The journey that has changed me: Nadine Matheson

Veröffentlicht: 13. Juli 2022, 11:39 Uhr

Aktualisiert: 09. Juni 2025, 20:10 Uhr

Von: wom87

Crime author Nadine Matheson tells us why a last-minute trip to Portugal has changed her life forever

Nadine Matheson is the author of The Jigsaw Man, a delicious dark cat-and-mouse thriller, in which the best new detective of fiction competes against a really threatening murderer. The novel, which is described as a "Makabrre love letter to Südlondon", has a noirical, nightmarish quality that is reminiscent of hard -boiled fiction that has been revised for a contemporary audience.

On the eve of the publication, Nadine tells us why she chose South London as the setting, how her career as a lawyer for criminal law shaped her fiction and why a trip to Portugal has changed her life forever.

Your debut novel is described as a "macabre declaration of love for South London". What makes this a convincing setting?

alt = ““> Author Nadine Matheson

I grew up in the southeast of London and it was always amused that people who lived north of the river never wanted to venture over the Thames and in the "dark deep" of South London until a few years ago. The subway hardly exists in South London and taxi drivers would tell them that they "did not go south".

I grew up in Deptford and still live. There was a time when people asked me: 'How could you live there?' Because it was thought to be a loud, rough and intimidating area. I always found her ridiculous. South London is culturally diverse and has a dark and rich history.

I love the fact that I can look at the St. Paul’s Church five minutes on foot from my house, which is considered one of the "most beautiful baroque churches" of London, or stand on the shore of the Thames and the remains can still see the first royal shipyard. I could walk around on the lavish green area of the Queens House next to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich or stand where the playwright Christopher Marlowe was supposedly murdered in Deptford in 1593.

I know Huang/Shutterstock A look at the Queens House in Greenwich Park

You are not only an author, but also a criminal defense lawyer. Does that inform your fiction?

I have been working in criminal law for almost 20 years and have seen so much in relation to the cases I have worked on, and the clients I met that it would have been impossible that my work would not have influenced my fiction.

I have not used a specific case to my books, but my characters are a fusion of the customers that I have represented. I noticed very early on that there is more behind my clients than the criminal allegations associated with their names. My clients had a fulfilling life outside of their allegations and it was important to me that my characters mature and not come across like clichés.

I represented my clients in every phase of your case, from the arrest to representation in Old Bailey. I know how a criminal police investigation is going; I know the smell of the police cells and this premonition if you are waiting for a jury to judge. All of these things enable me to convey a strong feeling of authenticity.

that I am a lawyer also influenced my letter in very practical terms. As a lawyer, I have to tell a story, be it in a written document, in a legal dispute or in a final speech to a jury that convinces 12 people that I said is true.

What is a secret place in Südlondon that we should know?

The best view is from the One Tree Hill in Greenwich Park. It has a spectacular panoramic view of London.

we dare further away. Tell us about the journey that she has changed

My mother always said that every trip should somehow change you. My parents live in Grenada and I am usually there every year, except last year for obvious reasons. The journey, which, however, changed me, was a last-minute trip to Portugal with one of my best friends in 2013.

Daliu/Shutterstock A last-minute trip to Portugal brought Nadine on another way

The company I worked for, did layoffs and I was undecided whether I should take the severance payment package. My friend and I found a ridiculously cheap offer to Portugal and on the third day when I got a sunburn at the pool, I asked myself: "You always wanted to work for yourself, so what do you have to lose if you quit??? '

Three months later I was self -employed as a lawyer, but also had the room to write. It was the decision I made on vacation in 2013, which changed my life and made it possible for me to concentrate on becoming a writer.

Which trip do you want to repeat?

My last trip to Grenada in October 2019. One of my brothers lives in Japan, so it was more than five years since we were all together as a family. It was a fantastic reunion, and I would like to repeat it because we have now received a new family increase and I had no opportunity to get to know my new nephew because of the pandemic.

Do you still have a dream destination you haven't seen before?

I really want to go to Bali.

Are you a planner or onlookers?

I am definitely a Seh-Wie-Wieher. The last thing I want to do is to be part of a group that follows a man with a card and an umbrella. I'm definitely more of a look at what happens? '

Hotel or hostel (or camping)?

Hotel.

What was your most important travel experience?

My trip to Tokyo in 2019. I had the best time with my brother and sister -in -law. We did everything, from temples over the mountain Fuji to photography with a mini-godzilla.

Structures/Shutterstock Berg Fuji in Japan

Finally, why travel?

Travel gives you so much freedom. You don't have to leave the country, but it is so important to be in another place that enables you to see the more complete image of your life.

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<p> <img decoding = The Jigsaw You are a delicious dark cat-and-mouse thriller who lets the best new detective compete against a really threatening murderer. Order now and follow Nadine on Twitter and Instagram.