Interview with Robert Parker, Author of A Wanted Man

Robert Parker is a new exciting voice, a married father of two, who lives in a village close to Manchester, UK. He has both a law degree and a degree in film and media production, and has worked in numerous employment positions, ranging from solicitor’s agent (essentially a courtroom gun for hire), to a van driver, to a warehouse order picker, to a commercial video director. He currently writes full time, while also making time to encourage new young readers and authors through readings and workshops at local schools and bookstores. In his spare time he adores pretty much all sport, boxing regularly for charity, loves fiction across all mediums, and his glass is always half full.

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Did you like crime novels when you were growing up?

Yes, for sure, although I’ve never been limited to liking just one genre, even when I was young. I’d flit between crime, mystery, thriller, horror and supernatural all the time, especially in my teens. Going forward I’d love to write in all of these too. Anything that was surprising and thrilling, I was there.

What was the first story in that genre that you wrote?

It was a terrible screenplay, back when I was 16, so 18 years ago. It was called ‘Murder In The Name’ and was an incredibly clichéd gangster piece. It is in a drawer at home with countless other equally bad film scripts that will never see the light of day.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

The chance to mash light and darkness together. The ability to take the horrible and put it in there with the ordinary. The freedom to explore the darkest corners we all have tucked away.

What do you find most difficult about writing in this genre?

Thanks to research, I’d say having a pretty unsavoury internet search history. It’s like a ‘how-to’ guide for an inept sociopath. If people didn’t know what I did, I’m sure it would look BAD.

Is there an author in this genre that you admire most?

Oh yes, there’s a pile. There’s loads I really enjoy, but the ones I truly admire are the ones I read and think ‘my god, I could NEVER do that!’ – Adrian McKinty and James Lee Burke are in that bracket.

What is up next for you?

My next book, the standalone Crook’s Hollow, has just been sold to Black Rose Writing for publication in March 2018, and there should be news soon on the sequel to A Wanted Man. Watch this space!

Do you have anything to add?

Read everything, write always – and enjoy every minute.