This is the year I publish my book The Superhero’s Murder. No more excuses, no more delaying, 2021 is the year I share my story. Long time readers of this blog know that last year I shared the story with beta readers and received an editorial assessment. Both were incredibly valuable things to have done. I spent a chunk of last year rewriting the book based on feedback and my gut instinct as a writer. I’ve done said rework and I can say officially I’ve laid down my pen on The Superhero’s Murder (for now).

In March, I’ll hand over the manuscript to an editor I’ve hired for a copyedit. Next time I’ll go into what exactly that is. For now, know it’s the most significant (and expensive) step I’ve taken towards publication so far. In the coming months on this blog, I’ll also be covering the other steps involved in the publication process. Posts will involve cover design, proofreading, and finally taking the publication plunge. Be sure to see my blog posts first by joining my mailing list or liking my Facebook page.

So what am I going to talk about this month? I feel a reintroduction of The Superhero’s Murder is in order.

The Elevator Pitch

Someone has murdered John Fitzgerald, the world’s most famous superhero. The killer, the means and the motive are a mystery. The truth lies in the past, a weary mind reader desperate to explore it, an estranged father desperate to escape it.

What’s The Superhero’s Murder about?

The superhero genre leans into cliche and repetition. Most of the heroes are white, male, American, with origin stories treading along similar themes. I wanted to write a story that challenged at least some of these tropes. Instead of a superhero who was an orphan, why not tell half the story from the perspective of his estranged father? Instead of showing superpowers as inherently positive, why not show a balanced reality? How would a mind reader cope with unfiltered access to the human mind? What toll would such an ability have on a human being?

The book I’ve written aims to appeal both to those familiar with the superhero genre, and those who aren’t. The book’s universe is not a world of capes, masks and secret identities. The superhero in this novel is working class, raised in northern England and with a blemished backstory. Grounded in reality, it’s a mystery story with a murder at its heart. The motivation and details of the murder are drip fed throughout but only uncovered in the last few pages.

The Target Market

Readers of Stephen King’s books such as The Dead Zone and The Shining, where supernatural abilities act as a driver of the plot without straying too deeply into science fiction.

Fans of comic book and superhero content who enjoy a twist on the genre. Fans of TV shows like The Boys and Watchmen which are subversive to the established genre tropes.

Mystery and Crime readers who enjoy a supernatural or science fiction twist on their content.

Main characters

Juliet Reynolds – A mind reader tasked with uncovering the truth surrounding the murder. The more she uncovers, the more she questions who John Fitzgerald really was.

Mike Fitzgerald – John’s estranged father reminisces about his mistakes as a father, and how his son went from humble northern beginnings to a superhero.

Next Time

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about the book on this blog. For those interested in how ideas develop over the time, I first introduced the book two years ago. The title of the book, the number of perspectives involved, and even the major character’s name have changed.

Next time I’ll be blogging about the editing process, what a manuscript assessment and copyedit actually are. As always, the best place to see my blog posts first is by joining my mailing list or liking my Facebook page.