Tom Mead

Tom Mead is a UK crime fiction author specialising in locked-room mysteries.

He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association, International Thriller Writers, and the Society of Authors.

Mead's debut novel is Death and the Conjuror.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The title Death and the Conjuror does a great deal to transport readers into the story- it helps to establish an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. The title went through various changes along the line, and in the end I came up with a number of alternatives and this was the one the publisher liked best. The titular "conjuror" is a retired music hall magician named Joseph Spector who is recruited by Scotland Yard to assist with the investigation into an apparently impossible murder.

What's in a name?

I spent a very long time coming up with the names for my characters; each has various interpretations and hidden meanings. Of course "Spector" is homophonous with "specter" and also connotes "inspector," which helps to bridge the gap between the macabre and almost uncanny atmosphere that accompanies the crimes and the keen logical eye which Spector brings to bear in order to find out the truth. Other key characters include George Flint of Scotland Yard- a stolid, old-fashioned name to match a sturdy, reliable character- and Anselm Rees, a Viennese psychoanalyst who is my fictionalization of Sigmund Freud.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

I think my teenage self would be pleasantly surprised by Death and the Conjuror. It's the sort of book I've been trying to write for years, but I just didn't have the experience. Developing your own plot and writing style is a craft which you hone over time, so in many ways this is the culmination of a lifetime's worth of reading and writing.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I write murder mysteries in the golden age style, where the emphasis is on playing fair with the reader. That means providing all the clues they would need in order to solve the puzzle for themselves. As such, I usually come up with the ending first- I need to know what has really happened so that I can set about creating all manner of confusions and misdirections to thread into the narrative.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I don't have much in common with my main character, Joseph Spector, though we do share a fascination with the macabre and uncanny. And of course I love stage magic and am fascinated with all the gimmicks and clever tricks which go into a performance- though I'm an introvert and hopelessly lacking in any skill when it comes to legerdemain.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I'm a huge theatre fan, which is why I like to write about actors and performers. And of course I love stage magic, though I am just as fascinated by the psychology which underpins the art of illusion as I am by the technical gimmicks behind the scenes. Henning Nelms, a professional magician who wrote two brilliant murder mysteries under the pseudonym Hake Talbot, also wrote a fantastic book called Magic and Showmanship which is crammed with insight into the complex relationship between magician and audience. I've found that to be very influential on my mystery writing.

Visit Tom Mead's website.

My Book, The Movie: Death and the Conjuror.

The Page 69 Test: Death and the Conjuror.

--Marshal Zeringue