Interview With Author Amy Stanbra
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Yorkshire-based writer of crime and psychological thrillers, known for dark, layered storytelling and emotionally charged characters. With a background in the arts and a lifelong fascination with the human mind, I craft gripping narratives that explore identity, obsession, and the secrets we bury.
Before delving into the shadows of crime fiction, I wrote several children’s books and advanced reader titles, all illustrated by my talented daughter — a creative collaboration that continues to inspire me. When I’m not writing, I can usually be found people-Tending my cottage garden, collecting vintage oddities, or getting lost in the rain-soaked corners of South Yorkshire with my two dogs and family.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Gallery of Lies is the first in my Mara Vandelyn thriller series — a haunting debut that I hope blends forensic intrigue with my love for writing.
What inspired me to write The Gallery of Lies.
It began with a single image: a cracked mirror in an abandoned house and the question — what if someone used mirrors not just to reflect, but to distort? I’ve always been fascinated by identity, performance, and the masks people wear. Living in the beautiful countryside of South Yorkshire I am surrounded by quiet towns with rich histories and buried secrets — places that feel like they are watching you back. That eerie intimacy, mixed with my interest in forensic psychology and art, sparked the idea for a killer who stages his crimes like gallery pieces.
As a writer, I’m drawn to characters who walk the line between control and collapse. Mara Vandelyn, my lead detective, emerged from that tension — brilliant but bruised, analytical but deeply human. Her story became my way of exploring grief, guilt, and the fine line between justice and obsession.
The Gallery of Lies is fiction, but the emotions behind it — the fear of being seen too closely, or not at all — are very real.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always draft on my phone . Which means I can literally write anyone. In bed, in the garden, shopping at lidl even while using the loo. When ever an idea hits, I’m always ready.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Writers Who Shaped Me
I grew up in a house of books — shelves lined not just with stories, but with voices that seemed to speak directly to me. Over time, a handful of authors became my compass. They didn’t just entertain; they unsettled, provoked, and whispered truths I hadn’t yet named. Their work became the soil I write from.
Margaret Atwood taught me that language could be both razor-sharp and poetic. Her ability to distil vast themes — power, control, memory — into elegantly brutal prose showed me that beauty and menace can coexist. The Handmaid’s Tale didn’t just tell a story; it left claw marks. That taught me the value of restraint, of what’s left unsaid.
Markus Zusak, especially in The Book Thief, showed me how to use heartbreak as scaffolding. His unconventional narration, lyrical style, and gentle handling of grief inspired the emotional undercurrents of The Gallery of Lies. I learned that crime and tragedy can be deeply human — tender, even — when written with empathy.
Sebastian Faulks gave me a sense of time and weight — how personal trauma echoes across generations. His work taught me that character is history, that our pasts don’t follow us; they walk alongside us. In my stories, every character carries something buried — not unlike Faulks’ haunted protagonists.
Ian Rankin made me fall in love with procedural grit. His Inspector Rebus novels proved that crime fiction could be intelligent, layered, and socially observant. He showed me how to balance a flawed detective with an equally flawed world — something I strive for in Mara Vandelyn.
And of course, Agatha Christie — the matriarch of misdirection. She taught me how to plant seeds, how to lead readers one way and then quietly twist the blade. Her puzzles were precise, but never cold. From her, I learned that structure matters. That endings must feel both surprising and inevitable.
These writers gave me different tools: voice, atmosphere, emotional depth, structure, suspense. I don’t write like them, but because of them. Their words live in my spine. And when I sit down to write, it’s their courage — and their curiosity — that remind me why I began.
What are you working on now?
The second book in the Mara Vandelyn thriller series- Death Doula
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have always shied away from. Self promotion. Which clearly isn’t productive for a self-employed writer. I use liked in and facebook .
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book you want to read — not the one you think the market wants.
Your voice is your superpower. It might take time to find, and longer to trust, but don’t be afraid to sound like you. The most resonant stories aren’t always the loudest or the trendiest — they’re the most honest.
Don’t wait for permission. You don’t need a degree, a perfect desk, or a golden window of time. Write in chaos. Write in silence. Write while stirring pasta or waiting in the school car park. Just write.
Finish things. Ideas are exciting; middles are messy; endings are hard. But finishing a book — even a flawed one — teaches you more than a thousand unwritten perfect ones ever will.
Rejection is part of it. So is doubt. Every writer you admire has stared at a blank page and wondered if they’re good enough. Keep going anyway.
And finally — find joy in it. Not every day, not every scene. But if you can stay curious and stay in love with the process, it will show in your work.
We don’t write to be understood. We write to understand.
That’s where the magic lives.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Write the story only you can tell and tell it like no one is watching.” This was something my councillor said to me years ago, that still resinates every time I begin a new chapter.
What are you reading now?
Body of Evindence – Patricia Cornwell
What’s next for you as a writer?
That’s a brilliant next step — and a natural one. Turning The Gallery of Lies into a series means you’re not just telling a story… you’re building a world. Here’s what “what’s next” could look like for you as a writer:
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🌕 What’s Next for Amy Stanbra
Now that The Gallery of Lies has found its voice, I’m deep into turning this world into a series — one that follows Dr. Mara Vandelyn as she navigates the dark corners of identity, obsession, and memory.
I see this as more than sequels. It’s an ongoing exploration of hidden selves, of the tension between appearance and truth, played out against the gritty beauty of South Yorkshire. With each book, I want to peel back another layer — not just of the crimes, but of the people caught in their gravity.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
A novel within a novel, wrapped in mystery, memory, and female resilience. Atwood’s command of structure and subtext would keep you company for months — and remind you how language can be both brutal and beautiful.
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
For its poetic narration, its quiet heartbreak, and its reminder that words can both destroy and save lives. You’d reread it for the craft, and cry every time.
3. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
Rich, aching, and deeply human. This one would feed your soul and remind you of history’s depth — the way love and trauma ripple through generations.
4. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
A classic whodunnit with icy precision and that perfect twist. For when you need plot, pace, and the satisfying snap of a tightly written mystery.
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