Your husband Aidan’s death in 2009 led you to quit Westmeath County Council where you had worked for 30 years and take up writing, in part as therapy. Was writing simply a distraction or was there more to it?
Initially writing every morning was for therapy. It gave me something to focus on and helped guide my life in a new direction.
Did that loss also colour the type of writer you became?
I like to think that I bring a touch of reality into my characters. I try to infuse them with emotion and I believe that comes from the loss of Aidan.
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Your first book, Spring Sprong Sally, was an illustrated children’s book. What made you turn to crime fiction? What is the genre’s appeal for you?
Painting was another form of therapy. Once I’d completed that book I decided to write a novel. Writing crime came natural to me as I love that genre – the mystery, intricate plots and unusual characters.
Your character, Garda Detective Inspector Lottie Parker, is widowed too. Does she have anything to teach us about bereavement?
I think anyone who is bereaved reacts and copes in their own way. Lottie doesn’t realise she is going through a grieving process and struggles with everything after Adam dies. Her character demonstrates how devastating loss is personally. She has to keep on turning up, while inside she is crumbling. But she shows how resilient we are in the long run.
You’ve said that in early books you were very alike but since then your paths have diverged. In what way?
Initially I poured a lot of the conflicting emotion I’d been experiencing after Aidan’s death into Lottie. In her fictional world I had to move her life on quickly; to develop her character to keep her interesting. In real life, things move at a slower pace.
You always carry a notebook to collect observations and ideas. Can you give me a few recent examples?
My daughter Orla was visiting wedding venues and I accompanied her to one viewing. I took phone notes. Then I fictionalised it in Silent Voices.
While walking around Lough Ennell I came across tree stumps that had been carved into statues of Irish mythological characters. With photos snapped and notes, I used these statues in Three Widows.
Can you pinpoint what you learned on an Irish Writers Centre course that made you a better writer?
Write regularly. Setting targets, short- and long-term, kept me focused on the work.
Your books are set in Ragmullin, which is an anagram of Mullingar. Could you describe the town? Do garrison towns have a particular identity?
Garrison towns have a great sense of community. There is no longer a military presence in Mullingar, but the town is adept at reinventing itself. It has so much to offer from shops, schools, parks, and is surrounded by lakes, mythology and history. It has a great musical heritage and the late JP Dunleavy lived here.
[ JP Donleavy’s vast archive left to the National Library of IrelandOpens in new window ]
Tell me about Silent Voices.
This is a pivotal phase in Lottie’s life. People are dying and Lottie doesn’t know who to trust while the twisted killer is on a mission to silence those who know about their past.
And your latest work, Three Widows?
Three Widows is book 12 in the series. It has an intricate plot of murder and secrets, including a missing husband who may or may not be dead.
You have sold more than two million books in six years since The Missing Ones. What feedback do you get from those readers?
Feedback can take the form of questions: “When is the next one?” “Can’t you write any faster?” “It’s the best one yet.” This brings the added pressure of not letting my readers down. A balancing act.
Your books started off as exclusively digital editions before their success led to print editions. Would you recommend this route?
It worked out this way for me. I’m blessed that it has been successful. Every publisher is different and I can’t say if there is a right or wrong way.
Twelve books in six years is a prolific workrate. How do you do it?
I’ve learned that it is important to have a good team around me. I have an excellent agent and editor. I work to a schedule and a deadline. I need a deadline to be productive!
What other projects are you working on?
I’ve started writing book 13, then I’ve three more on my current contract. I’m always either writing or editing.
Have you ever made a literary pilgrimage?
Not unless you count crime writing festivals.
What is the advice would you give to your younger writing self?
Finish your first draft. It’s so easy to get lost in the murky middle. Move forward and then you have a finished manuscript to edit. As Stephen King says, you can’t edit a blank page.
[ Stephen King’s prolific writing will leave future generations gratefulOpens in new window ]
Who do you admire the most?
I admire anyone who keeps going in the face of adversity.
What current book, film, TV show and podcast would you recommend?
Succession! The writing, acting, storytelling, character development – it has it all.
Which public event affected you most?
9/11. This atrocity unfolded before our eyes. Live TV brought terror on a scale not seen before into our homes. Devastating.
The most remarkable place you have visited?
When Aidan went to Lebanon, I joined him for a holiday in Israel. We visited the Irish camp in Lebanon and from there travelled the length of Israel to the Red Sea in an open jeep. Over 40 years ago and it is still fresh in my mind. Amazing experience.
Your most treasured possession?
Aidan’s fishing jumper. Knitted for him by my sister Marie. It reminds me of him more than anything else.
What is the most beautiful book that you own?
My father (87) wrote poetry all his life. He recently brought all his work together in a book for family and friends.
Which writers, living or dead, would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Michelle Obama. She is such a charismatic and interesting person. I’d love to chat to her.
The best and worst things about where you live?
I’ve lived in Mullingar all my life and I couldn’t say anything adverse about it. It is my home. My parents, siblings, children and grandchildren and in-laws live in or around Mullingar.
What is your favourite quotation?
Oscar Wilde – We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.
Who is your favourite fictional character?
Rebus – Ian Rankin’s series.
A book to make me laugh?
John Boyne’s The Echo Chamber.
A book that might move me to tears?
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell.
Silent Voices by Patricia Gibney is published by Sphere on February 2nd. Three Widows is published by Bookouture on February 10th.
