Friday Reads -The Redeemer by Victoria Goldman

it’s times for another Friday Reads post and my featured book this week is the compelling debut murder mystery novel, The Redeeemer by Victoria Goldman

Blurb

‘REPENT BEFORE YOU DIE … OR MAY YOU NEVER R.I.P.’

Threatening plaques, vigilante killings, a Jewish community in an English town – what’s the link? The clock is ticking to the next murder.

After witnessing a racist incident in a small Hertfordshire town, journalist Shanna Regan uncovers a series of threatening fake commemorative plaques. Each plaque highlights someone’s misdemeanour rather than a good deed.

Delving deeper, Shanna discovers these plaques are linked to vigilante killings spanning several decades, with ties to the local Jewish community.

As her search for the truth becomes personal, Shanna puts her own life in danger. Can she stop the next murder in time?

Buy link:

Welcome Victoria. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I wanted to write crime fiction from a very young age, when I first read Enid Blyton’s The Secret Seven and The Famous Five. I always loved writing stories, and this continued into adulthood. I obtained a BSc. degree in Biomedical Science with plans to do a PhD in Forensics but realised I couldn’t spend the rest of my life in a lab. I loved writing too much. So, instead, I obtained a Master’s degree in Science Communication and became a health journalist and editor.

What do you like writing most?

I love writing characters’ conversations, especially when these are heated discussions or ‘big reveal’ moments to drive the plot forwards – and then eventually fleshing these out with snippets of action. I also love writing descriptions of settings, using my imagination to paint pictures with words.

Do you have a special place for writing?

I’ll write anywhere, with background noise or in silence, but often end up writing on the settee. I tend to write late in the evening (the 10pm to midnight shift) when I’ve finished my work and the rest of the world is quiet.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I’m definitely a plotter, with a few pantser moments. I like to know where my story is heading, so I tend to write the first chapter or two and then the last chapter or two before I write anything else. I write a list of what happens in each chapter – often with gaps, which I then fill in as the book takes shape – and like to write the dialogue first in certain chapters, so I know how that chapter is driving the story forward. Surprises do happen, and I learn a lot about my characters as I write. When writing The Redeemer, I did remove a couple of chapters after the first draft and added in an extra scene, but the book is largely as I planned it initially.

Is your writing ever inspired by your family or real life incidents?

The Redeemer is inspired by real-life incidents – it features antisemitic (anti-Jewish hate) crimes that have happened locally or within the UK. And the premise of the plot – a journalist discovering a serious of threatening, fake plaques was inspired by seeing a fake ‘blue plaque’ on a nearby house.

What are you writing at the moment?

My days are spent writing feature articles on health topics, and also editing and proofreading fiction and non-fiction for publishers, so sometimes it can be difficult to motivate myself to sit down and write my own book. But I need to go back to writing the sequel to The Redeemer from July. The book is largely planned and I’ve already written around 14K words – it’s a case of diving back into it.

What are your hobbies?

I’ve always loved arts and crafts, such as drawing, cardmaking, cross-stitch, tapestry and knitting. In May 2021, I taught myself to crochet and now love crocheting cuddly toys, in particular. I also love going for walks, especially near bodies of water (rivers, lakes, canals, seas) as I find this very relaxing.

Author Bio

VICTORIA GOLDMAN is a freelance journalist, editor and proofreader. She was given an honourable mention for The Redeemer in the Capital Crime/DHH Literary Agency New Voices Award 2019. Victoria lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two sons. The Redeemer is her first novel.

Author contact links

Twitter – @VictoriaGoldma2

Facebook – www.facebook.com/VictoriaGoldmanBooks

Website – https://vgoldmanbooks.com.

Thanks so much for dropping by to talk to us today, Victoria. Wishing you lots of luck with your book.

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