The Joys of Binge Reading

Madeleine Eskedahl is the best-selling author of crime thrillers set in seaside, New Zealand. Local policemen, Bill Granger is hoping for a quiet off season, but when a narcotics drop goes badly wrong and a man ends up overboard a straightforward case turns into a complex web of small town secrets.

Hi, I’m your host, Jenny Wheeler and on binge reading today, Madeleine talks about growing up on a beautiful Norwegian island. and then exchanging it all for the Kiwi coastline, as well as about the creative spark she’s always felt within her and has always nurtured.

Giveaway This Week

In our giveaway this week, Cool Off With A New Book, a wonderful selection of entertaining fiction, free to download for a limited time. It includes Susannah’s Secret my own #2 book in the Home At Last series set in 19th century San Francisco.

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOKS

https://books.bookfunnel.com/cooloffwithanewbook/8tho8xx8vh

Details for where to find the books to download, as well as links to the things we discuss including Madeleine talking about the book she’s reading at the moment, can be found in the show notes for this episode on the website, www.thejoysofbingereading.com.

And remember if you enjoy the show, do leave us a review, so others will find us too. Word of mouth is still the best form of recommendation and a wonderful way for people to find the show and great books they will love to read.

Links in Madeleine Eskedahl episode

Scandinavian Writers Madeleine loves:

Camilla Lackberg: https://camillalackberg.se/en/

Mari Jungstedt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Jungstedt

Linda Olsson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Olsson

Anna Jansson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Jansson

Other books she is reading:

Nikki Crutchley: To The Sea and In The Blood. https://www.nikkicrutchley.com/

Paul Cleave: The Pain Tourist. https://www.paulcleave.com/

https://www.paulcleave.com/books#/new-gallery-1

Vanda Simon: Expectant and the Sam Shepard series. https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Vanda-Symon/157008107

Jane Harper: Exiles. https://janeharper.com.au/

Adrian McKinty: The Chain. http://officialadrianmckinty.com/

Tom Mitchell: The Penguin Lessons.. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/26192990

Ngaio Marsh Awards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngaio_Marsh_Awards

Where to find Madeleine Eskedhal online

Website: https://www.madeleineeskedahlauthor.com/

Instagram: @madeleineeskedahlauthor/

Facebook: @madeleineeskedahlauthor/

Email: madeleineeskedahlauthor@gmail.com

Introducing Madeline Eskedahl thriller author Madeleine Eskedahl – Matakana Seaside thrillers

Jenny Wheeler: But now here’s Madeleine. Hello, Madeleine, and welcome to the show. It’s great to have you with us.

Madeleine Eskedahl: Hello, Jenny. Thank you so much for having me on the show.

Jenny Wheeler: It’s really fun to be able to interview a fellow Kiwi because this is an international show. And you’re not that far away from me, are you? Give international readers a sense of where you are in New Zealand.

Madeleine Eskedahl: I’m located north of Auckland, about 70 km. iI’s about an hour’s drive in an area called Matakana, which is quite a famous wine area.

And it’s full of beautiful beaches, incredible bushwalks and just the most beautiful environment. And we have lots of visitors come through both in the summer and on a weekend.

It makes it the perfect place to sit a pacey crime thriller.

How Madeleine settled on the crime genre

Jenny Wheeler: That’s it. And this book we’re going to be talking about today, Rings On Water, is the second in a crime series called The Matakana Series. So very appropriate.

When I first met you, which was quite a few years ago now, we were both vaguely circling in the romance writer area. And I was assuming you would be writing romances, so what made you get into the crime genre?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I don’t write romance, but the reason why I joined (Romance Writers NZ) was that I’d met some really lovely ladies who did write romance and they convinced me to come along.

I was more interested in more general fiction and I’ve always loved crime, but I think at the time I was writing for my children.

I was more in the children’s arena, nothing published, but still in the drawer! It’s still something that might be exciting to develop,

As a crime writer, anyone can go to the Romance Writer’s conferences and I highly recommend it if anyone’s interested in starting their writing career, because it’s all about craft, companionship, super supportive writers, and they just can’t help you enough, especially if you’re an emerging writer.

I still catch up with my romance writing friends. And it’s just lovely. It’s just a lovely community.

A local cop with an attractive off sider

Jenny Wheeler: Yes, I must admit, when I first joined the Romance Writers, which is a few years ago now, they were one of the most welcoming communities that I’d ever been around.

They were really great to be able to be part of. Your first novel, Blood on Vines, was a local bestseller.

And this one, Rings on Water, is following close in its footsteps. It went into the bestseller list last week, didn’t it? Tell us about that.

(Editor’s note: In fact in early July both books 1 and 2 of the Matakana series were in the Top Ten in popular fiction book stores.)

Rings On Water debuted on 2nd place on the NZ Top 10 Bestsellers List

Blood On Vines also debuted in 2nd place on the NZ Top 10 Beatsellers List on release, and stayed on for 8 weeks.

Blood On Vines is currently on the prestigious Whitcoulls Top 100 list as voted by readers for the year 2022/23.

Madeleine Eskedahl: it’s quite funny, starting off writing Blood on Vines probably took me about four years. And I’m glad to say that the second novel, Rings on Water, took half that time.

I’m hoping that’s a trend that will continue. But the series itself? We’ve had a place up in this area for close to 15 years.

We’re now permanent residents here. And I found the environs and the interesting people combined with the influx of visitors was gold for a crime writer’s brain.

The series itself it was meant to be a trilogy and I’m writing on the next one, which is Angels of Clay, at the moment.

In the series, we follow Sergeant Bill Granger, who is sole charge of the Matakana Village Police Station for most of the year.

Because it’s a wine area with all the busyness that comes with the summer season and school holidays, he gets a young constable seconded up over the summer.

His name is Niko Sopoaga. He’s a young Samoan, seconded from a very busy area in Auckland, one of the busiest districts that we have, South Auckland, where are lots of gangs and lots of criminal activity.

Basically, with Sergeant Granger, they’re thrown into all manner of challenging situations.

Fast paced thriller combined with family life

And I think it’s also what I write is probably very relatable in a way. It’s people and families going through everyday normal issues, teenage children, family drama and all manner of challenges.

Things that we all go through and amongst all this attention builds up and as in all communities, revenge and greed pops up, mixed with a certain undercurrent of criminal element, that makes the books fast paced and an exciting read according to readers.

Jenny Wheeler: That’s great. It’s small town New Zealand, as you’ve explained, but unfortunately it has very much a global thread running through it because of the attachment of drugs in small town communities.

And that obviously has become a worldwide problem. The same sorts of drugs, Meth and all the rest.

How did you do the research for the gritty side? This is Rings On Water we’re talking about specifically now.

Madeleine Eskedahl: Obviously, I did lots of reading.

Research is one of my favorite things to do apart from the writing.

To really get into the nitty gritty, I talked to a whole lot of teenagers about what it’s like living in a small town as well as a city and the pressure that they’re under, how easy it is to get hold of drugs in different manner.

And also, I went through my police contacts and got their perspective.

It’s very interesting and very scary.

And I’ve got young adult daughters, they’re just in their early twenties, so they’re probably through the worst of that.

But I can so relate to perhaps how a parent would feel if this kind of thing would occur, and the trauma and the tragic fallout.

A punchy start a necessity in Madeleine’s mind

Jenny Wheeler: Yes. Because we are two small islands in New Zealand this opens with a marine, a seaside pickup at sea at night that goes nastily wrong.

They’re picking up a drug delivery. In New Zealand, that would be a reasonably common way that they got in large amounts of drugs into these small communities.

So that’s a very dramatic way for it to open.

Madeleine Eskedahl: Thank you. Yes. I wanted it to be a punch in the face prologue.

I like a punchy start to a book and it ends in tragedy as you know because you’ve read it. I knew I wanted to set the story in the winter months.

New Zealand with this beautiful climate and lots of sunshine for the rest of the year, but the winters can be bleak. They’re not cold, but they’re bleak and rainy and stormy. I really wanted to evoke that feeling of inclement weather and wanted that to be the perfect setting. And I think it’s set the mood for the book.

Jenny Wheeler: Yes. In fact, the first novel Blood On Vines also has a very punchy beginning. I haven’t got through the whole of the first book, but I did get into it.

And that first opening chapter is terrific. a former winemaker suddenly meets a rather unpleasant end. We know nothing about why this has happened, but it’s very attention gaining right at the beginning.

Madeleine Eskedahl: That’s right. That scene was one of the first ones I had and I wanted to develop something that would really set you back on, on your heels and go, wow, what’s, what is there to come?

And build the tension. And I really enjoyed writing the first book in the series, Blood on Vines, even though, being a novice writer, it wasn’t that easy despite all the workshops and the contacts I had within the writing community.

It’s lots of trial and error, but I really feel I did it justice.

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100%;}.formkit-form[data-uid="d471e51619"][min-width~="600"] [data-style="minimal"]{padding:40px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="d471e51619"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"]{margin-left:-5px;margin-right:-5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="d471e51619"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field,.formkit-form[data-uid="d471e51619"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{margin:0 5px 15px 5px;}.formkit-form[data-uid="d471e51619"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-field{-webkit-flex:100 1 auto;-ms-flex:100 1 auto;flex:100 1 auto;}.formkit-form[data-uid="d471e51619"][min-width~="600"] .formkit-fields[data-stacked="false"] .formkit-submit{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;} A family connection with the gang element

Jenny Wheeler: Yes, you did.

Madeleine Eskedahl: In the second book Sergeant Granger the local policeman is back with Constable Niko Sopoaga even though it’s winter.

Bill’s has had an accident, so Niko seconded up to help out and take the load.

Alongside Bill, they fall into a dark and dangerous world of drug distribution and a hardened motorbike gang wreaking havoc while they chase a clever killer.

Aptly after the very action-packed prologue, the story starts on a blustery winter’s day when a young woman is found dead at a local beach. So Bill had hoped for a quiet off season, but instead, like in any small town community, everyone discovers that secrets run deep.

Jenny Wheeler: And Bill’s own later teenage son gets mixed up in it too. There’s an aspect of family emotion in it as well.

You’re writing about your own area. You’ve mentioned a lot of real name places that local people would recognize like the local cafe, The Farmer’s Daughter.

And with these small town communities, I wondered if there were both pluses and minuses to doing that.

Do you have neighbors frequently suggesting the next one you could do or being critical about something, some local detail that really isn’t relevant for most readers?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I do. And I actually love it because people feel really invested in the fact that a series is set here in their backyard.

I’ve got a fantastic readership and I love hearing suggestions. Most of those I can’t follow, because, you can’t write about people that you know. But I guess living in such a diverse place it really is gold for a crime writer’s brain.

I don’t think there are too many negatives. The negatives might be that there are too many ideas, but the pluses are it’s so inspiring and I so enjoy it.

Forging ahead as an indie author

Jenny Wheeler: That’s fantastic. I wondered, are you indie published at the moment?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I am indie published. And that’s by choice. I guess I was a little bit too impatient getting my first book out and then the wheels are spinning, and I’m enjoying it because you are your own boss and you decide and you put the work that you want in.

Jenny Wheeler: You’ve achieved something very unusual for an indie author. You’ve got your books in paperback form distributed throughout the country, which is how you’ve also got onto some of these bestseller lists because they are widely available. How did you manage that?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I often get asked that question. There is no magic formula. I just think you have to present a quality product.

And I guess coming from a business background I found how I approach it makes a difference. So, you’re using professional editors, cover designers and maybe a publicist to help push it along as well.

And it’s just all about relationships. And having a good relationship with booksellers and readers, book bloggers, and just generally being available. And it’s a lot of fun. I’m loving it.

Jenny Wheeler: What does a typical writing day look like for you at the moment? How do you spend your time? How much do you allocate to writing and how much to marketing, for example?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I’m an early riser, so I try to get some words down in the morning. I don’t have a word count and I don’t believe in writer’s block.

There are mornings when you don’t perhaps feel like you’ve got any words coming out.

But if you just glue your behind on the chair and you get on with the writing, eventually some good words will come and you can always delete the ones that you don’t like.

I just go with that. And how do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time. It doesn’t matter if one day is 500 words or one day is 1500 words or more. Just go with it, I think.

Angels of Clay is coming soon

Jenny Wheeler: That’s great. I think you mentioned earlier, when you were reflecting on the writing that you’re currently working on book four. Is that right?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I’m working on book three, Angels of Clay.

I’ve also got a couple of other freestanding projects going on.

But getting back to my working day, and you mentioned research.

It’s actually one of my favorite things to do. And I was incredibly lucky just a few weeks ago to spend some time in the States and attend two writers police academies both in Wisconsin.

It was an incredible experience for a Kiwi crime writer because we got to experience things, that even though it’s very different, the policing in the States, it’s still similar, disciplines.

We got to do anything from advanced driving techniques, to using handguns and rifles, to working in the crime lab, working on crime scenes, listening to incredible speakers.

It’s those kinds of things that really add to your repertoire and makes your writing even better.

I go to a lot of talks. I belong to the Forensic Society here in New Zealand. And I think anything you can learn about what you’re writing to make it as authentic as possible is good.

Jenny Wheeler: That’s fantastic. How did you find those workshops?

Madeleine Eskedahl: TheWriter’s Police Academy, which was the first one, it’s been going for 15 years.

It was in Green Bay this year, and I booked that before Covid. and then the country was closed down and I couldn’t go.

And this year it was open again, and it was the very last year. So, I thought I’d better go.

And then luckily enough, there was another one that opened up within days. I was lucky enough to attend both. And I must say the Americans, they put me on toast. They thought it was wonderful having a New Zealander there. And I so enjoyed my time and they were just great.

A wide business career has been an asset

Jenny Wheeler: That’s fantastic. Moving away from the books to talking about your wider career, you referred to a business background.

What life and work experience did you have prior to starting to write full time that may have fed into your work and helped you with it?

Madeleine Eskedahl: It’s a good mix of all sorts of career options.

I’ve worked in anything from a shipping company to a travel agency.

We’ve been in recruitment. And most recently we’re in an employment business. We assist people into jobs and support them to maintain their work, which is hugely fulfilling. I love it.

Jenny Wheeler: You’re still doing some of that as well as you’re writing?

Madeleine Eskedahl: A little yes, a little bit,

Part time, because the writing is now taking over, which is very exciting.

Jenny Wheeler: That’s great. in your About Me section on your website, you mention that you originally hailed from Europe, from Sweden actually, and I wondered how you landed on Kiwi shores?

Madeleine Eskedahl: Yes, I was born on Gotland which is an island in the Baltic Sea.

It’s right in between the Swedish mainland and the Baltic States. It’s a beautiful place, also a tourist place in the summer, which is strange how I’ve ended up, in a tourist place again.

I had the best childhood, it’s such a historical place, lots of medieval history, actually the walled town is very Harry Potteresque, cobblestones, narrow lanes, it’s just beautiful, medieval houses everywhere.

I grew up in the country amongst Viking remnants and rugged coastline.

I am a true Islander which is why I so feel at home where I’m living at the beach north of Auckland.

I think it’s the sea air, but I met my husband who’s a Kiwi and that’s how I ended up here.

And I’ve now been here for just over 30 years. I’m very Kiwi, even though we retain a lot of Swedish traditions and that’s something that my family and my children in particular insist on, which is lovely. Yeah we’re a combined family.

Scandi Noir one of Madeleine’s passions

Jenny Wheeler: That’s gorgeous. Are you seeking to get international distribution for your books? You sound like you’d be the person who’d be starting to look at that anyway.

Madeleine Eskedahl: The books are available online worldwide anyway, so you can order if you’re in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, whatever, you can order the paperback online.

But obviously translation would be nice. I would definitely be open for that. And I have a lot of requests from in particular Scandinavian readers who would love to read it in Swedish or Norwegian or Danish.

Jenny Wheeler: There’s such a lot of really good Scandinavian female crime writers, aren’t there? I’ve ventured a little bit into that territory. Camilla Lackberg is one of my favorites. Do you follow them? And have you been influenced by them?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I do and I love Camilla Lackberg for example. I was lucky enough to attend a crime festival on the island of Gotland a couple of years, maybe five or six years ago.

It was called Crime tTme Gotland and they had the creme de la creme of all of the crime writers of the Nordic countries and it was just a fabulous few days in an amazing setting.

Camilla Lackberg is amazing. I love her writing. Another one, would be Marie Jungstedt. She’s also translated. Who else? Linda Olsson, of course she doesn’t write crime, but she is an amazing Swedish Kiwi writer. Who else? Anna Jansson. The list is as long as your arm.

And I feel so inspired from especially these ladies. And that’s a little bit how I write. I think there’s a real Scandinavian twist to my writing. the very everyday settings and situations and then these extraordinary happenings that come along. And I like a bit of domestic noir.

I think it’s quite nice,

Jenny Wheeler: Yes, I can see definite parallels between Camilla and your book. If there was one thing that you would see as quotes, “the secret of your success” in your creative career, what would you attribute it to?

Madeleine Eskedahl: I think it’s a good work ethic. To work hard and to see things through. To give it your all at all times.

I think that’s it. To finish projects. I’m a finisher. Whatever I start, I like to finish, whether it’s a quilt, whether it’s a painting or whether it is indeed a novel. I like to finish it.

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Madeleine Eskedahl – Top Kiwi Thrillers