Author: Ann Girdharry
Social Media: @GirdharryAnn
Author Website: www.girdharry.com
Publication date: 23rd August
Publisher: Create Space and Kindle Direct
ISBN-10: 0993560210
ISBN-13: 978-0993560217
Pages: 344
Format: Available in ebook and paperback
Synopsis:
Mother missing, the discovery of a powerful and corrupt syndicate and dark secrets about her father revealed leaves 28-year old Kal determined to pursue her own investigations, no matter what sinister truths she uncovers, in this intense psychological thriller.
Pages: 344
Format: Available in ebook and paperback
Synopsis:
Mother missing, the discovery of a powerful and corrupt syndicate and dark secrets about her father revealed leaves 28-year old Kal determined to pursue her own investigations, no matter what sinister truths she uncovers, in this intense psychological thriller.
Kal is convinced her investigative journalist mother must have been working on a controversial, and top level, news story, it is the only explanation for her sudden and suspicious disappearance. Although mistrustful of the police, Kal allows Detective Inspector Spinks, the officer assigned to her mother’s case, to accompany her when she visits her grandmother to break the news. What they don’t expect is to uncover a file of shocking research cataloguing the deviant activities of seven members of London’s political and business elite. Back on the streets of London, the survival instincts and specialist expertise she learned from her late father, kick into overdrive, as Kal resolves to not only find her mother but continue her work and unveil the conspiracy hidden amongst those in power.
Q&A with Ann Girdharry
Can you tell what Good Girl, Bad Girl is about?
The book blurb says, “A stalker. A pact. And a deadly secret…” and I think that’s a good summary of the story in which Kal is searching for her missing mother. Kal’s journalist mother, Alesha, disappeared in strange circumstances because it seems she was in the middle of an investigation. It’s complicated by the fact that a threatening letter has been left in Alesha’s apartment, though Kal decides that this is a decoy since her family have received death threats for several generations. As Kal investigates, she will discover dark secrets from the past and a truth about her own family, and about herself, that she’s never wanted to face.
I'm a big fan of strong women, and Kal seems to be one tough cookie. Can you tell me more about her?
Kal is definitely a young woman with attitude and she’s smart, in fact, smarter than most people realise. She works as a photojournalist. She’s twenty-eight. She’s a bit of a loner and prefers to tackle things on her own, though she will have to learn to trust her friends and recognise her allies if she’s going to survive.
Can you tell me more about Detective Inspector Spinks, like does he have a big part in this book?
Detective Inspector Spinks is an experienced officer. He’s investigated a lot of crimes and a lot of nasty crimes. Kal wants to use her own, borderline tactics to gather information and she doesn’t begin to work with Spinks until the second part of the story, after the scene when Spinks asks her to the morgue to identify a body.
For me, right from the beginning, Spinks is silently discerning - he guesses Kal holds the key to her mother’s disappearance but he doesn’t know if she’s withholding vital facts intentionally or not. Spinks is stable, not volatile like Kal. He’s in the investigation for the long haul and he has the steady endurance to see it through, whereas Kal could burn out before the end. Though he’s often in the background, I see Spinks as a counter balance to many of Kal’s weaknesses and, in the end, she’ll need him.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always enjoyed writing stories so, in a way, I’ve always been a writer in my spare time, even though I had a completely different career for many years and it wasn’t my ambition to be a writer.
I think I realised that I could have a career as a writer only after I published the suspense series Tales of the Unexpected in 2015. It was this experience that showed me it might be possible and it was reader comments and feedback that really gave me the confidence, and when I had that realisation, that’s when I wanted to become a writer as my career.
Did the book take a long time to write?
Yes, it did. From beginning to end, it took me at least three years.
Any authors that have influenced you in your writing?
I read widely and I've not come across many authors with a similar writing style to mine. However, I've come across a number of authors who are prepared to stick to their own unique style and have made a success of their writing, and I find all of them inspiring and in that way they’ve influenced me to believe in my own ideas and see them through.
The one that most springs to mind is Tom Rob Smith. I’ve long admired his books and my favourite is Child 44.
And, now for the last question, if you had to pick one book to bring to a deserted island, which would you pick?
Whilst I often read tragic and intense books, for a deserted island I’d have to choose something that was happy and warming and uplifting.
I’ve never read anything by the Dalai Lama, though many years ago I once attend a talk of his at Wembley and I found it inspiring. So this would be my choice – The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom.
The book blurb says, “A stalker. A pact. And a deadly secret…” and I think that’s a good summary of the story in which Kal is searching for her missing mother. Kal’s journalist mother, Alesha, disappeared in strange circumstances because it seems she was in the middle of an investigation. It’s complicated by the fact that a threatening letter has been left in Alesha’s apartment, though Kal decides that this is a decoy since her family have received death threats for several generations. As Kal investigates, she will discover dark secrets from the past and a truth about her own family, and about herself, that she’s never wanted to face.
I'm a big fan of strong women, and Kal seems to be one tough cookie. Can you tell me more about her?
Kal is definitely a young woman with attitude and she’s smart, in fact, smarter than most people realise. She works as a photojournalist. She’s twenty-eight. She’s a bit of a loner and prefers to tackle things on her own, though she will have to learn to trust her friends and recognise her allies if she’s going to survive.
Can you tell me more about Detective Inspector Spinks, like does he have a big part in this book?
Detective Inspector Spinks is an experienced officer. He’s investigated a lot of crimes and a lot of nasty crimes. Kal wants to use her own, borderline tactics to gather information and she doesn’t begin to work with Spinks until the second part of the story, after the scene when Spinks asks her to the morgue to identify a body.
For me, right from the beginning, Spinks is silently discerning - he guesses Kal holds the key to her mother’s disappearance but he doesn’t know if she’s withholding vital facts intentionally or not. Spinks is stable, not volatile like Kal. He’s in the investigation for the long haul and he has the steady endurance to see it through, whereas Kal could burn out before the end. Though he’s often in the background, I see Spinks as a counter balance to many of Kal’s weaknesses and, in the end, she’ll need him.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always enjoyed writing stories so, in a way, I’ve always been a writer in my spare time, even though I had a completely different career for many years and it wasn’t my ambition to be a writer.
I think I realised that I could have a career as a writer only after I published the suspense series Tales of the Unexpected in 2015. It was this experience that showed me it might be possible and it was reader comments and feedback that really gave me the confidence, and when I had that realisation, that’s when I wanted to become a writer as my career.
Did the book take a long time to write?
Yes, it did. From beginning to end, it took me at least three years.
Any authors that have influenced you in your writing?
I read widely and I've not come across many authors with a similar writing style to mine. However, I've come across a number of authors who are prepared to stick to their own unique style and have made a success of their writing, and I find all of them inspiring and in that way they’ve influenced me to believe in my own ideas and see them through.
The one that most springs to mind is Tom Rob Smith. I’ve long admired his books and my favourite is Child 44.
And, now for the last question, if you had to pick one book to bring to a deserted island, which would you pick?
Whilst I often read tragic and intense books, for a deserted island I’d have to choose something that was happy and warming and uplifting.
I’ve never read anything by the Dalai Lama, though many years ago I once attend a talk of his at Wembley and I found it inspiring. So this would be my choice – The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom.
Born and educated in the UK, Ann Girdharry is a trained psychotherapist and has worked as a manager in the not-for-profit sector for many years for agencies working with: carers, vulnerable older people and those with dementia, survivors of abuse, and victims of racism and racial attacks. Today she lives in Montpellier, France with her husband and two children. As well as her passion for writing, Ann enjoys gardening and is a member of her local roller blading club. Ann has previously published a series of short stories called Tales of the Unexpected (2015-2016). Her debut novel, and the first in the Kal Medi series, Good Girl Bad Girl by Ann Girdharry (published by CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing 23rd August 2016 RRP £8.99 paperback, £3.99 ebook) is available to purchase from online retailers including amazon.co.uk and to order from all good bookstores.
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