Columnist Zahra Barri talks to author David F Reed about dropping clues, cliff hangers and Whitstable easter eggs in his crime novel Running With The Devil

Featured

Whitstable born and bred novelist, David F Reed’s (@david_f_reed_author ) crime thriller, Running with the Devil is chilling and compulsive.

The novel might deal with death but Reed’s literary prowess brings words to life - conjuring up images that are practically film-like. It's a nail-biting page turner which ruminates on themes of grief, loss, memory and trust. Here I talk to Reed about what it's like using his work in TV and with the police to write Crime, the benefits of his beloved Whitstable as a literary setting and how the potential for a TV adaptation could align Cillian Murphy, Stephen Graham and Andrew Scott on screen together!

Congratulations on Running with the Devil. How did your TV work inspire it?

I am delighted you enjoyed it! The largest influence was working on a BBC’s ‘Missing’ which involved me working closely with the Hackney police missing persons unit. This showed me how these investigations run and the devastation that is left behind for that person’s loved ones. We also filmed appeals for long term missing cases in the hope of generating new leads. We were lucky enough to meet with many families and seeing the pain that these people had endure on a daily basis was such an eye-opening experience. Their entire lives were on hold but they still needed to function day-to-day, each doorbell ring or phone call held such hope and dread. I wanted to capture that with the main character Julia, her son is gone, her life in tatters but still she continues her search, fostering what little hope she can.

The crime genre is renowned for its meticulous dropping of cold facts with clear clues and a defined structure: crime, conflict, resolution. Yet you also balance this control with not just mystery but aspects of ‘Horror’ - such as religion, morality and the devil and a distinct lack of clarity. This created great suspense. Did you know the plot before writing, or did your writing surprise you just as it did me!?

Writing a lot of drafts is key. I start with the bare bones and each draft helps to crystallise the plot as more ideas get layered on top. The element of surprise is vital, I never want the reader to feel complacent about anything. But a good surprise must be earned, must serve the story. I can’t just have a UFO come and zap the main character off to another planet, I want a reader to be able to look back and say ‘I should have seen that coming’ rather than ‘where the hell did that UFO come from?’.

What was it like working with the Hackney police?

Seeing the nitty gritty of an investigation really stuck. It brings authenticity to both the plot and characters. The officers I worked with in Hackney were exemplary, it was so heartening to witness not only their expertise but also how much they cared about every missing person case. The authenticity of the characters is so important to the novel as it grounds the journey they go on which does take some pretty wild twists and turns.

Running with the Devil is a rumination on grief and loss, evocatively heightened by the themes of Julia’s missing son and Sam’s lack of memory. One of the most visceral images of the novel is Julia’s missing son’s name etched onto Sam’s skin. Can you tell us more about this literary decision? It seems to me to be a more specific symbol of her grief and loss in some way?

I hadn’t thought of that to be honest, but that’s wonderful! It was more a literal representation of Sam’s involvement with Joshua’s disappearance, that he had been branded by it literally as well as metaphorically. Since neither he or Julia know what that involvement is, having an obtuse clue forces them to question who he is and whether or not, in Julia’s case, she can trust him.

Running with the Devil has been compared in similar veins to the writing of Frieda McFadden and Jeffrey Archer. Yet with more twists than an M Night Shamalan movie, and my aforementioned observation of your very visual storytelling, are there any films that have inspired you?

Too many to list! I am an enormous film buff and am obsessed by all forms of storytelling really. I think ‘Running With the Devil’ shares a similar narrative structure with films such as ‘The Prestige’ and ‘The Usual Suspects.’ Films that drip feed their plot until the end where it all comes together in a satisfying reveal. There's also a bit of ‘From Dusk Til Dawn’ in there in terms of a tonal shift halfway through but it’s not vampires…or UFO’s.

What other writers' books have you been influenced by?

I am a big fan of Blake Crouch, whose books always feel very cinematic to me. I love the Wayward Pines series which has a similar genre twist in it. I love Stephen King, George Orwell. I also love Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Pahlunuik, Fahrenheit 451 and a special mention to ‘One Day’ which I stole from my wife on holiday and I found absolutely heartbreaking. I’m still not over it.

You are a Whitstable resident - how has this idyllic seaside town with its mysterious and melodic shores and creative cobbled streets and characterful residents inspired your work?

I grew up here and moved back to raise my daughter and son. There is a scene in ‘Running With The Devil’ set in a church in Whitstable called ‘All Saints’, there are a few little easter eggs like that throughout the book which I think are fun. I would love to set a book in Whitstable, I love the idea of thrillers happening in smaller towns that are a bit off the beaten track.

Your wife also works in tv, with both of your experiences could we be seeing Running with the Devil on Netflix soon?

Hope so! I am waiting for the call. I did make a conscious decision with ‘Running With The Devil’ to make each chapter feel like a scene in a script, always ending on a cliffhanger which I think lends itself to a TV adaptation - any producers reading this give me a call!

What actors would you see playing the lead roles? My money is on Suranne Jones or Olivia Colman personally!

Spot on! It helps me to have an actor in mind for each role, I had Andrew Scott as Sam, Cillian Murphy as Meursault and Stephen Graham as Colin. If Netflix are reading this I am open to negotiation!

I’ll say! Finally, what’s the best literary thing that happened to you in Kent?

Seeing my book in Harbour Books in Whitstable. It has been a dream come true for me.

‘Running With The Devil’ is available all major online retailers as well as direct from the publisher at:

https://bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/crime-and-thrillers/running-with-the-devil

ABOUT ZAHRA BARRI

Zahra Barri is an Egyptian/Irish writer and stand up comedian who loves writing and talking about taboo subjects in a light-hearted and funny style.

She has featured on Radio 4, Radio 4 Extra, Radio 2, BBC Asian Network and BBC Period Dramas online. Her debut Novel won Runner Up for the Comedy Women In Print Unpublished prize 2020. She is currently doing a PhD in Creative Writing and moved to Rochester over Lockdown.

She has grown up in Saudi Arabia, but also Bracknell. Due to her mixed heritage background, she has attended both Muslim schools in Saudi and Catholic schools in the UK which gives her comedy a unique perspective.

And as always Zahra’s novel Daughters of the Nile is available from Wilton Square Books https://wiltonsquarebooks.com/products/daughters-of-the-nile