N.S. Brooks
Fraud
Two suspicious deaths lead Will and Jay Slater and their old adversary, Inspector Dawkin, into the murky world of powerful business and politics.
The Writer’s Dossier 2/3/2025 – The NS Brooks interview
DOSSIER: Your new book FRAUD deals with big business and government corruption. (The hook is really interesting!) In doing your research, as well as during your career as an accountant, which did you find was more proficient in corruption and fraud, business or the government?
BROOKS: My assessment is that Government corruption is mainly to do with power whereas business corruption (fraud) is usually to do with money. Low level fraud which occurs quite frequently in business is not very interesting and is often covered up by companies not wanting to show their controls are weak. The interesting frauds are the ones where the directors and management are committing the fraud. The frauds are usually huge and can bring down the company when discovered – as they typically are eventually. E.g. Patisserie Francais. Often the company frauds are to enhance profits to either maintain share price or to influence management bonuses.
From accountant to thriller writer
DOSSIER: Do people find it curious how you went from working as an accountant for 40 years to writing breakneck action thrillers? What do you think led to pursuing such different paths?
BROOKS: No one has mentioned it yet! My impression is that many people have skills/talents that are not necessarily displayed in their working life. For example one of my tax partners in my old firm was an excellent guitarist. Not something he practised in the office! I virtually wrote the first novel in my head over many years. So, when I retired, I put it down on paper. Then I had a sequel in mind and wrote that, too.
1000 words per writing session
DOSSIER: When and where do you do your best writing? In a coffee shop, on a sofa surrounded by pets, or a hectic room with headphones on?
BROOKS: I write in my study. I try to write 1000 words at each sitting but I need to be in the right frame of mind to start writing. I am not a planner, but what is called a ‘pantsy’ (seat of the pants writer) in the writing world. Someone who just sits down and writes and hopefully brings it all together at the end.
Creating as you go
DOSSIER: When you created your main characters Will Slater and Inspector Dawkin, did you have any particular individuals (either real or fictional) in mind?
BROOKS: No. They just developed as I wrote. I wanted my protagonist – Will Slater – to face challenges in the book that he would not meet in his everyday personal and business life. To try to empathise with the reader if they face similar situations. I thought a professional individual – a lawyer – would fit the role. His co-protagonist – Jay (his wife in the sequel) ex SO15 provided some hard-nose practical expertise. Inspector Dawkin develops through the three books. He starts out as an arrogant, know-it-all all policeman convinced that Slater is guilty of something not resolved until the climax of the sequel.
Book 4?
DOSSIER: Do you have any breaking news or special announcement you’d like to disclose in your Dossier?
BROOKS: I have started the fourth Will Slater novel and it’s working title is ‘Secret’ based in the political arena.
Author N S Brooks spent forty years working in the City of London as a Chartered Accountant, before writing his first thriller – Betrayed – featuring lawyer Will Slater.
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