Meet the Author

Let’s get to know Chris Carter...

Chris Carter
Biographies can be an absolute drag, so I won’t bore anyone with a long life story.

I was born in Brasilia, Brazil where I spent my childhood and teenage years. After graduating from high school, I moved to the USA where I studied psychology with specialization in criminal behaviour. During my University years I held a variety of odd jobs, ranging from flipping burgers to being part of an all male exotic dancing group.

I worked as a criminal psychologist for several years before moving to Los Angeles, where I swapped the suits and briefcases for ripped jeans, bandanas and an electric guitar. After a spell playing for several well known glam rock bands, I decided to try my luck in London, where I was fortunate enough to have played for a number of famous artists. I toured the world several times as a professional musician.

A few years ago I gave it all up to become a full time writer.

Books
Robert Hunter
I'm the author of eight novels featuring Robert Hunter - a Criminal Behavior Psychologist turned Detective for the Homicide Special Section of the Los Angeles Robbery Homicide Division.
#0.5 The Hunter (2013)
#1 The Crucifix Killer (2009)
#2 The Executioner (2010)
#3 Night Stalker (2011)
#4 The Death Sculptor (2012)
#5 One By One (2013)
#6 An Evil Mind (2014)
#7 I Am Death (2015)
#8 The Caller (2017)
#9 Gallery of the Dead (2018)

Contact
I'm always pleased to hear from readers and I welcome all comments, observations, humorous insults regarding my author photos, requests and questions in general. Write to him on his Facebook page.

Some comments from his Facebook Page
Chris Carter
March 10 ·
Tomorrow, 11/03 the fourth episode of Britain's Most Evil Killers will air at 9.00 pm on Sky Living. This time I will be part of the team discussing Raoul Moat, who after shooting three people, including his ex-girlfriend, went on the run. What ensued was a major operation to try to apprehend him. The operation failed.

Chris Carter
April 5 ·
I'm so proud and very honored to announce the Gallery of the Dead has spent all seven weeks, since it's release, in the top 20 Sunday Times Bestsellers list, the first 4 in the top 10. Thank you all so much for the most amazing support.

Chris Carter
March 21 ·
Very honoured to be told that my 8th novel - The Caller - was chosen to enter the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award. Unfortunately it cannot enter the awards competition as i don't hold a British passport, nevertheless I'm extremely flattered. :-)

Chris Carter
April 21 ·
Tomorrow night, April 22nd at 9.00 p.m., the last episode of the 10 chapter series - Britain's Most Evil Killers will air on Sky Living. I will be part of the group analysing the murders committed by Danilo Restivo. Don't miss it :-)

Chris Carter shared a post.
May 8 ·
I'm very honoured to announce that my Seventh novel - I Am Death - has been nominated for best foreign criminal novel of 2017 in Poland.

Chris Carter shared a post.
August 27 at 11:42 AM ·
What an incredible surprise. Today I learnt that my fifth novel in the Hunter series - One By One - (German title - Der Totschläger) was voted best Thriller novel of the past 10 years by readers of Vorablesen.de - a very large online book community in Germany. All I can say is THANK you all so much. I'm so flattered. This is incredible!

Chris Carter
September 3 at 2:38 AM ·
One more piece of great news from Germany. My latest novel - Gallery of the Dead (German title - Blutrausch - Er muss töten) was released in Germany on Friday August 31st and n its first week it entered the Spiegel Bestsellers chart at number 2. I am completely over the moon. Thank you all so much for the most amazing support.

Chris Carter
September 4 at 7:23 AM ·
There have been some epic reviews of Gallery of the Dead – this was one of my favourites. Read it in paperback when it’s published on Thursday.

Questions and Answers
How many books do you have planned for Detective Robert Hunter and would you ever consider writing a standalone book, if so, what?

There’s no plan for the number of books in the series. I guess that as long as readers still enjoy reading Hunter stories, I will keep on writing them.

There’s also no plan for me to write a stand alone, but you never know. The idea did enter my head a few times.

Your books are extremely graphic and quite gruesome and I worry about the research you must do when writing these books. First question is do you clear your internet search history as that could be awkward? and second question when you are writing these scenes do you ever gross yourself out?

My Internet browser is set to not retain any history anyway, so I don’t really need to clear it, but the truth is that most of these scenes do not come from research, they come from memory. I used to be a Criminal Behavior Psychologist, and I have attended countless crime scenes in which the aftermath would make anyone sick to their stomach. These images have never left me and I don’t think they ever will.

You have had a varied career to date ranging from flipping burgers to being part of an all male exotic dancing group (photos please??) have you considered opening up a Hamburger restaurant which only has male exotic dancing waiters and chefs… I think it would be great. We could call it “Carter’s Buns” or something, what do you think?

That is an idea. We could sell some very bloody burgers too.

Trust me, you don’t want to see any pictures from that era.

You have great hair, how often do you have it cut and what’s the secret behind your silky locks?

Oh, thank you so much. That’s very kind of you to say. Well, believe it or not, the last time I had my hair cut was almost 1.5 years ago. I kid you not. I just take good care of it, I guess. Argan oil does work wonders.

Where do you get the ideas for your serial killers and their stomach-churning crimes? If you don’t mind me saying you are one sick little puppy if that sort of thing goes round your head!

Again, due to my background in Criminal Behavior Psychology, I had to deal with innumerous cases where the perpetrators were very sick puppies. Trust me, reality is much, but much worse than fiction. All I do is refer to some of my memories, add a bit of imagination to it and I have a new serial killer for one of my stories.

Are you single/married/in a relationship/it’s complicated and more importantly are you romantic? If so, what is your idea of romance (please don’t say sewing her nether regions together)

I’m in a relationship and it’s complicated. I have never been married. I don’t believe I’m the romantic type. I’ve been known for doing a few romantic things, but I wouldn’t consider myself a romantic type. (I really do like that idea, though – kinky).

What has been the highlight of your writing career to date and what have you got planned for 2017?

I will have to say that getting a deal was the highlight of my writing career. Before writing The Crucifix Killer, I had never even written a short story in my life. I simply decided to write a book, just like that, out of the blue. I never really expected someone to like what I was writing, never mind an agent and a publishing house. It truly was a huge surprise for me.

I’m already writing book nine, which will be released in hardback in February 2018, so I will spend the year writing, like I usually do. Several music and Fetish festivals coming up as well this year, so there will also be a lot of travelling.

Questions from Superfans on TBC

Karen Vanderputt – Who is your favourite author and what are you reading at the moment?

The truth is I don’t have a favorite author. I also don’t read nearly as much as I should, especially for a person who makes his living writing. My “to-read” shelf is turning into a “to-read” library.
At the moment I am reading a book called “Kill The Father”

Linda Hill – What has been the most challenging part of the transition from musician to writer?

I have to say everything. They are two very different careers. Maybe the top one is that as a musician you usually do your work with others. In my case – a band, but as an author, all my work is done by myself. It’s a very lonely profession and one must be comfortable with that if they intend to go down that road.

Kate Moloney – Do you still enjoy clubbing to relax?

Hell Yeah. I go clubbing practically every weekend all the way until 7 in the morning, and on most weekends I end up in some after party. I work hard during the week, but at the weekends I party.

Cecilly Conlin – Do you have any plans to come to the UK and especially Harrogate for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Festival ever?

I would love to attend the Harrogate Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Festival again. I’ve been there twice already. But to attend the Harrogate festival, an author needs to be invited by the organizing committee. If they invite me again, I will gladly attend. It would be a great pleasure.

Barbara Beswick “Chris, if you had to choose between Italian or French cuisine, which pasta dish would you choose?..”

Brazilian barbecue without a doubt.

Thanks Eadie. Carter sounds like a very different kind of writer than we are used to.

>3 Olivermagnus: He is very different indeed!

Thanks Eadie. He sounds like an very interesting individual. Glad he's not set on a certain number of Robert Hunter Books.

>5 Carol420: Yes I liked that too!

Thanks for pulling this together, Eadie; it certainly appears Carter has had a colourful life (and is continuing to do so!).

>7 Sergeirocks: He certainly is colourful!