Among the five-star reviews for Dangerous Art, one of my favourites identifies my main protagonist, Jake Elderfield, as a “standout hero”.
I’m loving hearing what readers think of Jake. So, I thought I’d share a behind-the-scenes look at how I came up with him…
We first meet Jake in Redline, which is set in the car industry, where I started my career. I guess it was inevitable that I would start Jake’s story there – he’ll find himself going to and doing many of the things that I have done – but not all and not in the same order…
Jake himself? I started by thinking about his roots and his education and his appearance, and I wondered how, with that start in life, he would have turned out. Then I applied some gritty business experiences and gave him a reason to show determination.
Jake’s not the classic thriller lead…
Jake isn’t a policeman or detective, which might have been the more usual route for a thriller. Why an accountant? Well, like Jake, I studied Economics at University – and financial accounting was a subsidiary course. I struggled with it at the time, and it was only later that I could say I really understood its power to identify issues in any business and set about solving them. And then I had to learn the necessary people skills to convince others that I was right and agree on a course of action. Just what Jake needs if he’s going to crack business crime!
I was determined to make Jake a “real person” with hopes, feelings, strengths and weaknesses – not a trained detective, but someone who applies common sense and gut feeling to solve the crises he’s faced with. He’s a quick learner and a good listener, and he fights hard for his friends.
I wanted Jake to be natural and engaging – he’s confronting situations that are new to him, and he’s having to think through how his skills and experience can be applied to the circumstances he finds himself in. It took a few attempts to get where I wanted to be. He was never going to be too polished – he’s only human, and he doesn’t know all the answers – sometimes he has to dig for them.
In Redline, Jake’s determined to try to save Race Engineering. Even when the family who own the company often seem keener to let it slide into administration… Jake applies many of the things I’ve picked up over the years, notably his analysis of those he’s dealing with – why do they say the things they say? What does success look like for them? How can he motivate them to help him achieve the end result he seeks?
It’s interesting to see how Jake’s character matures in Dangerous Art, when he is dealing with some tough villains and needs to take control, think on his feet and be even more ingenious and persuasive to protect people he cares deeply about …
It’ll be fun to see how Jake deals with what I throw at him next!
