Hey, it’s fiction, what does it matter if you get the details straight?

Oh, trust me, it matters. I’ve been roasted by readers over seemingly trivial things. I won’t get into the list, but suffice to say that mistakes with weapons and ammo incite the most outrage. Don’t get the caliber of the bullet wrong or there will be a firestorm. Never take a mortar into the jungle (they’re too heavy) and don’t take the safety off a Glock pistol (it’s far more complicated than flipping a switch).

Research is the key to getting things right.

So, how does a thriller author research his or her books? Well, hands on is the best. KJ Howe writes kidnap-and-ransom thrillers (The Freedom Broker and Skyjack) and she’s been all over the globe interviewing experts and nailing down the settings. Steve Berry (The Bishop’s Pawn, et al) used to be a lawyer, travels to all his settings and has great investigative techniques.

I keep it as real as I can and travel to the locations whenever possible. In One is Evil there’s a scene in Magadan, Russia, (deep in Siberia) and I certainly never got there. But I have been to the Canadian Arctic, and -50 is the same in Canada as Russia. I can guarantee you that if you haven’t been in -50 weather you can’t write about it with any degree of reality. It’s brutal beyond belief and you’re putting your life in danger just walking out the door. There’s a distinct crunching sound when your boots touch the snow, and the feeling of frigid air hitting your lungs is shocking. Often, there’s a silence that hovers over everything. It’s beautiful, I suppose, but it’s not a beach holiday.

Then there are the characters who show up in the books – homicide cops, lawyers, scientists, hackers, and a whole whack of bad guys. I’ve never killed anyone or tracked down a murderer, so total authenticity isn’t on the slate here. But getting one-on-one with a murder cop is a great substitute to the real thing. Brian Robertson (retired homicide detective from Edmonton) has given me hundreds of hours of his time and set me on the right track. He’s been subtle, Jeff, I would suggest…, and not so subtle, Jeff, the cop would never drive the dead guy’s Ferrari to the interview. If I remember right, he was actually laughing at me with that one.

Homicide cops think differently from the rest of us. They know how to peel back the layers and get to the truth, which is pretty damn tough when everyone is lying to them. They pay a price that cuts deep – marriages can fail, friendships sometimes drift apart, and living on fast food and no sleep takes a toll on their health. I could never have written the any of the three series that have homicide cops as the lead characters without Brian’s help.

I’ve gone down the Rat’s Nest cave in Canmore (The Krubera Conspiracy), spent hundreds of hours in helicopters (One is Evil), shot pistols and rifles (A Killing Game), and learned about hacking at RSA (The Reluctant Truth).

I’ve spent time in Africa, driven across Europe, visited South and Central America, and toured New Zealand. I’ve walked backstreets in New York, Boston, Orlando and LA.

I think research is the key to delivering a fast-paced, believable thriller. And if that means flying into Budapest and staying at the five-star Corinthia Hotel, what the heck, I’m willing to take one for the team.

Photo by João Silas on Unsplash