The Narrative with author Robert Gold

Originally from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Robert Gold began his career as an intern at the American broadcaster CNN, based in Washington DC. He returned to Yorkshire to work for the retailer ASDA, becoming the chain’s nationwide book buyer. He now works in sales for a UK publishing company. Robert now lives in Putney and his new hometown served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Haddley in TWELVE SECRETS. In 2016, he co-authored three titles in James Patterson’s Bookshots series.

Q: Congratulations, TWELVE SECRETS has been chosen as a Sunday Times Best Crime Novel for 2022. What inspired you to write this novel?

I love stories where the layers of the characters lives are gradually peeled away. My aim in TWELVE SECRETS was to create a close-knit community where everybody knows everybody – but not quite as well as they thought they did. I believe fiction should always entertain the reader and hopefully this story captures the readers attention and carries them through right to the very last page.

Q: The book is full of twists and turns and multiple strands, how do you map these out to ensure they all come together in the end?

I never fully mapped them out, but I constantly kept them in my mind and knew I wanted to bring them all together in the end. All of the strands lived with me for several months and I imagined each one as a thread which had to be tied off or pulled together at the end. I think there is nothing worse for a reader (or listener) to be left with unexplained threads hanging at the end so I was determined all the questions would ultimately be answered.

Q: You have previously co-authored books with thriller superstar James Patterson: how did the experience of working with another author compare to writing solo?

Working with James Patterson was a great experience. He is one of the greatest storytellers in the world and has an incredible ability to keep the reader entertained on every single page.

Setting out on my own novel I had a much greater degree of freedom. That was a brilliant feeling but also slightly daunting. The challenge for any author is to get their first draft written. Once that is done you have something you can work with and make better.

Q: TWELVE SECRETS is narrated brilliantly by George Weightman. What attributes did you look for in a narrator, and what do you like most about the audiobook version?

What I love about the audio book it the way George captures the claustrophobic nature of the small communities of Haddley and St Marnham. That is what makes TWELVE SECRETS. I love the ITV television series BROADCHURCH and George has done a great job in capturing the same intensity in his reading.

Q: At xigxag we are passionate about using the power of technology to create an accessible audiobook experience for listeners. How have your listening and reading habits changed with digital media, and what innovations would you like to see as an author and reader?

Digital media, and audio books specifically, mean you never need to be without a book. It’s a great experience to drive and commute and still have such amazing selection of books. I think the more books publishers can make available to listeners the better.

Q: Books that are adapted for the screen are always popular on xigxag, especially crime fiction. Would you like to see Ben Harper on the screen, and who do you think would play him best?

I never wrote TWELVE SECRETS imagining it as a television programme. Although it is set in the present day, key parts of the story take place a number of years earlier. I think it would be a challenge to adapt but I would love to see it. I’m not sure who would play Ben by my hope is he will become a recurring character so it would provide somebody with nice ongoing work!

Q: What can our listeners expect next from Ben Harper?

The second Ben Harper novel, ELEVEN LIARS, publishes in March 2023. He is still in Haddley and working closely with PC Dani Cash.

Q: What are you listening to at the moment?          

I’m about to start THE PAPER PALACE  by Miranda Cowley Heller.