My guest today, Paul Gitsham, a biologist who retrained as a science teacher, is the author of the DCI Warren Jones crime books, which began with The Last Straw in 2014. The latest in the series, A Price to Pay is released on 5 June by HQ Digital.
Hi Paul how lovely to see you in my virtual cocktail lounge. What can I get you at the bar?
P: Well, if you’re buying… I will have a bottle of Nanny State and a glass of lemonade, plus an empty pint glass. Yep, you read that right, an alcohol-free shandy. I know how to party!
So do you remember where we first met in real life?
P: Tricky. We’re both stalwarts of First Monday Crime, but I suspect we were brushing shoulders before then at CrimeFest.
First impressions? I was in awe of you as you seemed so confident.
P: I’m flattered. The only time anyone has said they were in awe of me in recent times was after I downed a glass of fizzy water, mixed with tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and whatever the hell else year 8 had added to the beaker. I did it in 8.2 seconds and held that record for most of a lunch-time, until an especially iron-stomached year 9 beat me by less than a second. In my defense, it was for charity.
P: As to my first impressions – like most writers I am constantly suffering from imposter syndrome, I recognised you and was delighted when you spoke to me. As always with the crime community, I found you to be a fun conversationalist and enjoyed chatting to you. You are one of the familiar faces I always keep an eye out for when entering a room for the first time.
What a lovely thing to say. Points in common apart from a geographical connection to Harlow, Essex where I lived and went to school.
P: Well our time in Harlow hasn’t really overlapped, as I have only been here a couple of years. However, as I mentioned before, we both really enjoy First Monday Crime in London.
P: I know it’s a cliché, but that love of books from an early age is something that we have in common. I know that you were inspired to read by a teacher, who allowed you access to his office to choose books. As a child in primary school, I was a little slow to start reading, but when I did, I soon polished off everything the school had to offer. I too felt incredibly special when the teachers gave me a special dispensation to bring in my own books to read.
Thinking about book events, what would be your dream panel (at any event) – subject, fellow panelists or a Q&A with someone you have met or would love to meet?
P: So many to choose from! I think if I were to sit down and spend time with another author, it would be David Baldacci. I am really in awe of him. The way he juggles so many different series and consistently produces a couple of good page-turners a year is inspiring. I’ve never seen him speak publicly, so a Q&A with him would be fantastic. David, if you’re reading this…
Fingers crossed! So what are you working on now?
P: I am currently in the throes of next year’s DCI Warren Jones. It’ll be the seventh full-length and the eleventh in the series. No title as yet, but my internet history for the past weeks includes how long after death biometrics continue to work and how one goes about leasing an allotment – so make what you will of that. It should be published by the HQ imprint of HarperCollins in June 2021.
But your latest book is just about to be published?
P: Yes, 5 June sees the release of the sixth full-length DCI Warren Jones, A Price to Pay. As the tenth entry in the series, it feels pretty special. It’s just a shame I won’t get a chance to talk about it at CrimeFest or show anyone the lovely new bookmarks I’ve had printed!
P: In this book, I decided to focus on the world of undocumented workers. After a brutal murder the investigation has lots of twists and turns and a pretty devastating conclusion. For long time readers of the series, it continues to deal with the fallout of previous novels.
What are you most looking forward to when lockdown is finally lifted?
P: I haven’t seen my family for months. We have been having regular video-conferences on a Sunday, and I phone my parents for a good chat a couple of times a week, but it isn’t the same. My two toddler nephews are a little too young to understand quite how Skype works and generally run around yelling rather than sitting in front of the camera, so I am looking forward to having them on my knee again.
Is there anything lockdown has made you think about/want to do?
P: To go out without a teatowel wrapped around my face. We torture ourselves by planning what we are going to eat when we finally get to go for a meal. The biggest disappointment is the need to postpone our wedding and honeymoon. When it finally takes place, it is going to be the party of a lifetime!
Thank you for joining me in my virtual Cocktail Lounge, Paul. I’m looking forward to meeting up the next time there’s a real event – you never know it might be the CWA Christmas party!
You can find out my about Paul Gitsham’s books on his website and follow him on Twitter @DCIJoneswriter