement of the Mind and Conduct of Life. Helen not only operates in such a context, she aspires to equality in her commercial dealings with her father’s associates. All of which I loved writing about, getting much enjoyment from her easy, witty successes over one in particular.

But then, having described how John solved the  mystery of the dead woman discovered at the beginning of the book, I was left with the job of resolving how John and Helen’s love could be developed, realised, consummated, or whatever the appropriate verb is. And the repeated attempts at that resolution came about because Helen was as clever and stubborn with me as she had been in her business meetings. I tried various compromises but knew they weren’t acceptable to her. I found myself putting words in her mouth which she just wouldn’t say.

So, gradually, the ending evolved and reached a point at which I, Helen and, fortunately, all the other characters were in agreement. However, I may not yet be free of her charisma and energy because the first Amazon reviewer wrote, ‘the ending is one that intrigues the reader about what will happen next – I do hope this is not the last time we’ll meet these powerful characters’.

Another four year haul ahead?

You can find out more about Bill’s books on his website.  

Bill Kirton was a university lecturer in French before taking early retirement to become a full-time writer. He's won two 2011 Forward National Literature Awards: The Sparrow Conundrum was the overall winner of the Humour category and The Darkness was runner up in the Mystery category. His historical mystery, The Figurehead, was long-listed for the 2012 Rubery Book Awards.

Most of his novels are set in the north east of Scotland. Material Evidence, Rough Justice, the award-winning The Darkness, Shadow Selves and Unsafe Acts all feature DCI Jack Carston. The Figurehead is a historical novel set in Aberdeen in 1840. The Sparrow Conundrum, is a spoof spy/crime novel also set in Scotland. His comic fantasy novella, Alternative Dimension satirises online role-playing games.

His short stories have appeared in the Crime Writers' Association annual anthology in 1999, 2005 and 2006. In 2010, one was also chosen for the 'Best British Crime Stories, Vol. 7' anthology edited by Maxim Jacubowski. His non-fiction output includes Brilliant Study Skills, Brilliant Essay, Brilliant Dissertation, Brilliant Workplace Skills and Brilliant Academic Writing. He also co-wrote 'Just Write' with Kathleen McMillan.

Bill also writes books for children. Rory the Dragon and Princess Daisy was published as a tribute to his great niece, Daisy Warn, who lived for just 16 weeks. Proceeds from its sales go to a children's hospice in South-West England. The Loch Ewe Mystery is a stand-alone novel for children aged 7-12 and he's been writing a series about a grumpy male fairy called Stanley who lives under a cold, dripping tap in his bedroom.

Author Spotlight and Guest Post: Bill Kirton

A big welcome today to writer extraordinaire, Bill Kirton, who is based in the north of Scotland and writes very successfully in a variety of genres. You can read my interview (in 2010) with Bill here. I'm particularly delighted that the next book in his Jack Carston crime series, Unsafe Acts, is now available. In addition to the excellent story lines in this series, Carston’s own moral viewpoint and work satisfaction are gradually changing with each novel, providing extra layers of interest for readers.

Bill kindly provided the following post about writing in different genres. But first, here’s the blurb for his new novel.

Unsafe Acts

An offshore platform in the turbulent North Sea is a dangerous place…

…there’s the isolation, the machinery and the constant battle with the whims of nature. For Ally Baxter, a safety officer on Falcon Alpha, those whims take a deadly turn. When his workmates decide he’s gay, an evening ashore turns ugly as they indulge in some drunken queer-bashing. Later his body is found along the route the group followed.

For DCI Jack Carston, the case seems simple enough until a second murder is discovered. This time it’s the prostitute Ally always visited - a young mother with a baby son. Complications mount as Carston, in addition to his investigations, has to deal with an inexperienced officer under his command and a disciplinary charge brought against Carston himself by a vindictive superior officer.

The obstacles keep piling up, but more is to come when he finds evidence of a plot to wreck the platform itself.

Unsafe Acts is available from Amazon (UK) and Amazon (US)

You can find more information about Bill on his website and blog.

Chasing the unexpected

Writing’s a pleasure. Even if you can organise your time so that you can give regular slots, even whole days to it, it never feels as if it’s a routine. The great French novelist Stendhal always preferred l’imprévu, the unexpected. His heroes and heroines sought and revelled in surprises, unpredictable experiences, accidental meetings and the like. So even if, every day, you sit at the same desk, adjust the same keyboard, switch on the same monitor (or, if you’re a real writer, lick the tip of your stubby pencil and pull the sheet of paper towards you), you’re confident that your characters will take you to unsuspected places.

The same is true of readers, but with a slight difference. They know they’ll be taken out of their world but, quite often, they like the feeling of drifting into one with which they’re familiar, and which is peopled by weel-kent individuals. They want to revisit Harry Potter and his friends, or read yet another Dick Francis adventure featuring horses and jockeys. And this can pose a problem because, in a way, it condemns you to meet their expectations. If they’re used to you telling them about Chief Inspector Bloggs and his team in Auchtermuchty, they don’t want to pick up one of your books and find themselves in a spaceship crewed by Klingons on its way to the radioactive outskirts of the Crab nebula. But what if that’s where you fancy going? Do you indulge yourself and just sit watching the airlocks hiss open and shut? Or do you wave goodbye to the astronauts and trudge back into the Auchtermuchty nick?

I can’t really say it’s been a problem but I do feel the need to warn readers of the differences between my books. I’ve written five in my modern Scottish crime series, all featuring the same central characters. But I’ve also written a spoof crime/mystery, a historical crime which became a romance too, a fantasy novella about online role-playing games, a novel for children and plays and short stories about all sorts of other things. There are also the non-fiction books, but I don’t think my fiction readers are likely to be fooled into straying into a series whose titles all begin with the word ‘Brilliant’.

It’s true that most of my books are crime-based, but that’s because I’m fascinated by people and the bad – and good – things they’re capable of. For me, the human psyche is far more mysterious than any geographical or extra-terrestrial setting. So, whether I’m writing about murders in today’s Scotland, or figurehead carving in 1840, or following the absurdly extreme sociopathic antics of a policeman and a group of individuals who call themselves Eagle, Sparrow, Kestrel and the like, the process is the same. What’s happening to these people as I write may make me laugh, admire or love them, feel distressed, be disgusted – in fact contribute in many different ways to that all-important surprise factor.

So am I saying there’s no difference between writing romance, historical or modern crime, fantasy or satire? Well, yes. I always quote Isla Dewar’s response to a question from an audience, ‘You’ve got to give your characters room to dance’. If your characters dance for you, it doesn’t matter who or where they are – they draw you to them, make you part of their world, however alien, and demand that you tell their stories. With a genre such as satire, it’s maybe a little different because you’re using them to make points about other things, so you’re dealing with two levels of meaning, but I think that’s true of all good writing anyway. Underneath the main story, there are always so many others to be told.

The really nice feeling comes when readers ask you when you’re going to a write a sequel to a stand-alone book. It means they’ve entered its world and want to experience more of it. It’s perhaps the biggest compliment you can get.

OK, that’s enough for today. I wonder where I’ll be taken tomorrow.

Thanks for that very interesting post, Bill.

Bill Kirton was born in Plymouth, England but has lived in Aberdeen, Scotland for most of his life. He’s been a university lecturer, presented TV programmes, written and performed songs and sketches at the Edinburgh Festival, and had many radio plays broadcast by the BBC and the Australian BC. He’s written four books on study, writing and workplace skills in Pearson’s ‘Brilliant’ series and his crime novels, Material Evidence, Rough Justice, The Darkness, Shadow Selves and the historical novel The Figurehead, set in Aberdeen in 1840, have been published in the UK and USA. His short stories have appeared in several anthologies and Love Hurts was chosen for the Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 2010.

Photo by Sara Bain

The Figurehead by Bill Kirton

Set in Aberdeen in 1840, The Figurehead is a novel I have no hesitation in recommending. The sights, sounds and people of the period are brought to life by an accomplished author. Beginning with a suspicious death, the plot involves a whodunit and why, the carving of a figurehead for the new ship, the social differences between ordinary people and the gentry, and a tentative love story. All with the background of sea-faring, Victorian Aberdeen.

Although all the characterisation is well done, I was impressed by Bill Kirton’s handling of the female characters, especially the heroine, Helen, who is determined to fight some of the restrictions imposed upon women in that period.

I asked Bill the following questions:

The carving of the figurehead is lovingly depicted. Is that one of your own passions?

Yes. In fact, as part of my research for the book, I joined a carving class and made a couple of figureheads of my own, just to try to sense what John Grant felt as he created his figures. Carving’s still a hobby.

I also joined the crew of the Christian Radich for a trip from Oslo to Leith and even got to steer her under sail. It was magical.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

That’s easy, but it’s a toss-up between two – both women – Helen and Jessie. They’re from different social classes but similar in many ways – mainly through the strength they show in a patriarchal society. In the end, it has to be Helen because she’s less willing to accept the reduced role society expected of women then.

The novel obviously involved much research. How easy, or difficult, was it?

Not difficult at all. I’ve already mentioned the practical aspects of it. In terms of documents and so on, I found an ordnance survey map of Aberdeen in the library. It was dated 1840 so that decided the time frame and I started reading the local papers for the time. Fascinating, absorbing stuff – the adverts, the trials, the offers of emigration – it gives a real feel for the city at that period.

Then there were the books about building ships, the fact that the Scottish Maid, launched exactly 100 years before my own birthday – to the day – had the first ever ‘clipper bow’. And Aberdeen today, with obvious reservations, isn’t so different architecturally, from the Aberdeen of 1840. Archibald Simpson was at his height then.

Are you writing more novels in that period?

I have several different projects and completed books and stories with publishers at the moment, as well as a probable commission for another non-fiction book for Pearson, but when things settle down, I’m looking forward to writing a sequel to The Figurehead. For a start, John and Helen need to sort out their relationship and, more importantly, Helen is anxious to get involved in her father’s business. She has some revolutionary ideas about passenger arrangements on the transatlantic voyages. Then there’s the visit of a theatre troupe and the solution to the mystery of the killing of John’s fiancée. Isn’t it fun being a writer?

Thanks a lot for the excellent answers, Bill. I’m looking forward to reading more about Helen and John – and I did wonder what had happened to John’s fiancée!

Bill Kirton is a well-published writer of crime novels, academic non-fiction, drama and children’s stories. Find out more about him on his Website, and at his Living and Writing Blog. The Figurehead is available as a paperback and a Kindle e-book from Amazon.