Introducing... Susi Holliday
Introducing…
Susi Holliday
‘Introducing…’ is our online interview series to introduce you to some of the amazing authors we’re working with and the brilliant books they have coming up!
Today, we're speaking to Susi Holliday as part of her blog tour for her new novel The Last Resort, which is out now.
Susi grew up near Edinburgh and worked in the pharmaceutical industry for many years before she started writing. She is the bestselling author of seven novels, including the Banktoun Trilogy, The Lingering (2018) and Violet (2019), and the short story ‘Home From Home’ which was published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and shortlisted for the CWA Margery Allingham Prize. Susi now divides her time between Edinburgh, London and as many other exciting places that she can fit in.
Welcome! To start with, could you tell us a little bit about yourself…
Hello! I'm Susi Holliday (I sometimes write as SJI Holliday too, just to confuse people…) and I've written 7 novels so far. All are crime, but they range from police procedurals to serial killers to psychological thrillers, and a couple have a blend of other genres in there too - supernatural and sci-fi. I was born in Edinburgh and I live mostly in London, but spend a lot of time in Scotland too (except in pandemic years). I like to write complex, feisty and dark characters and my readers are always kept on their toes as every book of mine is different from the last. When I'm not writing (or reading) I am a big fan of long walks, travelling, and cinema.
The Last Resort published on 1st December. In your own words, could you give us an overview of the book?
It's been often described as Agatha Christie meets Black Mirror. It's basically a bunch of people on an island who are forced to reveal their deep, dark secrets via a special device that projects their shameful memories to the rest of the group.
What was your inspiration for the book…
I had the idea after watching the addictive and horrifying documentary about the ill-fated Fyre Festival, where a bunch of rich kids were thrust into a Lord of the Flies scenario by an unscupulous fraudster. I'm not saying I enjoyed watching them all squirm, but...
The island setting is reminiscent of the Famous Five, and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. What is it about islands that make such good settings for mystery and crime novels?
Well, there's the obvious locked-room element. It's not easy to get off an island, especially if you don't know where it is. I took my cue on this from the 60s show The Prisoner (which of course, was not an island at all). There's that hopelessness of being stuck. I know this first hand, as when I was visiting the Isles of Scilly for research, the ferry broke down and we literally were stranded there.
How did you find the writing process? Do you work to a set schedule?
I write notes to myself to develop an idea, then I outline, then I start writing. I write quickly in bursts as I need to fit it around the day job. And just like in the day job, I tend to work faster as a deadline looms! I always plan to have a better schedule with each new book, but it never happens. As far as where do I write goes, its usually my office/spare room with regular trips to my local cafe. I've also been known to write on my phone while on the tube. This is where an outline helps me - to fit writing in in short bursts, it's good to know which scene you're going to write, even if it drastically changes along the way.
In your day job, you work in pharmaceuticals. Does that feed into your writing at all?
Not really. The day job is all number-crunching and it's nice (but often tricky) to switch from numbers to words. Although my next book will contain some sciencey stuff, reminiscent of my university years.
You write in various different subgenres of crime, from psychological thrillers, to police procedurals – even a ghost story! What interests you about exploring all these different themes, and what are you working on next?
I like to entertain myself by making life difficult! As a reader, I try to read a lot of different subgenres of crime (and horror, and rom coms now and then) so as a writer, I like to explore different types of story. I think it keeps things fresh for me and for my readers. My next book (which I am editing right now) explores a massive moral dilemma… "Would you save the life of a loved on by choosing someone to die in their place?"
And finally, can you tell us what you’ve got on your own reading list?
I have just finished Dead Head, the new one by CJ Skuze (out next year) - her character Rhiannon is one of the most compellingly sick creations I have ever encountered. The whole Sweetpea series is extremely dark and absolutely hilarious.
The Last Resort by Susi Holliday is out now with Thomas & Mercer.
