Hammett: Well, an interview with an author is unusual for me as I'm a Crime writer. Maybe the Gazette assigned me because your books have such large bodycounts?

Thompson: I'll admit, there does seem to be a lot of death and mayhem in my stories.

Hammett: Well let's introduce you properly. You describe yourself as a cross-genre author, keen of fast-paced stories that feature plenty of action, vibrant characters and strong twisting plots. Your first released novel was Paradise Exhumed, a murder-mystery thriller. Shortly you will be releasing Volume One of Era Of Darkness - subtitled 'The Apocalypse Begins' - which features a fantasy world-war. After that, you'll be releasing a horror novel. First question: why switch genres?

Thompson: It started as testing the water - seeing which type I enjoyed writing best and also which I was better at writing. I discovered that I liked at least these three genres. So long as there is a good tale to be told, excitement to be had and, hopefully, readers buying and enjoying the novels, I'm happy to be doing a thriller, horror, fantasy or sci-fi. Maybe other stuff too - though I don't see me venturing into rom-coms or erotic romance.

Hammett: Do you have a preference at all?

Thompson: I'm pretty pragmatic - so I guess I'll be guided by the readers. If one genre does really well, I'll make it a priority. If another does badly, I'll hold fire on it for a while at least.

Hammett: Let's look at Paradise Exhumed. You begin with the gruesome of a bitchy celebrity, then quickly accelerate into a series of murders that all seem linked, but in a way no one can understand. Pretty soon your investigators are under threat both from the killer and some local gangsters. What were your thoughts behind the main characters?

Thompson: I immediately didn't want my heroes to be police. There are so many books and TV shows featuring the 'police procedural' concept - I wanted some kind of private investigators. More akin to Sherlock Holmes than Inspector Morse. A nosy crime reporter was a perfect fit for this. He needed a partner, so a rookie sidekick was a must: but she had to be interesting and independent, to have skills he didn't, be as smart as him and to forge a good relationship with him quickly. Both of them are similar in many ways - they genuinely care, they're dedicated to hunting for the killer, they're smart and pretty courageous. Plus they have a nice humour between them that balances against the darker nature of the tale... So they make the investigation a fun adventure despite the horror.

Hammett: You were keen on a fun element to the story?

Thompson: Yes. Many of the characters they encounter are a little zany - after all, most are millionaires who can do whatever they want. The pair also have an editor who can't get enough of a good gruesome story for his headlines. Another aspects in the hero's view of the world in general - he's a little sardonic and world-weary. His opinion on mobile phones is an example.

Hammett: Tell us more about your lead character.

Thompson: He's an old-style investigative reporter - a guy who's a real bloodhound on a murder case. He has a relationship with a pair of detectives, who let him help with cases in exchange for exclusives. He's curious, cares deeply for those affected by the killings, develops a loathing for the killer and has a wry sense of humour. The hero suffers from a low blood sugar condition, which hasn't been properly diagnosed - he keeps it at bay with medicine and a combination of sugar cubes and chocolate bars. Under the wrong conditions, he could drop straight into a coma.

Hammett: You mention the "horrors" the characters face. How do you approach the gruesomeness of the murders?

Thompson: I don't revel in the gore, rather I try to show the awfulness of a situation through how it impacts the characters. Everything comes down to the affect upon the characters, as you're feeling everything through them.

Hammett: How about the action?

Thompson: I keep the action fairly gritty and realistic. People fight, they get hurt and they can still be suffering for a long time. I don't think you can do the old "sock to the jaw knocks him out" thing these days. Besides, I like writing a good fight and I think I do it well.

Hammett: And your approach to the investigation?

Thompson: The reporters are based in a city where the police force has been so worn down by underfunding, undermanning and politics, that the force is rife with corruption and functions badly. The detectives they work with are good men, but not good at their jobs. This puts our main characters on their own, with no great crime lab for support - they investigate by following threads of information, by hunches and nosiness. It's kind of an old-school investigation.

Hammett: So how does that work out for them? 

Thompson: For a long time, every lead the reporters follow either goes nowhere, adds another layer of confusion or takes them to another dead body. Plus, they can't trust anyone or anything - all they can rely upon is each other, even for survival. One of the biggest problems is finding a motive that covers all the murders. There doesn't seem to be a reason for what is happening.

Hammett: What stories or writers influenced you when writing Paradise Exhumed?

Thompson: At the concept stage, I thought of it as a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Midsomer Murders and those hard-boiled Private Eye novels (by Mickey Spillane and others). My hero was intitally influenced by the nosy reporter of the old TV Series 'Kolchak - The Night Stalker'... But as I started writing, things grew into their own. My reporter for example is a nice guy with respect for victims, whereas Kolchak was something of a gorehound. And instead of him being the Holmes-type super-detective, I forged a real investigative partnership between him and his 'sidekick'. I'd say, the relationship of those two characters completely drives everything - it's a really close friendship, with no time for anything else.