The Mind of a Murderer by Michael Wood – plus interview

What lies in the mind of a killer? Forensic psychologist, Olivia Winter already knows more than most, but is there worse to come? Michael Wood’s latest thriller, The Mind of a Murderer, takes Olivia to places none of us want to go.

The Mind of a Murderer – Michael Wood’s latest thriller, out now

In his latest thriller, The Mind of a Murderer, Michael Wood introduces his new heroine, Olivia Winter. Olivia is a forensic psychologist who works with convicted serial killers and has done assessments of some of the most notorious in the world. She is a recognised expert in this field. One thing she won’t do, however, is work active cases.

Secrets

Olivia has a dark secret. Her father is Richard Button, a notorious serial killer who is still alive and in prison. His last act, before his arrest, was to kill his wife, one of his daughters and attempt to kill his second daughter, Olivia. From his prison cell, he torments his surviving child with overtly caring cards and messages.

Serial killer

However, a serial killer is butchering women in London. Olivia’s close friend, Jessica, a Detective Inspector, is working on the investigation. She asks Olivia to use her expertise to help the police find this man before he kills again, but Olivia refuses.

And then Jessica is murdered, a victim of this killer. The murders are chillingly reminiscent of Richard Button’s killings and given this latest victim, Olivia has no option but to get involved in the case and work with the Senior Investigating Officer, Amyas Foley, to try and find the man who killed her oldest and closest friend.

The Mind of a Murderer explores the investigation that Olivia is driven to carry out. Michael Wood winds up the tension as he describes the psychological toll this takes on her, especially as her serial killer father is in hospital after a heart attack and keen to communicate with her. The killer seems oddly focused on Olivia. Is she being paranoid, given the events of her past, or is she in danger?

The Mind of a Murderer is the first book in the Olivia Winter series. Wood is the writer of the phenomenally successful Matilda Darke novels, so it will be interesting to see how this new series develops. He has created a context with a great deal of potential. Forensic psychology can add a new dimension to police procedurals. Wood has created two interesting characters in Olivia Winter and Amyas Foley, and he has put together a police team with real potential for development and conflict. His talent is to create books that are immensely readable, and the first book in this new series does not disappoint.

Psychological damage

The book opens with a murder, and doesn’t drop the relentless pace from there on. The central character, Olivia, is presented as a deeply conflicted woman; unsurprising, given her history. She is capable of close friendships, but conceals some of the most important aspects of her life from those who are closest to her.

Risky behaviour

She works with the worst and most threatening kinds of men, and yet puts herself in risky situations, in one case, having casual sex with a stranger in a changing cubicle at the public baths. (They clearly make changing cubicles in Olivia’s part of London a lot more robust than the standard ones.) The sex scenes are graphic, but lack emotional depth, which may reflect the damage Olivia’s past has done to her, leaving her able to take physical risks, but not emotional ones.

Settings

Michael Wood has moved his territory from Sheffield and South Yorkshire to London. Location is important to him as a writer. It almost forms another character in the narrative (as it does in my own serial killer novel Only Darkness).

The Mind of a Murderer doesn’t portray the vastness of the London landscape, but it does give a sense of city where people live and work, with depictions of close-knit communities and people who are very aware of their neighbours’ lives.

The Mind of a Murderer: Sturm und drang

This is a novel for those who like their crime fiction graphic and suspenseful. Wood is the master of literary sturm und drang. In his previous series, he put his heroine, Matilda Darke, through relentless trauma; and it looks as though he is going to subject Olivia Winter to more of the same. With a murdered family, a murdered close friend, and a serial killer for a father, the odds are rather stacked against her.

It will be interesting to see how Michael Wood develops this new series, and what new directions he will follow.

An interview with Michael Wood

Danuta Reah: What gave you the idea for Olivia Winter? Did the character come first, or was it the idea of writing about forensic psychology?

Michael Wood: I’ve written 11 books in the DCI Matilda Darke series which is heavily centred around a police investigation into murder and serial murder. As each book has gone on I’ve researched more into motive and the psychology behind the killer and why they’ve become a killer in the first place. I’ve always been fascinated by the reasoning behind motive. I’ve been thinking about writing a second series for some time but didn’t want another detective led series. When I thought about using forensic psychology at the centre, everything fell into place from then and Olivia Winter was created.

DR: In your books, you seem to focus on women with troubled backgrounds. What is it about these women that interests you as a writer?

MW: I much prefer writing female characters than male. I have no idea why. I feel as if I can add so many emotions to a female character – strength, vulnerability, capability, fear, passion, and humour, than I could ever attribute to a male character. I come from a typical Yorkshire family and was surrounded by strong women growing up. My mum, my nan and my auntie Margaret were/are all formidable women who faced tough times and always thrived. When I think of a lead character, I think of all the people I’ve known who have stood out as leaders, and they’ve all been women.

DR: Do you have more Olivia Winter books planned, and if so, is she going to have as hard a time as Matilda Darke?

MW: I do. I’m currently writing the second Olivia Winter novel and a third is in the very early plotting stages. Fingers crossed for more after that. Olivia has more scope for horror and drama than Matilda, but I think she’ll grow stronger as she faces more difficulties. She’ll definitely be going through some tough times.

DR: Why the move from the north to London?

MW: The Matilda Darke series is confined, more or less, to South Yorkshire where Matilda is based. With Olivia, she travels the world talking to serial killers, so the barriers of location don’t exist for her. I wanted the first book to be set in London to give the story a recognisable feel. Everybody knows London. It’s an internationally recognised location. People work there, they holiday there, it’s a huge tourist destination, but for Olivia, born and raised in London, it means murder and horror. I like that contrast that she’s seeing a vibrant city through dark eyes.

DR: How important is location to you as a writer? Did moving your setting to London change the way you approached the book?

MW: Location is important as it can act as a character in its own right. We see the location through the eyes of different characters and what it means to them, and everyone sees things differently. I had to do more research for this book when it comes to location as I don’t know London as well as I know Sheffield, which is where I’m originally from. I didn’t want to go too touristy with London and mention all the familiar locations, but the essence of a capital city, a city that never stops, it always on the periphery of the story. 

DR: Why ‘Amyas’? Were you influenced by Christie’s Five Little Pigs?

MW: I did “steal” Amyas from Five Little Pigs. It’s an unusual name and I love unusual names. When I watch a film, I watch the entire credits and note down any unusual names (usually a surname) in a file on my phone to choose for creating a new character. I don’t want to litter my entire book with bizarre names, but throwing in something strange here and there is entertaining. I heard the surname Nutbrown the other day. That’s a keeper.

DR: Am I right in detecting a little enclave of Sheffield in Olivia’s London?

MW: The road Olivia lives on does exist but as I wrote more of the book the style of it changed in my head into something much more fictional. It’s not based on any particular location, but I love a cul-de-sac as it makes a place much more claustrophobic. Olivia really shouldn’t be living in a place with only one exit. 

DR: Are swimming-pool changing cubicles round your way more robust than the ones I’m familiar with?

MW: No comment.