The remote Isle of Lewis has only had three murders in over forty years. When Helen Riley is asked to investigate a suspicious death on the peaceful island, no-one intends to help her uncover a fourth murder. As she gets closer to the truth, Riley faces threats to herself, her client and her family. Riley is confronted by assassination drones plus a powerful international network of collusion and conspiracy that threatens her job, her family and her life. Cut adrift, she embarks on a fight for justice and revenge.

What genre is this?
The Machair Crow is a novel that features one woman’s battle against the illicit use of assassination drones and how she overcomes the conspiracy to silence her. It is a thriller. It is a standard detective story on the one hand, but it is also a novel about drones, covert surveillance and the development of secret kill-lists.

You’ve got the words Introducing Helen Riley emblazoned across the cover. What do we need to know about her?
Helen Riley is a kick-ass combination of Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp and Lisbeth Salander. She’s a kick-ass private investigator based in Newcastle upon Tyne. She’s been army trained as an undercover surveillance officer with the army’s special forces. After she leaves the forces, she works as a police detective in Newcastle before turning private. She doesn’t do demure and compliant.

Those are some huge characters to reference.  It almost makes Helen Riley sound superhuman.
Riley is based on autobiographies of real women in the special forces.

When will we see Riley again?
I’m working on the sequel called “Dixon’s Revenge” and part of it is also based out on the Dhiobadail moor.

Writing a novel set on the Isle of Lewis comes with challenges, especially coming so soon after Peter May’s highly successful Lewis Trilogy.

Come back and tell us about it when it’s done. 
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Glasgow and studied English Literature at Stirling University before taking my Masters Degree in Education at Newcastle University. I worked as a manager in Children’s Services in England where I wrote a book on leadership before writing this, my first novel. I live in Newcastle with Angela and their two sons.

Do you have a website?
www.jayceebrown.com

And social media?
@jayceebrownbook

How easily do new storylines come to you? If we give you four random words – Man, Woman, Airport, Darkness – can you give us a brief storyline?
Three thousand people are stranded in Schippol Airport when the airport’s power supply goes into meltdown for three days. Deep snowdrifts prevent travel and there is limited emergency help. Two doctors (Doctor Smith and Doctor Jones) begin to help the ill, the elderly and the young . As the drama unfolds, the two doctors realise that they have more in common than just helping the Sick.