Journalist turned author Phil Johnson has two new novels out this year: Murder in the Blue and Killer on the Set. With the latter coming out tomorrow, Phil shares how feel-good endings are more important than ever
Phil Johnson’s third novel, Murder in the Blue hit the top 100 sellers in Amazon’s Women’s Adventure Fiction chart, after it was published in April. Set in the gorgeous Greek islands, it follows the story of TV reporter Tess and her Suffolk-based rock star lover Jason, who are on the run from would be killers. They have to solve murders, kidnaps and stop an international crime gang smuggling stolen ancient artifacts from Greece to Norfolk. But, as with all the journalist-turned-author’s novels, there is always an optimistic ending – something Phil believes is more important than ever.
Phil’s previous novel, ‘Run to the Blue’, which ‘Murder in the Blue’ follows on from, was set largely in the Ionian islands of Paxos and Corfu. This time his heroes move through the Corinth Canal and sail to the stunning Aegean islands. Phil says: “I know these areas well. My wife Fi and I sailed the Greek islands for 20 years in a small yacht we were privileged to have owned. The locations – and there are many – are all places I have visited numerous times. Each has its own flavour and feel, Poros, Kithnos, Sifnos and Mykonos to name a few that we visit in the story, as well as a return to Corfu and Paxos.’
It may be a romantic and seductive setting, but for TV reporter Tess and Jason, this is no holiday, and danger, murder and mysteries await. Phil wrote quite a few scenes of the book on the boat, sitting in harbours, on quaysides and whilst sailing, sometimes accompanied by dolphins, all of which is reflected in his novel. He says: “There’s no way of getting closer to your action than being where it actually happens”.
Phil’s fourth novel is out tomorrow, starring even more romantic locations. He adds: “Writing on location lets you taste the air, feel the temperature and hear the sounds that wrap themselves around you and bring the landscape to life. I wrote scenes for the second of my two new novels ‘Killer on the Set’, whilst touring Spain and France with my wife, Fi in a campervan. Mojacar, Valencia, and Collioure play big parts, as do the Cyclades islands of Greece. It tells the story of a young actress, and a former police officer turned stunt man who uncover a ruthless crime gang operating behind the scenes of a successful TV crime drama. The pair have to bring the gang to justice before they’re written out for good, helped by an international ensemble of crime fighters all with their own reasons to bring the criminals to book.
Like a number of fellow Journalists, after a successful career as a presenter, reporter and producer at BBC Radio Norfolk, BBC Look East and ITV Anglia, Phil turned to writing novels. “I’d spent decades telling factual stories and wanted to entertain and inform with fiction,” he said. “It was difficult to settle on a genre at first, having had success writing sketches for a BBC TV comedy series, and being a runner up in an international romance writing competition, but I found myself writing fast moving adventure thrillers. My heroes are women and the stories are told through their eyes, they all have with a mountain to climb, and a host of bad guys stacked against them, but they always win through in the end, finding incredible strength and courage, which I think is my way of honouring all woman.
And the reason for the feel-good endings? “I want to take readers on a roller coaster ride of intrigue, danger and a search for love, all the time knowing that Tess and Jason in Murder in the Blue, and Holly and Josh in Killer on the Set, will win through in the end. I feel that’s what we all need right now. A hope and a belief that however bad things may look, it will all work out ok in the end.”
Murder in the Blue by PN Johnson and Killer on the Set by PN Johnson are available as ebooks or paperbacks from Amazon and other outlets, and orderable from any bookshop. Killer on the Set comes out tomorrow (June 4).
Featured image of Phil Johnson in Greece – supplied
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