The Murder Ballad
"Prepare to be sucked in and swept away by this chilling whitewater rapid of a thriller." - Cosmopolitan "A second novel is something to be approached with trepidation, especially if the first one was well-received; will it, can it possibly, live up to the author's promise? The answer here is a resounding 'Yes!'" - Tangled Web UK
HOW I WROTE THE MURDER BALLADThe Murder Ballad is a kind of Gothic novel, set in a beautiful and fascinating part of America. It was my opportunity to share my interest in its extraordinary musical heritage. It's both a thriller and a love story as a very modern British heroine finds herself up to her neck in small-town America and dark family secrets. Murder ballads are old folk songs, many of them from the British Isles, that travelled to America with the early settlers and have continued to tell their grisly tales in many variants, particularly in what's known as Old Time Music from the Appalachian Mountains. I've long loved country music in all its forms, and for five years I presented a radio show playing the best of country, bluegrass and Americana on a local radio station in Lincolnshire. I love the story-telling tradition of the songs that still continues to today, and I tried to weave that into The Murder Ballad. I particularly enjoyed researching this book, taking the chance to spend time in the gorgeous North Carolina mountains and the lovely town of Asheville, listening to traditional musicians play in bars and cafes. LINKSNorth Carolina - tourist guide for this beautiful state Murder Ballads - background information about these fascinating songs The International Bluegrass Music Association - learn more about the music The Old-Time Music Home Page - and more! |
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