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In what order were the Nic Costa books published?
In date ascending date order the books are A Season for the Dead, The Villa of Mysteries, The Sacred Cut, The Lizard’s Bite, The Seventh Sacrament, The Garden of Evil, Dante’s Numbers , The Blue Demon and The Fallen Angel.
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Do I need to read them in sequence?
Opinions are divided on this. Practically it’s unlikely given the number of titles. Some people say they wish they started at the beginning. Others are glad they picked up on the continuing story in a more random fashion. Each book is a separate story, though beneath the surface is an underlying continuing tale of the relationship between Nic and his peers.
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Will there be a Nic Costa movie or TV series?
Possibly, but only if I'm convinced it will work.
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Where did Nic Costa come from? Is he based on a real person?
I wanted to create a fictional detective who wasn’t out of the usual mould. So he’s young, a little naive, full of integrity, a very decent man in a fractured world he doesn’t understand. I never knowingly base my characters on real people.
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How many Nic Costa novels will there be?
At least ten I think, but I do want to undertake other projects too. I have no plans to bring the series to a conclusive close however.
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How much time do you spend in Italy?
When I started writing the Costa books I rented an apartment there, enrolled at language school to study Italian, and spent several months each year in Rome. Today it’s a little less because of the pressure of promotion and other duties, but I still manage a month or so each year.
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How long does it take you to write a Nic Costa novel?
I often think the word ‘write’ is a bit misleading. Writing is just one part of producing a book, perhaps the most important, but without research, editing, and planning there would be no book. From beginning to end usually takes a year.
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Can you help me get publishers/provide a blurb for my book?
As you can see from the events calendar here I have a very busy schedule. So I’m afraid the answer’s no. But I do speak at a fair number of events and schools during the year. So feel free to come along and ask questions there. And please pose questions you'd like answered using the blog or through the contacts form and I will try to get around to them one day.
