Wednesday 11 October 2017

BEST OF CRIME with Lloyd Otis

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 



Today I'm delighted to welcome 

LLOYD OTIS

for his Dead Lands blog tour

to share his BEST OF CRIME ...




... AUTHORS
To pick one wouldn’t be fair to the others so this is just a short list. Raymond Chandler, his pulp fiction noir set the standard for the time and captured flawed attitudes and landscapes. Agatha Christie, for giving us the masterful Hercule Poirot, and I’m going to throw in George Pelecanos, for the comprehensive detail in some of his storytelling. 


... FILMS/MOVIES
The Godfather 1 & 2. What great adaptations of Mario Puzo’s books, and they are done so well. The acting is out of this world from Sonny (James Caan) to Michael (Al Pacino) and Connie (Talia Shire) and of course The Don (Marlon Brando). 


... TV DRAMAS
It’s difficult to ignore The Wire for its sheer scope in storytelling but there’s also Romanzo Criminale which charts the rise of Italian friends, Lebanese, Freddo and Dandi. It’s pretty much in-your-face stuff but it’s frighteningly engrossing, watching these friends make their way up in the crime underworld. I thought Southland was really good too, as it brought a sharp sense of realism, no matter how uncomfortable. 


... FICTIONAL KILLERS
I’m going to go for Patrick Bateman from American Pyscho. The book perfectly captures his menacing blood thirst. It’s all too unsettling. 


... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
I want to say Columbo, I do, but that wouldn’t be fair to Batman. The Bat has got a cool suit, hi-tech gadgets, a supercomputer, and he can handle himself. The end.


... MURDER WEAPONS
A slice of toast with extreme butter. Someone must have met their end with something like


... DEATH SCENES
(Possible spoiler alert!)  Paula Hawkins’ Girl on the Train.

I was totally unprepared for Anna helping Rachel out –  and I mean with the corkscrew. Ouch! I never went near a corkscrew for a whole week afterwards.
  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
Believe it or not http://ebay.co.uk. It has a vintage clothing section which is really good when wanting to get a visual on clothing of yesteryear. And http://walkit.com, for getting the approximate walking time between two locations.


... WRITING TIPS
Simple. Read your story and be true to yourself. If you still believe in it afterwards, then don’t give up. 


... WRITING SNACKS
A healthy sounding, coffee and doughnuts. 


About LLOYD OTIS
Lloyd was born in London and attained a BA (Hons) in Media and Communication. After gaining several years of valuable experience within the finance and digital sectors, he completed a course in journalism. Lloyd has interviewed a host of bestselling authors, such as Mark Billingham, Hugh Howey, Kerry Hudson, and Lawrence Block. Two of his short stories were selected for publication in the ‘Out of My Window’ anthology, and he currently works as an Editor.

Find Lloyd Otis on his website, on his Facebook page and on Twitter - @LloydOtisWriter


About DEAD LANDS


Publisher's description
Dead Lands is a thrilling crime story set in the 1970s. When a woman's body is found a special team is called in to investigate and prime suspect Alexander Troy is arrested for the murder. Desperate to remain a free man, Troy protests his innocence, but refuses to use his alibi. Trying to protect the woman he loves becomes a dangerous game - questions are asked and suspicions deepen. When the prime suspect completes a daring escape from custody, DI Breck and DS Kearns begin the hunt. Breck wants out of the force while Kearns has her own agenda and seeks revenge. Breck has his suspicions and she wants to keep it from him, and a right-wing march provides an explosive backdrop to their hunt for Troy. Dead Lands is the thrilling debut of award winning short story writer Lloyd Otis, and intelligently covers issues of race, discrimination and violence in a changing 70s landscape.    

Dead Lands is published by Urbane Publications on 12 October 2017.


Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

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