Adrian Magson has a knack for setting his novels in places that are part of the current news cycle—be it Somalia or Ukraine. We spoke to the lauded thriller writer about how he avoids making his fiction adhere too closely to fact, and how the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 almost made him scrap his latest book.
Close Quarters, which is due out in August, revolves around a mission to get a State Department official safely out of Ukraine. When and why did you decide to set the book’s action there?
After completing The Watchman in 2013, I began looking for a different setting but didn’t want to go the Middle East way. Ukraine was already in the news and presenting itself as a threatening situation, with the old Cold War feel but with current-conflict issues. It was also packed with ideal research material. All I had to do was watch the news broadcasts and see where the danger areas were.
What’s the trickiest part of setting a fictional story in a place where the situation is changing day-to-day?
Knowing that you’re not the only one with an eye on the situation, I think. The readers are savvy enough to spot the difference between fiction and fact, but because you’re writing about current events, you don’t want to make [the story] too close to what is actually taking place on the ground. I feel that might border on being tasteless. For example, there was a point during the writing of Close Quarters when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down, in July 2014. That happened in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. I almost abandoned the project because of this. But, as my wife pointed out, Close Quarters was set several months earlier than July, so in the end I decided to continue with it.
In Close Quarters, your hero, Marc Portman, has to go to Donetsk on a mission to shuttle a U.S. diplomat out of the region. Can you tell me a little bit about this particular Ukrainian city and why you chose it as the initial setting?
Donetsk was, and still is, right in the middle of the activity. It’s the hub of separatist activity in eastern Ukraine, with a huge potential for open conflict with government forces. That, and the fact that its airport was where international observers, politicians, and the news media were coming in, until it was shut down, made [Donetsk] the obvious starting point [for the book].
Close Quarters is your second book featuring Portman. In what ways do you think he, as a character, is similar to Harry Tate, the MI5 operative who was at the center of another series you’ve recently been writing?
After writing five books about Harry Tate, who is, at heart, an ordinary counter-espionage officer, I just had a desire to write something a little darker, more action based. My publisher, Severn House, had also asked if I’d ever considered writing an alternative character to Harry. Sensing a new opportunity, I did what actors do at auditions when asked if they can ride a horse: I said, ‘Of course!’ As it turned out, it was huge fun to write.
Generally speaking, what do you think all of your heroes—from Portman and Tate to Lucas Rocco—have in common?
They’re resourceful, loyal, competent and able to do the job. They don’t have personal baggage or psychological issues—although some observers might think Portman has a few when it comes to shooting people. Nonetheless, they’re not supermen. They’re there to do a job and not back down.
Your books have been compared to those by a host of titans in the thriller/espionage genre—everyone from Robert Ludlum to Lee Child. How would you describe your body of work?
I’m immensely flattered to be compared to any of those writers, but I’ve always had a clear idea about the basic template for my heroes. There are differences between Tate, Portman, and Rocco, mostly to do with the situations in which they find themselves. Portman is more of a loner, due to the nature of his work. Harry has a basic loyalty to country, even though he’s been badly treated by his former bosses, who tried to kill him. And Rocco is... well, he’s French and dangerous but a good guy. Beyond that, I hope all of my books are thrilling, readable, and tell good stories—and, most of all, have a feel of authenticity.
Who are some of your favorite writers, and how do you think they’ve shaped your work?
You’ve named a couple of favorites already. Before them it would have been Leslie Charteris, Louis L’Amour, Alistair Maclean, Adam Diment, John Gardner, Peter O’Donell, and a host of others. Coming forward, it would be John Sandford, Robert Crais, Martin Cruz Smith, Matt Hilton, Thomas Enger, Steve Hamilton... How long have you got?
Are you working on a new Portman book?
Yes, I’m currently working on #3 [in the series], and it’s tentatively called The Outsider. This one is based in northern Russia, and, for a change, Portman isn’t taking somebody out of a sticky situation, but instead escorting them into one. There are guns involved, and trust issues, and some political interfering, and I’ve brought back a character from The Watchman. I’ve also brought back two characters from Close Quarters. The backdrop of reality here is less overtly physical, more political—but no less dangerous.
