K is for Killing

 

Over the last 25-30 years I've bumped off hundreds of people. Fortunately, it's all on paper. I've been anti-war, anti-violence all my life, and I will never alter that stance. There is never any justification for violence. Never.

On the other hand, it isn't half good for business.

Murder is a premeditated act, but there are, of course, different kinds of murder. The Handshaker, for example, commits murder partly for sexual gratification, partly to prevent his victims ever telling anyone of the abuse they have suffered at his hands. The Voices end the lives of a number of people, and they do so to demonstrate their power.

When it comes to the Sanford 3rd Age Club Mysteries, however, matters are slightly different. The murders are always carefully planned, but quite often, they're not planned as murders. Something happens when the plan materialises to turn it from whatever they had in mind to murder. On the other hand, there are also those times when the killing was pre-planned as such and carried out to perfection. In either case, the motives are usually quite simple: sex, financial gain or revenge for some perceived injustice.

Where the deaths in the Sanford 3rd Age Club Mysteries differ from, say, The Handshaker, is in the narration. In a major work I may go into graphic detail: in the Sanford 3rd Age Club Mysteries, I do not. They're cosy crimes and readers of such books are interested more in the denouement, how the sleuth unmasks the murderer, not in the blood and gore of the actual killing.

Even Joe, never squeamish, often says, "I'm not a ghoul."

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The Filey Connection, first of the Sanford 3rd Age Club Mysteries, from Crooked {Cat} Books is available for the Kindle from Amazon UK and Amazon Worldwide and in all other formats from Smashwords

The Handshaker is exclusive to Amazon UK and Amazon Worldwide