Destination Mystery

When Rory bent down to inspect the flowerbed, she caught sight of something twinkling in the dirt. She knelt down on the grass and plunged her hand into the cool earth, clearing away the soil from around the sparkling object.  An involuntary cry of alarm sprang from her lips. Her tennis shoes slid on the damp grass as Rory leapt to her feet and gaped at the finger sticking out of the dirt. She closed her eyes and said to herself over and over again: It's not real. It's all in your mind. Once she'd convinced herself the finger was a vision caused by too many hours at the computer, she opened her eyes and stared down at the ground again. The finger was still there.   -- Sybil Johnson, Fatal Brushstroke   Such fun to chat with Sybil Johnson about her cozy series, the Aurora Anderson mysteries. Her heroine combines the logic of a computer programmer with the ability to see -- and notice details -- with an artist's eye. The warmth of her circle of family and friends -- not to mention a good-looking detective and a steady supply of mysteries to solve -- makes this series a great find for cozy fans. Sybil gives a shout-out to one of my favorite cozy authors, Gigi Pandian, whom I interview here, and also Leigh Perry's Family Skeleton mysteries. Also, if you -- like me -- happen to be a sucker for holiday mysteries, let me send you over to Janet Rudolph's website, Mystery Fanfare, where she routinely publishes lists of mysteries involving holidays both major and obscure.  There are three books in the Aurora Anderson Mystery series so far, and three more to come. Book Four, Designed for Haunting, will be out for Halloween, but you can preorder it now.  Aurora Anderson books in order: 1 - Fatal Brushstroke 2 - Paint the Town Dead 3 - A Palette for Murder 4 - Designed for Haunting You can find Sybil online at her website (her questions for book groups are here), on Twitter, and on Facebook. And you can find her blogging at the fun group site, Type M for Murder. The group includes Vicki Delany and Frankie Y. Bailey, both of whom I've had the pleasure of interviewing. As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ********************************* Transcript of Interview with Sybil Johnson Laura Brennan: Author Sybil Johnson began her love affair with reading in kindergarten, with The Three Little Pigs. She then discovered Encyclopedia Brown, and the die was cast. Her Aurora Anderson mysteries are perfect cozies, combining art, friendship, a good-looking cop, and a hefty dose of murder. Sybil, thank you for joining me. Sybil Johnson: Thank you for having me. LB: So, like most of the mystery writers I chat with, you had another career in another field before you started writing novels. SJ: That's right. I was in software development, I was a computer programmer, I also managed computer programmers, which is a little bit like herding cats. And I did that kind of thing for 20 years. LB: What I found with mystery writers -- and I'm sure it's true of all writers, but I like mysteries, so with mystery writers -- writers write themselves and their world into their books. Which is fantastic, I think it's one of the reasons why every series is unique. So you were in computers and your heroine Rory is a computer programmer. How did you develop her character? SJ: Well, first off, I decided to do that, I decided to make her a freelance one. Anytime you have an amateur sleuth, you always have to have them have time during the day to go out and detect. And if she's a freelance computer programmer, she can work whenever she wants. She can work at 2 AM if she wants, and she can do her stuff during the day. So that was one of the reasons. And also, I thought it would be nice character because she's very analytical, which most computer programmers are, which I am. But she also has an artsy side, which is where the Tole painting comes in.

Susie didn't mind playing the cops and hookers game, an unavoidable situation for a working girl. She would come out no worse for wear if she only played by the rules. She had learned to be friendly but respectful, even a little playful at times, and she knew to give the cops something they didn't have when they called her over. Nothing happens on the street without these girls seeing it, hearing about it, or being directly involved in it. They know who peddles the dope, who runs the guns, who whacked the last guy, and who is getting whacked next, and why. If a girl wanted to stay on the street making her money, she would need to provide information to the cops from time to time.  Susie glanced toward the white panel van as it slowed, pulled along the sidewalk, and followed her as she sauntered north on the sidewalk of Long Beach Boulevard. The driver leaned toward the open passenger's window and looked her over... -- Danny R. Smith, A Good Bunch of Men I am always extra-eager to talk to people with real-life experience in the worlds they write about, and so I am delighted to bring you an interview with former homicide detective Danny R. Smith. Danny brings the fellowship of the squad room to life -- as well as the banter and dark humor that take the edge off of the hard and often grisly job. And if you sign up for his newsletter (follow the link and scroll down), he will send you a free short story, so you should absolutely go check him out. No worries; I'll wait! Danny's first book, A Good Bunch of Men, introduces the characters and partnership that makes up the team known as Dickie Floyd. His second book, Door to a Dark Room, which was being finished as this interview was recorded, is available for pre-order as this goes live. I also want to mention Ellen Kirschman, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing here, and whose work I mention because both she and Danny write about cops and police psychologists, but from the opposite perspective. In their novels, they each approach that relationship with an understanding of how difficult it is for trust to form. I find it fascinating to glimpse this world from both sides, and from people with first-hand experience.  Plus I love both of their writing! Check out Danny's blog, particularly if you're a fan of true crime or are looking for the story behind the story. As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ***************************************************** Transcript of Interview with Danny R. Smith Laura Brennan: Danny Smith is a retired homicide detective, current private investigator, and author of the Dickie Floyd mystery series about a pair of veteran Los Angeles detectives who couldn’t be more different, or better-matched. Danny, thank you for joining me. Danny R. Smith: Good morning. Thank you for having me, Laura. LB: The two heroes of your series are Los Angeles homicide detectives, and that was your old beat, wasn't it? DS: Yes. LB: How did you end up going into police work? DS: Well, like many young men, I was kind of lost and not sure what to do. And I landed a job working security through a friend who said, hey, this is a great job while you're going to college, you can work the graveyard shift and do your homework while you're working, and it pays pretty good. I think it was like, $4.50/hour back then. The two heads of security were retired LAPD officers and I just fell in love with these guys. These were men's men, the stories they told, the way they walked, the way they talk, the way they looked at people, the way they joked with people. Everything about these guys, I just loved. These two guys were just great guys, and that actually is when I first started thinking, man, it'd be great to be a cop. LB: Well, that's really interesting because one of the things you capture so well in your novels is the sense of camaraderie. DS: Yeah. The debut novel,

Mirabelle Bevan swept into the office of McGuigan & McGuigan Debt Recovery at nine on the dot. She removed her jacket and popped the gold aviator sunglasses she'd been wearing into her handbag, which she closed with a decisive click. The musky scent of expensive perfume spiced the air -- the kind that only a sleek, middle-aged woman could hope to carry off. Bill Turpin arrived in her wake. Like Mirabelle, Bill was always punctual. He was a sandy-haired, reliable kind of fellow. At his heel was the black spaniel the office had acquired the year before. Panther nuzzled Mirabelle's knees, his tail wagging.  "Nasty business on Oxford Street," Bill commented, picking up a list of the day's calls from his in-tray and casting an eye down the addresses. "That new barber's." "Tea, Bill?" Mirabelle offered without looking up. "Nah. Always puts me off, does a murder..." -- England Expects, Sara Sheridan What a delight to chat with author Sara Sheridan! I can't possibly keep up with all of her accomplishments, but I'll do my best. Here are a few ways you might connect with her work: -- Like historical mysteries? Her Mirabelle Bevan series features a woman who has suffered tremendous loss -- as has her country. Together, she and England are coming out of the despair of the Second World War. Oh, and Mirabelle is solving murders along the way. -- Prefer contemporary fiction? From Hong Kong call girls to a mysterious inheritance, road trips and revenge, Sara writes it all. -- Historical epics? From China to Antarctica, Brazil, England, and the Arabian desert, Sara sweeps you across the world. -- Nonfiction your thing? She wrote the companion guide to the ITV series, Victoria, and is currently writing about Scottish women in history. As she herself has been inducted into the Saltire Society's community of Outstanding Women, I think that's highly appropriate.  -- Let's not forget blog posts. Here is one of my favorite of hers, on the anniversary of UK women getting the right to vote. It's on the site of Sara's own Reek Perfume, a company she runs with her daughter, so if you have a weakness for fabulous scent, well, you can thank me later.  Sara is so busy writing, she mentions that she needs to deliberately carve out specific times to read. Go-to favorites are Scottish novelist and screenwriter, Lorna Moon, TC Boyle, Jeremy Levin, Susan Ferrier, and of course Agatha Christie. We also talk about the Windrush generation and the problems they're currently facing; anyone interested in learning more can check out this BBC overview.  Sara and I chat about her most recent novel, The Ice Maiden, and if you're in the UK, you're in luck! Today is the launch date! Yay! Go read. Alas, American listeners will have to be a little more patient; we don't get The Ice Maiden until November, 2018, but you can preorder here.  As always, if you'd prefer to read our chat rather than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura     ********************************************************************** Laura Brennan: Author Sara Sheridan brings history to life in novels such as On Starlit Seas and her upcoming historical epic set in Antarctica, The Ice Maiden, which will be out in the US this July. It’s a romance and an adventure -- but where there’s life there’s also murder… Her Mirabelle Bevan mysteries, set in post-WWII Brighton, feature a woman whose skills were honed during the war and who finds herself at loose ends now that there's peace. Lucky for us, evil lurks everywhere -- even in Brighton. Sara, thank you for joining me. Sara Sheridan: It's nice to chat to you. LB: So you write the wonderful Mirabelle Bevan historical mystery series, which we're going to talk about, but you also write prolifically in other genres. SS: Yes, I do. I find it really stimulating, actually, to write in other genres. I know some writers find it really confusing, but for me,

If Max Montgomery ever had to commit to monogamy to save his wife's life, she would just have to come back and haunt him from the afterlife. Max rested his forearm on the registration desk as his eyes anxiously crisscrossed the lobby of the Beverly Hills Ritz-Carlton. He watched as people milled about, dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns. He made eye-contact with a short, brown-skinned cutie who sashayed by in dress so tight he could see the faint outline of her thong. Max smiled. She smiled back. Too bad he was already about to get laid. Otherwise, he definitely would have taken the time to follow up on that. -- Every Reasonable Doubt, Pamela Samuels Young My conversation with Pamela Samuels Young spanned so many important issues and so many good books, I wasn't sure which one to give you a taste of. But I went with her first published novel, Every Reasonable Doubt, a legal thriller which opens with Max, as he goes to keep a date he'll never forget.  His last. Pamela writes powerful legal thrillers and protagonists who have complicated, messy relationships. She's been called John Grisham with a female twist -- and, I would argue, a gift for creating characters you want to follow in case after case.  She also delves into difficult and important safety issues, especially if you have a teenager in your life. And she makes it easy (well, easier) for you to address these issues with your children, having adapted two of her own novels for middle school and up: #Abuse of Discretion on the very real legal dangers of sexting, and #Anybody's Daughter on the terrifying world of sex trafficking right here in the United States. Regarding the epidemic of teenagers being prosecuted for sexting (and facing sentences that include both prison and registering as sex offenders), Pamela talks about a recent case in Minnesota. If you want further info, I have the ACLU statement here and the judicial outcome here. Newsweek offers a bleak, and sadly increasingly common story of a teenage boy whose life was devastated because of some ill-considered photos exchanged with his girlfriend.  Pamela has all her legal series in order on her website. Not listed there, but findable on Amazon, is her legal erotic novella, Unlawful Desires. If, you know, you need a change of pace. As always, the transcript is below if you'd rather read than listen. Enjoy! -- Laura ********************************************************************************************* Laura Brennan: Pamela Samuels Young is an attorney, author, and anti-trafficking advocate. Her award-winning thrillers shine a light on important issues like sex trafficking, online safety, and the juvenile justice system and include young adult mysteries, legal thrillers, and even an erotic suspense novella under her pen name, Sassy Sinclair. Pamela, thank you for joining me. Pamela Samuels Young: Thank you for having me. LB: So you don't just write about justice, you work for justice in real life. PSY: I previously did, sort of. I'm now full-time author, I've been retired from the practice of law for two years. I was actually an employment lawyer, employment defense. Discrimination, sexual harassment, cases of those matters. My last job was in house with Toyota. LB: I certainly think discrimination is one of the key aspects of working for justice. PSY: I completely agree. LB: How did you get into that field? Why did you decide to go into law? PSY: I was a journalism major in college, I went to USC. And I was convinced I was going to be the next Woodward and Bernstein. Then I spent a summer while at USC working in DC at a local television station, and that became my passion. So then I went to grad school directly afterwards and got a Master's in broadcasting and began working in TV news. And after about five or six years of TV news, most recently at KCBS in LA, I was completely burned out and decided to go to law school.

Andi Battaglia entered the house and carefully covered her nose and mouth with her handkerchief before proceeding. Cops say once you smell the odor, you know it instantly, an observation that doesn't make the effect any easier to handle. June in Florida with the air conditioning off had turned the house into a vile-smelling sauna. Andi greeted the man and woman who stood near the patrolman, ready to transport the body either to the local mortuary or to the Medical Examiner in Fort Pierce if there was to be an autopsy. Andi hadn't been called, but she'd been in the area when she heard the report on her car radio. If it was a homicide, it would be her first in her new job as a detective, and she'd notified the station that she was going to the scene. No one would argue -- certainly not the other detectives who didn't want any more work than they already had.  Holding her handkerchief tightly over her nose and breathing through her mouth, Andi entered the bedroom... The man's eyes were open, his eyelids drooped half-shut... -- A Reason to Kill, Carole Sojka I have the great pleasure this time of interviewing one of the most lovely and interesting of writers: Carole Sojka. Carole has lived a lifetime of adventures, notably with her husband as one of the first thousand Peace Corps volunteers, and traveling all over the world. She worked, traveled, raised a family, and in retirement, turned her hand to writing. And so a new adventure began. Carole has two books to date and a third on the way in her Andi Battaglia police series, set in Florida. The first, A Reason to Kill, introduces Andi as she tries to break away from her past and start fresh. But of course the past always has a way of sneaking up on you. In her second book, So Many Reasons to Die, it's Andi's partner Greg who finds that the past is hard to lay to rest. Especially when she winds up murdered on your turf.  Carole's third book is a stand-alone, Psychic Damage, about a woman who is addicted to visiting psychics -- right up to the moment one of them is murdered. Oh, and if you're looking for more information about the fascinating House of Refuge which features in A Reason to Kill, you can check it out here. Carole gives a shout-out to author Doug Lyle, who I've had the pleasure of hearing lecture. A terrific writer and a generous spirit, you can learn more about him at his website. If you are a mystery writer, I can't recommend his book, Forensics, highly enough. Carole also mentions one of her favorite writers, Julia Spencer Flemming, whose work inspired Carole to get her detectives out of Florida and into the snow in their next adventure. And finally, Carole gives a shout out to her friend and editor, Candy Somoza. You can see Candy read from her own work here.  Meanwhile, keep tabs on Carole, see her fabulous pics from Somalia, and check out excerpts from her books via her website: http://carolesojka.com/  As usual, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura *************************************************************************************** Transcript of Interview with Carole Sojka Laura Brennan: My guest, Carole Sojka, writes mysteries -- and lives adventures. She and her husband were among the first thousand Peace Corps volunteers and they have traveled to every continent except Antarctica. Her mysteries capture that sense of adventure and romance -- although of course the bodies do tend to pile up.  Carole, thank you for joining me. Carole Sojka: Thank you for having me. LB: You have led a very exciting life. CS: It doesn't seem like that in retrospect, but I guess it was, or it has been. LB: Did it seem like that at the time? When you took off for Africa and the Peace Corps, did it seem like this is the most exciting thing I'll ever do? CS: Yes, it did. I remember that no matter what was going on during our Peace Corps time,

“Carmen’s working on a series about children and the courts,” Francine said. “Kids falling into poverty are a very big problem.”      “I’m aware of the problem, Francine. I’ll skip over the question of what has made Carmen give a good hoot in hell about children all of a sudden. What does any of this have to do with that coke-head Mark?”      “It’s just… she knew Mark fairly well and doesn’t think his death was accidental. She says Mark did drugs too much to do something that stupid.”      “So she thinks he did it on purpose? Is that it? He committed suicide over the predicament of his client and child?”      “Not exactly,” Francine said.      In hindsight I can see clearly how nonchalant she wanted to seem, playing with the gold locket and dropping it inside her sweater, glancing in the direction of the window as if a pretty bird had alighted there. “Carmen thinks Mark was murdered.” -- Weave a Murderous Web, Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks They say a writing partnership is like a marriage. In the case of Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks, it *is* a marriage. They starting writing together while dating in college and they never looked back. Ken and Anne have written something for everyone. Their books include an international thriller, Theft of the Shroud; books for children and tweens, such as Things Are Not What They Seem (and the sequel they mentioned has been released! It's Remembering Thomas, set during the Revolutionary War); a mainstream adult novel, Kate and the Kid; and their Jane Larson mystery series, which takes place in the legal world they both know well. In chronological order, the Jane Larson books are: Weave a Murderous Web Mind Me, Milady Praise Her, Praise Diana If you'd like to keep track of their many projects, you can go to their website or find their author page on Facebook. Also, I want to give props to their publishers: the Jane Larson series is published by Melange Books, and you can find children and tween books at Muse It Up Publishing. As always, if you'd rather read than listen, a transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura *********************************************************************************************** Transcript of Interview with Ken Hicks and Anne Rothman-Hicks Laura Brennan: It is my great pleasure today to have not one, but two guests: the writing team of Ken Hicks and Anne Rothman-Hicks. Ken and Anne have to date written over 20 books, from children's books to mysteries. Ken and Anne, thank you so much for joining me. Ken Hicks: Thank you for having us. Anne Rothman-Hicks: Thank you very much. LB: So let's talk a little bit about you. You are not just a writing partnership, you're an everything partnership. KH: We do a lot of different projects, including photography and jewelry and stone sculpture and that kind of thing. LB: And you're married. ARH: That's a project! KH: And were married. That's an ongoing project. LB: So how did you meet? ARH: We met at a college dance. KH: Anne was at Bryn Mawr College, and I was at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. They're very close and I think were even closer at the time. And we met, and the next year we had a writing project together. LB: That's fantastic. Now did one of you start writing first and draw the other one in, or was this from the beginning something you wanted to do together? ARH: We were both writing individually but joined up together. LB: So were you writing the same type of things or were you each writing in a different genre? ARH: I was writing poetry for a while. LB: Oh, how lovely! KH: Yes, she wrote very nice poetry. But I think what happened was, when we first met, we were both interested in children's books. I was reading a lot of children's books of the time and Anne had her own knowledge of them. In fact, she was doing a Latin translation of Winnie the Pooh. We decided we'd like to try to do a student project together and ...

The day had gone badly for Raymond Ambler, a bitterly cold, gray, January day not long after New Year's, the wind like a knife, slicing into the cavern cut by 42nd Street between the skyscrapers on either side. The wind stung his face and whipped under his trench coat as he walked the couple of blocks to the library from Grand Central, where he'd gotten off the subway from the courthouse downtown. Banks of piled-up snow, stained and filthy as only snow on a city street can get, hanging on from the storm the day after Christmas, lined the curb, the gutters on at each street corner a half-foot deep in slush and muddy water.  -- Con Lehane, Murder in the Manuscript Room Murder + libraries is always a winner for me, and author Con Lehane gives us a non-cozy suspense series about Raymond Ambler, curator of crime at the 42nd Street Library. Ahem, I mean curator of crime books, of course. ;) Raymond comes across more than his fair share of bodies -- and lucky for us that he does. In his latest, there is a crime from the past reaching its tentacles into the present, as well as family complications and questions of trust and betrayal. This is Con's second series, and it's just as interesting and complex as his first, The Bartender Brian McNulty Mysteries. In fact, McNulty has a cameo in the 42nd Street Library series as well. After all, there's always a good reason to stop in at a bar. I'm all over the cover art for the US edition of the first in that series, Beware the Solitary Drinker, published by Poisoned Pen Press. It was painted by Fritz Scholder; if you're not familiar with the artist, you can check out his official website here.  Con gives a shout-out to Megan Abbott, who has compared him to Ross Macdonald. So many other writers came up in our chat! They include fellow noir(ish) writer Jason Starr; Macdonald's wife, Margaret Millar; and Con's favorite writer, Nelson Algren, who wrote The Man with the Golden Arm. Fellow writers whom Con admires for melding social problems with crackerjack mysteries include George Pelecanos, S.J. Rozan, Laura Lippman, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, and Walter Mosley. If your TBR list isn't big enough, we also talk about a murder that happened while he was tending bar -- although not in his bar -- and influenced Beware the Solitary Drinker. It was adapted into a novel, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, by Judith Rossner. Finally, one mystery is solved! Con quotes a writer whose name escaped him, but it was, as he thought, the author of The Book of Daniel, E.L. Doctorow. The link takes you to even more of Doctorow's great quotes. Do check out Con's website as well as his Facebook and Twitter feeds if you want to keep tabs on him. Meanwhile, if you'd rather read than listen, as always, a transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ************************************************************************************* Transcript of Interview with Con Lehane Laura Brennan: My guest today is author Con Lehane. Con has been a bartender, labor journalist, union organizer, and college professor. The New York Times has called his Brian McNulty mystery series “cruelly charming” while Megan Abbot dubbed his first Raymond Ambler novel a “masterful tale in the grand tradition of Ross Macdonald.” Con, thank you for joining me. Con Lehane: Well, thank you. LB: Those are some passionate fans, there. CL: Well, I'm very lucky. I've known Megan since her first book. Her first two, three, four were these noir-ish books that were set in the glamorous 40s. Her later books are stand-alones about younger women, girls growing up. I really appreciated her saying that, and I really admire Ross Macdonald. He's sort of my mentor from the past. Maybe I'm too much like him in some ways. LB: I don't think you can be too much like Ross Macdonald, I don't think that's a thing. I think that's good. So, you mentioned noir. There is a very noir feel, especially to your first series.

Lyle Deming braked his Mustang hard and aimed for the sandy shoulder of the desert road. Luckily, his daughter Sam had been looking down and didn’t see the body. He passed a thicket of creosote and manzanita and pulled onto the dirt as soon as he could. “Stay in the car,” he told Sam in a tone that precluded discussion. He trotted 200 feet back on the road, around the brush, to reach the parked vehicle—and the unmoving, bullet-riddled body he’d seen next to it. -- Mark S. Bacon, Desert Kill Switch Mark S. Bacon is a prolific writer, first as a reporter -- and yes, that included a stint as a police reporter, be still my heart! -- then as a nonfiction writer, and finally in the realm of fiction. You can keep tabs on him (and read sample chapters and even some of his flash fiction stories) on his website, right here. Speaking of flash fiction, Mark gives a shout-out to some practitioners of the genre, including Margaret Atwood and Ernest Hemingway -- that's some pedigree! In fact, if you yourself want to give the genre a try, there is an annual competition in Hemingway's honor presented by Fiction Southeast. Be warned: it's addictive to write as well as to read. If you're looking for more, Mark has an entire book filled with only flash fiction, and in our preferred genre as well: Cops, Crooks & Other Stories in 100 Words.  As always, below you'll find a transcript if you'd rather read than listen. Enjoy! -- Laura ******************************************************************************************************************* Transcript of Interview with Mark S. Bacon Laura Brennan: Mark S. Bacon is no stranger to crime. In addition to writing his Nostalgia City mystery series, Mark worked as a police reporter and is a master of the ultra-short story: his collection Cops, Crooks and Other Stories is full of murder and mayhem, all in 100 words each. Mark, thank you for joining me. Mark S. Bacon: Thanks for having me, Laura. LB: So you have been a writer for a long time. Not necessarily of mysteries, but you have made your whole career as a writer. MB: That's true. I went to journalism school and started working for newspapers, and then I moved into advertising. And I became a copywriter, writing TV commercials, radio ads, that sort of thing. Then I went into marketing and at the same time I started writing nonfiction books and did that for quite a while. I've always been a fan of mysteries, I've always read mysteries from the time I could learn to read virtually. Finally the chance came to start writing mysteries, which is the kind of thing I read all the time and really enjoy that. Some writers say they write to entertain themselves, and I think that's partially true with me. I enjoy getting my characters into tight situations and figuring out how they're going to make it out. LB: You have a journalism background, but the journalists in your novels are not necessarily the easiest people to get along with. MB: Ha! That's an interesting observation. Yes, newspaper and broadcast news people tend to be kind of nosy and they want to find out everything they can. And I was that way when I was a reporter. So, when you're trying to solve a mystery, solve a murder, and in the case of Nostalgia City where there's a lot of issues involved with the public image of this theme park, my characters are kind of at odds with the news media even though one of them was actually a reporter for a short time. Yes, I make my reporters pretty nosy. LB: Yes, you do. Well, when you were a reporter, was that fodder for you? Was that grist for the mill for being a mystery writer? MB: Oh, of course it is. And the biggest part I think was doing police reporting. I showed up at the police department every morning and read reports and talked to cops and went out at crime scenes and learned the lingo of police. I learned what the procedures are and that kind of gave me the background so th...

A thick mist had crept in from the river. It skirled around the man's legs as he picked his way through the foul-smelling mud, drifting up to cloud the twisting turns of the narrow alleyways. He paused for a moment to watch the vapor ghosting through the gloom. A shiver of gooseflesh snaked down his spine. Shifting, he peered into the darkness, trying to spot the wrought-iron arches of Half Moon Gate. But only a shroud of black-on-black shadows lay ahead. -- Andrea Penrose, Murder at Half Moon Gate Author Andrea Penrose writes everything Regency: romances (as Andrea Pickens), steamy romances (as Cara Elliott), and not one but two fabulous Regency mystery series, which you can check out on her website right here. Her first mystery series, the Lady Arianna mysteries, is lighter, with a dash of chocolate, while her Wrexford and Sloane mysteries -- Murder on Black Swan Lane, and the latest, Murder at Half Moon Gate -- are a darker take on the Regency era. Both are brimming with mystery, friendship, and fabulous Regency details. Who knew Napoleon liked chocolate? Well, we all do now. Andrea is herself a fan of Georgette Heyer -- and really, who isn't? We talk about the fabulously evocative language of the Regency, and lo and behold, Ms. Heyer herself, on her website, offers up a dictionary of Regency slang. So if you find yourself becoming befogged, the remedy is within ames-ace.  ;) Here are all of Andrea's mysteries in order: Wrexford & Sloane Mystery Series 1 - Murder on Black Swan Lane 2 - Murder at Half Moon Gate Lady Arianna Regency Mysteries 1 - Sweet Revenge 2 - The Cocoa Conspiracy 3 - Recipe for Treason 4 - Smoke and Lies Novella: The Stolen Letters As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ****************************************************************************************************** Transcript of Interview with Andrea Penrose Laura Brennan: Andrea Penrose is a woman of mystery -- my favorite kind! Her bestselling mysteries are set in Regency England: The Lady Arianna Series, which melds danger, deception, and a dash of chocolate; and her newest series, The Wrexford and Sloane mysteries, in which an artist and a scientist find answers -- and unexpected chemistry -- when they solve cases together. Andrea, thank you for joining me. Andrea Penrose: Well, thank you very much for having me. LB: So you have been writing professionally for a long time now and under many pen names. AP: I have, and don't get me started on why. But it tends to be publishing, if you write for one house, you can't write under that same name for another house. LB: And it also allows people to not pick up a book that is, for example, a mystery when what they're looking for is your steamy Regency romances. AP: That's absolutely correct, too. Andrea Penrose is my mystery nom de plume. LB: So, Regency has been the thread running through a lot of your work, right? Because you went from Regency romances to slightly steamier Regency romances, to Regency mystery. So why Regency? AP: Well, you know, I love the era. I just find it a fabulously interesting time and place. It's a world that's aswirl in the silk and seduction of the Napoleonic wars, but it's also a time when radically new ideas are clashing with the conventional thinking of the past. People were questioning the fundamentals of society, and as a result everything was changing. Politics, art, music, science, social rules. The world was turning upside down. You had -- the romantic movement was really individual expression. You had Beethoven writing these amazingly emotional symphonies, and Byron pending wildly romantic poetry. And you had Mary Wollstonecraft writing the first feminist manifestos. Then the Industrial Revolution, technology is disrupting everyday life. So in many ways, it's the birth of the modern world. And for me,

The deputies were excited but quiet about it, out of respect for Peach. Unexplained death was uncommon, even with the aging residents that made up much of the population of the town. Violent death was even rarer in the scattered villages that lined the one road in and out of the mountain towns, and news about it would spread quickly. Meth, heroin, domestic abuse, identity theft, yes. At this point, though, murder seemed unlikely. Holly got Peach settled with a cup of chamomile tea and a plate of Fig Newtons along with a promise to stay put. It was hard to ignore the blood that stained her black-and-white cotton top. "I know this is tough, Peach. Try to be patient." Peach hugged herself, rocking back and forth in one of the chairs in a corner of the big kitchen... -- Mar Preston, The Most Dangerous Species It's my birthday! Well, not mine per se, but that of Destination Mystery. I launched the podcast two years ago, and in honor of that momentous event, I give you a bonus interview this month. My dear friend and wonderful mystery writer, Mar Preston, chats with me about her terrific police series, one set in Santa Monica, the other in a mountain village -- proving that crime is everywhere. Mar puts her all into researching, and she talks about several of the programs she's gone through for writers looking to get it right. She gives shout-outs to Lee Lofland's Writers Police Academy -- which a number of writers I know have taken and loved -- and the Public Safety Writers Association, which hosts an annual conference in Las Vegas. She also recommends the first mystery writer to delve into the mean streets of her home turf of Santa Monica: Raymond Chandler. Since The Long Goodbye is one of my all-time favorite mystery novels, I am happy that Santa Monica has inspired so many crime stories.  ;-)  Mar also writes books for beginning mystery writers, and you can get the first one for free, just by visiting her website and scrolling down.  Here are Mar's mysteries, in order: Detective Dave Mason: 1 - No Dice 2 - Rip-Off 3 - On Behalf of the Family 4 - A Very Private High School Detective Dex Stafford: 1 - Payback 2 - The Most Dangerous Species And her How-To Books: 1 - Writing Your First Mystery 2 - Plotting Your First Mystery 3 - Creating Killer Characters 4 - Finishing Your First Mystery 5 - Writing Backstory in Your Mystery Writing Your First Mystery Boxed Set (Books 1-4) As always, if you'd rather read than listen, there's a transcript below. Enjoy!  And happy birthday to all of us!  -- Laura ************************************************************************************ Transcript of Interview with Mar Preston Laura Brennan: My guest today writes police procedurals set in idyllic towns -- proving that even in paradise, murder is not unknown. Her Dave Mason mysteries take place in Santa Monica, where sun and sand are no match for greed and ambition, while her Dex Stafford series is set in a mountain resort community suspiciously like the one she currently calls home. Mar, thank you for joining me. Mar Preston: It's a pleasure. I enjoy talking to you when I see you at mystery conferences. This is a treat! LB: It is! It is. I've known you for years I've loved your writing all that time. MP: Aw, thanks Laura. LB: So let's talk a little bit about how you got into writing. When you started, you weren't writing mysteries, you are writing something else, right? MP: Well, I've always been a wordsmith. And I thought because it came easily to me that anybody could write if they just put their mind to it. It wasn't a skill that I thought had much value. And because I worked in academic research, and numbers and charts and graphs -- that was what was important. And then, after a long illness, as they say, my husband died and I'd been involved in taking care of him for a long while. When he died, there was this great gap of time.

The filmy, gray quality of the smoke column rising to the southwest told Captain Michael Stoddard that they were too late. The residence was gutted. He and his patrol of six redcoats from the Eighty-Second Regiment could render no aid. He'd seen far too much of arson's smudge upon the sky during his six months in North Carolina. Nevertheless, he pressed his mare toward the smoke through summer's swelter. A loyalist financier named Jasper Bellington owned the house...  -- Suzanne Adair, Killer Debt, A Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mystery   If you, like me, enjoy a good historical mystery, you are going to love my guest this week. Suzanne Adair writes mysteries set during the Revolutionary War and told from the point of view of redcoats rather than patriots. The level of research is astonishing, but what really makes these books stand out for me is the humanity she gives to her characters -- loyalists, redcoats, patriots, and neutrals alike. War may be at their doorstep, but that doesn't give anyone a license to murder. Suzanne has a feature on her blog that I really don't want you to miss. Called Relevant History, it welcomes experts who bring out an aspect of history not generally taught in schools and makes it relevant to the world today. For instance, my friend and brilliant historical mystery writer S.K. Rizzolo did a post for Suzanne on the subject of mixed-race heiresses in England in the early 1800s. Smart people sharing their knowledge and passion -- what more could you ask for? Well, maybe a murder or two, but Suzanne has that covered in her books. Here is her Michael Stoddard series, in order: 1 - Deadly Occupation 2 - Regulated for Murder 3 - A Hostage to Heritage 4 - Killer Debt (out May 2018) And here are her standalones: Paper Woman The Blacksmith's Daughter Camp Follower In addition to her website, you can check her out on Facebook and Twitter. And don't miss info on her crowdfunding campaign for Michael Stoddard Book 4, Killer Debt. Oh, and I can't forget the fangirl squee we gave out to Deep Space Nine! As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ****************************************************************************************** Transcript of Interview with Suzanne Adair Laura Brennan: My guest today specializes in bringing history to life -- in the midst of murder and intrigue, of course. Suzanne Adair writes mysteries set during the American Revolutionary War and featuring strong characters, intriguing plots, and a riveting look at our nation’s history -- from the point of view of loyalist characters. Suzanne, thank you for joining me. Suzanne Adair: Thank you for having me, Laura. It's great to be here. LB: Before we get into your stories in particular, how did you get into writing mysteries at all? Because you're an historian, aren't you? SA: Well, no, actually, I'm a scientist. That's my original background. I originally was writing science fiction and had an agent and very close calls at New York City presses, but, you know, didn't get the publishing contract. And I sat back and I realize, okay, my writing is good enough. But the problem is that science fiction is a really small market. I needed to switch to something that had a larger readership, and that would be mystery. I mean, I could have gone all the way to romance, and that would be a huge readership, but I really like the mystery genre. I read a whole lot more of that. So I decided to start setting fiction in the mystery genre. LB: At what point did you decide, oh, mysteries aren't hard enough. I'm going to set them in the distant past. SA: I started with some paranormal suspense, so that's sort of, kind of like mystery. And apparently, I wrote three of those, and apparently I was just before the huge paranormal wave. I had several agents were very interested in it, and they were like,

After five years waiting for this moment, watching you for the first time still catches me off guard. I recognize you from your book jacket, but the reality of you — a three-dimensional object moving through space, flesh and blood and golden hair— makes my pulse race. You don’t know me — not yet — but nothing spikes my pulse. I am ice. -- Jody Gehrman, Watch Me Looking for a chilling read? Look no further than Jody Gehrman's latest novel, Watch Me. It's Jody's first foray into psychological suspense, and she kills it. So to speak. I talk to Jody about how this book plays in a deep way with many of the themes she's explored in her other work. She has written women's fiction and paranormal YA, but in every genre she's fascinated by our complexity as humans and in particular our relationships. Jody gives a shout out to some of her favorite authors: Megan Abbott, Ruth Ware, Tana French, Donna Tartt and Caroline Kepnes. We also talk about daring to be seen for who you really are, and the courage involved in that, so I can't help but give a shout out to Brené Brown. Rather than recommending a book, however, I offer you instead one of her awesome TEDx talks.  I myself have to put in a plug for anyone with a teen (or who is a teen-at-heart) to check out her Audrey's Guide... young adult series. They have everything I like in a book -- magic, depth, a touch of romance, and a kick-ass heroine.  You can keep track of Jody and her current and upcoming novels at JodyGehrman.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ********************************************************************************************** Laura Brennan: An award-winning playwright, my guest Jody Gehrman is the author of nearly a dozen novels from the paranormal to young adult to romance. Her first psychological thriller, Watch Me, has just been released by St. Martin’s Press. Jody, thank you for joining me. Jody Gehrman: Thank you for having me. LB: So, before we start talking about your novels, let's talk a little bit about you. Watch Me is not your first rodeo. JG: Right. It's definitely my first foray into suspense, though, and thrillers. It's a whole new genre for me, which is exciting. LB: When did you start writing professionally? JG: Well, I went to school for a long time, for way too long, like most writers I suppose. I did a Masters in English and then a Masters in Professional Writing. And so of course I was writing and developing a writing practice during those years, and my first novel was published in 2004. Before that, I had written a lot of plays and experienced the collaboration of working in theater, which I feel like is still my home. I still go home to playwriting pretty frequently. LB: Playwriting, I think, is one of the best ways to learn how to write because you get immediate feedback, first from the actors and then from the audience. It works or it doesn't. JG: It's so true! It's one of the things that is absolutely thrilling about writing for the theater, and it is also so demoralizing. Because one night -- like, Friday night, the audience loves it and you feel like you've written the most amazing play ever. And Saturday night, you go home thinking that you should just throw it all in and you're a terrible writer and never make anyone experience your work ever again. Right? So it's definitely a roller coaster ride, but it is, like you said, immediate feedback. LB: So do you feel that that helped you when you then turn to writing novels? JG: I think it helps to counteract the inherent loneliness of writing novels. I mean, I've worked with some amazing editors and agents and publicists, and I love having them on my team, but when I'm actually writing, I'm alone. And so working in the theater, there's something very immediate about the collaboration, where you're meeting with the director every night and ...

Charlie stopped barking as soon as he saw me. I knew now why he had been quiet for the past few minutes. He'd been digging away in the dirt, which he resumed upon my arrival. I looked for his leash and spotted it a few yards away, half buried by the dirt he flung to all sides. I picked up the leash before Charlie could get to it first. As soon as I did, I also spied what appeared to be an animal bone. Most likely a deer.  But when I turned to see what Charlie was digging up now, my heart sank. It was another bone, but not one belonging to a deer. In fact, it was far more than a bone. It was a human skull.  -- Sharon Farrow, Blackberry Burial I am so excited to be talking to Sharon Farrow, and not just because I'm a fan of her Berry Basket Mystery Series. With her friend and fellow author Meg Mims, she also writes the delightful Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mysteries as D.E. Ireland.  In fact, Sharon talks a little about how writing the first book in that series, Wouldn't It Be Deadly, was somewhat challenging to the friendship. Luckily, the partnership survived; not only are the books themselves great fun, I think Sharon and Meg win the Best Cozy Title Award with every novel.  You can also check out her romances, written under the name Sharon Pisacreta. Truly, Sharon has written something for everyone! Sharon's Berry Basket mysteries make use of berries in every possible way -- as clues, as scones, as wine. Sharon gives a shout-out to her inspiration, The Blueberry Store in South Haven, MI, and I offer you a link to their mouth-watering Pinterest page. Blueberries, yum... Sharon also makes a great case for why cozies matter. Those of us who love them don't have to be convinced, but there are times when cozy novels are dismissed as unimportant. As Sharon says, there can be enormous comfort in a good cozy, and that is just as valuable an emotion as those generated by a good thriller or noir. She herself reads Laura Childs, Cleo Coyle, Bailey Cates (who was new to me, woot!), and she mentions her debt of gratitude to Gillian Roberts for her Amanda Pepper mysteries, which helped Sharon through a difficult time. I don't normally ask for comments, but if anyone wants to share a book that helped them through a rough go, I think that kind of recommendation is a real gift we can give each other. Here are Sharon's own mystery series, in order: Berry Basket Mysteries 1 - Dying for Strawberries  2 - Blackberry Burial  3 - Killed on Blueberry Hill (available for pre-order) Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mysteries 1 - Wouldn't It Be Deadly 2 - Move Your Blooming Corpse 3 - Get Me To The Grave On Time You can find Sharon at SharonFarrowAuthor.com, the D.E. Ireland Facebook page, and on Twitter as both @SharonFarrowBB and @DEIrelandAuthor. As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ************************************************************* Transcript of Interview with Sharon Farrow Laura Brennan: My guest today is the author of the Berry Basket Mysteries, delightful cozies full of friendship, warmth, and, of course, murder. But Sharon Farrow is no stranger to the genre. She is an award-winning author of romantic stand-alones, short stories, and -- as half of the writing team D.E. Ireland -- the Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mystery Series. Sharon, thank you for joining me. Sharon Farrow: Thank you for having me, Laura. LB: You’ve been writing professionally for quite a while. SF: Yes. LB: You had an award-winning debut novel. You kind of jumped onto the scene with Stolen Hearts. SF: Yes, that was gratifying because I didn’t grow up either reading romances or even planning on being a romance writer. And I sort of stumbled into the genre. And to have my first novel win Best First Book was a surprise and quite wonderful. So, yes, I’m very pleased about that. And I’m still surprised. Looking back,

Teenagers don't run away in January. Not in upstate New York. In summer, they'll go out drinking with friends, pass out in a field somewhere, wake up hungover and covered in mosquito bites. In the spring and fall, they'll hop a train down to New York City after a fight with a parent or a problem at school. The Port Authority cops will pick them up, usually after a day or two when they discover there really is no place to sleep in the city that never sleeps -- and worse, no place to shower. But a January disappearance was different. Jimmy Vega had only to look out at the early-morning ice sparkling on his windshield to understand that no teenager would choose to walk off into the blue-black heart of such a night as last night. Especially not a girl like Catherine Archer. -- A Place in the Wind, Suzanne Chazin Suzanne Chazin's writing has been called "searing" (USA Today), "sizzling" (The Philadephia Inquirer) and "a scorcher" (Cosmopolitan). Her suspenseful thrillers focus on first responders who are also in their own way outsiders: a short, feisty woman fire investigator lights up the Georgia Skeehan Fire Novels, while Puerto Rican American Jimmy Vega straddles the worlds between immigrants and police in the Jimmy Vega series. None other than Lee Child has called Suzanne, "A tremendous talent." We chat about her series, which I've listed in order below, and about the first-hand research she does to get the details right. I also was so pleased that she mentioned Howard Fast's novel, The Immigrants because it means I can link to his beloved series, even if it's not a mystery. You can find out more about Suzanne on her website, or even better, follow her on Facebook. Here are her books to date: Georgia Skeehan/Fire Novels 1 - The Fourth Angel 2 - Flashover 3 - Fireplay Jimmy Vega Series 1 - Land of Careful Shadows 2 - A Blossom of Bright Light 3 - No Witness but the Moon 4 - A Place in the Wind As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura ***************************************************************************** Transcript of Interview with Suzanne Chazin Laura Brennan: Suzanne Chazin is the award-winning author of both the Fire Novels, featuring scrappy fire investigator Georgia Skeehan, and the Jimmy Vega series, heart-pounding police thrillers that pack an emotional punch. Suspense combines with complex characters and relationships, leading none other than Lee Child to praise her work as hitting “the heart, not just the pulse.” Suzanne, thank you for joining me. Suzanne Chazin: Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here, Laura. LB: Okay, I have to follow up the Lee Child quote. How did Lee Child find you to praise you? And how excited are you about that? SC: I have to say, it's a funny story because I have known Lee for many, many, many years. When I was writing my first novel, and I had just sold it to Putnam, that weekend Lee Child was doing a signing for his third book. And it was in a small bookstore, and back in those days, maybe 12 people would show up for a signing of a Lee Child book. So I showed up, and I introduced myself and I said, "I think I'm going to be sold by Putnam, they just bought it, and I think that my editor is going to be your editor." I expected him to say, gee, that's nice, thank you and goodbye. And he said, "That's wonderful! How about if we get together? Why don't you come over to my house." And I said, "But you are English. Your house is in England." And he said, "No, no, no. I live right here in Westchester County, New York." I went over to his house, I met his wonderful wife, and we've had an on and off relationship through the years. I do think he is a fan, and I am a big fan of his work, but I can't pretend that suddenly out of all the books in the world, he plucked mine. He was very kind enough to read it and was very, very supportive always of my career.

Layla faced the mirror and took a deep breath. When she went out there, she had to be effortlessly confident. She certainly looked the part, in a rose-colored Givenchy dress that complemented her olive skin and tasteful diamond earrings. She'd swept her dark hair off her neck into a smooth chignon and her makeup was perfect. She'd been prepping for this night for weeks. I can do this... -- False Idols, written by Lisa Klink, Patrick Lohier, and Diana Renn Coming from a TV writing background myself, I am so excited to see the Writers' Room technique used to create a book -- in this case, False Idols, published by Serial Box.  The idea of serializing stories has been used by such masters as Dickens and Conan Doyle. But this one has a twist: the installments, or "episodes," are written by three different writers: Lisa Klink, Patrick Lohier, and Diana Renn.  False Idols is a thriller set in Cairo, in the world of high-end art theft. Thieves stealing priceless artifacts to sell on the black market and using the money to fund terrorism -- that's the network undercover FBI agent Layla el-Deeb needs to ferret out and bring to justice. It's a thrill ride with depth, as Layla struggles to keep her own sense of self while going deep undercover.  It's also not their first rodeo. Lisa Klink was kind enough to be my very first interview on Destination Mystery, when her wonderful, high-octane caper, All In, written with Joel Goldman, came out. In addition to writing for one of my favorite TV shows (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, so much love for that show!), she has written novels in The Dead Man series, and so much more (BATMAN!!). Follow her, @LKKlink, on Twitter. Patrick has written short stories, criticism, and a novel, Radiant Night, which will be published later this year by Adaptive. You can find his website here, and he hangs out on Twitter as @PatrickLohier. And let's not forget Diana! She has several novels for young adults, with globe-trotting teens and international intrigue. Her most recent, Blue Voyage, gets praise and nominations from around the world, including kudos from one of my favorite YA thriller writers, Lamar Giles.  Here's Diana's website, here is her author Facebook page, and, since we're doling out Twitter handles, you can find her as @dianarenn. All three writers share credit for bringing into the piece the lovely concept of Kintsukuroi, or fixing broken things with gold.  They also give credit where it's due to consultant and former FBI agent Robert Wittman, and give a shout-out to his book, Priceless: How I went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, which I, too, have read and highly recommend.  Finally, did I mention that False Idols Episode 01: Operation Cairo is free on Kindle? Well, I've taken care of that now.  As always, if you'd rather read than listen, the transcript is below. Enjoy! -- Laura *************************************************************************************** Transcript of interview with Lisa Klink, Patrick Lohier, and Diana Renn Laura Brennan: I am so excited to have not one, not two, but three killer guests on my show today. The wonderfully talented Lisa Klink has teamed up with Patrick Lohier and Diana Renn to create a new kind of book -- one that comes out in episodes. False Idols launched with Episode 1 on January 16th. Lisa, Patrick, and Diana, thank you for joining me. Lisa Klink: Happy to be here. LB: So let me start by asking each of you just to let me know a little bit about yourselves and your writing. Lisa, I'm going to start with you because I know you started out television. LK: Yes, I did. I started out in the world of Star Trek with Deep Space Nine and Voyager. And had a great time while I was on Voyager for three seasons, and then I went on to other shows like Hercules and Roswell and Martial Law. And was in TV for a while and then switched over to, I guess, prose or novels.