What’s your name, and what do you write?
I’m Mike McConnell and I write mystery crime thrillers. Readers who enjoy working out whodunits while tagging along with characters who feel like real people might enjoy my debut novel, The Folly. It follows a police detective as he returns to the island he abandoned in his youth, and is forced to confront those he left behind, including his first love, all while solving a brutal murder (or maybe more than one . . .)
What do you enjoy reading privately, and what was your latest highlight?
I read quite widely, though I always circle back to crime (both fictional and true), with a smattering of sci-fi and horror. I’m a big fan of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker sequence and Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther books, as well as hard-boiled American stuff like Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy. I was recently blown away by QNTM’s There Is No Antimemetics Division, a sci-fi mind-bomb I couldn’t write in a million years. Holiday reading is usually something murderous and something comic book-y, for variety.
Are you a fast writer or a patient perfectionist?
The Folly took me twenty years of procrastination before I got on with it, though I bashed out the first draft in about 18 months once I got going. So I’d say I’m pretty patient with myself, maybe too patient at times.
Coffee or tea while writing or something else entirely?
I like a matcha, though I swear I was into it before it was trendy. That said, if I get into the flow, I tend to forget about drinking and plough on, slowly dehydrating my poor brain.
What makes you and your books special?
I try to write characters I’d want to spend time with, hanging out with the good guys and giving the bad guys a piece of my mind. I love history, so while God’s Folly is an island I’ve created, it connects with real-world events in ways that I hope will surprise the reader. And I enjoy a propulsive read, so while my characters are dealing with everything their lives throw at them, they’re also working against the clock to unravel a killer’s identity before they strike again.
What originally inspired you to start writing?
I wanted to write from a young age; I remember writing a short story called The Shadow at school, and being thrilled that my teacher enjoyed it. But life always seemed to get in the way, so in my twenties and thirties, I barely managed a few chapters. Then in 2022, I had a health scare, which meant for two months I lived in genuine fear that my life could be at risk while I underwent a series of pretty invasive tests. It was the worst time of my life, and although it proved to be something benign, the experience taught me that this life can be taken away at a moment’s notice, and if I wanted to write, I should get on with it. About eighteen months later I had my first draft of The Folly.
Where do the ideas for your novels come from?
I’ve always been interested in crime and policing, and nearly joined the police at a couple of points in my life, having trained as a Special Constable. I also grew up watching Sunday night crime dramas and reading mystery stories, so I’ve drawn on a lifetime of absorbing crime and its consequences. With The Folly, I wanted to create a unique, isolated environment that had a strong sense of community. I also wanted to use my experiences as a father to a young daughter, which inspired me to create Holly, my main character’s child.
What hobbies do you have outside of writing?
I love walking, and have done some mad hiking events like walking from London to Brighton in 24 hours, and trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro. I also enjoy running (slowly), though I had a knee operation earlier this year, so I’m trying to ease myself back in with some slow jogs home from the school run. I watch a lot of TV, some crime and reality nonsense, but mainly what we’re supposed to call “prestige” dramas these days. And reading, of course.
Do you have a short message or some words for your readers?
I loved writing The Folly (for the most part), so I hope you enjoy reading it. Writing doesn’t come that naturally to me, so I had to put a lot of myself into it to bring it to life – my loves, my fears, my weird sense of humour. It’s made me want to write another, so I hope you agree that I should!