PHOTO: Patrick Larsimont, author of the Jox McNabb series and paranormal thriller The Brookwood Boys, pictured during a visit to Brookwood Cemetery—his inspiration for stories beyond the battlefield.
Exploring War Memory History And Humanity
Patrick Larsimont shares insights on his WW2 aviation thrillers, military-inspired characters, and the haunting legacy of war explored in his latest paranormal novel The Brookwood Boys.
Patrick Larsimont’s stories are steeped in the smoke and fury of war, but at their core lies something quieter—an intimate portrait of courage, friendship, and the deeply human cost of conflict. With an upbringing rooted in Scotland, a career shaped by military service, and a lifelong fascination with history, Larsimont brings a rare authenticity to his fiction. His creation, Jeremy ‘Jox’ McNabb, is more than just a wartime hero; he is the living, breathing echo of a generation whose trials were etched into the skies and scars of the twentieth century.
In The Lightning and The Few and its five successors, Larsimont guides readers through the great theatres of the Second World War—from the Blitz to the Mediterranean—crafting a rich, historically grounded narrative without ever losing sight of the emotional wounds war leaves behind. His keen ear for military realism, shaped by firsthand knowledge and deep respect for the truth behind the uniform, gives his fiction a weight that resonates with both heart and intellect.
Yet Larsimont’s work does not rest solely in the realm of conventional historical fiction. With The Brookwood Boys, he ventures into the paranormal, blurring the boundary between the living and the dead. It is a novel that lingers in the shadows of memory, where ghosts walk and secrets remain buried until the right voice calls them forth.
Whether writing about spectral soldiers or the thunder of aerial combat, Larsimont explores war as both a battlefield and a crucible of the soul. His fiction stands as a testament to remembrance—vivid, unflinching, and profoundly humane.
What initially inspired you to centre your debut novel around a young Scottish pilot during the Second World War?
I grew up in Scotland. Jeremy ‘Jox’ McNabb’s background is pretty much mine. I went to the same school, Dollar Academy, and left in the same circumstances as described in my first book i.e. got kicked out for going to the pub. Perhaps typical of an author’s conceit what goes on in Jox’s head is what is in mine, but appearance-wise he is based on a friend of mine, also called Jeremy but known as Jocky.
I’ve always been interested in military history, served in the air force and when the opportunity came along to enter a competition for Sapere Books to write a WW2 Aviation thriller series, the stars aligned, I entered and won. The sixth in the series will be published for Christmas 2025.
How did your military background influence the realism and tone of the Jox McNabb series?
My grandfather was a soldier, as was my father, then so was I. My grandfather saw the worst of it during WW2. We were soldiers of our time, mine as a Cold War warrior, serving as an Intelligence officer in a NATO Airforce during the Eighties. Here I learnt the difference between the ‘official’ account of things and the ‘reality’ on the ground. Also, what goes unreported and the SNAFUs that are a big part of military life. Equally, the tragedies and tales of valour, not always known and acknowledged, which I try to weave into my stories.The way soldiers speak and behave with each other is important to get right, not least because when writing in this genre, there are no shortage of what I call ‘rivet counters’ who like to tell you when you get something wrong.
Each book in the series tackles a different theatre of war—how do you approach the research process to capture historical accuracy?
Research is never a chore as I’m into this stuff anyway. I have an extensive library and collect ‘factoids’ for future campaigns which Jox will be involved in. I sometimes have to fiddle with timelines to allow him to be present and involved in important events, but I always cover that off in my Historical Note, acknowledging some creative and historic license has been taken.
Jox experiences both physical and emotional trauma throughout the series—how important was it to you to reflect the psychological cost of war on young servicemen?
Very important. I believe fiction fills the gaps that a straight retelling of history leaves behind. Characters need to have agency, reacting well or badly to things, suffering, mourning, feeling fear, raging against things, falling apart and any number of other reactions to trying circumstances. War is about loss and how your characters react is your story.
From the outset, Jox was always going to have a long war, which he survives, but on the way loses many near and dear to him. Some are killed, others injured, some with wounds more obvious than others. I am sometimes accused of having too large a cast, but in my experience, military life is often about short intense bursts of knowing each other, then rotating away. In war, this must be even more the case as greater numbers are lost. What is now known as PTSD raises its head in many forms in Jox’s stories but is front and centre in my military paranormal story, The Brookwood Boys.
The Brookwood Boys marks a departure into the paranormal—what led you to explore this genre, and how did it differ from writing historical fiction?
TBB is the story of a WW1 soldier Mouse Forsyth who has haunted Brookwood military cemetery for a hundred years, greeting the mad, bad and sad over the years, until one day he is seen by a boy. He then has a secret to reveal to the living.
This standalone novel was actually written before any of the Jox books, during lockdown. One of the few places I could walk but still keep away from people was visiting Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey, England. It’s a fascinating place, originally designed to receive London’s dead and is the largest cemetery in western Europe. Within it, is the largest military cemetery in the UK, the setting for my story of military ghosts.
It occurred to me whilst walking between rows of graves that these were all just stories waiting to be told, character after character side by side. I took some real ones and made some up and this was the genesis of the story.
With five books in the Jox McNabb series and more to come, how do you keep the character’s journey fresh and compelling for readers?
I’m not really sure, but it seems to be working. All that I do is dig in into some unknown or forgotten aspects of a particular campaign, then throw those circumstances at Jox and his friends. The fact that many of them are based on my own boyhood friends, means I know how they’ll react. It is an occupational hazard of being my pal that you’ll probably get killed or horribly maimed in my books. I have two friends who have the dubious honour of dying twice in the Jox McNabb’s tales and The Brookwood Boys. They never seem to mind and it’s a surprisingly good way of doing subliminal book marketing.
Are any of your characters or scenarios based on real individuals or events that you encountered during your military service or research?
As detailed, many of my fictional characters are based on friends, but rarely as ‘baddies’, except for one who liked the idea of being a nasty Nazi. Otherwise yes, Jox meets many real individuals both lower key ones but also exalted, well known individuals. He goes through real battles, challenges and issues. As for my own experiences, yes, I suppose they are hard baked into the narratives, but only in terms of the generalities of military service.
What advice would you offer to other authors who are looking to write fiction inspired by military history or personal service experience?
Get the first draft done. You can’t edit a blank page. It doesn’t have to be any good, just get it down. Refrain from constantly redrafting what you’ve just written. I use what I call the ‘slingshot’ method: I know what needs to come next but stop writing for the day before I do so. That way tomorrow, I know what to start with and ‘slingshot’ myself into the next day’s word count.
Also, use the things that drove you in the military: self-discipline; self-belief; attention to detail; just stop whinging and get it done.
