So, who are you & what have you written?
I’m Kate Ellis and I’ve written twenty books in the Devon-based DI Wesley Peterson series – contemporary detective fiction with a touch of history and archaeology thrown in. My website is and my latest book THE HOUSE OF EYES is out TODAY, February 4th!
Why do you write crime fiction?
I’ve always loved reading crime fiction. When I was little I used to devour Enid Blyton’s mystery stories and when I was older I became addicted to Agatha Christie and all those great Golden Age writers. It was inevitable that when I started writing I’d ‘turn to crime’.
What informs your crime writing?
I’m very interested in human nature and what would make someone commit the terrible crime of murder. I’m also fascinated by puzzles and I like to keep my readers guessing to the end as well as creating memorable characters. I have a great interest in history and archaeology so that always crops up in my books (usually as a parallel archaeological mystery).
What’s your usual writing routine?
I go for a walk first thing in the morning which gives me some ‘thinking time’ for the day ahead. At around 10.30am I settle down to work at my computer and, apart from a short break for lunch (during which I read the paper – a great source of ideas) I carry on until around 5pm. I aim to write 2,000 words a day and I usually write several drafts of a book before I consider it’s fit to be seen by anybody.
Which crime book do you wish YOU’D written, and why?
I can think of two: my particular favourite, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey and A Fatal Inversion by the late great Ruth Rendell.
Thanks Kate!!
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