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This week's #TuesdayTip is a book review.
Unlike my previous look at Stephen King's much-lauded autobiography/writing manual On Writing, this is not billed as a must-read for writers.
Yet I still feel it belongs here.
For those not sure what it's about, Lee Child is the pen name of James D. Grant, the phenomenally successful best-selling author of the Jack Reacher series of thrillers. The first novel in the series has just been successfully adapted into a terrific series for Amazon, with two more series confirmed.
The much-derided Tom Cruise films (derided because the protagonist Reacher is 6'5" and 250lb, and Cruise very much isn't) were serviceable adaptations, but the most important thing is that a star like Tom Cruise was desperate to star in them.
That's how big this franchise is.
The book is not a list of dos and don'ts. There aren't detailed articles about grammar or structure or the writing craft. However, it is the very candid biography of one of the most successful thriller writers in the world, and woven amongst a fascinating life story, is a telling of how he did it.
Will others use this as a manual to mimic Lee Child? Of course, many already do. But through a combination of timing, luck (good and bad) and his own unique personality, nobody else has come close to creating Jack Reacher or replicating Child's success. And I suspect nobody will.
So why read it?
Buried within this book are Child's thoughts about writing. It doesn't matter if you think his prose is wonderful or recoil with horror at the thought of trying to average 4-5 words per sentence. It's an interesting perspective and a valuable insight.
It's a very good biography. James Grant was brought up in the fifties, in an urban landscape that has largely disappeared or changed beyond recognition. Similarly, he worked at Granada TV during a golden age of television, doing a job that has largely disappeared or changed beyond recognition. In that sense, it is a form of social history.
He started writing at the end of the nineties, before eBooks. He admits that he probably wouldn't have done as well if he started out today. The professional writing landscape today, especially for those starting out, is almost unrecognisable. Again, this charts a fascinating era of history.
His childhood, and his complicated relationship with his parents, has shaped the man he is today and his writing. Dr Heather Martin is a literary expert and she uses this to derive insight from his interviews, his books and his friends. It's not cod psychoanalysis by any stretch, but she paints a complex picture.
He is phenomenally well-read. He had a classical education, and it is clear that his exceptional memory allowed him to absorb and internalise much of that writing. Martin is able to draw parallels between what he has read and what he writes, and it's clear that she regards his writing as worthy of study as any so-called literary fiction. Given the high-praise that he has received from some of the most lauded writers of the modern era, anyone who thinks that Jack Reacher novels are trashy airport reads is mistaken (the secret to Child's success of course, is that he's also managed to corner the airport market, with a staggering number of his books being sold at Heathrow and Gatwick).
The book is very honest. It's clear that Martin finds him a charming and likeable man. I've met him a couple of times, and he is a very pleasant person to spend time with (I am no longer tongue-tied!). However, she isn't afraid to delve deeply. In some ways Lee Child is almost as fictional as his creation Jack Reacher. She takes care to differentiate between James (Jim) Grant, a family man with strong political views and an openly-shared love of his wife of forty-plus years and their daughter, and Lee Child, the mythical writing behemoth. Twenty-five years of being interviewed has meant that story-teller Lee Child has perhaps exaggerated some of the tales of his upbringing. His recollections of events might not be entirely accurate... Martin tracked down school friends, work colleagues, neighbours, and even school teachers. Some of the stories were confirmed, others were openly derided. But it doesn't matter, because at the end of the day, Lee Child is a story-teller.
It brings the story up-to-date. The book was published around the time that Child announced his impending retirement. It details why he decided to do it, the reaction of his publishers, and the decision to hand over the reins to younger brother Andrew Grant, who would now adopt the pseudonym Andrew Child. The paperback version even includes a brief addendum to include his experiences during the pandemic.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's a damn good read! Ian Rankin describes it thus 'As gripping as one of Lee Child's own bestsellers'. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not a big reader of biographies, but this was a real page-turner.

So whilst this is technically a #TuesdayTip, it is also a #RecommendedRead.
What are your thoughts on the phenomenon that is Lee Child/Jack Reacher?
Have you read The Reacher Guy?
As always feel free to comment here or in the comments.
Best wishes,
Paul

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First of all, I have to start this book review with a bit of confession - I don't read Stephen King!
The reason is quite simple, I'm not a fan of the horror genre. I have nothing against it; I'm not squeamish. I'm certainly not a snob. It just doesn't do anything for me. 
Yet I have the utmost respect for Stephen King, and his peers, such as Dean Koontz; craftsmen who can hook readers into their novels and leave them begging for more. King is an acknowledged master of the genre - but more importantly, he is a master of writing. Full stop. We can all learn something from him.
And so I dove into this book keen to learn more about this fascinating man and his remarkable talent.

The book is a hybrid - part memoir, part tutorial.
The first half of the book is autobiographical.
King grew up in small-town America in the fifties and sixties; the story of his early life and burgeoning love of writing - any writing - is a candid and insightful view of what made him the man he is today. That tale alone is worth reading. Unfortunately, despite what it says on the cover image at the top of this page, the edition I have is the original from 2000, rather than the newly updated 20th anniversary edition, so only provides a snapshot of the first twenty-odd years of his career.

The second part - on writing - is why this is a #TuesdayTip, rather than a #RecommendedRead.
King is a leader in the field and this book is his own unique perspective on how to go about writing. It's told as a narrative, with an almost folksy approach. Rather than a text book (although it is used in degree courses all over the world), it is as if King is sitting down chatting to you about what he's learned over the years. King taught high school English, and so even the most technical discussions about grammar, pace and structure are explained clearly for the non-specialist. The only assumption he makes is that you want to be a better writer.
The chances are that you won't agree with everything in this book. I certainly didn't. Some of the rules that he has found work for him, won't work for you. But that's OK. In fact it's a good thing. Every writer is different - do what works for you. But exposure to diverse ideas is essential when honing your craft. I know that there are things that I have subconsciously absorbed when reading this book that will help me in the future.
An interesting and controversial view, that King states forcefully, is that too much plotting makes for a bad book. Many of his peers would vehemently disagree, and have produced masterful examples that disprove this theory. Yet it gives hope to those of us for whom plotting is a chore. But don't let that put you off if your outline runs to hundreds of pages. There is still much to be valued in here, and reading about different approaches can help you hone your own method.

Perhaps one of the nicest things about this book is the way that King's love for his wife Tabitha - Tabby - runs throughout it. They met at college, and she has been his cheerleader, sounding-board, and fiercest critic throughout his career. In 2021, they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary and it's heart-warming when reading a book set twenty years ago to know that they are still going strong today. 

The book finishes in 1999, a significant year in King's life, after a careless driver nearly killed him. The final chapters describe the horrifying accident and its aftermath in a frank and detailed manner that befits a man who has made a career of torturing imaginary characters. Because of the endpoint, we don't get to hear his views on eBooks, the rise of Amazon, self-publishing or the ubiquity of social media.

For that reason, I will endeavour to read the twentieth anniversary edition at some point, and continue the story of Tabitha and Stephen.      

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Today's #TuesdayTip is actually a book review: How To Catch A Killer by Katherine Ramsland, PhD.
I decided to place it here, rather than on my #RecommendedReads blog, as it is more of a useful resource than a 'story'.
Prof. Ramsland teaches forensic psychology and criminology and is the author of numerous books and academic articles, as well as an advisor for many documentaries.
There are lots of books out there about serial killers or murderers, and they vary from the lurid to the informative; those that seek primarily to entertain and those that are geared more towards academic study. This book can be seen as a catalogue of case studies, written by an academic for the mass market.

The first thing to note, is that a lot of thought has been put into how the book is organised. There are 30 case studies, a mixture of well-known individuals, eg BTK, ABC Killer, Son of Sam etc and more obscure ones, such as The Mad Carpenter. The earliest case dates from 1898 with latest cases almost in the present day. There is a strong bias towards the US, but there are also examples from the UK, Europe, Central America and Africa.
Each study consists of a couple of pages describing the crime(s) and victims and what is known about the individual who killed them, followed by an account of the capture. These are given in an easy-to-read prose style. Next there is a short key facts summary. Finally, Ramsland gives a commentary from her perspective as a professional.
Ramsland has chosen to divide the cases by the manner in which they were captured. This distinction is rather artificial to be honest, with sections such as Forensic Innovation, Mistakes and Miscalculations or Witness Reports. A lot of the cases overlap but it is as good a way to do it as any. A comprehensive index at the rear increases its use a as a reference guide.

I bought this book for a number of professional reasons but primarily, I am always looking for tools that can help me craft a realistic and compelling antagonist.

To make a fictional killer work, you need to consider several different components.
Motivation
This is true of any character - good or bad - but especially one as complex as a murderer. In the real world, it isn't always obvious why somebody commits such crimes, but in fiction "we'll probably never know why he did it" is rarely acceptable. Neither will the reader be satisfied with "he's just barking mad".
I wanted to gain an insight into realistic motivations. The book seeks to explain (and sometimes put forth the killer's explanation) for what they did.
Character Traits
Murderers and serial killers come from all walks of life. Some are weird, scary loners. Others are quiet but apparently normal, and some are the centre of the community and loved by everyone. Many, but by no means all, had a very bad childhood. Some appear to have had brain damage, others might be genetically pre-disposed. Others are a mystery. The book has multiple examples of them all.
Then there is the persistent stereotype of a lone white male etc etc. The book contains numerous case studies of offenders that don't fit this profile.
Offending Pattern
One of the ways that many serial killers are caught, or linked to additional crimes, is through similarities in methodology between different crime scenes. Some serial murderers are driven to bizarre rituals that are so unusual that their crimes absolutely must have been committed by one individual. Others are less obvious, and so may not be noticed by investigators. Again this book has plenty examples of them all. 

With all that said, as a writer, you have a choice.
First, you can attempt to craft a serial killer that readers will understand and recognise. These characters are enormously popular, and whilst we all try to bring something original to the table, you will see characters that range from those where the writer has latched onto an idea seen in the real world and greatly expanded upon it, to stories where the character is clearly heavily influenced by one or more real individuals. This can be enormously effective - Robert Harris' Silence of the Lambs is one of the most lauded fictional depictions of serial killers in literature or film. Both Lecter and Buffalo Bill are inspired in part by real-life people.
The advantage of this is that your character, whilst extreme, will feel 'real' - after all, somebody once upon at time was just like that!
The alternative is to try and craft a serial killer that subverts many of the stereotypes or common tropes. If successful, it will feel highly original. The danger is that if you have a character that bears no resemblance to anyone real then it might feel far-fetched. There maybe a good reason why nobody has thought to have a character do that before!
In either scenario, there is a strong argument to be made that research into these killers can only help - either by providing inspiration, or by helping you know the rules so you can break them more effectively. A book like this can be very useful.

Final Thoughts.
My partner and I watch a lot of documentaries about murderers and serial killers. We are familiar with most of the 'big names', and the basic facts about the cases. Sometimes, we've seen the same person examined by more than one series. What I enjoyed about this book, is that it often gave a very different perspective to a case I thought I knew.
A very good example is that of Ed Kemper, the gigantic man known as the Co-ed Killer. In documentaries, and on the NetFlix semi-fictionalised series Mindhunter, much is made of Kemper's thoughtful, self-reflective intelligence, willingness to cooperate and help law enforcement  and the fact that he is a model prisoner. Indeed, it is sometimes easy to almost overlook the horrific nature of his crimes and see him as a fairly affable, friendly man. Ramsland gives little space over to that, and her insights remind the reader of what a monster Kemper really was (and perhaps still is).


Have you read this book? What did you think? Would you recommend any other, similar books?
Feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next week,
Paul