Killer Queen
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THE REVIEW 5 SUNDAY MORNING POST SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2005 Books Edited by Chris Wood [email protected] There’s nothing genteel about AUTHOR’S Minette Walters’ murders. BOOKSHELF But, as she tells Kavitha Rao, Small Island by Andrea Levy “It’s well-written, it’s funny, it there’s method in her mayhem has everything.” Red Dragon by Thomas Harris “It created Hannibal Lecter, the most iconic figure in crime since Sherlock Holmes.” Innocent Blood by P.D. James “It’s about the estranged daughter of a murderess who seeks to be reunited with her mother. One of James’ few one-offs. I always prefer one- offs.” Killer The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier “This came out in the 1960s, just when LSD was emerging, and Du Maurier very cleverly blends hallucinogenic experiences and time travel.” The Power and the Glory queen by Graham Greene “My all-time favourite novelist. I love the agony and “MY MOTHER ONCE asked me why I the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners moral angst of his characters. didn’t write a book about a ‘nice lit- of war in the Abu Ghraib prison This is about a ‘whisky priest’ tle murder’, like someone putting a camp shocked her. “The western in 1930’s Mexico, on the run cushion over an old woman’s coalition was so morally certain from a state which has head,” says crime writer Minette that it was doing the right thing,” outlawed the church.” Walters with a laugh. “That would she says. “Of course, when the be too easy for me.” events of Abu Ghraib rocked the Walters doesn’t do “nice little world, we realised there was sa- murders”. Nor does she do easy dism and cruelty on both sides.” for crime fiction to be considered ones. Along with P.D. James and Unusually for crime writers, Wal- serious writing worthy of literary Ruth Rendall, she’s considered one ters’ books are all one-offs with no awards. Speaking at the Chelten- of the queens of crime fiction. But series character – which doesn’t ham literary festival, they argued her gritty, contemporary mysteries seem to have deterred readers. Her that modern crime writers deal couldn’t be further removed from first three – The Ice House, The Sculp- with important contemporary the cosy, tea-in-the-vicarage mur- tress and The Scold’s Bridle – all won social issues, but are still less well ders often associated with female major awards and put her on best- regarded. crime writers. Walters has her finger seller lists. Five of her novels have Walters isn’t convinced. “I’d on the pulse of modern Britain, tack- been adapted for television (two are love a crime novel to get a prize, but ling such topical issues as paedophi- showing on BBC Prime), starring the I can quite see why they haven’t. lia, domestic violence, racial preju- likes of Clive Owen, Daniel Craig and We write in a different way, usually dice, the Iraq war and homelessness. Miranda Richardson. on contemporary issues and in a Yet her 12 novels – almost one a year Walters says she’s the envy of page-turner style. A literary novel is since 1992 – retain the flavour of her crime writing peers. “Not hav- on a much bigger canvas and may good old-fashioned whodunits. ing a series character gives me so take years to write. As for getting Walters’ new book, The Devil’s much more freedom,” she says. “I enough respect, I think everybody Feather, is her first in an interna- can tackle whatever I want, and not likes to read a good crime novel, in- tional setting. Connie Burns is a be shackled to a particular place, cluding the serious literary authors. Reuter’s correspondent in Sierra time or person. I’d find it tedious to Perhaps they read us surreptitious- Leone, where five women are raped remain in a comfortable formula ly – within brown paper covers.” and murdered against the back- and to use the same detective every Walters has served on juries for drop of genocide. Connie suspects time. Besides, I didn’t want to end the Orange and Whitbread prizes a Scottish mercenary who uses the up like Agatha Christie, who appar- (for women worldwide and by Brit- mayhem of war as camouflage for ently hated [her fictional creation] ish residents, respectively), which his own sadistic fantasies. She en- Hercule Poirot.” she says was “great fun and very counters him again in war-torn Walters’ more recent books hard work”. She says she has some Baghdad, and a cat-and-mouse were inspired by actual events such reservations about a special prize game ensues. The term “devil’s as a race-hate killing, newspaper for women, “but anything that feather” is a Turkish expression for campaigns against paedophiles, encourages great writing has to be a woman who unwittingly stirs up a September 11 and the debate in a good thing”. man’s interest. Britain about banning foxhunting. Walters’ next project is a crime Walters was inspired to write the “I like the idea that, by setting my novel for Quick Reads, a pro- novel while visiting Sierra Leone stories against a contemporary squeamish – although she denies heroines, is tough to the point of me bizarre that things should re- gramme established by Unesco to with French charity Medecin San event, I root the story firmly for my that they’re particularly violent. ruthlessness. “I grew up reading main unchanged since the time my “I deliberately publish books for adults with read- Frontieres. “I was appalled by the reader and they know what I’m “I do leave quite a lot unsaid, be- crime thrillers like Alistair McLean grandfather visited. For instance, ing difficulties. It’s a fictional ver- chaos, even two years after the war talking about.” For a writer who cause I’m aware that every reader and Hammond Innes, and was 50 to 75 per cent of the prison pop- reveal the sion of a murder that happened 80 ended. I thought, ‘What a wonder- loves the genteel novels of Agatha brings their own imagination to the always annoyed that it was men ulation is illiterate. We need to years ago. And she plans to keep ful cover for a man who took plea- Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Wal- book, which is much more fright- who were solving everything and teach them how to read.” murder in the testing the boundaries of her genre. sure in killing’.” Revelations about ters’ own books aren’t for the ening. During Christie’s and Say- rescuing damsels in distress. I was And she says she believes there’s “What I liked about the Sherlock ers’ times, the murder mystery was quite determined that my women unnecessary hysteria about crime Holmes novels was that they told almost like a parlour game. But Wil- weren’t going to be eclipsed, either in Britain, especially about paedo- first few pages, you everything you wanted to know kie Collins, who wrote The Moon- as heroines or murderesses.” philia. “I think the tabloids just like about Victorian London. If some- stone [arguably, the first crime nov- Walters is known for the twists to stoke up fear because it makes which makes body buys my books at a jumble WRITER’SNOTES el], was very gritty and dark. With and turns of her stories, which for a good story. The truth is that sale in 50 years time, I like the idea the advent of forensic sciences, often end ambiguously. Yet, she most victims are murdered or mo- my books that they might get a flavour of Genre Crime fiction Dark Room (1995), The Echo crime-writing is coming full circle.” says she doesn’t plot her books. lested in their own homes by peo- what our times were like.” Latest book The Devil’s Feather (1997) The Breaker (1997) The What violence there is serves a “I just think of an idea, create ple who know them.” appear brutal” (Macmillan) Shape of Snakes (2000), Acid purpose, says Walters. really good characters, and then let Is literary snobbery stopping The Minnette Walters Season, Next project An unnamed Row (2001) Fox Evil (2002), “One of the things I do deliber- them write the story”. She says she crime writers from getting their BBC Prime, Tues, 9.30pm (The mystery for Quick Reads, Disordered Minds (2003), The ately is to reveal the murder in the still doesn’t know if Olive Martin, due? Two of Walters’ peers, James Echo final episode this week; The a project for adults with Tinder Box (2005) first few pages, which makes my the protagonist of The Sculptress and Ian Rankin, recently called Dark Room begins Dec 6) reading difficulties Other jobs Secretary, magazine books appear deceptively brutal. was a murderess or not. Age 56 sub-editor and editor This is to remind people about the Many of her novels deal with Born Bishop’s Stortford, What the papers say “Walters horror of murder. It’s the ultimate crime and punishment, and Wal- Hertfordshire, Britain has succeeded in uniting the theft – you can never give a life ters has been a prison visitor for se- Family Married to Alec Walters; traditional crime narrative with a back.” Her narratives are inter- veral years. two sons, Roland and Philip distressing and effective account spersed with e-mails, letters and Her grandfather, Joshua Jebb, Lives Near Dorchester, Britain of the private cruelties that can photos, which make them even was Surveyor General of British Other works The Ice House flourish amid general mayhem.