Author of the Month

Name: Matt Hilton

First Novel:

Most Recent Book: Dead Men's Harvest

'I was so enthralled I read until 1.30am before setting my alarm for 6 so I could finish the book before work.'

Synopsis:
Hunter’s old enemy the Harvestman has reappeared and he is determined to have his revenge on his nemesis. When Hunter’s best friend, Jared “Rink” Rington, is ambushed and captured by a gang of skilled warriors, Joe Hunter is convinced it is a trap to capture him.

To rescue his friend Hunter must go “rogue” and engage in his deadliest game of cat and mouse yet. From the Adirondacks to Maine to North Carolina where The Harvestman holds his ex-sister-in-law hostage aboard a rusting container ship normally used for people trafficking.

Joe Hunter must battle the odds and multiple adversaries to save both his friends and family. Can he possibly pull this off and escape with his own life?

Review:
Like a fine wine Hilton’s writing improves with age. His sixth book to be released within 30 months is hardly much older in publishing terms than the first, yet there is a marked confidence about his writing when you compare the first and last. I think the profligacy of his writing has caused him to focus deeply on his craft and with his current rate of improval Hilton and Hunter have to be among the strongest contenders to take over from the mighty duo of Lee Child and Jack Reacher at the forefront of the crime action genre.

The action starts with the first paragraph and finishes with the last. What’s in between? Fights, car chases, gunplay, intrigue, double crossing and general mayhem! When reading Dead Men’s Harvest you are transported into Hunter’s world and see everything through his eyes. Goodness knows how he gets through it because I was exhasted reading about his adventures. I was so enthralled I read until 1.30am before setting my alarm for 6 so I could finish the book before work.

The plotting is quite complex for a chase-action-thriller and the shocks and plot twists just keep coming as lies beget subterfuge which in turn begets hidden agendas. The pace is relentless in the extreme and benefits from Hiltons taut, terse prose. The best example of this is a chapter where The Harvestman travels to the UK and Hilton manages to fit in not only frantic action, but social commentary and a light spot of movie homage. The homage is repeated with a different film for the final encounter and I think fans of this book will have already enjoyed the film.

Hunter’s character is filling out with every passing novel and the undercurrents to his emotions are feelings of inadequacy in the relationship he has with Imogen Ballard. Rink, as ever, features, but in a much more diminished role than usual and instead it is Harvey Lucas who steps up beside him along with CIA man Hartlaub. Walter Hayes Conrad plays his usual devious role in proceedings but for me the best of the secondary characters were the bad guys which included the ice cold Baron and the horrific creation that is The Harvestman who wields wisecracks and knives with murderous precision.

Take a word of warning and don’t buy this book for the beach. You’ll be so engrossed you’ll forget to re-apply sun cream and get burnt!

Reviewed by: G.S.

CrimeSquad Rating


Questionnaire

1) What makes a truly great crime/thriller novel?
This is going to sound a little strange, but hopefully you’ll understand what I’m talking about by the end. For me it’s all about pace. But pace on it’s own is worthless without good characters and good plots. Engaging characters affect the plot, the way in which it plays out. A good plot won’t work without characters the reader cares for, so a good plot on it’s own won’t work. But then good characters that simply meander their way through a story without any direction wouldn’t hold the attention of the reader for long (a bit like I’m doing now), so they need a plot. But if the characters and great plot simply plod along, then there’s no pace. Therefore it’s about meshing together the trinity of pace, character and plot. If the crime thriller lacks any one of those ingredients then it will fail miserably. Seriously though, I do believe that there has to be tension and drama, all delivered at a breathless pace, for the reader to continue turning the pages. For me, in a crime thriller, it’s not so much ‘Who done it?’ as it is ‘How the hell are we going to solve this?’. For a crime thriller, the crime element is the nucleus, and is at the heart of the story, but it could have taken place in the past, the present, or will happen if not stopped. A prerequisite for me is that the story has some sort of tension and a sense of foreboding to carry me through to the end and this is what gives me the visceral thrill.
2) Are you surprised by the diversity of the crime genre? Do you think crime readers are always open to different styles?
I’m not surprised at all. There are so many great stories to be told, and each suits a different approach to the way in which it’s shown. Some stories are best seen through the eyes of an elderly lady with a crime-solving cat, where others can only be delivered with all guns blazing. As long as crime – or the consequences of a crime – is at the nucleus of the story then it’s all crime fiction to me. Sadly, not everyone would agree. Some readers won’t touch crime thrillers, having made assumptions about the genre that aren’t generally true. They see them as being shallow, formulaic, with little nuance, and rely on gunfights and explosions to see them through to the end – well what’s wrong with that if they have memorable characters and are good, rollicking and entertaining tales? To be fair, I don’t read too many cosy crime novels, but that’s more to personal taste than I think they aren’t good books. Most readers, crime or otherwise, tend to have their favourite style and stick to it, without diversifying. That isn’t a criticism, just an observation, and there are bound to be hundreds of exceptions to the rule. Getting a little controversial here, I feel there is a tendency for readers in general to follow the leader, or to be pushed in one direction or another. Often this is down to clever marketing by a publisher. Take the success of Steig Larsson for example. People who would not touch a crime novel clamoured to buy a copy of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, because it was the ‘book to read’ of the moment. On the back of that, we got a steady stream of books from the ‘Next Steig Larsson’ pushed onto the market, usually filling all the stands at front of store, and pushing everyone else’s books off the shelves and into the warehouse at the back of the shops. I’m not saying that Steig isn’t good, but there are many authors writing books equally as good or better who those same readers won’t even look at, let alone read. I wonder how many of those that read ‘The Girl…’ picked up any other crime novels, or simply moved on to the next craze. I’ve noticed that everyone’s now reading ‘Game of Thrones’, a fantasy novel. Most of those readers would have sniffed at the mention of fantasy once over. In fact it was almost seen as a derogatory genre, with most literary agents stating that they did not handle fantasy or sci-fi. I bet a few more do these days following the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones successes. But, that said, I find that crime fiction readers are an open and friendly bunch. Even if they don’t particularly read your specific sub-genre of crime, they still greet you with open arms and friendship. I’ve found that as a group, crime writers are exactly the same; open, honest, and supportive of each other.
3) Since we interviewed you at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival last year you have released two new books, contributed short stories to two separate anthologies and have travelled around the country doing promotional work. Do you ever get chance to relax and put your feet up?
Joe Hunter isn’t the only impulsive one in this relationship. I love writing, and even if I weren’t being paid to write I’d still be doing it. I’m one of those people who feel empty if he hasn’t penned something every day. So really, the writing is my form of relaxation. It’s true that I have been very busy, but it’s work that I love and up until now I haven’t burnt out. Some people are shocked to learn that I produce two books a year, but they have to remember that I’m in the fortunate position where I am no longer holding down a full time job, and my children are now adults and have flown the nest, so I have a lot of time on my hands in which to write. My books generally run to about the 90K word length. That’s the equivalent of one thousand words a day for three months. But to be honest, it’s not unusual for me to write around four or five thousand words during most stints at the computer. I am on a bit of a conveyor belt, where I’m usually working on the rough draft of one book, while doing line edits and proofs etc on another. I’ve usually got two or even three books on the go at the same time. The most time consuming aspect of the process is the marketing. I do a lot of social networking, blogging, interviews and personal appearances at bookshops and libraries. These to me are the more tiring aspects of the writing life, but I also love meeting and engaging with readers, so don’t see it as a chore. My working day generally sees me at the computer for a few hours in the morning. I then have a few hours off in the afternoon to spend time with my wife, before returning to the computer again in the late afternoon. I’m regularly still at the computer late into the evening, down partly to the fact that my US publishers sometimes forget they are five hours behind and send out emails and requests just as I’m preparing for bed. I do get some days off, and when I can I go away for a few days with my wife for a break. On those occasions I’ve been banned from taking my laptop with me…but I sometimes manage to smuggle it along.
4) As readers we can see your confidence and skill growing. Is this something you are conscious of yourself?
I’ve been writing for ‘donkey’s years’ and when I look back at my early efforts I can now see how horrible the writing was then. The thing is, the more you do something, the better you get at it. I look back on my first published book – Dead Men’s Dust – and cringe at some of the things I said in the narrative back then. But I understand now that at the time I was an aspiring amateur who still had to master the craft. That isn’t to say I don’t think it’s a good book. It is – according to most of the feedback I get from readers – but I also now recognise where I could have made it better with the hindsight of writing another seven books in the series. I’ve obviously learned a lot from the input and feedback I’ve received from my editors, and now write with a particular set of ‘rules’ in mind. When I get back line edits and such these days, there is generally very little that I have to change, which means that I’ve learned how to write the books much better than I did at the beginning. I still have to re-write in places, but in general I instinctively understand the mechanics of the novel now and don’t fret over them so much. I write from the seat of my pants, and I don’t forward plan, just go with the flow. I believe that I now write with a particular voice in my head (Joe Hunter’s) and am in tune with the way ‘he’ would tell the story. If I was asked to teach someone to write a book, I honestly wouldn’t know where to start, it’s just something that has come naturally to me after many hours of hard work. I’m pleased that people are beginning to see a change for the better, and hope I can continue to grow as an author.
5) In ‘Dead Men’s Harvest’ you gave Rink much more of a back seat than usual and used other characters to fill his role. Why did you choose to do this?
The reason was threefold, and without giving anything away for those who haven’t read the book yet, I won’t go too deeply into the how’s and why’s, but for the first of them it was a plot purpose. Believe me, if you haven’t read the book, it wouldn’t have been a good ending for Rink if he’d followed Hunter to his showdown on the Queen Sophia ship. Another reason was that I wanted Hunter to be off the reins for this book, acting by his own instincts and unrestrained by Rink’s calming hold on him. I also wanted to showcase Harvey Lucas this time, to make him a more important character in the series, and by drawing Rink out of the limelight I was able to do this. It made for a different dynamic and added to the book in my opinion. But don’t worry; Rink will be back in all his gaudy glory in future books in the series.
6) Is Rink any closer to getting a book of his own?
The upcoming eighth book in the series is very much a ‘Rink’ story, although still seen through the eyes of Joe Hunter, who narrates it. Without giving away any spoilers, the book centres on Rink and his family, and echoes from their past that have followed to haunt them in the present day. For Joe Hunter readers, they will still be very happy as the book has the same familiar voice and action as before, but will also gain the benefit of learning more about Rink, and in particular his Japanese mother, Yukiko. I’d love to write a ‘Rink’ standalone at some point in the future, however at this moment in time I’m contracted to write further ‘Joe Hunter’ books. If enough ‘fans’ of Rink were to holler loud enough, perhaps my publisher would listen and allow me to write a book from Rink’s perspective. Rink is gaining a number of fans of his own, and I have to admit to enjoying writing him and would love to get fully inside his head for a book or more. Unlike other series where the sidekick is the psychotic killer, it’s interesting to me that Rink is Joe Hunter’s voice of reason, and it’s Joe who is the slightly sociopathic of the two of them. Not that Rink isn’t a very dangerous man in his own right, but he tends to think first and shoot or kick butt later. I’m sure it would make for an interesting paradox if the story were shown through Rink’s eyes.
7) Hunter is becoming ever closer to Imogen. Surely you aren’t going to marry him off and give him a stable home life?
Hunter doesn’t seem to have much luck with women, and **spoiler alert** his relationships with the two previous loves of his life Diane, his ex-wife, and Kate Piers, from Slash and Burn, have come to sticky ends. The same might just happen with Imogen further down the line. Hunter is too impulsive to hold down a meaningful or stable relationship, and he has the knack of drawing trouble to him and those around him. So, no, there won’t be the sound of wedding bells in his near future. The irony is, marriage and stability is the thing he probably longs for most, but it’s an unrequited dream for a man in his profession.
8) With yourself, Zoe Sharp, Tom Cain, newcomers like Tom Wood and of course Lee Child all writing in the same genre, what does the future hold for the crime action thriller novel?
My hope is that readers get behind this action-led sub genre of crime and embrace it the way they have with the Scandinavian writers of late. With the exception of Lee Child, most other authors writing in a similar style have previously been lumped under the umbrella of general fiction and often didn’t get the recognition they deserved. For instance, Stephen Leather’s Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd books are crime action thrillers but you rarely saw those books in the crime section. Now that you have the likes of me, Zoe and the two Toms writing in the same genre, as well as others like Sean Black and Matthew Dunn, the bookshops are beginning to recognise our genre as being part of the larger crime fiction community and including us. I love the idea that I am part of a new wave and hope to see it grow and grow. I’m not jealous of anyone else’s success, and if even one of us can achieve success even a quarter that of Lee Child, it can only do us all a great deal of good, and affirm our genre on the book shelves. Once a reader enjoys a particular style of book, they’ll often seek out similar, so there is room for us all. Lee without doubt is the daddy, but there’s always a place for his enthusiastic (literary) children.
9) You paid a couple of homages in Dead Men's Harvest to well known films. Did you set out to include them both or did they just come about when writing the book?
To be honest they just came about. I didn’t set out to pay homage, but I guess that there are subliminal influences in any author’s mind that do come out on the page. Looking back over my series, I have actually paid homage to a number of movies, as wide ranging as ‘Shogun Assassin’, ‘Conan the Barbarian’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. When you consider that these are three of my all time favourite movies, it’s probably not that surprising that they have crept into my writing. I’m a cinematic writer, and by that I don’t mean that I write with a movie deal in mind; I see scenes and visualise the action, and it’s probably that movies I admire have influenced me more than I know. The Joe Hunter series is also peppered with references from songs and musicians, most evidently in Blood and Ashes. There’s even a very famous musician called Joe Hunter, though, admittedly, that’s not the reason I chose that name for him.
10) What is your favourite crime/thriller novel of all time?
There are so many great crime/thriller novels to choose from…but if I was pushed and only allowed to pick one I’d have to follow my first instinct and say “Brotherhood of the Rose” by David Morrell. Most people are probably familiar with David Morrell’s name – being the originator of the Rambo character – and in my opinion he’s rightly known as the ‘father of the modern thriller’. The story concerns two orphan boys, Saul and Chris, who are befriended by an old man, Elliot, who unknown to them is actually a CIA agent. He trains the boys throughout their childhood, and then recruits them as adults as his personal intelligence operatives and assassins. However, to protect himself, Elliot turns against them and Chris is killed, sending Saul on a path to punish Elliot who he realises has been using the boys all along. It’s an awesome book, full of action and authentic spy tradecraft, and really set me alight as a reader. In my books I’ve somewhat recreated this trio of characters with Walter Conrad in Elliot’s shoes, and Joe and Rink being the assassins. That has only now struck me as I write this down. A little epiphany I hadn’t thought about until now. Brotherhood of the Rose is actually the first in a trilogy, so I’m going to be sneaky here and add “Fraternity of the Stone” and “The League of Night and Fog” to the first. In Brotherhood and Fraternity, there are two separate sets of characters with their own tales to tell, who then join forces in League. I tend to see the trilogy as one long book, being one story arch. Brotherhood sounds a little clichéd now, but it was the first of its kind back in the early eighties (that I’m aware of) and has influenced so many crime/spy thrillers since it would be difficult to count. I often cite Mack Bolan (Don Pendleton’s Executioner) as a progenitor of Joe Hunter, but in hindsight I’d also now have to include Saul Grisman.