How to write a crime series
BY Tina Orr Munro
25th May 2023
Tina Orr Munro is a former CSI and journalist, specialising in writing about policing and security, turned crime fiction author. In 2021, she signed with Curtis Brown literary agent, Lucy Morris, who sold her debut crime novel, Breakneck Point, to HQ in an exciting two-book deal. Breakneck Point was developed on our six-month online Writing Your Novel course and was published in May 2022. Slaughterhouse Farm, book two in The CSI Ally Dymond series, is out now from HQ!
We are delighted to share Tina’s top tips for writing a crime series.
When I set out to write my first novel, Breakneck Point, I always knew I wanted my protagonist to be a Crime Scene Investigator. One reason for this was that I had been a Scenes of Crime Officer many years ago and, although the job has changed markedly since then, I was confident I could recall how I felt about the scenes I had attended. However, the other more important reason is that as an avid reader of crime, I hadn’t, at that point, read a novel featuring a female CSI as the main character which leads me to my first tip for writing a crime series. Your lead character doesn’t have to be a police officer.
There are dozens of brilliant crime novels that have a DI or DCI as their main character. There’s always room for more, of course, but crime is a crowded market and as a new writer it might be difficult to get your DCI or DI seen unless there is something unique and interesting about them. Alternatively, you could give your lead character a less obvious policing role and create a scenario that places them at the heart of the investigation. Elly Griffiths’ brilliant forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway is just one example of this, but there are many others.
Plot vs character
I find when I’m writing crime it is the plot that always comes first in that I’m constantly trying to throw in twists and red herrings. However, even in pacy crime novels, your characters remain at the heart of your story. Your character needs to be more than their job. Give them an interesting homelife and a backstory. Even if you don’t plan to touch on it a great deal, it still needs to be there and if you’re writing a series, make sure your characters are people you can live with for a good few years because you’ll be spending a lot of time with them!
Fact vs fiction
I think most crime writers worry about authenticity in their novels and I'm no exception. It’s a difficult balance between writing an exciting story and respecting police procedure. There is no right answer. As a former CSI, I know how crime scene examination works and it really doesn’t bother me if the writer gets it wrong occasionally. For me, the story is king, so I write the story first and then check if the procedural aspect fits around it enough to make it plausible. If it doesn’t then I look for a way to make it fit or, last resort, I’ll abandon it.
Squads
There may be times when you know your main character is acting so far outside the sphere of police procedure that your readers will struggle to believe it. One way around this is to consider creating a specialist squad. The police service sets up squads all the time. Creating your own squad allows you to draw up your rules. It gives you fantastic leeway that enables you to sidestep normal police practice.
Research
Make sure research is your servant and not your master. Crime writing is as much about the art of the illusion as anything. We just have to do enough for our readers to feel they are in safe hands. We don’t need to be experts in policing. Basics like rank structure, role descriptions, shift patterns - those areas that are commonly understood - will take you most of the way.
You don’t have to have done the job to write about the job. I was a CSI a very long time ago. I write crime novels that are set now and most of my knowledge is out of date which means I spend a lot of my time researching the latest forensics.
There are myriad books on police investigations written especially for crime writers. The issue is that the law is changing all the time and information can become dated quite quickly. For that reason, I also use official police sites which are absolute goldmines. Policing is process driven so there’s a best practice manual for everything, including the famous ‘murder manual’. The version that’s in the public domain is a little dated, but is still a brilliant resource. These manuals can be found via the College of Policing website.
Individual forces also publish an abundance of information via meeting minutes such as shift patterns etc. Freedom of Information notices will also tell you a great deal about how a police force runs itself. Catchup-on-demand TV and Youtube have endless fly-on-the-wall programmes which will give you the tools you need.
If you happen to know any police officers then you’re in luck. They’re a fantastic resource especially in terms of the expressions they use. All professions have their own language and policing is no different. I find a sprinkle of commonly-used phrases can add authenticity to your novel. For example, I recently heard the word ‘stonebonker’ which apparently means a person who is guilty beyond doubt. Is that in my latest book? You bet it is.
Breakneck Point, the first book in the CSI Ally Dymond series, is available to buy here.
Slaughterhouse Farm, the second book in the series is available to buy here.
You can catch Tina on Twitter @tinaorrmunro
Giveaways
We're currently running two exciting book giveaways, one on our Twitter (@cbcreative) and another on our Instagram (@curtisbrowncreative). We will be selecting one winner on Twitter and one winner on Instagram. Each winner will receive a paperback copy of Breakneck Point and a hardback copy of Slaughterhouse Farm.
Twitter rules
To enter on Twitter (@cbcreative) all you have to do is retweet and like the competition post. Comment with your favourite fictional detective and make sure you're following @cbcreative and @tinaorrmunro. The competition is open to UK entrants only. Closes Tues 30 May at 10.59am.
Instagram rules
To enter on Instagram (@curtisbrowncreative) all you have to do is follow Curtis Brown Creative (@curtisbrowncreative), like and save the competition post and comment your favourite fictional detective. The competition is open to UK entrants only. Closes Tues 30 May at 10.59am.
Learn more about writing crime fiction on our six-week Writing Crime Fiction course with bestselling novelist Vaseem Khan. Next course starts 25 May.
The books linked in this blog can be found on our Bookshop.org shop front. Curtis Brown Creative receive 10% whenever someone buys from our Bookshop.org page.