Suzette A. Hill

Biog
I taught English Literature in adult education (Reading, Berks.) for donkeys' years, and have always enjoyed writing reviews and articles of the 'lit. crit.' kind. But although I had of course lectured on novels, it never occurred to me to try to write one myself: the inclination simply wasn't there. However, after retiring up to Herefordshire, I thought I might try my hand at a short story - just to see how it felt. The story was never finished - as it developed into a full blown comic novel, and that in turn is rapidly becoming part of a trilogy. Nobody could be more surprised than myself! Originally I self-published "A Load Of Old Bones" in 2005. Success was moderate, but it was particularly gratifying to have it made into an audio book with the comedy actor Leslie Phillips performing one of the parts (see www.joyfulproductions.co.uk). Better still, was when Constable & Robinson offered me a contract for the hardback version of both it and the sequel "Bones In The Belfry". It was, and is, a great relief to be in the hands of professionals as I did find the self-publishing process pretty onerous! If interested in hearing a bit more about that side of things you could google a blog article, "The Art Of Detection:Suzette A. Hill - Getting Published".

Latest Release

Interview

Do you have a clear structure or plot development when you are writing or are you sometimes surprised by who the killer turns out to be?

Unfortunately, no! I feel I ought to - it would be so more organized and professional. But I tend to bumble along relying on the characters and the conversations to direct events. This sounds terribly haphazard and one day it just won't work, but at the moment it seems to - or so I feel! In a way it's part of the pleasure: it's like telling oneself a story and one is never quite sure what is going to happen next!

Do you stick to a strict routine when you write?

Again, I'm rather erratic about this. I enormously admire those writers who have a strict regime and discipline, and perhaps when I am less amateurish I shall have developed that rigour. But at the moment I tend to write when expedient or when I get a sudden 'buzz'. Occasionally when I am en route to doing something else, such as going to Tescos or the post office, I will pause to adjust a sentence - and then an hour later, with coat on and handbag at my feet, I am still at the computer. I think it is time I pulled myself together!

What do you want your readers to get out of the book?

Entertainment and amusement. The characters and their absurd antics make me laugh, and I should like to share the joke with others.

Which character from your books do you most identify with?

Most people tell me that I am obviously the cat, Maurice, who is acidic, verbally precious, and absurdly supercilious; and these are certainly traits that I can recognize in myself. However, I think fundamentally I empathise with the bumbling and frequently panic-stricken vicar - Francis Oughterard. He flounders through life in a pall of confusion, and I suspect I do much the same.

Can you give us some background as to how your book came about?

It emerged purely by chance as I had no particular desire to write fiction. I was half dozing one morning, and for some reason an image of a sleek cat came into my head, followed by a ragamuffin dog, and then vaguely on the horizon a gangling Anglican vicar. These images haunted my imagination, and I thought it might be fun to try to incorporate them into a short crime story. The eventual result was the now nearly completed 'Bone' trilogy.

Can you tell us about the characters and where they came from?

The principal character is the permanently flustered anti-hero, the Revd Francis Oughterard, who is the main narrator and lurches from one disaster to another. He is by nature idle and longs for a quiet life, but never gets it. He has a dog and a cat who occasionally give their version of events. The cat is smug and ultra refined, the dog an aimiable plebeian. They enjoy a wrangling relationship but are united by a common desire to protect the vicar and thus secure their own safety and comfort.
There is an assortment of other odd-balls, including a pompous bishop, a lustful organist, a hearty and terrifying female novelist, a shady art dealer, and Mavis Briggs - a plaintively mincing parishioner and one of the several banes of Francis' life. As to where they come from: God knows - they simply well up from within!

What was your inspiration to write your latest book?

When I wrote "A Load Of Old Bones" it was very much an experiment, a new venture, and I had assumed that were it ever published it would simply be a one-off and complete in itself. However, it finished on an ambiguous note, and by that time I was so engrossed by the rather peculiar characters that I simply had to find out what happened to them and how the Revd Francis Oughterard coped with his new predicament. Thus "Bones In The Belfry" was started entirely to satisfy my own curiosity.

What do you consider is the most important element in your writing?

I think my principal interest and enjoyment is the depiction of the characters and their relationships. Conversations are vital in revealing character, and so the verbal exchanges between the vicar and his associates, and the sparring dialogues of Maurice and Bouncer are certainly a key factor in the general scheme of things! The various absurd situations - e.g. the bishop getting drunk, the vicar encountering the lovers in the wood, the stealing of the painting from Mavis Briggs in "Bones In The Belfry" etc. - are all shaped by the personalities involved.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am nearing the end of "Bone Idle", the last one in the 'Bone' trilogy, and in which the previous chracters all feature - the Revd Francis Oughterard, his dog & cat Maurice and Bouncer, his sister Primrose, the detectives March & Samson, and of course the oily Nicholas Ingaza who continues to muddy the waters in the vicar's already addled life. I am having great fun with it and have got the ending all sewn up - but there is a crucial chunk about two thirds through which has yet to be confronted and resolved. I keep putting it off!