Today, I’m speaking with Michael Bradley, author of NONE WITHOUT SIN, a serial killer murder mystery (CamCat Books 2022) that hits bookshelves today.
Everyone has secrets. Some of them may kill you.
A small-town journalist and a faithless minister race to end the murderous spree of a serial killer who practices the Victorian symbolism of sin eating, while keeping their own sins a secret from the Sin Eater.
Susan: First of all, NONE WITHOUT SIN is a terrific read—full of suspense and mystery, the kind of story that leaves a reader guessing. So, congratulations on another great book! Now for my questions…I had never heard of “sin eating” until I read this story. It’s a fascinating (if discomfiting) practice. How did you learn about “sin eating” and what made you chose it as the killer’s “calling card?”
Michael: Several years ago, I stumbled upon one of those “weird but true” articles about the practice of sin eating. And like you, I was fascinated by this idea that a loaf of bread could cleanse someone of their sins. And what I found even more interesting was the poor souls that would agree to be the sin eater. They are essentially selling their soul for a few coins, a loaf of bread, and usually a tankard of ale. How low must a person’s life be to be willing to do that?
Anyway, I filed this little tidbit of knowledge away for future use. About two years ago, when I was beginning to plot out NONE WITHOUT SIN, I stumbled across the article again and thought it would be a terrific element to throw into the story. But, at the time, I didn’t have all my characters developed so I struggled to find a way to incorporate this obscure ritual into the story. It wasn’t until I created one of my protagonists, a faithless minister, that I could see the connections I needed to make sin eating a backbone to the story. Fun fact – Although the practice of sin eating was primarily a Victorian-era ritual, Fun fact, the last known sin eater passed away in the United Kingdom in 1906.
Susan: Each character has secrets they wish to keep hidden. These secrets either cast suspicion on the character or make the reader fear that one or more of them may be the killer’s next victim. How did you accomplish this? Did you outline each character’s individual storyline or did you set them loose and let them react to events as the story unfolded?
Michael: There were some secrets that I knew about at the onset of writing, and some that formed over time. My protagonist, the journalist Brian Wilder, has been a character that I’ve “known” for many years. He was someone I’d written about in some of my earliest scribbling. He has always had a tragic past, which dictated the path he had chosen for himself. His secret had been defined a decade or more ago. Interestingly, in my first conceptual outline, the antagonist was someone completely different from who would eventually become the killer in the book.
Susan: I had no idea who the killer was until you revealed it. I don’t want to say much more lest we reveal any spoilers. Have any of your readers guessed “who done it” before the reveal? (If so, kudos to them!)
Michael: I’ve had a few readers say they had suspicions, but their suspicions would flip-flop between characters. Those that suspected were never completely sure if they were right until the end.
Susan: Your characters include a journalist, a protestant minister, a Catholic priest, a professor, a psychiatrist, and more. They were all very different, yet they all felt authentic. How much research did you do to give these characters the depth they needed?
Michael: I think the two I spent the most time researching were the priest and the protestant minister. I wanted to make sure I got the terminology, rituals, and even their attire as accurate as possible. The other characters were easier and didn’t require as much research. I tend to focus more on the characterization and less on the details of a character’s occupation. Unless the occupational details play a critical role in the story, I’ll often remain vague and focus my energy on the plot and characters.
Susan: NONE WITHOUT SIN is your fourth published novel. Do you find it easier or more difficult to come up with new storylines and characters with each successive book?
Michael: Characters are easy for me. That is where I feel my strength lies. I love developing deep, rich characters. Even my secondary characters often have some level of backstory. The overall storyline has gotten easier with each successive book, but the intricate detail of the plot is sometimes where I still get hung up. I’ll often outline about half of the book before I start writing, but that outline often changes drastically as I write.
Susan: What can your readers expect from your next book?
Michael: I’m working on a new book about a group of writers who are, one by one, being killed off. Two of those writers must identify the killer before they end up dead as well. This is an idea that I came up with years ago while at ThrillerFest, a conference for thriller writers and readers in New York. If the plot remains on track, the climatic ending will happen at that very same conference. Also, this new book is set in the same “universe” as NONE WITHOUT SIN, so expect to see a few familiar faces pop up here and there.
Susan: Killing writers? You don’t say…(double checks the locks and looks into buying a guard dog). Sounds intriguing!
Susan: Where can readers find you and your books online?
Michael: Readers can find me at www.mbradleyonline.com, on Twitter at @mjbradley88, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mjbradley88/. My books are available at all major retailers, and can also be purchased directly at www.camcatbooks.com. NONE WITHOUT SIN is available for pre-order and will be out on July 12th.
