If you haven’t discovered his work already, put the Hull-based crime fiction author Nick Quantrill on your list. He will not disappoint. Equally, if you’ve already read any of the author’s critically acclaimed Joe Geraghty novels, we have some good news for you. Nick is back with a new protagonist – a young journalist called Yaz Moy, who feels a bit stuck in the city… until an old murder case comes her way. So, we decided to ask Nick about his latest book, and more. East Yorkshire, here we come…
A life-long lover of crime fiction – from the Famous Five to John Rebus – Nick is the kind of author we love having on the site. We first interviewed him when he arrived on the scene back in 2011 and while much has changed, much has stayed the same. He’s still addicted to writing dark, gritty novels and exploring fresh angles and themes through his work. He also makes an excellent argument for putting London, New York and LA to one side and finding out what lesser known corners of the crime fiction world have to offer. The answer is: a lot more than you probably expect.
Right, let’s hand it over to Nick…
What will crime fiction lovers love about Cast No Shadow?
I really hope they’ll root for my protagonist, Yaz Moy, as she battles to uncover the truth behind the unsolved murder of a police detective decades earlier. I also hope they’ll enjoy the podcaster aspect, as I’m a big fan of the way they’ve opened up discussion and maybe even resolution and justice beyond traditional crime fiction protagonists. I also hope they enjoy exploring East Yorkshire a little too, as location is one of my pleasures as a reader.
Who is Yaz Moy? What is the inspiration behind the character and how have you developed her into a fully fledged lead character?
Yaz is a young woman, desperate to break out of her immediate surroundings and circumstances. She really started to make sense to me, and come to life, when I immersed myself into learning more about two particular women. The first was Irish journalist, Lyra McKee, who before her premature death was building a portfolio and reputation writing for independent and online media organisations, as well as more mainstream publications. She was doing it on her own terms and doing it brilliantly. Equally, I love the iconic photograph of Saffiyah Khan, a counter-protester at a right-wing rally. She’s smiling back at a right-winger protestor who’s looking at her, consumed by hate. I wanted to bottle her attitude and spirit and bring it into the mix.
Who or what is she up against here?
Yaz is up against a powerful group of men who have their own reasons for not wanting the truth about the undercover detective’s murder to come out. Hull’s an isolated city, essentially one road in and one road out. You need a reason to visit and you don’t pass through. It makes it a place small men can become big men with little resistance and accountability.
Who are some of the other characters to look out for?
We see part of the story through the eyes of a former detective who was around at the time of the murder Yaz is investigating. It was interesting to explore the story through his eyes too and test his loyalties, as well as his sense of right and wrong.
You have a reputation as Hull-based author and champion of the city. What role does Kingston upon Hull play here?
Cast No Shadow is very much set in Hull and the surrounding area, mainly the Yorkshire Wolds. I think of location as a character, so it was a case of figuring out how it would impact on someone like Yaz. For Yaz, the city’s oppressive and bears down on her. Its isolation and smallness, compared to nearby cities like Leeds and Sheffield, never mind London, lead her to think the big stories aren’t there for her. But it’s a lesson she may have to learn the hard way.
I’m incredibly proud of the Hull Noir work myself, Nick Triplow (a brilliant author) and Nikki East (co-director of Spellbound Books) have done over the years. We’ve programmed festivals, both in the city and online, made short films, screened classic thrillers, but currently run as a monthly night at Hull Central Library. I love the genre as a writer and reader, so it’s great to bring authors to the city and share books with a wider audience and our community.
What are some of the bigger themes you wanted to explore through the story?
I suppose by making Yaz a young woman in her 20s, I was thinking about what’s in store for my daughter. Is there enough out there for ambitious young people in northern cities? I also found myself connecting the illegal raves of the late-1980s and early-1990s with more recent examples. I was reading about young people raving during lockdown, and no doubt like many, my initial reaction was to tut and shake my head. But when I started to think about it, young people have always found ways to enjoy themselves, regardless of barriers, and this just seemed like one in a long line of ways it was happening.
Readers have enjoyed your Joe Geraghty novels in the past. What are the similarities and differences they might notice when they pick up Cast No Shadow?
I guess it comes down to point of view. Joe, a middle-aged man who loves his city, was very much my tool for trying to make sense of the place for myself. He’s obviously much harder than I am, but it’s not a massive leap to realise I was filtering my own thoughts through him. I also had the good fortune to write those novels as Hull went on a ride from UK Crap Town of the Year in 2003 to UK City of Culture 2017, and beyond. Yaz is a deliberate attempt to see things from a very different view point. Also, the Joe novels, like most private investigator ones, are told in the first person. By not doing that with the Yaz novels, it’s a chance to explore things from different perspectives within the same story.
Which crime authors or books have inspired you, and what are you reading at the moment?
The gold standard for me is Ian Rankin. He’s bringing it all together – contemporary plots which look the world in the eye, a vividly drawn location and a brilliant protagonist in Rebus. The standard of Ian’s output remains consistently brilliant. I’ve just finished reading Midnight In Vienna by Jane Thynne, a brilliant World War II thriller ahead of interviewing her at the monthly Hull Noir evening. For pleasure, I ready widely within the crime genre and top of my pile at the moment are new ones from Charles Beaumont, Russel D Mclean and Gillian McAllister.
What’s next for Nick Quantrill, and what’s next for Yaz Moy?
I’m working on a second Yaz novel. This one sees her still in the city, still unsure of what her future looks like. I said I’d never write a serial killer novel, so naturally, I’m writing a serial killer novel. Yaz is drawn into the orbit of a man who may, or may not, be responsible for the murder of a number of dispossessed young people over several decades. No one’s linked them together and no one particularly cares, so Yaz is naturally drawn to them and the story. I’m also dabbling with something that may be a standalone or potentially a series. The surprise for myself is that it’s a London novel…
Cast No Shadow is available now from Black Spring. Use the buttons below to order a copy.
