Beginners Pluck

When Laurence was young he was always making up stories for his friends. He loved books, especially The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings and the Sherlock Holmes series. He wanted to be a writer, but he needed a job.

“After college I went to London. I washed dishes, then took some courses, and got a job with a computer games company. I met my wife there. She’s Turkish.”

Changing jobs a few times, Laurence worked in marketing, but found the job, and commute stressful. Meanwhile, visiting Istanbul, Laurence was bowled over by the city’s beauty, and rich history. It inspired him to write a novel. In 2000, the couple returned to Ireland, and Laurence began to write.

Who is Laurence O’Bryan ?

Date/place of birth: July 27, 1961/Dublin.

Education: Black Rock College. Rathmines College of Commerce; Business Studies. IT courses in Rewley House College, Oxford.

Home: Dundrum, Dublin

Family: Wife and two children, aged 12 and nine.

The Day Job: Part-time marketing consultancy, including social media.

Hobbies: “I’m in four writing groups in Dublin.”

Favourite Writers: Micheal Connolly, Conan Doyle, Flann O’Brien.

Second Novel: “The second of a trilogy, it’s called The Jerusalem Puzzle. I’m going to Jerusalem in February to do some research. It’s planned for January, 2013.”

Top Writing Tip: Keep the pace moving.

Web: www.lpobryan.wordpress.com

Twitter: @lpobryan

The Debut: The Istanbul Puzzle. Harper Collins: €9.25. Kindle: €1.46.

The first few chapters won a prize in 2007. But it took 100 rejections before Harper Collins accepted the manuscript, through a new ‘Authonomy’ scheme.

The Istanbul Puzzle starts with the grisly murder of Alex Zegliwski, beheaded near the archaeological site of Hagia Sophia. His colleague, Sean Ryan arrives in Istanbul to investigate. Then a lethal virus is unleashed in the city. It’s vital that Sean, aided by British diplomat Isabel Sharp, finds the killer, and fast. This debut contains history, action, adventure, and romance.

The Verdict: A superbly executed thriller, which makes the history of Istanbul spring to life.

— Interviewed by Sue Leonard