It's the truth - but not as we know it
It sometimes pays to ask authors that hoary old question about where they get their ideas for novels. The answers can be quite intriguing. My new book, The Convenience of Lies, was inspired by a chance remark. I'd met a well regarded Fleet Street journalist I hadn't seen for years. Talking about old times, he mentioned in passing how a senior executive had once stopped him investigating a scandalous allegation of sexual misconduct against a famous and prominent politician. This could have been malicious gossip. It happens. But if true - and such tales are notoriously difficult to prove - serious doubt would be cast on the integrity and judgement of a man with power and influence. The source of the allegation had been credible in the past. It was undoubtedly in the public interest to establish the truth or otherwise of his claims. But the newspaper supported the MP's party so the story was killed at birth. This set me thinking about conversations I'd had in the mid-1990s with detectives appalled that two police investigations into the sexual abuse of children and young people, Operations Orchid and Circus, had been scuppered when they became too politically sensitive (see the blog below, Bad apples - but in which barrel?) Lawyers, police officers, churchmen, MPs - including the influential Liberal, Cyril Smith - were allegedly involved. But they had friends in high places. Someone in the Director of Public Prosecutions' office rang the investigating detectives then a senior officer arrived and removed their operational files. Thus, the great and the good did not appear in court. Their abuse of the weak and vulnerable continued while Justice turned a blind eye. With this in mind, I plotted a parallel story about how, why and by whom a similar alleged cover-up could be attempted - and what would happen to anyone who stood in its way. What resulted involved a kidnap, love re-kindled, spies, double agents and corrupt politicians. I set the action against genuine political events in the autumn of 1990. Britain was exporting a huge consignment of weaponry to Saddam Hussein despite Iraq having just invaded Kuwait and those same arms potentially being used against UK and western forces. The risks and rewards for my make-believe characters couldn't be higher. The stakes for those gambling everything on not being caught were life or death. Interestingly, in the introduction to his new book, Shame and the Captives, Thomas Keneally writes: "Fiction has always tried to tell the truth by telling lies; by fabrication." I'd agree with that. The Convenience of Lies will be available in paperback soon but click on the link below to download the e-version to your Kindle - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Convenience-Lies-Geoffrey-Seed-ebook/dp/B00JLRN5P0/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0789T5BVTS73KCNXAA63