“Crossing Lines” – GQ2 – The Lowdown

It’s been a long, hard slog penning the sequel to ‘Killing Hope’ – after the first book burst onto the scene back in January – but I’m happy to report that the toil is almost over. The new book – “Crossing Lines” – is in its final stages (in other words, I’m close to finishing the first draft) and, all being well, it should be available on Kindle in the next month or two, depending on a million variables, including writer’s cramp!

“Crossing Lines” – Q & A

‘Killing Hope’ opened with a homicide investigation already in full flow, effectively throwing us in at the deep end. What’s the score this time round?

“Crossing Lines” continues Gabe’s story in the aftermath of the first book, following his tumultuous life in the wake of the devastating events played out at the close of ‘Killing Hope’. As with the first book, it opens with a bizarre murder and poses questions right from the start.

‘Killing Hope’ was based a year after the murder of Gabe’s wife. Emotionally, he was still raw and it showed. When is the sequel set?

“Crossing Lines” catches up with the dogged detective seven months later. In the interim, Gabe has shored up his emotional defenses and removed himself from the fray. In many ways he’s patched up his old wounds and is physically in better shape than he has been for years. Mentally, however, he’s battened down the hatches while he continues his personal crusade to catch or kill the two serial killers responsible for wrecking his life: The Maestro and The Undertaker.

‘Killing Hope’ was divided between California and Nevada. Where is this one set?

“Crossing Lines” features two main locations: Florida and California, and is split equally between the two. As with the first book, there are lots of juicy locations, described in Technicolor detail.

‘Killing Hope’ had a plethora of characters. Will we see the return of some old favorites?

“Crossing Lines” has a solid crew, containing some old faces and some new. The book introduces two new major characters, backed by a strong supporting cast, which help flesh out Gabe’s reality.

‘Killing Hope’ focused in the main on the pursuit of the psychic serial killer known as The Undertaker. Who is the main baddie in the new book?

“Crossing Lines” sees Gabe cast into the lion’s den as he does battle with his nemesis, The Maestro. It promises to be the showdown of all time.

‘Killing Hope’ was as much an emotional roller-coaster ride as it was a zigzagging hunt for a killer. Is the sequel set up the same way?

“Crossing Lines” contains just as many twists and turns as the original. To some extent (given that Gabe has learned to bottle his emotions better), it is more action-driven than emotionally-led. This gives the sequel another dimension and makes for an edge-of-the-seat thrill ride that is, in some ways, an improvement on the original.

As the author, how do you feel about penning Gabe Quinn part two?

All things considered, I’m happy with the way in which “Crossing Lines” has shaped up. At first it was a struggle, getting to grips with Gabe anew, but now that I’ve given him a new lease of life, I feel it’s turned out better than expected. The sequel is an altogether different read than the first, but just as punchy and just as ‘page-turnable’. It gave me the chance to explore certain settings and to see what would happen if I pushed characters to cross lines – hence the title. Do I think it’s better than ‘Killing Hope’? Well, that’s like asking a father who of his two children he loves the most!

Watch out for “Crossing Lines” coming to a Kindle near you soon!