Daddy’s Girls by Sarah Flint

He wasn’t always a killer. At first, he just wanted to talk.

D.C. Charlie Stafford has an odd case on her hands. And it may be her toughest one yet.

A burglar who isn’t interested in valuables, the subject of Operation Greystream is a strange but smooth operator. In the dead of the night, gloved and masked, he visits the elderly. He doesn’t hurt them and, if they beg, he won’t take anything of real value. All he wants is conversation… and they’re powerless to refuse him.

But then 87-year-old Florence Briarly is found by her friend, cold to the touch and neatly, too neatly, tucked into bed. And Charlie realises this case has taken a sinister, urgent turn. Now this stealthy burglar has had a taste of murder, it’s only a matter of time until he craves it again…

Exclusive Author Feature

It’s been a long, but exciting year!

Well, it’s been just over 13 months since ‘Broken Dolls’ was published and boy, what a year!

In that time, I’ve written ‘Daddy’s Girls’ and a new standalone book, (yet to be revealed) travelled New Zealand, Australia and the UK and beaten breast cancer – not necessarily in that order!

I think I said in my last blog post that with the smooth comes the rough – and my rough was a fairly hefty dose of hospital admissions and treatment. The smooth, was hearing that I was fully cured of my cancer, and meeting an incredibly courageous lady on my ward, who gave me the thrill of actually finding a total stranger who had read all my books – for the first time ever. The rough to that meeting, was that within a fortnight I heard she had sadly died, but I will always remember her bravery and fortitude and the time I spent chatting with her and her lovely husband.

On that note, during my travels I’ve also met some fantastic people; both personally and professionally, who have become friends, fans and followers and I count you, as avid readers, bloggers and tweeters, among them. From my local writers group, to contributors and visitors at Bristol CrimeFest it has been amazing to hear your stories. You have all been an incredible support during this year and I have heard from many who have, or are, going through similar tribulations and have very much appreciated your motivational offerings and words of wisdom. I hope I can now do the same in return.

Thank you x

When thinking about my friends and family, my thoughts always return to a similar theme. What would you do to save, protect or avenge a family member or good friend? Would you be prepared to lie for them, or even die for them? It’s a theme that drove ‘Daddy’s Girls’, and has steered my newest standalone.

Thomas Houghton was loosely based on a suspect I arrested during my time as a police officer in the Metropolitan Police. The man’s history fascinated me as he had very few, and very minor criminal convictions, yet he appeared to have committed the most heinous burglary and knife-point rape imaginable. What drove him to commit that crime? And why had the man’s daughter been prepared to lie and even take on a false identity herself, in order to cover for him? Was it love, fear or simply bewilderment that compelled her ill-conceived loyalty?

Out of those questions came ‘Daddy’s Girls’, a story that evolved in order to provide a fictional reason for the man’s actions – his decline into drugs, mental illness and criminality – and the imaginary outcome for both he and his daughter.

I witnessed my own mother’s battle with multiple sclerosis, so I know how devastating it can be to watch someone you love change from an outgoing, active person to someone unable to walk, talk or feed themselves. The toll on carers, physically, mentally and emotionally is far harder than, I think, we as a society appreciate. Could this be a reason for Thomas’s crime? I don’t know, and I don’t excuse it, but it seemed to make sense as a work of fiction.

The book could equally have been named ‘Mummy’s Girl’, as I also wanted to explore the motivations of the victim’s child when searching for justice. How had Florence Briarly’s daughter acted? Could one crime be judged to have been morally right, even if legally wrong? Why can standing up for your parent in one situation be considered wrong, while acting for your parent in another be judged as right?

It’s an interesting dilemma and one that seems to rear its ugly head on a regular basis in the media, along with the question of how safe you really are in your own home and what steps can you lawfully take in order to protect your loved ones, and your possessions?

Ooh – it’s a moral and legal nightmare! But it makes for great stories.

Throw into the mix Charlie, with her unfailing quest to get justice for the victim and her continuing loyalty to Hunter, as well as Ben’s on-going problems, and you have my latest offering. I have really enjoyed exploring the dilemmas in all the storylines, as well as finishing the book on a note of intrigue. It certainly has made me want to continue Charlie’s story – and I hope it will make you want to do the same.

I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Many thanks.

Sarah xx

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