Sunderland author Frances Mackintosh immerses herself in the mind of a psychopath to pen second book

An author who immersed herself in the workings of criminology and the psychology behind what makes a serial killer tick to enhance the authenticity of her writing is celebrating the publishing of her second book.

The Pigpen is the sequel to the psychological thriller Coming For You which was released by Frances Mackintosh in May last year (2023) and is part of a planned trilogy.

Coming For You took readers on a mind twisting journey into the warped mind of serial killer William Channing, who teamed up with his mother to take the lives of 17 victims.

However the tables were turned and the “hunter became the hunted” when his would be 18th victim turned out to be an equally disturbed individual who also fantasised about committing murder.

Pigpen focuses on Channing's daughter, 18-year-old Agatha, who is following in her father's footsteps.

With "killing in her blood", Agatha is out of control and is now taking lives "purely for pleasure".

With the police on her trail and honing in on the family's Northumberland farm, the book also explores how far a mother will go to protect her daughter and the secrets which lie in the pigpen.

Before embarking on her writing career, Frances studied  psychometrics - personality profiling - and completed a degree in Psychology and Criminology.

Frances, 53, from Middle Herrington, said: "I write part time as six hours a day getting into the head of a psychopath - which is how I create my stories - is emotionally draining and you need space to clear your brain.

"I'm really pleased with the response to the first book with hundreds of copies being sold not just in the UK but also across the world in other parts of Europe and even New Zealand."

Frances had "dreamt" of becoming a writer since she was a child.

She said: “It was a childhood dream to write a book and see it published. As a little girl I used to play libraries, which shows how obsessed I was with reading.

"It was surreal to hold a copy of my first book but seeing my second book published is really exciting and it now feels like a real career."

To mark the official launch of Pigpen, Frances is hosting an event at the Royalty Theatre in Sunderland on Friday January 26, with doors opening at 6.30pm.

Frances will be using a number of props to discuss the book and there will also be an opportunity for people to ask questions.

There will be a prize draw with the winning name incorporated into the plot of the third book in the trilogy, 'The Sins of her Child',

Frances said: "“I’m excited to be back at the Royalty Theatre. It is a great venue, the team there are very supportive and I’m sure William Channing will be making another appearance on stage.”

Frances hopes to have penned the final book in the trilogy by the end of the year (2024)