I’ve just finished reading the latest draft of Unlocked Lies — and it’s been somewhat of a reality check.

There’s a solid story in there, which is always a relief. A lot of work will be required to dig it out, though. Some scenes need to be added to strengthen the tension. Others will be axed. I’ll tighten the writing throughout, and a few characters aren’t pulling their full weight on the page. That will change! They need to earn their place in the story.

There’s also an important plot issue I haven’t cracked yet. At the moment, I’m leaving it alone and trusting that the solution will reveal itself as I work through everything else. That’s often how it goes — clarity tends to come from momentum rather than staring at the problem head-on.

None of this is unusual. In fact, it’s very much part of the process. First drafts (and even second or third drafts) are often about getting the raw material down. The real work comes in shaping it into something sharper, leaner, and more compelling.

My plan is to tackle the straightforward fixes first — the obvious cuts, the line edits, the smaller improvements. Once those are out of the way, I’ll move on to the more structural changes, which always take more time and thought. I’m hoping to resolve most of these issues over the rest of April. We’ll see how cooperative the story and its characters decide to be!

A very warm welcome to novelist Marrisse Whittaker, who’ll be answering some questions about her novels, including her next book, A Body of Lies. 

I’d like to know more about your latest novel, either published or a work-in-progress. What can readers expect to encounter in its pages?

My latest novel, A Body of Lies, is due to be published on 9th April. It’s a crime thriller, full of secrets, lies, survival and the darkness a family can hide. The theme affecting all of the main characters, is the famous George Santayana quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

This is the blurb:

Ten years ago, Sunny Hart vanished. Now her sister wants the truth – no matter the cost.

Investigative journalist Rose Hart swore she’d never return to her hometown, the place that stole her sister and shattered her family. But it’s finally time to lay the ghosts of her past to rest.

Her fragile peace is shattered when a horrific parcel arrives in the post, followed by a chilling warning beside a dead body. Suddenly, Rose is dragged back into a nightmare she can’t escape.

As she begins to investigate, Rose realises she’s not the only one hunting for answers. Leo Thorn, a forensic pathologist with secrets of his own, and Vinny Strong, a convicted murderer with unfinished business, become unlikely allies.

Together, they step into a labyrinth of long-buried secrets and a history far darker than Rose ever imagined. Someone knows what happened to Sunny, and they’ve waited a very long time to finish what they started.

Tell us about yourself and what you get up to when you’re not writing.

I spent the first twenty years of my life working as a film/TV Make-Up Artist on feature films and dramas and then ran my own TV company making factual TV content for all of the main broadcasters. I also wrote drama scripts for long-running series. When I’m not writing, I like to travel and often come up with new ideas for stories whilst I’m on the move.

What have you written to date?

A Body of Lies will be my sixth crime thriller and is currently a standalone story, though it could be the start of a new series. My first book, The Magpie, was written in 2020 when the covid lockdown struck and I was trapped in a hotel room in the Canary Islands. The Magpie was published in May 2021. This was closely followed by The Devil’s Line, published in Nov 2021 and The Mad Hatter Murders, published February 2022. The main character in all three books is Billie Wilde, a young and wild female police detective based in the North-East of the UK. The spin-off series from this, Wilde & Darque, follows Billie Wilde and Ellis Darque as they set up a PI agency and face challenges in different locations, including across Europe.

Where do your ideas come from?

The idea for A Body of Lies first came to me when I started to receive strange and increasingly spooky deliveries through the post, with no idea who had sent them or why. The first chapter of the book begins with a similar scenario and does include one item identical to one that I received.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to see where an idea takes you?

I work on an outline plot, with similar story beats to that of a screenplay, as my background is in TV writing and production. I create scenes first, rather than chapters and I always visualise the end scene before I start writing. Once I get going, I always veer off from the plan, but the main story beats and turning points that I need to make sure the plot works are positioned on my skeleton plan and so help ensure that I don’t end up in a tangled mess.

Thanks, Marrisse! You can find out more about Marrisse and her books here: 

https://geni.us/BodyofLies
YouTube https://youtube.com/shorts/NM5raSrs14c
Facebook: Marrisse Whittaker Author
Website: https://marrissewhittaker.com
Instagram: @marrissewhittakerauthor
Tiktok: Marrisse Whittaker Author

There’s a time in almost every psychological thriller I write when a character simply refuses to cooperate.

I’ll sit down at my desk with a clear plan. I know what the scene is meant to achieve, what secrets need to be hinted at, where the tension should build. And then… the character tells me they want to do something unexpected. Something that’s not in my chapter plan.

This isn’t surprising. In real life, people are often illogical. We hide uncomfortable truths, both from others and from ourselves. That messy emotional reality is exactly what makes psychological thrillers such fun. But it also means that fictional characters can, and often do, develop a will of their own. They’re telling me that the scene I’d planned could be better, stronger, if I change the script.

Some of my favourite twists in my novels have come from moments like this — when I stopped forcing the story along its pre-planned track and instead followed where the character was leading me. After all, the most unsettling thrillers aren’t just about shocking events. They’re about people making choices we can hardly fathom… even when we wish we could.

Right now, as I work on my current manuscript, I’m once again negotiating with a particularly stubborn character, my antagonist. Where this will lead, I don’t know. I suspect they’re hiding something significant. Whether they’ll reveal it on their own terms or mine remains to be seen.

‘Unlocked Lies’ is undergoing revision and editing, with a publication date yet to be determined, but probably summer 2026. Watch this space!

I’ve finished the revised draft of my next psychological thriller, Unlocked Lies. Such a relief! The messy drafting stage is behind me. I’ve done the structural changes. The new scenes are in place. Now comes the part of the writing process I enjoy most: editing and revision.

This is where the real shaping happens. I try to notice where tension dips. If a scene lingers too long. When a character’s motivation needs sharpening. Psychological thrillers live or die on precision. Suspense isn’t only about shocking twists or dramatic reveals — it’s about emotional pressure, secrets festering beneath everyday life, the slow tightening of tension until people snap. Editing like this is less about fixing mistakes and more about deepening impact. It’s about making sure every chapter earns its place. Each scene serves the story. Every revelation lands exactly when it should.

For the initial edit, I’m going old-school. A printed version of the manuscript, along with a pen or pencil, a comfy seat, my phone on silent. I’ll scribble notes all over the text. ‘Axe this scene.’ ‘Tighten tension here.’ ‘More sensory details needed.’ Once I’ve completed my read-through, I’ll decide how best to put all this into place. What needs to be done first, which parts require most input, etc. Then I’ll create a plan and a timeline to get it all done, ready for another read-through. I’m lucky in that I read very fast, because I do many, many read-throughs during the editing process, always refining and tweaking as I go.

Unlocked Lies explores a mystery rooted in abandonment, obsession and the dark shadow of an unhappy past. I find something exciting about knowing the book exists in full — that the mystery is there, waiting — and my job is to make it as gripping and unsettling as possible before it reaches you.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been back working on Unlocked Lies, the psychological thriller that’s been sitting quietly on my hard drive while life — and a bout of burnout — took centre stage.

Opening the manuscript again felt like walking into a house I hadn’t visited in a long time. Everything was familiar, yet somehow different. The rooms were all where I remembered them, but I noticed details I’d overlooked before. When you’re deep in the middle of writing a novel, it’s easy to lose perspective. Scenes blur together. Plot threads start to tangle. You can spend hours staring at a paragraph without being able to tell whether it’s working or not.

Stepping away — even when the break wasn’t planned — changes that.

Coming back to Unlocked Lies, I saw the story with fresh eyes. A scene that once felt stubborn and difficult now seemed easier to shape. A character’s reaction that had never quite convinced me was clearly wrong, and fixing it was much simpler than I’d feared.

It reminded me that sometimes the most productive thing a writer can do is step back.

Psychological thrillers in particular rely on delicate balance. Secrets have to be revealed at exactly the right moment. Suspicion needs to build slowly enough to keep readers guessing, but not so slowly that the tension disappears. That kind of pacing is hard to judge when you’re too close to the manuscript.

As I worked through the chapters again this week, I was reminded of one of the reasons I love writing psychological thrillers. They allow you to explore the uncomfortable question of how well we really know the people around us. And… how well we know ourselves.

Stories built around secrets and hidden motives often reflect something very human. Most of us carry things we’d rather keep private. Small truths we avoid saying out loud. Pieces of our past that we quietly hope will stay buried. In fiction, of course, those secrets have a habit of refusing to stay hidden.

Returning to this manuscript after time away has reminded me why this story grabbed my attention in the first place. I’m looking forward to spending more time in this story world again.

I’m curious about something. When you read psychological thrillers, what draws you in most — the shocking twists, the hidden secrets, or the complex characters who may not be telling the truth?

If you’ve been meaning to try one of my books — or fill a gap in your collection — March is a good month to do it. I’m running limited-time Kindle promotions on three of my psychological thrillers across the UK, USA and Australia.

99p (UK) / $1.49 (Australia) - available throughout March 2026. 

Lori Golden’s family has had more than its fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down. 
  
Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family starts to fall apart. And as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light. 
  
Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind… 

99p (UK) / $1.49 (Australia) - available throughout March 2026.

On some level deep inside, Laura Bateman knows something is wrong. That her relationship with her son is not what it should be. That it is based on lies. 
  
But bad things have happened to Laura. Things that change a person. Forever. 
  
For twenty-six-year-old Daniel, the discovery that his mother is not who he thought comes close to destroying him. As his world turns upside down, he searches for sanity in the madness that has become his life. Daniel is left with nothing but questions. Why did Laura do something so terrible? Can he move past the demons of his childhood? 
  
And the biggest question of all: can he ever forgive Laura? 

99p (UK) / 99c (US) - March 2 – March 8 only

The sudden death of her mother shatters Olivia Gilchrist’s world. Grief turns to shock when a post-mortem reveals Sonia has lied to her daughter in the cruellest possible way. Angry and hurt, Olivia vows to uncover the truth. 

Meanwhile, Olivia’s neighbour, Elena, harbours a dark secret. Now the past has caught up with her, forcing Elena to go into hiding. 

Then Olivia discovers Elena was involved in Sonia’s deceit. She has questions she’s desperate to ask her former neighbour. Olivia suspects, however, that Elena is warped and unstable. Tracking her down may be difficult and dangerous. 

The temptation proves too strong, and a game of cat and mouse with a vengeful woman ensues. One that has the potential to turn deadly… 

It’s been a while since I last published a new novel - December 2022, to be precise.

If you’ve been wondering whether I’ve disappeared, the answer is no. I’ve been working quietly behind the scenes. Over the past few months, I’ve taken the opportunity to step back and strengthen the foundations of my author business. Some of that work isn’t very glamorous, but it matters.

Here’s what I’ve been doing:

• Updating the back matter in all my books
  
• Reviewing and optimising keywords and categories
• Creating a structured 2026 work schedule
• Designing a proper marketing plan for my backlist
• Moving my email list over to Substack and setting up a new home there
  

All of that groundwork is now in place. Which means I can return to what I love most: writing.

I’m now diving back into Unlocked Lies. There’s still a great deal to do - drafting, tightening, deepening character arcs, sharpening the tension — but it feels good to be back at the desk with a clear plan. I’m looking forward to sharing more as the year unfolds.

In the meantime, here’s a reminder of what Unlocked Lies is about:

Deep in the wilds of Northumbria, two babies lie starving and abandoned in the cellar of a derelict farmhouse. Upstairs is the body of the brutally murdered homeowner, William Mostyn. The only clue is a bracelet inscribed: ‘Mariah—mine forever.’ Despite a massive police investigation, the babies’ identities and their connection to the dead victim remain a mystery. 

Years later, Lottie Ryan is all grown-up and seeking answers. Who dumped Lottie and her brother Gabe in that cellar? Was Mariah their biological mother, and did she kill William Mostyn? 

As Lottie delves deeper into a twisted web of lies, she realises that the enigmatic Mariah holds the key to unlocking the truth. Mariah is long gone, however, taking her secrets with her. Can Lottie ever uncover what happened that fateful night?

A gripping novel of obsession and deceit, Unlocked Lies unravels the mystery that has darkened two women’s lives for decades. 

It's been a long time since i updated my blog, but that will change! I'll be posting here with news about forthcoming novels, my writing career, etc. My tenth novel, Unlocked Lies, will be published in the first half of 2026, with Her Guilty Past following in the second half. Watch this space!

I'm delighted to welcome my good friend, crime writer Tony Forder, to my blog today! It's been over two years since we last chatted here (see link: Interview with Tony Forder) so I thought it was time to catch up with Tony and his writing. Let's get started!

I’d like to know more about your latest novel. What can readers expect to encounter in its pages?

Darker Days to Come is the ninth full-length novel in my DI Bliss series. As with most of my books, I hope readers will find the storyline complex and entertaining, intriguing and compelling, with characters they can genuinely believe in. It’s a strange twist of fate that leads Bliss and his team to the crimes committed here, and from the little kernels if information scattered around none of them expect the cases to grow in the way they do, nor take the paths they have to follow. The subject matter is disturbing at times, but I hope I’ve handled it sensitively.

Any news or hints about your next novel?

I’m in the throes of writing two, waiting for one to really take hold. Ideally, I would have finished my second DS Chase novel, The Predators, first, but I seem to be preferring the next Bliss, The Lightning Rod, so currently I have no idea which of these will be published next.

Tell us about yourself and what you get up to when you’re not writing.

Having moved earlier this year I’m enjoying settling into village life and creating a new home. I enjoy football and rugby, I’m a bit of a movie buff, but probably my biggest passion is music. I listen to music every day, and having played guitar since I was about the age of 10, I still get some practice in several days a week. I keep my guitars – all 4 of them – in my office, so when I need to take a break from writing I slide over in my chair and get my fingers working in a very different way.
 
Who is your favourite novelist?

At one time the answer would most definitely have been Stephen King. His imagination and ability to write creatively are on a par with the very best. These days, and since the early noughties, it’s Michael Connelly, best known for his Harry Bosch character. He's the king of crime in my view.

​Do you have a special time to write? A writing routine?

When writing a first draft I work 6-8 hours a day, 5 days a week if at all possible. My style is to get the story out of my head in that draft. The edit is where the book comes alive, and when I’m doing the first structural edit I work the same hours. With each edit I spend less time per day on the task, as I find myself scanning rather than reading accurately. Your mind plays tricks and fills in the gaps to the point where you ‘read’ missing words and your brain autocorrects typos without you noticing them.

Where do your ideas come from?

I wish I knew. In truth, they come from anywhere. My book Fifteen Coffins grew from that title, which popped into my head for no apparent reason. I have written storylines based on real cases – an interesting unsolved case in the US became the source of my Bliss novel, The Death of Justice. As ideas occur, I make notes. Those notes go into an ideas book, and every so often I go through each page, adding or subtracting, until hopefully one of them will do the trick for me. Last year I was struggling, and in a 30 minute spell I sat down and plucked 4 storylines from out of nowhere. One of them went on to become Darker Days to Come, and another will be The Lightning Rod, the next Bliss book. If I do use real-life, I tend to put my own spin on it, coming at it from a different perspective.

What book are you reading at present?

I just finished Jaws. It’s the first time I’ve read it in a couple of decades, but I remember it well from when it first came out. It’s one of only 2 books I’ve read in a single sitting – the other being King’s The Shining. Jaws didn’t quite live up to my memory of it, and the film got in the way to a certain extent. So yes, it’s dated, but in its time it was amazing.

What kind of research do you do?

in a word... exhaustive. I use only a fraction of what I learn, but I’m keen to be as authentic and knowledgeable as I can be. As a crime writer you have to research not just police procedure but also some pretty grisly stuff. I’ve learned more about how to practice taxidermy on humans than I ever wanted to know, also the gruesome practice of necklacing – a flaming tyre wrapped around the neck – and numerous awful things human being are capable of inflicting on others.

Who’s your favourite fictional bad guy/gal?

Hannibal Lecter. It’s 41 years since his first appearance in Red Dragon, and even as a bit-part character in that you got a sense of his magnetism. Seven years later, Silence of the Lambs was published, and in my view Lecter remains the psycho by which all subsequent psychos are judged. A learned, brilliant academic with primitive urges.

Where do you see your writing career being in five years’ time?

Well, by then I will have had to retire DI Jimmy Bliss. Whether I continue with him as a more peripheral character in a spin-off series or simply allow him to go gentle into that good night, I don’t know. Perhaps when I put him away for good, I can focus more clearly on other things. In terms of readership and status I’ve probably peaked, but I have a dedicated following who for the most part enjoy my other works. I do want to write at least 2 more DS Chase books, plus the third and final volume in my Mike Lynch action-adventure series. There’ll be no change of style or genre, but perhaps a few more standalones. Frankly, I just hope I am still writing in 2027.

Thank you, Tony! Readers, you can find out more about Tony and his books below.

Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. The first seven books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, The Reach of Shadows, The Death of Justice, Endless Silent Scream, and Slow Slicing, were joined in December 2020 by a prequel novella, Bliss Uncovered. The series continued with The Autumn Tree in May 2021.

Tony’s other early series – two action-adventure novels featuring Mike Lynch – comprises both Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun. These books were republished in April 2021, and will be joined in 2022 by The Dark Division.
 
In addition, Tony has written two standalone novels: a dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, and a suspense thriller set in California, Fifteen Coffins.
 
The Huntsmen, released on 4 October 2022, was the first book in a new crime series, set in Wiltshire. It featured DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and PCSO Alison May.
 
Tony lives with his wife in Peterborough, UK, and is a full-time author. He is currently working on DI Bliss #10 and the second DS Chase novel.
 
All of Tony’s links can be found on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/TonyJForder

Tony's latest book in the DI Blkiss series, Darker Days to Come, can be viewed here: Darker Days to Come.

A new year is just around the corner, and as a die-hard planner I've decided on how I want my career to proceed in 2022. I've already shared on this blog how 2020 proved a difficult year for my writing, with my enthusiasm for creating fiction largely gone. While that's mostly now sorted, I don't want to push myself too hard in 2022 and risk losing my writing mojo again. With that in mind, I've created a fairly relaxed schedule that allows me time off and still publish two novels in 2022.

So where am I with my ninth novel? The answer is that it's well under way, with 23,000 words done. The plan is to complete the first draft by the end of 2021, ready to start editing in January 2022 and publish the book in March. That gives me enough time to plan, write, edit and publish my tenth novel by the end of 2022, while also working on sundry other projects such as getting some of my novels into hardback format.

I also aim to streamline my process and make it more efficient by using speech to text software, which is far quicker and more accurate than my ham-fisted typing. A snail could type quicker than me and probably make a better job of it! I've also bought timeline software that should help during the planning phase of my novels.

I didn't achieve as much as I wanted in 2021, but I did release 'She'll Never Tell' in August and my second box set, 'Shadows of the Mind 2', a month later, which is far more than I managed in 2020. I'm cautiously optimistic about 2022 - bring it on!