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The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Matt Carrell about ''Blood Brothers... Thai Style'' (view source)
Revision as of 12:00, 5 October 2015
, 12:00, 5 October 2015no edit summary
MC: Everyone has some form of moral compass, even those we think of as evil often place a moral framework around their actions, however warped it might be. I am fascinated by what happens to essentially ''good'' people whose code of conduct is put under pressure by greed, desire, fear and envy. Vortex explored how one single act could lead a decent man into a spiral of deceit. Blood Brothers has a similar theme, in the sense that it shows how a poor decision made in haste can create a personal trap. There's no going back, but every step forward is hindered by a choice made long ago, the implications of which could never have been foreseen.
Some readers have already pointed out similarities with a case that is currently being examined by the Thai courts, but the plot line was on paper long before that terrible crime was committed. The awful fact is that this is not the first time foreigners have found themselves in the frame for a crime when the evidence points elsewhere. Blood Brothers was certainly inspired by what appears to be a series of miscarriages of justice and by the fact that power and money can put some in a position where they are essentially above the law.
* '''BB: You portray the Thai police as being essentially corrupt. To what extent is this true in fact as opposed to fiction?'''
*'''BB: I'd certainly agree with that, Matt.'''
MC: The hardest part was to write about the murder which is at the heart of the story. People die in my books, but this is the first time I've combined a truly cold-hearted killer with a totally innocent victim. My villains are usually motivated by greed or power and I've seen elements of that in my career. Depicting someone so callous was new and disturbing territory.