Photo: Murray Moffatt, the acclaimed author of the Shane Daniels Mysteries, bringing his storytelling skills from journalism to fiction. Photo by Shantell White
The Mind Behind The Shane Daniels Mysteries
Murray Moffatt, prolific author and master of suspense, shares inspiration behind his Shane Daniels Mysteries and reveals the secrets to crafting gripping plots, evolving characters, and authentic Canadian settings.
Murray Moffatt is a name that has become synonymous with gripping storytelling, intricate mysteries, and unforgettable characters. A man of many talents—a former broadcast journalist, senior public relations consultant, and musician—Murray has brought his wealth of experience into the literary world, crafting compelling narratives and a series of novels that have resonated deeply with readers. With a career spanning 25 years in radio journalism and public relations, he honed his ability to weave narratives and engage audiences—a skill he has masterfully transported to his thrilling works of fiction.
The author of ten novels, including the riveting Shane Daniels Mysteries, which boasts titles such as A Tale of Play and Murder, Murder Best Unsolved, and Murder Maybe Cold, Murray has developed a canon that blends suspenseful plots with rich characterisation. His protagonist, Shane Daniels—a gritty, complex investigator beset both by danger and his inner demons—has become an iconic figure among fans of the mystery and thriller genres. With uniquely Canadian settings and dynamic supporting characters like the sharp-witted Emma Carstairs and the irreverent Ben Chen, every page is a testament to Murray’s attention to authenticity and his gift for creating a world that is as vivid as it is enthralling.
We are privileged to present an exclusive interview with Murray Moffatt, where he reflects on his inspiring career, his seamless transition from journalism to novels, and the creative process behind his captivating books. For budding writers and avid readers alike, his insights into crafting suspense, building compelling characters, and grounding stories in realism will be both enlightening and inspiring. Join us as we delve into the mind of a master storyteller.
Murray Moffatt’s engrossing storytelling, authentic characters, and inventive plots solidify him as a true master of the mystery genre.
Highlights From The Interview:
- Murray’s seamless transition from broadcast journalist to accomplished author.
- The inspirations behind Shane Daniels and his unique traits.
- The challenges of balancing character development with suspenseful plots.
- How reality influenced the creation of vivid characters and authentic settings.
- Behind the scenes on combining the ‘Play’ saga into one unforgettable novel.
- The pivotal role of supporting characters in making the Shane Daniels Mysteries stand out.
- Murray’s dedication to research and ensuring authenticity in Canadian legal and social environments.
- The pivotal moment his storytelling career gained momentum with A Murder Best Unsolved.
What inspired you to transition from a career in broadcast journalism to writing novels?
It had always been a dream of mine to write and publish a novel. For twenty five years, I had written hundreds of thousands of stories for radio news broadcasts that were seldom more than eight sentences. I wanted to see if I could successfully write in a substantially longer form. However, with a busy career and raising a family, it had to wait until I was retired.
How did your experience in public relations and journalism influence your approach to storytelling?
As a journalist, you know that every story needs a strong lead to capture the listener or reader’s attention. I use that same approach in the early chapters of my novels and have often spent days refining the first sentence to make sure it ‘hooks’ the reader into wanting to continue. As a public relations consultant, I was sometimes called upon to do crisis management for a company or organization and I’ve used some of those crises in my plots
What made you choose mystery and thriller genres for your novels?
It’s always been my favourite and has been since I was in elementary school and read ‘Fear Is The Key’ by Alistair MacLean and the full collection of Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Can you share the process of creating the character Shane Daniels and what makes him unique?
I knew right from the start that I wanted my main character to be the classic hero; tall, dark and handsome. But he couldn’t be perfect, he had to have human flaws or he wouldn’t be believable. So, I made him disabled after being shot in the line of duty as a cop. He has a temper, which he fights to keep under control, and he’s haunted by memories of his father who turned out to be a murderer.
How do you balance crafting suspenseful plots with deep character development?
This has been one of my great challenges as a writer. I think I’ve gotten better at it with each novel. I believe I’ve fully developed the characters of Shane Daniels and his partner, Emma Carstairs, I’m continually trying to do a better job developing the character of their protagonists. I’ve realized that who they are, and why they do what they do, are key to building suspense and ultimately putting Shane and Emma in danger.
Why did you decided to combine the two novels in the ‘Play’ saga into one complete story?
‘Play’ was my first novel and ‘Murder And No Play’ was written about a year later. Both were short novels at less than sixty thousand words each. I had gone back to make revisions to ‘Play’ to fix what I felt were errors in the plotting and dialogue. I realized that combined, ‘Play’ and ‘Murder And No Play’ belonged together as one continuous story and made for a complete, full length book. So I made revisions to both novels and put them together. I’m really proud of the result.
What was the most challenging part of writing a series like the Shane Daniels Mystery?
Continuity and something new at the same time. I work hard, often spending a lot of time reviewing previous manuscripts, to make sure my descriptions of the main character’s physical appearances and backgrounds are consistent when I’m writing a new novel in the series. People who have become fans of the series will be looking for that. But, at the same time, I want the characters and their relationship with each other to evolve, just as such things do in real life. And while all of the novels in the series are linked, I try to make each one stand-alone, so that if someone picks up a Shane Daniels Mystery for the first time, they get the background they need and don’t feel like they have to go back are start with the first novel in the series. Of course, it’s always a challenge to come up with a unique mystery for Shane Daniels to solve.
“I wanted to see if I could successfully write in a substantially longer form.” – Murray Moffatt,
What do you think makes the Shane Daniels Mystery series stand out from other novels in the same genre?
I think the plots and settings are unique, making the series more than just a standard crime procedural. But, to me, the key is the secondary characters. Every time I release a new novel, I have been pleasantly surprised by how many times people ask by if Shane’s foul-mouthed, opinionated childhood friend, Ben Chen will be in the book. I think his unique personality has added some lighter moments to stories that often involve some heinous crimes. I’ve also added Doobie MacArthur, a wheelchair bound, dope-smoking, world class hacker. There’s more attention on Mark Stabler, the stoic police inspector with personal problems who begrudgingly puts up with Shane’s incursions into his investigations. Smart criminal lawyer, Jason Burke, is often prominently featured. And, of course, there’s Shane’s partner, the beautiful and intelligent Emma Carstairs who often gets herself drawn into danger.
What research, if any, do you conduct to make your setting and characters feel authentic?
I was advised that you should always try to write what you know, and I always do that in terms of settings. All of the locations in my novels are places I have either lived or are very familiar with. However, I do add fictional streets and businesses for plot purposes. Most of the characters in my stories are compilations of various people I have known or have come in contact with since I was a young man. It makes them authentic because they’re based on real types of personalities. I’m always pleased when a reader tells me that one of the characters in my books reminds them of someone they know. I also spend significant amount of time doing online research on Canadian law and our justice system. It’s easy to be influenced by what U.S. based books you read or what you see in American movies and television. But Canadian common law and our courts are based on the British model and because a lot of the action in my novels takes place in a courtroom, I want to ensure I describe the proceedings accurately.
Which of your published works are you most proud of and why?
The very first novel in which Shane Daniels appears, ‘A Murder Best Unsolved’ was a watershed for me. I realized I had developed a character with some longevity and suddenly I was coming up with plots for futures novels, including some unique mysteries for Shane to solve while he dealt with the loss of his dream job as a cop and finding out that his father was not the man he had loved and respected. I’ll always be proud of ‘Play’, not only because it was my first novel, but also because the story about a man who gets to play imaginary adventures like when he was a boy is an idea I’ve had in my head for decades. It’s a personal story because I’ve always looked back fondly to my own vivid imagination youth
What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to write gripping mystery and thriller novels?
I had the privilege, many decades ago when I was still a broadcaster, of interviewing famed Canadian author W.O.Mitchell (‘Who Has Seen The Wind’, ‘Jake And The Kid’). I asked him for advice for aspiring authors and I still go by what he told me: You have to write every day. Some days I struggle to complete a couple of paragraphs and other days I write an entire chapter. But I make sure I spend some time on my laptop every day. Writing a novel can be hard work and I’m afraid that if I take any time away from it, I might not go back.
