Nicola Sly has a Masters Degree in forensic and legal psychology and currently teaches criminology to adult learners. She is the author of twenty-nine historic true-crime books, including regional and national titles. Her latest title, In Hot Blood, is available to download as an ebook now. She lives in Cornwall.
Q. Why write true crime?
It is a subject that has fascinated me for more than forty years and I truly believe that writers write best about subjects that they find fascinating.
Q. As a teacher of criminology, how has your job influenced your writing?
It hasn't at all – they are entirely separate entities. Teaching criminology involves imparting current theories, whereas my books deal with historical crime.
Q. ‘In Hot Blood’ is your first direct to ebook title. What are your thoughts on digital publishing and do you think that social media has helped you to market your books / you as an author?
I appreciate the advantages of digital publishing, particularly as I live in a small cottage and at last count currently own around 2,000 books! I’m also a fan of reading ebooks whenever I’m on holiday, as an e reader is only a fraction of the weight of paper books and takes up a lot less room in a suitcase. I especially love the immediacy of ebooks – no having to travel miles to the shops or interminable waiting for the postman to deliver my order. Yet, If I’m to be completely honest, I personally prefer the feeling of holding a new book in my hands, flicking through the pages to look at the illustrations, catching that unmistakeable ‘new book smell’ and anticipating the pleasure of immersing myself in the story. Not to mention the joy of browsing around a book shop, discovering new authors and rediscovering old favourites…
Q. This is your 29th book with The History Press. Which case have you come across that you have found the most disturbing?
I find every single murder case I write about disturbing, since each one involves the loss of a precious human life or lives. That said, one that haunts me more than most is the story of the 1926 murders of an entire family in Bournemouth, which feature in my 2008 book ‘Dorset Murders’.
The family comprised Robert Percy Wright, his wife Beatrice and their two little girls, Marjory (3) and Amy Violet (22 months). Through no fault of his own, Robert lost his job and ran up large bills with the local tradesmen while trying to find another one. When he finally got work, despite his foreman describing him as ‘a working machine’, who was willing to tackle any job, no matter how hard or unpleasant, Robert struggled to earn enough money to clear his debts and the Wrights fell deeper and deeper into poverty. Over Christmas 1925, Robert had ‘flu but insisted on cycling to and from his job every day and took only Christmas Day off work. To make matters worse, Amy also had ‘flu and, unable to afford a doctor for her, after working all day Robert stayed awake all night, nursing her around the clock.
By New Year, 1926, the family were surviving only on milk left on their doorstep by a kindly milkman and in late January, Robert snapped, practically decapitating his wife and daughters with an axe, before cutting his own throat with a razor. Alerted by the milkman, who found the milk he had left the previous day frozen on the doorstep, the police broke into the Wrights’ home and found all four bodies. Two shillings was put aside on the mantelpiece ready to pay the rent but there wasn’t a morsel of food or coal in the freezing cold house and Mr and Mrs Wright had pawned almost everything they owned in order to feed their daughters.
This is the one case that makes me wish I had the power to go back in time and change history.
Q. Your books cover historic cases of murder. Do you think much has changed today in terms of violence and domestic abuse?
This is a debate that will go on and on. We have such graphic films and television programmes and even computer games nowadays that extreme violence becomes an integral part of our day-to-day lives and we risk becoming immune to its devastation. Yet historically, it was not uncommon for families to ‘hire out’ the bodies of their dead children to other families, so that they might claim insurance pay outs. Neither was it unknown for relatives to charge the general public to view the body of a murder victim.
My personal belief is that we perceive our world as being more violent today simply because we are constantly exposed to media reports of crime and violence.
Q. When writing regional titles, how important is location and how do you go about researching the cases?
Location is naturally very important, since people want to read about ‘their’ particular area, so I try to write about regions I know well.
I actually love doing research. When I’m writing about murders, I might initially look on the internet for names and dates but, other than that, I don’t read accounts of cases. The majority of my research involves scrolling through local newspapers on microfiche.
Q. Who are your writing influences? Which authors do you admire?
I don’t think I have any particular writing influences, although I have learned a great deal from my sometime co-author John van der Kiste. I admire any author who can complete a readable book but naturally I have my favourites. I don’t read much fiction and am not a fan of the horror genre as a whole but I have read every single Stephen King book to date on the day of its publication. I find his ability to weave a believable story from the most bizarre plotlines intriguing and am envious of his ability to make his readers suspend their disbelief without question. In my opinion, Ann Rule is the queen of true crime and I try to emulate her meticulous research and her compassionate handling of the cases she writes about. Finally, given that I usually write about murders, the humorous books written by both Roddy Doyle and Brendan O’Carroll (he/she of ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ fame) invariably make me laugh out loud and provide some very welcome light relief.
Q. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, how do you cope with it?
Only very, very occasionally - if I do, I usually go for a swim.
Q. Have you ever thought about writing crime fiction?
I would never say ‘never’, but I think it’s unlikely. I have a couple of excellent plots in my mind but I struggle to write believable dialogue.
Q. Finally, what can we expect next from you?
I have nothing in the pipeline at the moment.
