The former state pathologist and now best-selling author, Dr Marie Cassidy, on the words that fill her world.
Hi Marie, congrats on your second crime thriller, what’s this one about?
Dr Terry O’Brien has been asked, much to her surprise, to return as state pathologist, but she has also been tasked with heading up a new unit, investigating cold cases. The book opens with the gunning down of a detective in what appears to be a gangland killing. Then an eminent doctor is found dead in unusual circumstances and Terry starts delving into the archives of unsolved suspicious deaths, leading her to take matters into her own hands much to the dismay of the gardai.
Intriguing! Mark Twain said, “Truth is stranger than fiction,” in your opinion, do you think it is?
Most murders are what they are, no surprises. Fiction writers have carte blanch to exaggerate and embellish, not having to stick rigidly to the facts, or the evidence; just what the reader will believe. Some writers have very dark imaginations.
What do you like to read yourself, when you’re not writing?
I’m a crime fiction junkie. Mainly Irish or Scottish writers, I like to identify with the setting, but, really, I read them all.
What books are on your bedside table?
It’s an eclectic mix. Butter by Asako Yusuki; Six Poets, Hardy to Larkin by Alan Bennet; A Litter of Bones by JD Kirk; Them by Jon Ronson; The Monty Hall Problem by Jason Rosenhouse; The Enigma of Room 622 by Joel Dicker; Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater and Ina Garten’s Memoir.
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m part way through Butter, but it’s not an easy read so also have The Close by Jane Casey on the go.
Which authors do you admire?
I’m in awe of the female Irish crime and psychological thriller writers; Sam Blake, Liz Nugent, Alex Barclay, Jane Casey, Edel Coffey, Catherine Ryan Howard, Andrea Mara and Catherine Kirwan. The list is extensive. I’ve also become a recent convert to Robert Harris, the details are astounding.
What book left you thinking about it days later?
Strangely, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I was five years working as a forensic pathologist at the time the book was published in 1990, and the use of DNA evidence in death investigation was in its infancy. We could see the benefits it would have in the future but it wasn’t without its difficulties. And here was a story about how the DNA extracted from ancient fossils could be used to clone dinosaurs. I was so jealous! I gave the book to everyone I thought should read it.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. A poignant book, the true story of a sports reporter who meets up with his old college professor. Only the professor has a terminal illness and only months to live. They rekindle their friendship and Professor Schwartz helps Mitch make sense of life.
What was the last book that made you laugh?
Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen. I met Michelle at a book festival and loved her sense of humour so bought the book. It’s funny but it also made me blush! Not for the prudish.
What book should be on everybody’s shelf?
Mine of course! Seriously, I started reading comics and ended up reading crime, with many diversions along the way. Find a book or a genre you think you’ll be interested in and try it. Just read!
What’s next on your reading list?
I’ve got to finish Butter! But in the meantime I’ve the book pile by my bed to tackle and I just bought Groomed by Nicola Tallant, a bit of reality.
Deadly Evidence by Marie Cassidy is published in Trade Paperback by Hachette Books Ireland, €16.99