Getting to know the Character with DI Gus McGuire

Liz Mistry joins me today to take part me my Getting to know the Character Interview with DI Gus McGuire and the first book in the series, Unquiet Souls is available on amazon for only 99p

Can you describe your character?

DI Gus (Angus) McGuire is of Jamaican/Scottish descent with short sun-bleached dreads and piercing blue eyes.  He’s loyal, and has a strict moral code and believes in nurturing his colleagues.  Past events have left him suffering from Mental health issues which result in panic attacks and disassociation.

What is his job role and where does he work?

Gus is a Detective Inspector who heads up the Major Incident team in Bradford West Yorkshire.  He works at The Fort, a police building in Manningham in Bradford.  I took the very great liberty of making this police station Gus’ place of work whereas in actual fact it is a purely administrative building … hey ho, I write fiction after all.

Where did the original  idea of Gus come about?

I had Gus in my mind for a long time as a character but couldn’t decide on his backstory or his physical appearance.  Then I was at Harrogate crime festival a few years ago when I bumped into this very young lad coming out of Betty’s. he was exactly as I’ve just described Gus.  I added a few years on and this unsuspecting young man became my DI Gus McGuire

What makes him original?

With Gus I specifically shied away from the traditional older, wizened, near alcoholic detective.  I also shied away from the current trend of giving the main protagonist an exceptional ailment.  Instead, I decided Gus was young, intelligent, attractive and, on occasion, a wee bit sullen.  He cares about his colleagues and the victims and, despite the fact that his parents are a continual source of embarrassment to him, he is a family man.

What makes him tick?

Gus is happy when he’s at work.  It takes up most of his time and he wouldn’t have it any other way.  However, he is a romantic and maybe one of these days I’ll create a companion for Gus that lives up to my expectations for him. He loves Bob Marley, his family and his friends.

What is his biggest fear?

Gus’ biggest fear is that, because of his work, something will happen to a member of his family or one of his friends.  He has an inflated sense of responsibility that makes guilt play a large part in his life.

If you and your character met in real life, do you think you’d get on?

If Gus was a few (many) years older, I’d bloody marry him! (Ssh, don’t tell my husband) He’s gorgeous!  We’d get on well I think.  However, he’d have to lighten up a bit.

Who would you like to see play them if your books were made into a film or TV show?

That’s easy …  O.T. Fagbenle from Harlen Coben’s The Five and Attwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale

How many books do you have in the series so far?

I’ve got three books so far in the series.  Unquiet Souls, Uncoiled Lies and Untainted Blood

What’s in store for Gus next?

At the minute I’m writing Book 4, provisionally called Uncommon Cruelty.  It sees Gus and his team face a really quite surprising enquiry … who knows maybe Gus will get a  taste of romance in this one too.

About The Author

I am a crime writer based in Bradford but originally from West Calder in Scotland. I studied at Stirling University and taught in Bradford inner-city Primary schools for many years. I write gritty crime fiction drawing on the richness of Bradford's diverse cultures and my writing is heavily influenced by Tartan Noir writers such as, Stuart MacBride, Ian Rankin and Val McDermid. I completed an MA in Creative Writing at the brilliant Leeds Trinity University. I currently have three novels published: Unquiet Souls (my debut novel) and Uncoiled Lies and Untainted Blood. I look forward to writing many more featuring my main character DI Gus (Angus) McGuire and his team. I am co-founder and lead blogger with The Crime Warp Blog