Paula Xiberras
When we chatted, author Kathryn Fox told me it was a case of déjà vu when she was at The Grand Chancellor in Hobart recently, as her character Anya Crichton was, in her novel ‘Fatal Impact’.
Kathryn, is a GP with an interest in forensic medicine that helps to inform her second career as a best- selling thriller author. Kathryn has strong ties to Tassie with her husband, a native Tasmanian and with some family living in Hobart.
Kathryn’s first novel ’Malicious Intent’ so impressed the world’s best known crime writer James Patterson that after reading the book he returned it to Kathryn with a glowing testimonial inside. This testimonial now proudly sits in Kathryn’s office. James admired Kathryn writing so much that he invited her to collaborate with him on one of his ‘Private’ series of novels that have backdrops around the world. James Collaboration with Kathryn was on ‘Private Sydney’.
One of the things readers will notice in this novel, and that Kathryn discusses with me, is the pacy style of the writing. Short chapters that end on a hook into to the next chapter. Nothing is wasted including the words. The shorter chapters and economy of words keeping the readers more easily engaged. This is also advantageous for reluctant readers, allowing them to feel ‘a real sense of achievement’ in completing each chapter.
A refreshing aspect of the novel is that, Eliza Moss, one of the novel’s protagonist, a former Paralympian is based on real life Paralympic swimmer Carney Liddell, an inspirational friend of Kathryn. Kathryn doesn’t forget Tassie in the novel either with the creation of another character Colette who hails from Launceston.
It is generally thought that crime and suspense novels are lighter on character development but Kathryn says it’s definitely a skill to encompass all the information about a character in a brush stroke.
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A surprising fact about Kathryn Fox is that apart from being a best–selling author and a GP she has another string to her bow or rather string to her harp! Yes, this Renaissance woman from childhood, always wanted a harp and it was in Tasmania that she procured her childhood dream!
As a doctor, Kathryn has a keen interest in the relationship between reading and health and how having a command of reading increases the ability to be proactive about one’s health.
Private Sydney by Kathryn Fox and James Patterson is out now published by Random House.
