INTERVIEW : Nadine Matheson (UK)

Nadine Matheson is a British crime author based in London and also a practicing criminal defence lawyer. She began her career at the BBC before entering the legal profession, an experience that deeply shapes her writing. After winning the City University Crime Writing Competition in 2016, she published 'The Jigsaw Man', now sold in over 15 territories. Her novels blend realism, intensity, and psychological depth, drawing heavily from her legal background. Her latest book, 'The Kill List' (2024), continues the Henley series with an even more gripping investigation.

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• You began your career at the BBC. How did this experience shape your storytelling?

I worked at the BBC many years ago, in the early 2000s, in what was called the Talent Rights Group. My role was primarily ensuring that all copyright was in place when programmes were sold to third parties and making sure that artists and talent received their residual payments. What really shaped my storytelling, though, was the environment. Everyone in my team was doing something creative alongside their job, music, writing, television. Being surrounded by that energy was incredibly inspiring.

It was also the first time I shared my writing with others. I had the idea for a book, one I eventually finished but is still sitting in a drawer, and I would write chapters and email them to the colleague sitting next to me for feedback. That experience gave me the confidence not just to write, but to share my work and accept critique, which was invaluable.

• How does your work as a criminal defence lawyer influence your crime fiction?

It influences it at every stage. Having worked in criminal law for over 20 years, I’ve learned that there are no clichés or stereotypes when it comes to people. Everyone has their own story, motivations, and complexities, and I try to reflect that in my characters, making them multi-dimensional and fully realised. As a defence lawyer, I would receive cases fully formed i.e. witness statements, CCTV, phone records, and other evidence. I’ve been involved in every stage of the process, including police station interviews and interactions with officers. That perspective feeds directly into my writing. It has also given me a network of contacts, and a deep understanding of how the system works in practice, not just in theory.

• What elements of the justice system do you highlight in your novels?

I explore different aspects of the justice system across my books. In The Jigsaw Man, I looked at the jury system and, to some extent, the prison system.

In The Binding Room, I explored the multiple directions an investigation can take, particularly from a police perspective, and the idea that there is no such thing as a perfect victim; every case deserves to be fully investigated.

In The Kill List, I focused on the appeals process and in my latest book, The Shadow Carver, I examine what happens when outcomes don’t align with what victims’ families or other interested parties hoped for.

• How do you manage to balance your legal career with your work as an author?

Thankfully, I no longer practise full-time, although I still teach criminal law and advocacy.

In the beginning, though, it was all about stealing time. I wrote on weekends, and even in court while waiting for cases to be called. There was never a perfect time to write, so I learned to use whatever pockets of time I could find.

• What unique perspective does your legal background bring to the thriller genre?

It gives me a very real, lived understanding of the system. I know what it’s like to sit with a young client in the early hours of the morning, or to be in an interview room or holding cell.

At the same time, law is also storytelling, just in a different form. It has taught me how to be persuasive and how to construct a compelling narrative, skills that translate directly into writing fiction.

• How did winning the City University Crime Writing Competition impact your writing journey?

It had a huge impact. Without winning that competition, I don’t think I would have written The Jigsaw Man. It gave me the time and space to focus on crime writing and to experiment. It also placed me within a community of crime writers, alongside my fellow students, which was incredibly valuable.

• What inspired you to begin writing thrillers?

I’ve always loved crime thrillers from a very early age. I’m drawn to the cat-and-mouse dynamic, the darkness, and the way the genre takes readers on a journey.

• How did you feel about the international success of The Jigsaw Man?

I was very surprised and incredibly grateful. It still amazes me that the book continues to find new readers every day. I’m genuinely delighted by its ongoing success.

• How has your writing evolved throughout the Henley series?

It has evolved in several ways. I’m constantly discovering new aspects of my characters, which shapes each book. On a practical level, working with my editor has helped me anticipate the kinds of questions that will come up, so I’m often thinking ahead as I draft.

I’ve also learned to give myself freedom in the first draft and not aim for perfection immediately. I now have confidence that I can refine and improve the work in subsequent drafts.

• Which writers have influenced your approach to tension and suspense?

Attica Locke has influenced me recently. James Ellroy has been a major influence, as well as Michael Connelly, Jordan Harper, and Alyssa Cole and S. A. Cosby.

• How do you craft such dark plots while maintaining emotional coherence?

That’s a good question. From the very beginning, my focus has always been those moments of darkness, violence, or depictions of abhorrent behaviour, must earn their place on the page. They can’t just exist for shock value or to fill space. They need to serve a purpose. Every moment of darkness has to advance the plot, move the story forward, and contribute to the overall arc, both the narrative arc and the character arcs.

It’s also important that these moments have an impact on the characters. That impact doesn’t always have to be dramatic; it can be subtle. But it needs to be there. When you approach it that way, ensuring that darkness earns its place, it helps maintain emotional coherence.

• How did the character of Angelica Henley come to life?

She came to me very randomly one afternoon. She wasn’t fully formed, perhaps about three-quarters there, but I had a very clear image of her. I saw her standing outside a Boots on Lewisham High Street in southeast London, looking across at Lewisham Police Station. It’s a real place, and she was standing there, staring at the building.

Because Boots has a pharmacy, I knew she was recovering from something and that she had medication in her pocket. I also knew she had to go back into that police station after some time away, although I didn’t yet know why. At that stage, I didn’t know whether she was a witness, a victim, or a detective. It was only later, when I developed the idea for The Jigsaw Man, that I realised she was a detective and found the right story for her. But that initial image is where she began.

• What type of research do you conduct before writing a crime novel?

In all honesty, I don’t really conduct research before I start writing. I’m very much a planner in terms of story, but I don’t plan research in advance. For me, the early stages are about getting the story down. The research comes as I write. If I reach a scene where I need more understanding, whether it’s something medical, psychological, or procedural, I’ll stop and research it at that point. So my approach is very much to research as I go.

• How do you strike a balance between realistic legal elements and a gripping storyline?

It’s not always easy. Because of my background, I’m very conscious of getting the law right. But there are times when strict legal accuracy and storytelling don’t align. I’ve definitely written myself into corners by sticking too closely to the law. In those moments, I have to remind myself that this is fiction, and I’m allowed to take some liberties.

As long as the world feels authentic and the majority of the legal elements are accurate, I think you can make small adjustments to serve the story. Not major changes but slight bends where necessary to keep the narrative engaging.

• Does your podcast contribute to your writing process?

It contributes in a subtle way. Speaking to other writers, I’m constantly exposed to different approaches to writing, for example, whether people are planners or “pantsers”, writing in hourly sprints or setting daily word targets, writing the end first and working backwards.

I wouldn’t say it has dramatically changed my process, but it has reinforced the importance of being brave in your work and committing fully to the story you want to tell.

One thing that comes through strongly from many successful authors is the importance of focusing on craft rather than chasing trends. That’s definitely something I’ve taken on board.

• What themes would you like to explore more deeply in future works?

It’s difficult to say, because ideas often come to me quite spontaneously. But I do know there are a couple of areas I’d like to explore. I’d love to write a prequel to The Jigsaw Man, particularly to explore the question of whether evil is a matter of nature or nurture. Was Peter Olivier made into who he became, or was he always that way?

I’m also interested in exploring cults, how people become deeply embedded in them and are willing to completely disrupt their lives for a person or an ideology.

• What inspired you to write The Kill List?

It began with a question, which is how most of my ideas start. I had a scene in my head: a man on his deathbed being asked for his last words, and he says, “I didn’t do it.” That stayed with me.

From there, I began to ask: what if someone had been in prison for years for multiple murders, always insisting they were innocent and then it turns out they were telling the truth? What happens when the real killer emerges? That question and that final statement became the foundation of The Kill List.

• What psychological or societal issues did you want to explore in this new investigation?

One of the key things I wanted to explore was the lasting impact of losing a loved one to violence. Not just the immediate consequences, but the long-term effects, how grief, trauma, and unanswered questions shape people’s lives over time.

I was also interested in the psychological aspect of the stories we tell ourselves and how we can reshape events, justify behaviour, or even convince ourselves of things that aren’t true as a way of coping.

From a societal perspective, I wanted to explore how the justice system responds depending on the victim. There’s often this idea of the “perfect victim,” and how that perception can influence the pace or priority of an investigation. It’s something I’ve seen in practice, and I wanted to reflect that complexity in the novel.

• How do you view the evolution of modern crime fiction?

I love seeing how modern crime fiction is evolving. Since I’ve been published, I’ve seen so many new and diverse voices entering the genre.

There’s a real breadth now in the kinds of stories being told, particularly from writers of colour, Black, Asian, and other underrepresented voices, who are bringing fresh perspectives and experiences. It feels like more writers are confident in telling the stories they truly want to tell, rather than conforming to expectations.

That diversity has made the genre richer and more dynamic, and it’s exciting to see where it’s going.

• What message do you hope readers take away from your novels?

I don’t know if there’s a single overarching message, but there are a few things that matter to me.

I want readers to see London through my eyes to experience its different layers, communities, and complexities. I want them to feel a range of emotions and to reflect on the realities of the world we live in.

But if there is a message, it’s this: that people are not forgotten, and that there will always be someone fighting their corner.

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