A drowned man is pulled from floodwaters. Identification is difficult but a routine investigation for DCI Stirling and newly promoted DI Marti Summer. Or is it?
Sensitive material in the dead man’s possession links Stirling’s investigation to the top of Government, and a leadership race for Prime Minister. Favourite to win is Zola Campbell, the grandchild of Windrush immigrants whose rise from humble beginnings to forge a business empire, amassing personal wealth and fame along the way, have made her an iconic figure. Entering politics, her talents earned swift promotion to the top of Government, and now she’s poised to be the first woman of colour Prime Minister. The media is in overdrive, the political stakes are high, and the nation is watching.
Fearing a national scandal that will engulf them all, ACC Steph Tanner wants results – fast! With just days to unravel what connects a quiet man’s drowning to events at Westminster, a hundred miles away, tensions rise as Stirling takes his investigation undercover.
Stirling senses something is missing. But what? Or who? With a suspect to locate, and crypto millions to trace, things are complex enough when MI5 step from the shadows! And just where do Lena Novak and the National Crime Agency fit into it all?
Frightened by Stirling’s methods, Marti Summer fears for her job, and the shame she’ll bring on her family. But Marti has a moral dilemma too - have her own prejudices jeopardised the investigation?
Haunted by tragedy, Stirling’s private life is a mess. Ayesha’s gone, with no explanation. He and Steph Tanner are close, but she’s his boss. And life is about to get still more complicated.
Fear or Favour by Ray Britain was published on 29 January 2023 and part of the DC Stirling Investigations. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to host an interview with the author.
Tell us a bit about yourself. You were a detective, I understand?
Yes, I was a police officer for over thirty years in the Midlands, with much of my service spent in CID. As a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) I led complex crime investigations and supported national emergency and counter-terrorism arrangements.
And you were a police negotiator as well?
Hostage & Crisis Intervention Negotiator, to give it its formal title. It’s a voluntary role on top of the ‘day job’ which often meant leaving a warm bed in the middle of the night to support colleagues in achieving a peaceful outcome to hostage and siege incidents, many firearms operations, and numerous suicide interventions. The most rewarding part of the role was bringing about a safe and peaceful resolution, or getting someone ‘back from the edge’, so to speak, and to gain the help they needed.
Why did you want to be a negotiator?
To help people, and because it’s endlessly fascinating. One never knew what you’d be faced with.
Why did you adopt a pen name?
For privacy, mainly, as I locked up many criminals during my career, some of whom were very unpleasant characters.
How accurate are your stories to real investigations?
Very! The day to day reality of most investigations is very different to how they’re portrayed on TV, with forensic results arriving within minutes, apparently! SIO’s must constantly juggle scarce investigators and other resources across concurrent investigations while making tough choices about prioritising while operating within finite budgets – all in the knowledge that every decision they make will be scrutinised with 20-20 hindsight!
I also believe it important to not gloss over the grim, grainy detail of criminality (i.e. human behaviour), of crime scenes, and of investigator-suspect relationships. Even those between investigators. People are complex, and that is especially true within an intense crime investigation. Above all, I respect my reader’s intelligence and seek to provide them with an authentic, immersive experience. If it’s not what some readers are seeking, other “lavender” options are available.
I believe this is your third DCI Stirling story?
Yes, the first was ‘The Last Thread’ published 2017, followed by ‘Forgotten Lives’ in 2021. Though some central characters remain constant, each story is entirely different. All are set in beautiful Worcestershire, an area I know well, with investigative excursions to the wider world.
Tell us a little about your principal character, DCI Douglas Stirling. Is he the dog eared, flawed, socially ill-at-ease characters we often see?
Physically, Stirling is the embodiment of my Father in his late thirties as I needed a familiar image as I wrote, and it’s a small tribute to him. Intellectually, though, Stirling is an entirely different man.
Flawed? Yes, a little. Stirling is a thoughtful, reflective character, notoriously private with an untold back-story tragedy which continues to affect his character, and his relationships. A consummate professional, he expects his people to work hard, but he works harder still. Easily drawn to intelligent, interesting women, complications arise when his private and professional worlds collide.
And the female characters, are they simply ‘bit players’?
Absolutely not. My cast is diverse, with most of the female characters having strong voices and roles within my stories.
Without spoiling it for our readers, what’s “Fear or Favour” about?
Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to give you the synopsis:
“A drowned man is pulled from floodwaters. Identification is difficult but a routine investigation for DCI Stirling and newly promoted DI Marti Summer. Or is it?
Sensitive material in the dead man’s possession links Stirling’s investigation to the top of Government, and a leadership race for Prime Minister. Favourite to win is Zola Campbell, the grandchild of Windrush immigrants whose rise from humble beginnings to forge a business empire, amassing personal wealth and fame along the way, have made her an iconic figure. Entering politics, her talents earned swift promotion to the top of Government, and now she’s poised to be the first woman of colour Prime Minister. The media is in overdrive, the political stakes are high, and the nation is watching.
Fearing a national scandal that will engulf them all, ACC Steph Tanner wants results – fast! With just days to unravel what connects a quiet man’s drowning to events at Westminster, a hundred miles away, tensions rise as Stirling takes his investigation undercover.
Stirling senses something is missing. But what? Or who? With a suspect to locate, and crypto millions to trace, things are complex enough when MI5 step from the shadows! And just where do Lena Novak and the National Crime Agency fit into it all?
Frightened by Stirling’s methods, Marti Summer fears for her job, and the shame she’ll bring on her family. But Marti has a moral dilemma too - have her own prejudices jeopardised the investigation?
Haunted by tragedy, Stirling’s private life is a mess. Ayesha’s gone, with no explanation. He and Steph Tanner are close, but she’s his boss. And life is about to get still more complicated.”
And where can I buy “Fear or favour”?
It’s available at Amazon Kindle and on all good e-readers such as KOBO, Apple iBook etc. or visit my website http://www.raybritain.com/ and buy it through there.
So finally Ray, a little about yourself. What do you do for recreation, and what was the most interesting book that you read recently?
I’m not getting any younger, so I try to get in the gym several times a week, practice yoga, and enjoy fell walking and skiing. I sail occasionally with a friend who has a yacht.
My recent enjoyable read was ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ by David Guterson, an acclaimed debut novel when published which I found in my holiday accommodation recently. Set in a post-war, West coast of America fishing community, it explores the inherent prejudices towards the long established American-Japanese community through a ‘whodunnit’ told through a courtroom trial over three days. I didn’t think I would like it as the narrative is very detailed but, in fact, it drew me into the lives of the characters.
His third novel ‘Fear or Favour’ follows his previous titles, ‘Forgotten Lives’ (2021) and ‘The Last Thread’ (2017).
Ray Britain led specialist investigations as a Senior Investigating Officer, and was also a Hostage & Crisis Intervention Negotiator, a voluntary role that involved him in hostage situations, sieges, many firearms operations, and numerous suicide interventions.
His specialist roles took him to the USA, India, Europe, Australia and elsewhere, and he was awarded several Commendations. He also worked with the Serious Fraud Office and the Home Office in London, and with many other police services.
Britain’s real world experience brings an authentic voice to the realities of investigation, and of human frailty.
If not writing, Ray might be enjoying hiking, rugby, skiing, reading, sailing, or yoga.
Twitter @ray_britain
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