I'm so excited to be handing over to crime and thriller author Tony J Forder today and it looks like he's brought someone along with him, but more about that in a moment. Let's get started by introducing you to the man himself.
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| Photo courtesy of Tony J Forder |
Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling crime
thriller series featuring detectives Jimmy Bliss and Penny Chandler. The first
six books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, The Reach of
Shadows, The Death of Justice, and Endless Silent Scream, will be joined on 10
August 2020 by Slow Slicing, and in December by the DI Bliss prequel novella,
Bliss Uncovered.
Tony’s dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees
of Darkness, featuring ex-detective Frank Rogers, was also published by
Bloodhound Books. This is a stand-alone serial-killer novel. Scream Blue Murder,
an action-adventure thriller, was published in November 2017, and received
praise from many, including fellow authors Mason Cross, Matt Hilton and Anita
Waller. The sequel, Cold Winter Sun, was published in November 2018.
In November, Tony will release a new standalone
suspense thriller set in California, called Fifteen Coffins.
Tony lives with his wife in Peterborough, UK, and is
now a full-time author. He is currently editing a new novel, and has also
started on Bliss #7, Slow Slicing.
* * * *
Welcome to The Hippo Tony! I see you've brought a guest along with you, would you like to introduce them to the readers before we start?
Tony: Hi,
and thank you for having us here. Taking a break from his very busy schedule,
I'm delighted to have DI Jimmy Bliss with me today. Jimmy runs a team of
detectives for the Major Crimes Unit at Thorpe Wood Police Station in Peterborough,
UK. This is his second stint in the city, having spent the first part of his
career in London, where he was born.
Nice to meet you Jimmy and welcome! Both of you please pull up a chair, make yourselves at home and it's over to you!
Tony: Would you say
you are emotionally damaged by your past?
Jimmy: No.
Specific events and the job, perhaps. Some of which occurred in the past. But I
had a good upbringing, raised by two loving parents. My father was a uniformed
sergeant, my mother took care of us and the house, and although we never had a
great deal of money we lived comfortably and we lived happily. The more I think
about it the more I realise that my life was shaken by a single tragedy, which
came as the result of a single bad decision. That choice, made by both myself
and my wife, led to her being murdered. Yes, I carry the guilt of that around
with me, but it’s not my entire past and it’s not entirely damaging.
Tony: Is it fair to
say that the politics of your job are the worst part of it?
Jimmy: Again,
no. The politics irritates, it annoys, it even angers – and the justice system
sucks. But none of that compares to some of the senseless crimes we see, or the
criminals who commit terrible murders or rapes or harm young children, having
to look into the eyes of the victims and then comfort their broken families... those
are the worst parts of the job.
Tony: And the best
part?
Jimmy: Sounds
cliché, but nailing criminals and getting justice for the victims. There’s
nothing better. The worse the crime the more satisfaction you get. It’s often a
double-edged sword, because after the initial euphoria you have the anxious
wait for the legal side to kick in, then comes the trial, and it’s only after
you get your guilty verdict or an admittance of guilt that you can truly
celebrate. That’s when you can look the families in the eye.
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| Image found on Google |
Tony: What do you do
away from work?
Jimmy: These
days it’s music. Sadly, that’s mainly listening rather than playing. I do have
a guitar, but it’s been a while since I practiced and I suspect my fingertips
are so soft now I’ll end up bleeding all over the strings if I picked it up
again. I do also like losing myself in a film or TV series. I don’t go to games
anymore, but I’ve been a Chelsea fan since I was a nipper, and I still follow
them as a club. So, yeah, if I do get a chance to relax I put on an album or a
CD. I have a decent system so I prefer listening to vinyl. My medical condition
means I’m going a bit mutton, and then there’s the tinnitus which can spoil the
overall quality of the sound, but music is the best vehicle you can use to transport
you to other places and times.
Tony: You mention your
health – what is your condition?
Jimmy: It’s
called Meniere’s Disease – and no, I’d never heard of it before I was given my
diagnosis. Basically, it affects the inner ear and throws your balance out of
whack. I mostly manage it, but still get vertigo, I’m losing my hearing, and
tinnitus drives me berserk at times. It’s a chronic condition, so no cure as
yet, and it tends to get worse if it doesn’t burn itself out. Most of the time
I’m on top of it, so I don’t regard it as much of an issue.
Tony: Your best and
worst times professionally?
Jimmy: As
a detective I rarely get to prevent something bad from happening. Most of the
time I am reacting to events that have already happened. And yes, there are
occasions when intervening afterwards prevents further crimes from taking
place, but being there at the beginning is a novelty. So, I think I’d say
preventing a young girl from throwing herself off a roof was probably my best
moment as a cop. There have been many bad times, including being transferred
out of Peterborough many years ago, discovering some of my colleagues were
bent, and being questioned in connection with my wife’s murder. But hands down,
the death of a close colleague is the worst moment of my career – and I hope
nothing ever tops that.
Tony: How would you
like to be remembered within the job?
Jimmy: As
fair-minded, determined, loyal. I know I can be a frustrating boss, given my
disinclination to delegate jobs that I think may be too tough or expose my
colleagues to danger or criticism. But I hope they know that side of me comes
from a good place. In truth, my job is to nail villains and if people remember
me for doing that, then I think I will have succeeded.
Tony: What advice
would you pass on?
Jimmy: To
decide what kind of copper you want to be. If you want to be the kind who does
what it takes to get the job done, then stick with it no matter what the
circumstances or consequences. In my view, doing the right thing can never be
wrong. If you’re the other kind of cop, the type who are content with seeing
each day out doing the least amount possible for your daily pay, then rethink
your career and get out. The modern service may suit you, but it’s not the kind
of coppering society needs.
Tony: And a final word
for your long-suffering DS, Penny Chandler?
Jimmy: Absolutely.
Pen, put the kettle on – I’m coming back to work.
* * * *
Tony's latest book in the DI Jimmy Bliss series is Endless Silent Scream and here's what it's all about.
He
saved her life once. Can he do it again?
When
DI Bliss prevents fifteen-year-old Molly from jumping off the roof of a tall
building, he has no idea how deeply she will impact on his life. After learning
that the girl is a drugs courier, Bliss realises she is in great danger. As he
struggles to have Molly relocated, a local drug dealer and an enforcer sent by
the supplier, have other plans for her.
After
the remains of a freelance journalist are discovered, an old flame comes back
into Bliss’s life. With the clock ticking down, he realises it’s only a matter
of time before reports emerge linking the murdered journalist with the police,
putting added pressure on the Major Crimes team to find the killer – even if
it’s one of their own.
With
Bliss torn between the two investigations, he becomes increasingly desperate to
move Molly to safety before she can be silenced. But with his focus on saving
the girl for a second time, Bliss is blinded to other dangers…
I think this sounds like a great read and that cover just jumps right out at you don't you think? Don't worry if you haven't read the first five books in the DI Bliss series as the box set of books one through to five is currently (at the time of writing this) available to download for only 99p / $1.24
Amazon UK
Amazon US
You can find out more about Tony, his books and connect with him using the links below:
Website
Amazon
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Fantastic Fiction
Instagram
I'd like to thank Tony and Jimmy for taking the time to stop by today. It's been great fun getting to know you both better.
