Ideally, I like to integrate the human issues into the suspense story itself.

And life changes. Maybe just a little, maybe a lot. And at some point, it just isn't worth the fight to fix it.

I spend eight months outlining and researching the novel before I begin to write a single word of the prose.

So I work hard to present the human side of my characters while not neglecting the plot.

I spend about eight months researching and outlining my book.

Certainly going back to Sherlock Holmes we have a tradition of forensic science featured in detective stories.

I also try very hard to create characters - both heroes and villains - with psychological depth.