MY LIFE IN BOOKS: CHRISTOPHER STEELE

The author gives a run-down of his favourite books

THE CHILDHOOD BOOK I CANNOT FORGET

I didn’t really read that much when I was a child apart from the occasional Enid Blyton novel. I do however remember as a teenager my English teacher reading to the class the John Steinbeck novella Of Mice and

Men. It was the first time I had really found myself being immersed in a novel. Steinbeck is a master at setting a scene; he begins nearly every chapter with a few paragraphs describing the landscape. The characters are really well developed; they are not perfect as they are all flawed in some way but all feel totally authentic. Despite being a short book it really takes the reader on a journey and it packs a real emotional punch.

MY FAVOURITE CLASSIC READ

My favourite classic novel is Kane & Abel by Jeffrey Archer. It is about the lives of two men born on the same day in 1906 who end up becoming bitter rivals. The backgrounds of the two men could not be more different; one is born into extreme wealth while the other is a poor refugee as a result of the war. I like the way the story spans sixty years and chronicles real cataclysmic that occurred during the twentieth century. Even though the lives of the two main characters run parallel I like the way there are moments when their lives intersect. The characters of Kane and Abel are compelling and despite their completely different upbringings, they are in some ways are very similar. Their rivalry compels them to achieve great things but ultimately ends up destroying them both in different ways. The story is extremely well told and it has got a little bit of everything, mystery, action, history and romance.

THE BOOK I RECOMMEND TO OTHERS

The book that I recommend most is Want You Gone by Chris Brookmyre. It is a techno-thriller and in my opinion the best of its kind. It has a great female protagonist who is strong, resourceful and clever. I always like to read a thriller that is a little bit different to the norm and Brookmyre has created an original, inventive and highly entertaining cybercrime novel. It is intricately plotted, clever, multilayered and is packed with great

twists and turns.

FAVOURITE AUTHOR

My favourite author changes as I go through life, but currently it is fellow Northern Ireland thriller writer Steve Cavanagh. I love legal thrillers and John Grisham who is one of Cavanagh’s big influences is also one of my favourites, but when it comes to legal thrillers in my opinion Cavanagh surpasses him. Being a lawyer himself just like Grisham Cavanagh obviously has a lot of knowledge of the legal system, but not only that his story-telling is phenomenal and his plots are genius.

THE BOOK THAT MADE THE MOST IMPACT

It would be Jeffery Deaver’s James Bond novel Carte Blanche which I first read in 2011. It was the novel that ignited my passion for reading. Jeffery Deaver is a brilliant thriller writer, and what I liked about this particular novel is the way it brought Bond in to the 21st century. It has a terrific plot, brilliant description of the locations, superb pacing and some brilliant twists.

MY COMFORT READ

My comfort read would be any of the D.I. Frost novels by R.D. Winfield; the plots of most were adapted for the TV series A Touch of Frost. The character of Frost in the novels is not quite the same as it is portrayed by David Jason in the TV series. Yes like in the TV series he is insubordinate, hates doing paperwork and is a little bit of a maverick, but in the novels he is also very un PC and a little crude. The character of Jack Frost as portrayed by R. D. Winfield may not be to everyone’s taste and the novels are lengthy but the narrative is pacy and the plot twists are often surprising.

THE BOOK FROM WHICH I TAKE INSPIRATION

The book from which I take the most inspiration would be Stalkers by Paul Finch. It is one of my favourite thrillers, likewise with the direct follow-up The Killing Club. Both novels are great, they are full of tension, suspense, action and brutality which is how I try to write my thrillers. The other reason why it is an inspiration is due to the protagonist Mark (Heck) Heckingberg. He is a bit loose cannon, has issues due to events in his past, often likes to try and do it all himself, but never gives up until he has uncovered the truth or caught the perpetrators. Joe Wilde, who is the protagonist in my novels is very similar. Dark Truth by C.D. Steele (The Conrad Press) is available now