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One of Crime Fiction’s rising stars, Merseyside’s own Luca Veste, will be at Waterstones Liverpool One this evening to launch his third Murphy & Rossi novel, Bloodstream (Simon & Schuster), along with Eva Dolan, creator of the highly popular Zigic and Ferreira novels. Both authors will be talking about their work and, also taking questions from the audience about what inspires them and what it takes to become a successful novelist in today’s market.
Unsurprisingly, given Luca’s artistic family background – his father is Alan Veste, the man behind the recent hit production of Pink Floyd’s The Wall concerts – the author is undaunted by the task ahead. “For things like this, I’m quite calm and I think having a background in stage acting helps immeasurably with controlling the nerves,” Luca explains. “I’m used to being in front of an audience in that sense, only this time, I have to make up the lines. The first panel event I did – at Crimefest in Bristol – I was incredibly nervous, but now I’m more excited than anything else.
“An added bonus is that I’ll be with somebody I know well. Eva and I have been friends for a number of years now. We were talking before either of us were published and our debuts came out within weeks of each other. She is an incredible writer, who I greatly admire, which makes things all the more exciting. She is also the first person who reads anything I write, which has been helpful along the way. This is the first time we’ll be appearing together on stage for an event, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Bloodstream is a disturbing novel based around secrets and lies. Social media stars Chloe Morrison and Joe Hooper seem to have it all – until their bodies are found following an anonymous phone call to their high-profile agent. Tied and bound to chairs facing each other, their violent deaths cause a media scrum to descend on Liverpool, with DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi assigned to the case. Murphy is dismissive, but the media pressure intensifies when another couple is found in the same manner as the first. Only this time the killer has left a message. A link to a private video on the internet, and the words ‘Nothing stays secret’.
“I created Murphy based on my uncle (who is an ex-copper), and myself for the most part. Rossi came later, as she was originally much different … and not Italian, for a start. My agent suggested turning the character into someone who matched my background more, exploiting the Italian side of me, but also someone who grown up in Liverpool and had that influence. I wanted to create a solid partnership, which starts in Dead Gone and a reader can see grow throughout the series.”
And as a proud Scouser, there was only one place his two main protagonists could work. “Setting the books in Liverpool was a no-brainer for me. It’s where I know best and isn’t utilised enough in crime fiction. It’s a city with endless possibilities and places to explore. There’s a myriad of different people and towns but it would take me a long, long time to want to set a book anywhere else.”
This will be Luca’s third launch at Waterstones Liverpool One and he truly appreciates the support that has been given to him during his career so far. “Since day one, I’ve had a champion in the store in the events manager – Sarah Hughes. She has been unbelievably encouraging. As the largest local bookstore, having their support is vital and for them to get behind a local author in the manner they have – alongside the awesome local independent bookshops – and the readers that support brings to my work, shows there’s still a large place for them in the current climate.”
Tickets for An Evening With Luca Veste are still available. Call 0151 7099820 or visit the Waterstones Webpage at https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-luca-veste/liverpool