Crime and Love: The Perfect Match – by Jo Fenton
Thank you for inviting me here today, Lizzie. I’m delighted to be visiting your blog.
I’ve always loved romance novels at least as much as crime fiction, so it was something of a surprise to me that crime thrillers came out on top when I started writing. It was too much to expect me to ditch the romance altogether though, and all my novels so far have had a significant love element.
However, my new novel, Revelation, tackles the subject from a different angle – or actually, several different angles.
Unrequited love is a key theme in this book, for both my protagonists. The story is told by Becky and Dan. Dan is in love with Rick, who is found dead on the first page of the book (so this is really not a spoiler). Becky is in love with Dan, even though she half suspects he’s gay.
However, unrequited love can have compensations in friendship, and the growing affection between Becky and Dan is the foundation upon which the novel is built.
Early on in the book, Dan meets Alan, a religious leader, who runs a Kabbalistic group. Alan is keen for Dan to join, explaining that it will help Dan to deal with his grief. In his first encounter with the group, Dan meets Rachel, a keen, enthusiastic and kind member of the group, but he soon suspects that Alan and Rachel are closer than they first appeared. How will their relationship impact on him? Will he get two friends for the price of one, or is there something darker and more sinister at stake?
Another relationship that appears in the book, is in retrospect, from letters found in Rick’s room. These letters reveal a passionate and slightly sordid interlude with a character called Joanna, who we meet properly later on in the book.
Becky and Dan are both 18 at the time of this novel, in January 1989. My own personal experience of this age, is that it’s a time filled with unrequited love, lust, and brief encounters.
So, why are crime and love such a perfect match? Love is probably the most complicated emotion in existence (anyone wanting to argue this point, please feel free to comment below). It can promote passion, hatred, obsession, anger and fear – all potential motives for murder, let alone lesser crimes.
Revelation cannot be described as a romance novel, but it’s very much a story about love, friendship, betrayal and revenge – a crime thriller.
About the book:
Manchester, 1989
A student, Rick, is found dead in halls of residence.
His friends get caught up in the aftermath: Dan, who was in love with Rick; and Becky, who is in love with Dan.
Their fraught emotions lead them into dark places – particularly a connection to a mysterious Kabbalistic sect.
Will Becky discover who killed Rick in time to save her best friend?
About the author:
Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire. She devoured books from an early age and, at eleven, discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer. She now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office.
Jo combines an exciting career in Clinical Research with an equally exciting but very different career as a writer of psychological thrillers.
When not working, she runs (very slowly), and chats to lots of people. She lives in Manchester with her family and is an active and enthusiastic member of two writing groups and two reading groups.
Revelation will be released on Amazon on 24th February
It’s available for pre-order at mybook.to/beckywhite1
My other books are also available on Amazon:
The Brotherhood: https://t.co/YXdn8AM506
The Refuge: http://mybook.to/therefuge
You can find me on social media at:
Website www.jofenton137.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jofentonauthor/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/jl_fenton
Be the first to know when my next book is available! Follow me on social media for updates.
Nice to meet you here, Jo:) i do love a good crime story and mystery with some good relationships thrown in. I love the cover!
Thanks for joining us Denise. Jo is an amazing writer. I agree that the covers are fantastic too!
Sounds a great book Jo, and i too devoured both Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer in my youth…and still return to Georgette for a fun read now.
Jo’s book covers are beautiful too, aren’t they? Thanks for joining us today Lynn.