Gareth, for readers who have never heard about you, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Sure. After running out of talent in pursuit of my dream to play right wing for Manchester United, I followed the only other path that made sense to me – writing. One day, after reading one of my high school essays, my English teacher turned to me and said that I had “great flair”. Buoyed by the compliment, I decided to take the craft more seriously. That put me on a path to becoming a journalist, filmmaker and novelist.
After years of gut-wrenching rejection, I was eventually accepted into the book world and have now written numerous novels that have been published all over this great blue marble of ours (Finding Jack, Journey from darkness, Never let go, King, The last road trip, My name is Finn Jupiter and, most recently, Now you suffer – which is book one in my new Ruben Ellis thriller series). I’ve also scripted and directed several films and TV series for the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Canal+, AMC, Viacom and others (Shadow, Dead places, Office invasion, In your dreams and The nowhere man – which will soon be released on Amazon).
A while ago, I bumped into my old English teacher and recounted the story of how her kind words had altered the course of my life. To my amazement, she remembered that day. Only her recollection was slightly different to mine. She remembers saying that I had “great hair” rather than “great flair”. Apparently, she was quite taken by my luscious curls at the time. Oh well, close enough.
Now you suffer is book one in your exciting new Ruben Ellis thriller series. When is book two coming out, and can the books be read in any order?
Book two, Now you bleed, will be published by Penguin Random House in October this year. And, yes, the books can be read in any order. Ideally, of course, you would want to start with book one and work your way through the series, but the stories are all essentially “stand-alones”. Book three, Now you run, should be up next in 2026.
No word yet on when Now you make money will come out. Probably never.
Where did the idea for Now you suffer come from?
I’m not a fan of authors who write just for the sake of getting a book out or following some tired old formula. I’ll only ever write a novel if something about the story really stops me in my tracks. In the case of Now you suffer, I adore my three main characters – they feel like close friends of mine – but it’s the show-stopping twist that inspired me to write the book. It’s probably the best creative idea I’ve ever had. Luckily, another gem occurred to me months later, and that has been the inspiration for book two. As for where ideas come from – I have no idea. Maybe chocolate?
Your opening chapter in Now you suffer is both powerful and shit scary. When did you write it? Or was it your original opening scene?
It was always the original opening and was the first chapter I wrote. I’m not smart enough to write out of sequence. That’s for kids who took higher grade (core) maths in matric. I was on standard grade (maths lit, I think it’s now called) and got an H. Yes, that’s right.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G … H.
I didn’t see chapter 79 coming. When do you plan your endings?
I’m one of those writers who plots every novel upfront. I need to make sure that my story is worthy of a reader’s time. Before I set out on the arduous journey of constantly doubting myself and writing 15 drafts of the bloody thing, I need to believe that it’s a worthy endeavour for all concerned. Many writers come up with a strong opening premise and then just allow the story to meander and go where it wants. I could never do that. I’d be too worried that the middle and ending wouldn’t be compelling enough. That’s why, I think, so many books start off strongly but then kind of fade away.
I need a well thought out and exciting roadmap that charts a clear way forward. Yes, things will naturally evolve and hopefully improve during the writing process (as fresh ideas come to you), but the spine of the plot will remain in place. It’s an anchor in turbulent waters. Or, better still, in a pool of your own tears.
Your chapters are very short (some of them just a page) and remind me of James Patterson. In fact, a number of things remind me of Patterson, but more later. Who are some of the authors that had an influence on your writing?
Years ago, I used to read a fair amount of Patterson’s work. I gave up when he started working with other writers. That’s not for me. But I did enjoy his short chapters and clipped sentence structure. I found his writing really easy to digest, and I think some of his style has rubbed off on me. Reading shouldn’t be hard work. I can’t stand having to wade through chapters that are 50 pages long. Most people have busy lives. They might just want to dip back into a book for a few pages, and it’s always a good feeling if you can get another chapter in.
Authors who have impressed me over the years? Early Bill Bryson and Stephen Fry stand out. But the best writer I’ve ever read is our very own Darrel Bristow-Bovey. What an extravagant talent. Sadly, he’s not much into writing fiction. The bastard.
If you could compare detective Ruben Ellis to any other character in fiction, who would it be?
I think the closest comparison is maybe Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, but with several notable differences. Ruben is very much a “home body” and cares a great deal for his daughter and the various people in his life. But from a strength and courage perspective – how resourceful and determined Ruben is – there are some parallels with Reacher.
Although in a stand-up fight, Ruben’s kicking Reacher’s arse. Maybe stabbing him in the neck with that toothbrush of his. Reacher wouldn’t stand a chance. Especially with me at the keyboard.
Some parts of the book remind me a great deal of Patterson’s Kiss the girls – the girl in the basement, for one, and Thing’s mask. What inspired you to create Thing?
Laziness and plagiarism were my overall inspiration, if I’m honest.
Kidding, of course. Actually, Kiss the girls had nothing to do with the crafting of this novel. As you now know from the big twist, they are very different stories. As for the idea of Thing, it came to me in a dream. A nightmare I’ve had since childhood, actually. Perhaps writing the book has been some kind of therapy. You’ll be pleased to know that, in a recent dream, I beat Thing to death with a golf club. Sounds like progress to me.
Princess’s perspective was chilling. Was it easy writing her? And what made you decide to include her perspective?
It’s a crucial element of the book. I needed readers to get to know her and understand what she was dealing with for the narrative to land. While the words came easily, it was tough writing her chapters from an emotional point of view. But, fortunately, I knew where the story was headed, which helped immensely. Ultimately, the story is an uplifting one, so I could move through Princess’s chapters with relative ease.
Speaking of light, there is a surprising amount of humour in the book. Especially for a thriller. Tell us about that.
I love humour in books. Especially the “tongue-in-cheek” variety. There’s even more to come in book two. I think it’s important to balance some of the darker aspects of the thriller genre with moments of levity. Much as it is in real life, things are never constantly bleak or constantly wonderful. We’re always moving through different moods and emotions. I want my books to reflect that. The humour is also a type of coping mechanism for the characters. I should probably also mention that writing fun dialogue is one of the great joys of novel writing.
So, what’s next for you?
Book two in the Ruben Ellis series – Now you bleed – is due out in October. We’re just finishing off the edit. I’m also working on a new TV series and have just written the script for a thriller feature film. So, very busy as always. Luckily, I have “great flair” for writing, so ….