Q&A With Harriet Tyce 

Heather Drucker connected me with British author and contestant on Traitors UK, Harriet Tyce. Harriet is the author of the crime mystery novels, Blood Orange, A Lesson In Cruelty, The Lies You Told, & her new novel released on September 29^th, Witch Trial. 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Harriet! Would you please give a brief description of your novels beginning with your new release Witch Trial?

A: I write psychological thrillers grounded in the criminal justice system, though with Witch Trial , I’ve gone even further and added a supernatural element, too. It’s the story of a murder trial of two girls who think they are witches, seen through the eyes of a juror called Matthew, a middle-aged heart surgeon. The girls are accused of killing their former schoolfriend and coven member, Christian, in a way that’s fraught with horror and ritual. Matthew goes into the situation with a high level of arrogance but as the case unfolds, and the details of the death emerge, he finds himself increasingly immersed in the situation, as it goes increasingly out of his control.

Q: I read your bio that you were a barrister which is a British way of saying lawyer. Would you say that your time as a barrister was an influence on writing your crime novels? How was the transition going from being a barrister to a writer and would you ever return to that world? 

A: When I was a barrister, I worked essentially as a criminal defense attorney. It was fast, scrappy and stressful but I learned a lot from the experience. It’s been core to my crime novels. As I said above, everything I write is grounded in one aspect or another of the criminal justice system – I think it’s where the best stories are to be found, as we can see with the current fascination into true crime. I left the job when I had a baby because it simply wasn’t possible to do it as the primary carer of children, and for a few years felt quite frustrated professionally as a stay-at-home mother, although I’ve never regretted that decision on a wider basis, and know I was lucky to be able to do it. I started writing just as a hobby, and as the years went on it built on to what is now my career. I would only return for research purposes – writing about criminals from afar is a lot less stressful and makes me a lot more money than representing them ever did!

Q: How long does it take you to write your novels? How many hours a day do you typically spend plotting, writing and editing?

A: I would say that a novel typically takes me twelve to eighteen months to write, from the initial idea and research, first draft, to editing. When I’m in the first draft stage I will work for as long as it takes to write 1500 words – on a good day that can be a couple of hours, on a bad day the entire day and then some. I wouldn’t say that I have consistent daily practice as such, but my latest project is always on my mind. I spend a lot of time just letting it sit in my head so that when it comes to the page it’s more ready than I think. I have learned by now that I need to leave it to brew and not rush it.

Q: What are messages or themes you hope readers takeaway once they finish reading your novels? What emotions are you hoping they feel?

A: All of them! No, on a more serious note, I hope that my readers will go away with a sense of catharsis, that all the complicated emotions that they may have felt through the reading of my books have been released and resolved by the end. I also hope that they may get away with a heightened sense of compassion, feeling more open-minded. I tend to find that my characters attract a lot of harsh judgment about some of the decisions that they make (I’m not quite sure what people expect to happen in a crime novel!) but there is always a resolution by the end of the books which casts light on why they are behaving as they do. I also hope that my readers will be properly surprised by the twists at the endings…

Q: Can you reveal details for your next novel, or is right now too early to say?

A: I am currently in the very early stages of working on what will a loose sequel to Witch Trial, following some of the characters ten years on. 

Q: If you were to write a sequel to any of your novels, which ones would they be and what would the characters be doing right now?

A: Only Witch Trial, and all I can say is watch this space!

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work?

A: Witch Trial has been optioned by an excellent production company. I have everything crossed.

Q: What was it like starring on season 4 of the original UK version of The Traitors?

A: It’s an incredibly tense, immersive experience. I leant into it completely and I brought the drama! We are perhaps a bit more restrained on the UK version in comparison to the US celebrity one, but I did not hold back…

Q: Would you please provide links to your social media accounts so the readers of the blog and I may follow you?

A: I am mostly to be found on Instagram @harriet_tyce and on Facebook @harriettyceauthor