
So now that Jane's just launched the shiny new sequel "The Truth Will Out", I thought you would enjoy hearing from her. Jane has very kindly shared her insights into how to get into the mind of a killer. Something we'd prefer to do without becoming one ourselves. Thank you Jane and I wish you huge success with your latest book. One of these days I'm getting over to lovely 'ol England to share a pot of tea and a plate of scones with this gorgeous and talented writer.
Read on thriller writers and readers. May your serial killers become more authentic with her advice.
A guest post by UK thriller author Jane Isaac

The more accurate our work is, the more authentic and
believable. This is especially the case with our characters: we need to
research their back story, check the feasibility of the person we are creating,
before we can make them appear real.
When drawing up the main character in my crime series,
DCI Helen Lavery, I spoke to police officers at all levels in the British force
in order to build a character that was not only interesting and engaging, but
also realistic in modern day policing.
Unless you have access to prisons, work with criminals,
or know any (and even if you’d want to), researching your antagonist can be
problematic. For An Unfamiliar Murder, I resorted to reading endless case
studies of true crime and watching documentaries about killers and their
backgrounds to draw up my murderer’s profile. I’ve read crime fiction for
years, yet I wasn’t prepared for the nightmares I experienced after reading
real crime. For some reason it’s quite acceptable to be scared out of our wits
by the product of another writer’s mind, but reality? That’s a whole new ball
game.
Another element is motive. Statistics suggest that most
people are killed by someone they know, someone close to them. What is their
motive? Is it revenge, greed, lust, power, fear, jealousy, blackmail...?
We also need to consider their background in an attempt
to provide some kind of explanation as to what they’ve become. This is
particularly notable with serial killers. What motivates them to kill? Why do
they choose specific victims?
Sometimes, even if we have considered all of the above,
we need to seek assistance to confirm the validity of our work. The plot for my
second book, The Truth Will Out, was more complex than the first and although I
researched extensively, I still felt it necessary to have my killer’s back
story checked by a clinical psychologist to ensure it was feasible.
Much of what we research never makes it into the book.
But if we get the back story right, it brings our characters alive on the page.
And as a fiction writer, if we achieve that, we’ve met our goal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Isaac lives with her husband, daughter and dog,
Bollo, in rural Northamptonshire, UK.
BOOK LINKS AMAZON
COM AMAZON
UK AMAZON
AU
WEBSITE www.janeisaac.co.uk
TWITTER @janeisaacauthor
FACEBOOK Jane Isaac
Author
PUBLISHER LINK Legend Press
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