Down in the Woods Not a Nice Place to Die

Gary Philpott

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Why I wrote this book

I have always been a keen observer of people, and love writing about them. Some of my characters are funny and some are sad at times; some have a spark of mischief and some revel in their own sexuality, although I try to avoid delving into their psyche or giving them huge personal baggage. In Down in the Woods, I enjoyed writing about the lives and emotions of two different women from opposite ends of the social spectrum, and bringing them together through a number of dubious characters and a serial killer.

Down in the Woods is more lighthearted than most crime thrillers and will appeal to readers who prefer a page-turner to more serious literature. It is a fast moving story with an interesting blend of human struggle, murder and licentiousness. Principally about how life as an illegal immigrant in Britain is not an easy life, particularly when you are being groomed into prostitution and a serial killer targeting illegal immigrants is on the loose. This is linked to a parallel story revolving around the wanton ways of a group of upper-class members of society. There is a murder and it is the job of DCI Collins and his team to find the culprit, but it is not dark, deviant or gory. It is not a body on a slab novel. I wanted to write a book with lightness and pace, some wry humour and that just maybe leaves the reader with a few things to think about.

Which three authors’ work would you compare your writing to?

My writing has undoubtedly been influenced by many writers including Ian Rankin, James Patterson, Leslie Thomas, Janet Evanovich and Jilly Cooper, but my books are not directly modelled on any of these. I intend for readers to find my books a little bit different. Most people who like crime thrillers, and do not mind a bit of naughtiness in the mix, will enjoy Down in the Woods.

Synopsis

Down in the Woods is a fast moving crime thriller with an interesting blend of human struggle, murder and licentiousness. It revolves around the lives of two women from different countries, and at opposite ends of the social spectrum, but it is also the story of the hunt for a serial killer. Lady Felicity Wilkinson is rich, loves horse riding, and wants for nothing, except an affair or two. Her problems begin when she is out riding with her lover, Phillip, and she discovers a dead woman tied to a tree. Not only is she now embroiled in a murder investigation, but the true nature of the man she is having an affair with is exposed. DCI Collins initially suspects Phillip of killing the woman in the woods, and his teams' search for the truth takes them back in time to when Phillip was at Cambridge University, socialising and womanising with a rather dubious bunch of rugby chums. It was also a time when two nurses went missing from a nearby hospital. Then there is Anna, an illegal immigrant from Latvia, who is having a very hard time living in London with her boyfriend, Anton. When he is deported, her whole world crumbles, leaving Anna at the mercy of a woman she thought was a friend, but has the sole aim of trying to coerce her into prostitution. When another illegal immigrant is killed things start to heat up...

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