While attending a crime scene on the outskirts of Maidstone, DI Kay Hunter makes a shocking discovery.

The victim has been brutally cut to pieces, his identity unknown.

When more body parts start turning up in the Kentish countryside, Kay realises the disturbing truth – a serial killer is at large and must be stopped at all costs.

With no motive for the murders and a killer who has gone undetected until now, Kay and her team of detectives must work fast to calm a terrified local population.

When a third victim is found, her investigation grows even more complicated.

As she begins to expose a dark underbelly to the county town, Kay and her team are pulled into a web of jealousy and intrigue that, if left unchecked, will soon claim another life.

 

Gone to Ground is the sixth addition to the successful Kay Hunter series by author Rachel Amphlett. It has always intrigued me how a writer can keep working with the same set of characters, or at least the protagonist. How is it that writers are able to find ways to keep the character interesting, both for them and the readers? So today I have the honour of having Rachel tell us about her experience and future plans with Kay and Co.

 

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Writing Kay Hunter: what does the future hold?

 

It’s hard to believe that only 19 months have passed since the first book in the Detective Kay Hunter series, Scared to Death was published in December 2016.

At that time, I was both excited and terrified to be releasing this new character into the world. I’d had a heck of a lot of fun creating Kay and her team, but would readers like her?

Since then there have been six further books in the series with the latest Gone to Ground published on 8 July.

So, what has it been like to be with the same characters for six books?

In a word – fun.

When I started to plot the first books, I knew I wanted the series to be as realistic as possible without sacrificing story. That meant Kay had to be a team player.

I do love a lot of crime fiction where the detective has his/her flaws, but I think there’s a danger of it becoming too much of an expectation. So, I decided that Kay would be someone who has a strong sense of justice, is resilient in the face of adversity and who tries her best to get her team to work together, not against each other.

Writing a series with the same core characters is great, because each one of Kay’s investigating team gets the chance to shine. Whether it’s the older detective, Barnes whose gruff humour and tough exterior can sometimes slide away to show a softer side, or career-driven Carys who’s scared the living daylights out of Kay on occasion in her quest to catch a criminal, and even mild-tempered Gavin who is slowly working his way up the ranks, all of these characters give me a reason to sit down at my desk every day and discover more about them.

And what about new stories? Well, having recently returned from a trip to Kent to spend some time in Kay Hunter’s stomping ground, I can assure you that there are plenty more murder investigations to come. All the time you’re enjoying reading them, I’ll write them!

 

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Thank you to Rachel Amphlett for taking out time from her busy schedule and gracing my blog with her presence.

And Congratulations to her on Kay Hunter 6 – Gone To Ground.

 

Author Bio:

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Angela Marsons, Robert Bryndza, Ken Follett, and Stuart MacBride.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

Her novels are available in eBook, paperback and audiobook formats from worldwide retailers including Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, and Google Play.

A keen traveller, Rachel holds both EU and Australian passports and can usually be found plotting her next trip two years in advance!

Gone to Ground, the sixth addition to the Kay Hunter series, will be out on 10th July.

 

Social Media:

Website : Rachel Amphlett

Twitter: @RachelAmphlett

Facebook: @rachelamphlett.author

Amazon: Rachel Amphlett

Author’s Shop: Buy directly from Author

 

Thank you to DampPebbles Blog Tours for including me in this blog tour.

Don’t forget to check out the other blogs who are taking part in this blog tour!

 

If you want to read my reviews to the other Rachel Amphlett books you can click the following:

Kay Hunter series:  Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 | Book 4 | Book 5

Dan Taylor series: Book 1

If you would like to read my interview with Rachel, you can click here.