Simon Lendrum pens a crime thriller

AUCKLAND, Today: Comms Council ceo Simon Lendrum last week released his first novel – a 390-page crime thriller called The Slow Roll.

The book is currently available in paperback (scroll down for the link). M+AD’s bought a copy. Sadly, it cannot yet be purchased via Kindle.

Whitcoulls does provide a brief summary of the plot: “O’Malley’s a guy who’s known for doing favours for people, so no surprise when he’s bailed up by a desperate father saying he needs O’Malley’s help to find his daughter – which he very quickly does, but it appears not all is as it seemed and there’s a lot more at stake than one missing girl.

“In the gruff, hardboiled world of gambling – hence the title – and big men playing big games, O’Malley’s girlfriend Claire is a brilliant antidote, and Auckland shines.

“The best crime writing is just great writing. Michael Connelly, Walter Mosley, James Lee Burke, James Ellroy all technically write ‘crime’. But they write the hell out of it.”

Friday’s Herald, in a brief preview, put a few questions to the author …

You are a professional communicator, but this is your first novel. Your main character is a gambler?
My central character, O’Malley, is a poker player. I could argue the point that poker is as much a game of skill as it is a gambling game, but I’d probably lose. I’ve been a recreational poker player for the best part of 30 years. It’s a world unto itself, full of great characters. It’s an environment that lends itself to a crime story.

Why write crime?
It’s a genre I love. The best crime writing is just great writing. Walter Mosley, James Lee Burke, James Ellroy all technically write “crime”. But they write the hell out of it.

Paul Cleave, arguably the country’s best crime writer, has described your book as “one hell of a debut”. Reaction?
Incredible. I’m a huge Paul Cleave fan. I’ve read everything he has published – so I couldn’t have asked for a better endorsement.

You are working on another book?
It’s going well. O’Malley and Claire, the central characters in The Slow Roll, are back for another adventure. My weekends are busy. I started a new job a week after The Slow Roll was signed by Upstart, so I’m down to two days a week of writing time. But I’ve got a bit more of an idea what I’m doing this time around, so it feels a little less of a gamble.

• The Slow Roll, by Simon Lendrum (Upstart Press, $ 40) is out now. Buy it here
• More here