From Clue to Connection: Psychology, Procedure and the Emotional Depth of Crime Fiction

In crime fiction, a murder is never just a murder. It’s the tip of the iceberg, beneath it lies history, motive, programming, and the web of relationships that make human behaviour so endlessly fascinating to explore.

Crime scene investigation

As I currently write Lethal Leith Hill, the fourth book in my DI Matthew Goodwin series, I’ve found myself digging deeper into the psychological complexity of crime. This isn’t just about uncovering who did it, it’s about understanding why. The story unfolds through a more ensemble police procedural structure, where Goodwin works closely with his team, and readers get to know each character not just by their role in the investigation, but through the nuances of their pasts, habits, and emotional triggers. Their inner wiring, the things that shape how they interpret justice, trauma, or loyalty, becomes part of the mystery too, just like in Connecting Trains.

This contrasts with the international books in the series like Thai Die and Aloha Goodbye, where Goodwin often works alone in unfamiliar territory. These stories lean into external settings and personal risk, with motives that feel more surface-level and classic - money, jealousy, revenge. That shift is intentional. When Goodwin operates solo, the tension comes from isolation and environment. But in the UK-based stories like Connecting Trains and my current work-in-progress Lethal Leith Hill, he’s surrounded by others whose choices are shaped by darker currents. Think leafy Surrey, polished from the outside, but behind the hedgerows and heritage homes lie secrets, shame, and warped perceptions of justice - very prevelant in Connecting Trains.

Train tracks a metaphor for human programming

What I love about writing these books is the chance to show how we’re all just trains running on inherited tracks, belief systems laid down by upbringing, trauma, or social pressure. Some derail. Some switch tracks unexpectedly. Others keep going until they crash. And for Goodwin and his team, solving a crime often means decoding the track just as much as the person.

These are the stories where motive isn’t simple, and resolution doesn’t always mean closure. They invite readers to consider how far psychology threads through every character, even those who never speak. Because ultimately, crime fiction isn’t just entertainment, it’s a mirror held up to our behaviour, our fears, and the unspoken forces that drive us all.

Enjoy the contrast through the alternating series or read the style that appeals to you the most here

Have a great week,

Love Helen x