Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction

JULY 2012

Anthony Franze Gives us Part II On ‘the Rules’ of Fiction On Location Homicide School

Summer Reading with James Rollins Mark Billingham Paul Levine Jon Land Vicki Pettersson Allison Leotta and More!

C r e di t s John Raab From the Editor President & Chairman

Shannon Raab This is the month when I decided to look into Creative Director your mind and try to understand what you’re thinking.... Romaine Reeves When you hear the tornado sirens, you run CFO underground. When a hurricane approaches, Starr Gardinier Reina you run for higher ground. When you hit writer’s Executive Editor block, do you eat a Snickers bar because it is satisfying? Writer’s block is something that every Terri Ann Armstrong author has to overcome, but most every author has Executive Editor a different way of breaking down the wall that is J.S. Chancellor sitting in front of them. The only thing you can do Associate Editor is try to limit the amount of time the block stays with you. Jim Thomsen First you need to understand what writer’s block is. Unlike some problems, this Copy Editor can’t be helped with a vaccine or pill; it is something you need to fight through. If you Contributors outline everything before you write, you can still get writer’s block. When you are writing Donald Allen Kirch anything, you first sit and have an idea of how the story will flow, how the characters will Mark P. Sadler interact with each other, and how they will progress throughout the book. You begin Susan Santangelo writing and then something unexpected happens—your story starts to change before DJ Weaver CK Webb your eyes. Kiki Howell At first it is a little change, maybe in dialogue between characters, or you change Kaye George a couple of characteristics of your characters. Then all of a sudden you change roads Weldon Burge Ashley Wintters and start walking down another path, because your characters are pulling you in that Scott Pearson direction and you are the victim of character peer pressure. The problem is that path has D.P. Lyle M.D. the writer’s block wall, about halfway down, that you couldn’t see until you turned that Claudia Mosley Christopher Nadeau corner by the big oak tree. You have a couple of options: do you retrace your steps and Kathleen Heady find the part where your story took the detour, or do you have to sit back and think how Stephen Brayton to break down the wall? Brian Blocker Andrew MacRae There is no wrong answer here. It is a personal choice on how you decide to tackle Lisa McCourt Hollar this problem. Don’t think that you are alone, since this “disease” happens to every writer. Val Conrad I wish there was an easy answer, other than to just remember to listen to your characters Laura Alden and be careful with the progression of the story. Most every author I interview will also Melissa Dalton Elliott Capon tell you that there are one or two characters in their book that jump off the page, more J.M. LeDuc than they thought possible. That can put you in a good position, but also a difficult one. Holly Price While I’m not an outline person, I like to throw the story out there first and see which Kari Wainwright David Ingram direction it is going, editing it once I’m finished. If you Bill Craig stick to your game plan and know that every story should Jodi Hanson have a solid opening and solid ending, all you have to do Amy Lignor Susan May is weave your way through the middle to complete that J.S. McCormick fantastic story you had in your mind. Kestrel T. Andersen Enjoy what you do and don’t let writer’s block get Lynne Levandowski Cassandra McNeil you frustrated. Look at it as an opportunity to create Jenny Hilborne something entertaining and you might surprise yourself Tanya Contois just how creative you can be.

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SuspenseMagazine.com 1 CONTENTSu sp e n se M ag a z i n e July 2012/Vol. 036

Sneak Peek Excerpt of Murder in Maui by R. Barri Flowers...... 3

Unsolved: The Long Island Serial Killerby CK Webb...... 7

Dinner, Wine, & Writing with Author Andrew Cotto...... 9

Eye on the Prize by Gina Fava...... 12

Debut Author Jane Isaac: Everyone has Secrets...... 15

The Jade Pendantby Jon Land...... 18

Author Allison Leotta: Follows the Letter of the Law...... 24

The House at the End of the Streetby Jodi Ann Hanson...... 27

Characters are People Too: Author Lynda Fitzgerald...... 30

Inside the Pages: Suspense Magazine Book Reviews...... 33

Suspense Magazine Movie Reviews...... 42

Featured Artist: Erica Petit...... 43

Sneak Peek Excerpt of The Takenby Vicki Pettersson...... 50

On Location: The Inside Story—Case Closedby Starr Gardinier Reina. . 55

America's Favorite Suspense Authors: Part II by Anthony Franze...... 61

Stranger Than Fiction: Robert the Doll by Donald Allen Kirch...... 67

Contributor's Corner: Holly Price ...... 75

Just for Fun ...... 79 Special Preview from Author R. Barri Flowers

MURDERA Leila Kahana IN Mystery MAUI

By R. Barri Flowers ONE Leila Kahana had been with the Maui County Police Department for seven years, working in the Criminal Investigative Division as a detective and composite sketch artist. She’d joined the homicide squad three years ago and had seen her share of murder victims in various types of positions, ranging from fetal to awkward to dangling. But none made her olive skin flush like the present victims. A Hawaiian man and white woman, both in their thirties, were naked and locked in coitus; the woman slumped astride the man. Identified through their driver licenses as Doctors Larry Nagasaka and Elizabeth Racine, both had been shot at point blank range in the head and the woman had bullet wounds in her back. The two were literally lying in a pool of their own blood. The call had come in this Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. with a report of gunfire at the Crest Creek Condominiums, one of the new and expensive developments in the exclusive Wailea Resort. Neither victim lived at the residence that, according to records, was owned by the Medical Association of Maui. “Looks like they went out with a bang, no pun intended,” her partner, Detective Sergeant Blake Seymour, said as a police photographer took pictures of the decedents. Leila winced, hoping Seymour didn’t notice how uncomfortable she felt seeing the victims locked in the sex act. Not that she had anything against sex, other than being without for the past six months. It just seemed like some things should remain private and not exposed for everyone to see. Or at least not a bunch of gawking law enforcement personnel. But then Leila didn’t imagine the pair knew they would be murdered at the worst possible time. Or best, depending on how you looked at it. “I guess we can pretty much rule out murder-suicide,” she said, as there was no murder weapon found anywhere near the bodies. Not to mention they were shot

SuspenseMagazine.com 3 multiple times and in difficult positions, making it all but “A neighbor.” She lifted a notepad. “Barbara Holliman.” impossible that either victim could have been the shooter. “We’ll need to speak with Ms. Holliman.” “I agree. Not unless one or the other was a glutton for “And anyone else in the immediate area who was home punishment and Houdini at the same time.” when the call came in,” Seymour added. “Someone must Leila wrinkled her nose. “There was no sign of forced have seen the shooter.” entry either. And it doesn’t look like anything was taken. Tasia nodded. “That’s usually the case, even if they didn’t Once you get past their messy remains and clothes scattered realize it at the time.” around, the place is immaculate. Not exactly evidence of a Leila looked up at Seymour, who was nearly a foot taller burglary.” than her five-four with most of it muscle. “You think this is Seymour flexed his latex gloved hand and lifted a shell an isolated incident?” casing, dropping it in a plastic bag. “Someone invaded the He shrugged. “Guess that will depend on why someone place all right, and found exactly who they were looking for. wanted the doctors dead while caught in the act.” The question is, under what circumstances and who got the Leila refused to speculate on motive beyond the obvious jump on the lovers?” that the killer knew the doctors. Not till they had more to go Leila made it a point to never try and get inside a killer’s on regarding the victims. head too soon. The evidence had a way of leading them down And perpetrator. the right path, even if less than straight and narrow. She *** looked again at the victims. Leila sat in the passenger seat as Seymour drove. Both “No reason to believe they were expecting company. were trapped in their own thoughts about the latest case Obviously it didn’t deter the killer. Whichever way you slice to bring them out into the night. For her part, Leila never it, this was definitely personal.” considered one investigation to be any less or more important “Sure looks that way. Whoever did this definitely wanted than the next. When dealing with human beings and loss of to make a statement. They didn’t have a fighting chance.” life through violence, all cases deserved their best efforts. “So we’ll fight the fight on their behalf.” She glanced at Seymour’s profile. He was nice enough Leila stepped aside as the photographer took pictures of looking, if not the most handsome man she had seen. His the corpses from a different angle. She believed the killer not salt and pepper hair was cut short and he’d recently grown a only wanted to execute the pair but humiliate them too. mustache, which Leila hadn’t decided if she liked. They had She instructed other CSI members to document the been partners for two years and she still didn’t know him crime scene including identifying, collecting and processing very well. At times he could be moody, witty, or a million any possible physical evidence. miles away. Following Seymour downstairs, Leila couldn’t help but Seymour was currently separated from his wife. Leila wonder if anyone ever used the place other than for sex. If suspected he wanted to get back together with her, but tried only her house were as tidy. Or maybe that would make it to pretend otherwise. She wasn’t sure what to tell him, having seem too artificial rather than a place to live. no experience in that department. She noted the door key on a cabinet off the foyer. “I’m At thirty-two, Leila had never been married. Born in guessing one of the victims used this to get in. Probably left Hawaii to conservative Polynesian parents who believed it the door unlocked and that’s how the killer got in.” was her duty to marry an established Polynesian man, Leila Seymour looked. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Still, you wasn’t opposed to marriage as much as being with someone never know. If the killer had a key, he or she might have she didn’t love. That included her last boyfriend, who had tossed it aside, no longer needing it once the deed was done.” turned out to be a real jerk. He said to a nearby CSI, “Dust this key for prints.” Leila preferred to be on her own for now till someone “Sure thing.” came along who really made her want him. Seymour did a quick scan of the area. “Would’ve helped She looked again at her partner. “Why are you so quiet if they’d had a first rate security system.” over there, Seymour?” Leila blinked. “Maybe the association didn’t feel one was “Just thinking about disappointing my daughter.” He needed.” paused. “I was supposed to pick her up for the night. Then “A costly error in judgment, though something tells duty called.” me the victims were here on their own time taking care of “Is it too late now?” business, so to speak.” “She’s probably asleep.” “Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes. “She knows you’re a cop. I think she’ll understand.” Easy Seymour managed a weak smile. for her to say. Leila approached Officer Tasia Gould. “Who called this “Yeah, I suppose.” Seymour sniffed. “I still hate letting in?” her down.”

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 4 “So find a way to make it up to her.” issued dark sedan. “She wasn’t exactly the grieving widow.” “I’ll think of something.” “Not everyone takes the news the same.” Leila’s mind returned to the grisly crime scene. They were “Especially when you have an adulterous husband who on their way to notify next of kin before the press could. This happens to be bringing in what has to be big bucks.” was one of the hardest parts of the job, along with tracing Seymour opened the door. “Think she did it?” the winding path that had culminated with a double murder. Leila imagined Connie pumping bullets into the lovers. *** “Anything’s possible. Or maybe someone did the job for her.” The address they had for Larry Nagasaka was in nearby “Like Kenneth Racine?” Kihei. It was a beachfront estate surrounded by swaying palm “Hey, stranger things have happened. Maybe he’ll save us trees in a gated community. Seymour could only imagine all some trouble by fessing up.” what a place like this went for. Certainly way out of his league. She wasn’t holding her breath. From Leila’s experience, Apparently the doctor wasn’t entirely at home here most homicidal spouses were anything but accommodating. though, considering he’d chosen another location to have sex. They usually preferred to blame everyone else for their The door was opened by an attractive petite Asian problems, including the victim. woman with long raven hair, almost as though she’d been Or, in this case, victims. expecting them. Seymour pulled into the parking lot at Maui General “Yes?” Hospital where Doctor Kenneth Racine was on duty as He identified them. “And you are...?” medical director of the Behavioral Health Unit. “Connie Nagasaka.” Leila hated hospitals, an emotion born from fear of “Is Dr. Larry Nagasaka your—?” having her tonsils removed as a child and added to by the “Husband. Yes.” She frowned. “What is this about?” death of her father ten years ago after spending the last two “Could we please come in?” Leila asked. months of his life in a hospital bed. Connie met her eyes and nodded. She led them into a They were directed to the third floor, where a nurse large foyer. “What’s happened to Larry?” pointed toward a forty-something, tall man with thick gray Seymour cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to inform you hair. He seemed agitated after snapping his cell phone shut. that your husband’s dead.” “Dr. Kenneth Racine?” Leila spoke. A hand flew to her mouth. “How?” “Yes?” It was always the initial reaction that Seymour tried to She lifted her ID. “We’re detectives with the Maui gauge in determining if such news came as a total shock. County Police Department. Could we have a word with you “He was shot to death.” in private?” “Where?” His brow furrowed. “Look, if this is about those parking “At a condo in Wailea.” tickets, I swear I’ll pay them. Things have just been a little Connie’s nostrils flared. “Was he with her?” crazy around here, you know?” “Who?” “We’re not traffic cops,” Seymour said curtly. “This is a “His lover.” homicide matter—” Seymour glanced at Leila, deferring to her. Kenneth’s head snapped back. “My office is just over “You knew your husband was having an affair?” there....” “He made no secret of it. Neither did she.” They followed him to the office, where he left the door Leila Glanced at her notes. “Two people were shot to open. death tonight. Your husband and a woman named Elizabeth “You said homicide?” He looked at Seymour. Racine.” “Afraid we have bad news. Your wife, Elizabeth, was Connie started to cry. “I told Larry she wasn’t worth it. murdered.” He never listened to me.” Kenneth’s eyes bulged. “That’s not possible! Liz is at a “Mind telling us how you spent your evening?” seminar in Honolulu.” She favored her sharply. “At home. By myself. I’ve gotten Leila blinked, wishing that had been the case for his used to it.” sake and hers. “We believe a woman found shot to death at a Seymour chewed on his lip. “Do you know anyone who condo in Wailea tonight is in fact Elizabeth Racine.” would’ve wanted your husband dead?” He was still trying to He lifted his cell phone and pushed a button. “Yes, I decide if she belonged on that list. need to speak to Elizabeth “Maybe Liz’s husband, Kenneth,” Connie answered Racine. She’s a guest matter-of-factly. “Few men can tolerate a cheating wife.” *** Leila eyed Seymour after they reached the department

SuspenseMagazine.com 5 there.” A few moments passed. “What do you mean there’s no her new hairstyle, a short bob with sloping edges. Of course one registered there by that name?” he kept his compliments in check, not wanting to make Leila regarded Seymour. She wondered if Racine’s either of them uncomfortable in what was a good working reaction was mainly for their benefit. relationship. Partnering up with Leila might not have been He hung up, eyes downcast. “They said she never checked his first choice, but she’d earned his respect and taught him a in, even though she had made a reservation.” few things along the way. Leila supposed it had been smart to cover her tracks. Seymour took the Kahekili Highway to the place he was That was, until someone made certain they ran out for good. renting in central Maui. Unlike the resort areas on the west “Larry Nagasaka was also murdered at the condo,” she and south sides of Maui, there wasn’t much here to excite said. tourists. The fact that real people like him lived and worked “Larry—” Kenneth gulped. “Are you telling me my wife in central Maui made it more to his liking, aside from living and Larry were having an affair?” alone for the time being. “Sure looks that way.” He would’ve preferred going to the house he once shared “That bloody bastard.” with his wife, Mele. That was before he screwed up, got caught, Leila didn’t disagree, but that was beside the point. “You and was kicked out four months ago. She had yet to file for had no idea your wife was seeing another man?” divorce but since there was virtually no real communication Kenneth sneered. “Isn’t the spouse always last to know?” between them, he feared it was only a matter of time. “Not always,” said Seymour. “We need you to account for When they did talk, it was mostly about their eight-year- your whereabouts tonight.” old daughter, Akela. They had adopted her when she was “You’re kidding, right? You think I actually had less than a month old after learning Mele was unable to have something to do with this?” children. Akela was the one thing in his life Seymour was “Wouldn’t be the first time a vindictive spouse offed his most proud of. He hated having to disappoint her. But he was wife and lover.” a cop and had been for twenty of his forty-six years. Someday Kenneth took a step backward. “Look, I loved my wife Akela would understand people like him were needed to go and would never have wanted her dead, no matter what. I’ve after the bad guys in the world. Or at least within Hawaii. been working my ass off here since three o’clock trying to Until then, he would continue to try and balance the things keep this unit together.” most important to him. *** Seymour thought about the crime that left two doctors “His story seems to hold up.” Seymour stood beside Leila dead. There was nothing more to be done tonight other than in the elevator. hope they caught a break and made an arrest. “Even in a busy hospital, people can sometimes see what As to what drove the killer to taking the two lives was they want to,” she said. pure conjecture at this point. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t up “True. Wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to believe to some guesswork. Obviously the victims thought they had Racine could’ve taken a break from his duties to get rid of a the perfect place for their affair. cheating wife and her lover.” Well, they were dead wrong. Leila ran a hand through her hair. “Aren’t doctors They had ticked someone off. Or maybe one had been supposed to be in the business of saving lives?” targeted and the other was just collateral damage. Seymour gave her a deadpan look. “That may well Either way, a killer was on the loose and that was always depend on whose life it is.” cause for concern for you never knew what one might do He drove on the Honoapiilani Highway to West Maui next after experiencing their first kill and finding it agreed where Leila lived. with them.  “Do you want to get a drink?” Leila didn’t look his way. “Tempting, but I think I’ll call it Award-winning author R. Barri Flowers is one of the most a night, if that’s okay. It’s been a long day.” multitalented writers on the scene today with nearly forty “You’re right, it has been, and that’s fine.” published books of fiction and nonfiction, two dozen short “Another time?” She faced him. stories, a handful of poems, numerous articles, and seemingly “Yeah.” He turned to look at her and back to the road. A endless ideas for more. A literary criminologist, Barri began his few minutes later Seymour dropped Leila off at home. “See writing career with criminology and criminal justice textbooks you tomorrow.” and then branched out into true crime writing with “The Sex “Count on it.” She gave a little smile and waved. Slave Murders”, which became a bestseller. R. Barri Flowers Seymour drove off, thinking she was probably the most currently resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and enjoys levelheaded cop he knew, including himself. And also the spending time in Hawaii, California, and Michigan. Learn best looking, which may have been the problem. He loved more about Barri at www.rbarriflowers.com.

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 6 A Serial Killer In Our Midst By CK Webb There are between twenty and fifty active serial killers operating within the United States AT ALL TIMES. This number was provided by a team of FBI Behavioral Scientists. The study was a result of years of information and unfortunately, years of murders. In my time as a writer, I have done massive amounts of research on serial killers, murders, and crime scene investigation and in that time, I have discovered two things… 1. Rape and crimes of a sexual nature are almost never about sex. 2. Violent crimes, whatever they may be, are almost always of a sexual nature. For some poor souls, it just so happens that their paths cross that of a unique kind of maniac: a serial killer. The Long Island Serial Killer After meeting a client, a twenty-four-year-old prostitute from New Jersey was reported missing. As local police began their search for Shannan Gilbert in March 2010, they would soon stumble upon a crime scene much bigger than any had anticipated. The first set of human remains was found months later in December 2010. During a routine training exercise, a policeman and his dog located what he would later describe as “skeletal remains of a woman in a nearly disintegrated burlap sack.” Within two days of the gruesome discovery, police would uncover three more sets of human remains on the north side of the Ocean Parkway. From that moment on, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer called the case a suspected serial killing. With the community still reeling from the horrible discovery of four bodies, the citizens in the area were unprepared for what was about to take place. In late March and early April 2011, four more bodies were discovered in a different area off the parkway. It was during this time that Suffolk County authorities extended their search area significantly in an effort to locate more bodies. On April 11, 2011, in a coordinated effort with state and local police, the search began in Nassau County. After an exhaustive search of the area, an additional set of human remains were discovered along with a separate human skull. With the number of potential victims now totaling ten, local and national media converged. Eleven days after the first widened search began, authorities located two human teeth in the area near where the skull had been unearthed. In a move clearly meant to draw assistance from the public in hopes of catching the killer, Suffolk County police raised the reward from $5,000 to $25,000 for any information that would lead to an arrest in the Long Island murders. The award amount was the largest ever offered for a crime in the county’s history. In September 2011, after months of reconstruction by forensics teams, police released composite sketches of two of the unidentified victims. There were nine victims so far; among those were a small-statured man who had been dressed as a woman, as well as a female child between the age of eighteen and twenty-four months. Police were able to also release photos of jewelry that were found on the toddler and her mother.

SuspenseMagazine.com 7 How the case of the toddler and her mother tie in with the murders is still in question today, and no one has ever come forward to claim the child or the mother as family. A lot of confusion exists in this part of the case, but what is known for certain is far worse than anything you can imagine. Fifteen years before the discovery of the first bodies in Long Island, two severed human legs were found in a garbage bag washed up on Fire Island. The gruesome discovery took place over forty miles from Long Island. In a strange turn of events, DNA evidence gathered at both crime scenes provided a positive match. The legs that were found fifteen years earlier did in fact belong to one of the Long Island victims, and the female child was also found to be her daughter. On November 29, 2011, police working the case announced publicly that they believe one person is responsible for all ten murders. They also revealed their belief that the serial killer was a longtime resident of the Long Island area. In a shocking twist, the body of Shannan Gilbert—the woman police had originally been searching for—was found in December 2011. Her remains were located in a marsh about half a mile from where she disappeared. Since the discovery of her body, police have excluded Shannan as a victim of foul play and have found nothing to link her death to the Long Island Serial Killer. Miss Gilbert’s death has been ruled an accidental drowning. Her mother does not share the police’s beliefs! Profilers speculate that the killer could have ties to law enforcement while others brand the murderer as an organized killer, with a detailed knowledge of law enforcement techniques. Whatever the case may be, everyone is a potential suspect. Sadly, police are no closer to catching this dealer of death than the day they discovered the bodies. The Long Island Serial Killer has made a business of being a ghost who leaves no traces behind. Four of the bodies found in late 2010 have been identified as missing prostitutes. Each placed ads on Craigslist for their “services,” and each were strangled to death and then wrapped in burlap sacks before being discarded. All are believed to have been killed elsewhere. A skull, hands, and forearm discovered amongst the remains found in 2011, belonged to twenty-year-old Jessica Taylor, whose dismembered body was found in 2003 in Manorville, New York. A head, right foot, and hands found on April 4 belonged to an unidentified victim known as “Jane Doe No. 6.” The rest of her body was found on November 19, 2000, in the same part of Manorville that Jessica Taylor’s remains were discovered. It is for this reason that the two cases are believed to be closely related, and somehow involve the killer’s ties to the area as well as to Long Island. In November 2006, four prostitutes were found murdered behind a motel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The unsolved murders were being closely looked at in an effort to find a connection to the Long Island murders. After months of speculation and dead ends, the authorities combing through the investigation concluded that the murders were unrelated. There are some similar cases involving the murder of prostitutes that are now being revisited, including the murder of a mother of three whose dismembered remains were found in a suitcase tossed along the edge of the highway. In the span of twenty-two years, Long Island, New York has been ripped apart by the actions of at least three serial killers. In Suffolk and Nassau counties, there have been thirty-three “serial” type murders. Joel Rifkin, thirty-four, confessed to killing seventeen prostitutes following his arrest in 1993. Robert Shulman, forty-two, confessed and was convicted of killing five prostitutes after his arrest in 1996. The third killer, the Long Island Serial Killer, who remains at large, is being blamed for the deaths of at least nine women, two men and one child. This story caught my eye not only because of the gruesome nature in which the victims were killed, but because of the consistent nature of the area in which these killings occur. Not only are the odds of this killer being alive extremely high, the odds that there are other killers in this area are highly likely as well. Three confirmed serial killers within a fifty-mile radius and all have similar qualities and victims. What does this tell me? Don’t dress like a prostitute in Atlantic City or Long Island and NEVER take out an ad on Craigslist!! As usual… Someone is always getting away with murder. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 8 Dinner, Wine, &

Writingwith Andrew Cotto Interview by Jodi Ann Hanson ecently I was fortunate enough to speak with Andrew Cotto, author of “Outerborough Blues: A Brooklyn Mystery” (Ig Publishing 2012) and “The Domino Effect” (BrownstoneR Editions LLC Publishing 2011). Andrew has a playful sense of humor which shows up in his writing, endearing him to his loyal readers and also making for a great interview. He is a journalist with regular contributions to The New York Times and the Good Men Project, and also writes a monthly blog called “Our Italian Year” on his website, in which he retells adventures of the year he spent living in Tuscany with his wife and daughter. For the past seven years, Andrew teaches creative writing workshops and composition courses in New York City. Andrew also tells me he is a great cook and oenophile, saying that one of his greatest pleasures is creating and sharing a meal he has prepared, usually an Italian dish, and a bottle of great wine with his family and good friends. I am pleased to offer this insight into the workings of Andrew Cotto—the man and the author.

Jodi Hanson (JH): I have been told the biggest piece of advice that authors give is to read everything and everybody. What are your thoughts?

Andrew Cotto (AC): Writers do need to read, a lot, though I think it’s probably best to read those authors/novels that inspire your work. I read such titles very closely, and repeatedly. I actually do so with a pen in hand, underlining every phrase/image/ word that especially catches my attention. Then, when I’m done with the book, I write these down, verbatim, in notebooks. I go back to the notebooks often for inspiration, though, of course, I’m careful not to use anyone else’s language. So, when it comes to reading as a writer, I’d advocate a ‘less is more’ approach when it comes to breadth. I think one can learn more about writing by reading “Gatsby” ten times as opposed to ten different random titles.

SuspenseMagazine.com 9 JH: Andrew, you are an incredibly talented author. At what age did you become aware that writing was your calling?

AC: Thank you! I’m definitely a late bloomer on the writing-is-my-calling thing. I was in college when I discovered a love for literature, and it was shortly after that when I realized I had a knack for storytelling and an ability to write fairly well. Still, even at that juncture, I wasn’t ready to really pursue writing in a meaningful way for another decade or so after graduating.

JH: Caesar Stiles is complex, almost haunted character. Did you struggle in your creation of him or does he resemble someone in your life making him almost write himself?

AC: Thanks for saying that, since “complex” characters are what most of us strive to create. I didn’t have a hard time coming up with Caesar, though I can’t really recall specifically from where he came. Like most of my characters, he’s an amalgam of people I’ve encountered in some way (through real life or fiction or whatnot) combined with my imagination. Once I get a character on the page, then they become their own entity, and I kind of let them take me where they want to go.

JH: Your description of Brooklyn in “Outerborough Blues” creates vivid pictures for your readers. Being from Brooklyn yourself, did you write from experience about the seemingly segregated neighborhoods?

AC: I grew up in a lot of places around America, but I’ve been in Brooklyn for the past sixteen years, which makes it the place I’ve lived the longest (by far). I love it here, especially all the distinct neighborhoods. I definitely used the wonderful neighborhood of Clinton Hill, where I once lived, as an inspiration for the primary setting of “Outerborough Blues.” Even though we moved there at a time—actually a little later than when the novel is set—I had no problem imagining the type of strife that gentrification could create since when we arrived it was still pretty early in the area’s shift from an almost exclusively African-American enclave to one that would become decidedly more diverse.

JH: Do you write from an outline with an ending in mind or do you let the story take its course making changes when it has been written?

AC: I like to have a sense as to where the novel is going (beginning/ middle/end), though I let the particulars work themselves out as I go along and then write accordingly. For instance, both of my novels had fairly different endings planned in my head that never made it to the page because they just didn’t work anymore when I got there. I think a mix of the planned and impromptu is a healthy way to tell stories.

JH: What makes Andrew Cotto tick?

AC: I like having goals. Things I’m working towards. Getting better, more informed, improving everyday at certain things gets me out of bed in the morning. I believe in incremental change through long- term commitment. I love that theory about having to do something for 10,000 hours before it’s mastered. That works for me.

JH: Who is the person that has had the most effect in you becoming the man you are today?

AC: My father, probably. He’s an amazing man. He’s been a musician, a teacher, a businessman, an entrepreneur (not to mention a great husband and father). Now, in his seventies, he’s a motorcycle riding computer geek. I admire his courage and independence. I also, for as long as I can remember, have been aware of his sense of morality, which has positively informed my life and my character in a major way. I think one of the reasons that I’m just a flat-out sucker for

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 10 father/son stories of all kinds (and have made this a big part of both of my novels) is that I know, firsthand, how fortunate it is to have a really good father.

JH: I suspect you have something in the works. Can you share what it is?

AC: I have a few things going, though the primary project is another noir story. “Martinis & Bikinis” is the sort of fun noir I associate with writers like Elmore Leonard, though—at its heart—the story is a serious critique of how corporations are corrupting our arts and media, and—as a result—our society.

JH: If you were to have a biographical movie made of your life, who would you envision playing the role of Andrew Cotto?

AC: Oooh. Wow. That’s a tough one. Too tough and fantastic for me to even come up with a legit answer, so I’ll just go with a younger George Clooney since I really like his style.

JH: One of my favorite questions to ask an author is what book do you wish you had written? Why?

AC: Another tough one, though this one I can answer without equivocation: “The Great Gatsby.” I love the language and the characters and the story, but, most of all, I’m impressed by the insight into those times—specifically how the decadence and corruption of American society in the ’20s would lead to such a serious downfall by the end of the decade. Nice call.

I’m glad to have had the opportunity to speak with Andrew and thank him for agreeing to my interview. For further information on “Outerborough Blues” and “The Domino Effect,” and Andrew Cotto himself, please visit his website. http:// www.andrewcotto.com/ and watch his trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_iF27BELmw. 

SuspenseMagazine.com 11 Eye on the Prize

By Gina Fava “You won’t believe what came in the Pistoia knew that the recession disbanded other mail today,” Pistoia, a young widow with a scraggly carnivals, and she felt lucky that the Fantastix flourished due beard, told her best friend, the mermaid Alina. to Marvolo’s cutbacks and Tarzan’s charismatic showmanship. Backstage of the circus tent that was packed with Still, Tarzan made her skin crawl. She shook her head and spectators for their evening show, Pistoia showed her parcel patted her boa for comfort. to Alina who swished her blue tail in a saltwater pool. “Forget him,” Alina said. “Like Marvolo said, there’s Alina opened the lid of the small cardboard box that another clown out there somewhere for you, honey.” overflowed with styrofoam peanuts. She withdrew a bright “No way,” Pistoia said. “Been a year now since Frankie red, toy Mini Cooper with racing stripes that fit into the popped a red squeaky on his nose, laced up his big shoes, palm of her hand, and a few of the peanuts flittered to the donned his wig and neck ruffle, and grabbed a nap before dirt floor. a big show, never to wake up again. Just like the four other “Looks like a replica of your Frankie’s clown car,” Alina clowns in his troupe over the past three years. I know clowns said. have big hearts, but five heart attacks in just a few years is Pistoia nodded, then she flicked open its trunk with her creepy. I’m done with them.” thumb nail to reveal a small tin container. “How about that young elephant-keeper, Randy?” Alina “Red Shoe Polish Number 6. Used to be Frankie’s ascended the pool ladder and toweled her now intact legs. “I favorite.” saw him eyeing you the other day.” She sniffled, wiped away a few tears that had crept onto Pistoia waved her off, “Randy’s a mute Cyclops. He eyes her brown goatee, and readjusted Lady Boa, the six-foot- everyone.” long, yellow boa constrictor she shouldered. Minutes later, Pistoia wowed the crowd by juggling “Who sent it?” Alina said. “And why?” swords lit with fire, careful of her beard and her boa, but her “It’s just labeled Madame Pistoia Mann, with no return heart wasn’t into it. Her mind returned to the mysterious toy address. I have no idea who would send such a thing, and Mini Cooper packed in peanuts and the can of shoe polish why they’d stir up such painful memories.” Pistoia sighed. “I in the trunk. miss Frankie. I’ve been so lonely since he’s gone.” Someone delivered her a message, like a riddle, she was Marvolo, the octogenarian owner of the Fantastix, certain of it. But what did it mean? Red shoe polish. In the ambled past with five elephant calves, preparing to enter the trunk. Of a toy clown car. Amid packing peanuts. big tent. He patted Pistoia’s hairy back. Everyone knew that Frankie adored Red Polish Number “Couldn’t help overhear. I know it’s not my business, but 6. It’s what made him special, his trademark to have shoes take my advice, dear. Time to stop mourning. Other fish in that bright red. But why would someone plant it in the trunk the sea, ya know?” of a toy car and mail it to her? The toy car did resemble their Alina rolled her eyes and swished her tail. former clown car, the glorious vehicle that all five clowns Trapeze extraordinaire Tarzan Brodsky sauntered by, used to pack into to delight their spectators. After Frankie naked except for a loincloth, “Pistoia, baby, you’re welcome died, Tarzan removed the broken down engine and converted in my trailer anytime.” He smacked her bottom. “Just shave the Mini Cooper fiberglass shell into a peanut roasting stand first, babe,” Tarzan laughed. outside the tent. He jumped on the back of one of the young elephants, Why was something so specific to Frankie hidden in and he and Marvolo entered the tent for their performance. the toy’s trunk? And was it pertinent that the toy had come 2012 Short Story Contest Submission Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 12 packed in Styrofoam peanuts? Pistoia’s mind swirled with buckled but did not break. questions until she finished her performance. Pistoia screamed. Twenty minutes before the finale, Pistoia walked outside Marvolo raised his whip and issued a command. with Lady Boa to the penned elephant yard. Inside the pen, The elephant swayed its girth again, seeming to lunge. the old Asian pachyderm matriarch, Gargantua, who retired This time, the fence broke, but the elephant remained in a year ago from onstage duties after birthing her five calves, its place. It curled its trunk, over and over, flexing and flicked at some peanut shells with her long gray trunk. unraveling, as if clenching and unclenching its fist. Gargantua spotted Pistoia, bobbed her enormous head, Pistoia screamed again. and encircled her trunk around a fence post. Seconds later, This time, Randy the mute Cyclops appeared in the she snapped the wooden post in two. yard. The water-boy ran to Marvolo and clobbered the circus Pistoia gasped, and Lady Boa tensed. Something clicked owner over the head with a bucket. Marvolo teetered over in Pistoia’s mind, and the riddle unraveled. Red shoe polish. the fence, slid beneath Gargantua standing at the perimeter. In the trunk. Of a toy clown car. Nestled in packing peanuts. The elephant took a single step backward, and the behemoth She inferred that the peanuts and the trunk actually stomped Marvolo’s cranium like a peanut. pointed to Gargantua’s elephant trunk. The shoe polish and Pistoia collapsed, too shocked to notice her snake slither the clown car obviously implied Frankie and his deceased away. band of clowns. Was someone trying to convey that When Alina roused her, the spectators had gone home, Gargantua was responsible for the death of Frankie and the and the performers retreated to their trailers, unaware of gang? Marvolo’s demise. There’d been no signs of foul play, thus no autopsies. “I saw what happened from underwater in my tank,” Pistoia envisioned Gargantua snapping the fence post, and Alina said. “I put it all together, what happened tonight, and then imagined the monstrous beast wrapping its immense over the past few years. I explained it all to Randy, and the trunk around the necks of Frankie and his brothers, on handsome mute won’t stop bobbing his head up and down all five occasions. Had the clowns’ neck ruffles prevented in affirmation.” strangulation markings on their necks? Strangulation by the Pistoia sat up, glanced back and forth from Alina to trunk of the circus’ giant pachyderm? Randy and back again. The handsome Randy silently cradled An elephant isn’t capable of murder, is it? Someone must her in his muscular arms. have guided Gargantua to the open trailer window of each “Frankie and the gang planned to start their own troupe,” sleeping clown, and cajoled the beast with peanuts to wrap Alina explained for Randy, “minus Tarzan and the elephants. its muscular trunk around the victim’s neck and squeeze. Marvolo and Tarzan refused. Randy witnessed Frankie’s What a trick! But who was responsible for handling such an murder, but feared Marvolo and Tarzan’s retaliation. Since amazing elephant feat? Randy can’t read or write, he summoned the courage to Marvolo entered the yard and rubbed Gargantua’s mail you the peanut-packed shoe polish as a riddle, hoping powerful trunk. Gargantua wrapped its trunk around its you’d unravel the mystery, and understand that Marvolo and master’s waist and then snuck a few peanuts out of his pants’ Tarzan trained Gargantua to murder Frankie and his group pocket. No, it couldn’t be. Not Marvolo, the great! Not the of clowns.” man who brought the Fantastix from the brink of ruin, and “Tarzan was in on this, too?” Pistoia turned to Randy. kept their troupe afloat through all the rough times of a A tear slipped from his eye. bad economy. Had Marvolo used Gargantua to kill off their “I’m going to Tarzan’s trailer,” Pistoia said. “The clowns? sonofabitch is going to pay for what he did to my Frankie!” “Marvolo, tell me it isn’t true! Tell me you didn’t kill off Randy shook his head and led her instead to the big top. our clowns?” Pistoia said. There, in the center ring stood the converted peanut With a grand swirl of his arm, Marvolo bowed to her, stand, the full-size Mini Cooper clown car. Randy silently confirming her accusation. “Must always beef up our bottom led her around to the trunk of the car. He unlatched it and it line.” sprung open. “You trained Gargantua to kill for you, didn’t you?” The dead, blue face of Tarzan stared up at her, atop Pistoia said. a mound of circus peanuts. Lady Boa uncoiled itself from The old man turned to her, his head held high. “Cutbacks, Tarzan’s cold stiff neck and slithered up and around Pistoia’s dearest. It was expensive to fuel that clown car, and to feed neck, where it nestled on her shoulders and contentedly fell clowns. Besides, clowns aren’t funny!” asleep. Marvolo raised his whip and struck Gargantua on Pistoia slammed the trunk shut. She gazed into Randy’s her hind legs. Suddenly, the elephant heaved its immense eye and smiled. tonnage toward the fence, right in her direction. The fence Randy squeezed her hand, and winked. 

SuspenseMagazine.com 13

Everyone Has Secrets Jane Isaac

Interview by Suspense Magazine Jane Isaac studied creative writing, and later specialist fiction, with the London School of Journalism. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and online. Jane blogs about her writing experience, in Diary of a Newbie Novelist at www.newbiewriters.com. She is also a co-author at the Pyjama Club. Her first novel, “An Unfamiliar Murder,” has a good tone and plot: Arriving home from a routine day at work, Anna Cottrell has no idea that her life is about to change forever. But discovering the stabbed body of a stranger in her flat, then becoming the prime suspect in a murder inquiry is only the beginning. Her persistent claims of innocence start to crumble when new evidence links her irrevocably with the victim. Leading her first murder investigation, DCI Helen Lavery unravels a trail of deception, family secrets and betrayal. When people close to the Cottrell family start to disappear, Lavery is forced into a race against time. Can she catch the killer before he executes his ultimate target? With material like that, Jane could have a huge hit on her hands. She lives with her husband, daughter, and dog, Bollo, in Northants, UK. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, is an avid reader, mum, dog lover, and enjoys spending time with her family. She believes life should be an adventure! Suspense Magazine is truly honored to be able to speak to her book and who she is as a person.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): A bestselling author once told us that the most effective book pitches can be done in seven words or less. Can you describe “An Unfamiliar Murder” in seven words?

Jane Isaac (JI): Murder, intrigue, family secrets, suspense, deception, betrayal.

SuspenseMagazine.com 15 S. MAG.: Now that you’re book is in print, is there any line or section that you look back on and think “What was I thinking?” or “Wow, what a great line!”

JI: The tag line for “An Unfamiliar Murder” (a line from the book): “What secrets lurk beneath a normal, healthy skin?” has been very controversial. My aim was to show how nothing is as it seems; whether killer, victim, or witness, everyone has secrets.

However, it has been proposed that it may suggest disease, which certainly wasn’t my intention.

S. MAG.: Are any of your personal strengths or weaknesses mirrored in your characters? If so, who?

JI: My lead, Detective Chief Inspector Helen Lavery, heads her first murder investigation whilst juggling the demands of single- parenting teenage sons. Helen is a complex character who examines every facet of an argument and is very perceptive and persistent in her goal. The ‘hands on’ role of leading a murder squad is her ultimate ambition, forcing her to occasionally adopt unorthodox methods in pursuit of a killer.

My characters are made up of fragments of lots of different people, mixed with my own imagination, but Helen and I do we share some attributes: I am a working mum and certainly very hands on. I am committed and have to believe in my work, although that’s where it ends—Helen likes to work murder investigations, whereas I just like to write about them!

S. MAG.: You say life should be an adventure. How much of an adventure has writing your book and getting it published been?

JI: A perennial student, I’m a great believer that the basis of a rich story lies in research. Writing “An Unfamiliar Murder” afforded me the opportunity to interview police officers at all levels in the British force, learn about their investigation methods and analyze the impact on family life. I had a wonderfully insightful interview with a former Detective Superintendent who managed murder investigations, kidnap cases and hostage negotiations all over the country, and also met up with the former Chief of Northants Fire Service to discuss their policy and procedure, as there is a fire in the book; all amazing experiences.

When I completed the book in December 2010, I sent it to two agents and was overwhelmed when they both wanted to sign it; certainly a dream come true. I signed with a London agent who worked with me to edit the novel, before submitting it to the main UK publishing houses. The feedback was very positive, yet disappointing as we failed to secure a book deal. 2010 was a difficult year for debut novelists in the UK, forcing me to cast my net wider to seek representation. Luckily, the independent publishing houses showed great interest and I was fortunate to secure a deal with U.S.- based Rainstorm Press in July 2011.

Preparing a novel for publication ‘across the pond’ raised many challenges, not least in the cover art which is a scene from the book and based on a very real place called The Brampton Valley Way in Northamptonshire, UK. I described

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 16 the area in detail and took a plethora of photos for the cover artist who set out to emulate the scene in the United States. They’ve done an amazing job. Even local readers can’t tell the difference!

S. MAG.: As a newcomer to the publishing world, did you have preconceived ideas about this industry that you found to be completely wrong or very right after you’d finally seen your book in print?

JI: I certainly did. As an outsider, I considered the world of an author to be consumed with store signings and book tours, completely underestimating the huge role that social media plays in modern day book promotion.

As soon as I signed my book deal with Rainstorm Press they encouraged me to navigate the realms of Twitter and Facebook to engage with other readers and writers. It has opened up a whole new world to me and I now split my time between social media, traditional methods such as book signings and interviews, and writing the second book, which makes for a very interesting and varied daily routine.

S. MAG.: How has studying creative writing helped you in writing both your short stories and your first full-length novel?

JI: Writing a novel is a huge undertaking. Studying creative writing not only helps with issues such as pace, brevity and characterization, but also how to structure your book so that it moves swiftly—very important with suspense.

I devour page-turners and sought to write a book that I would like to read myself. I wanted to bring my characters to life on the page, so that they could just as easily be you or I, and we feel their journey. Studying the art enables you to create images in people’s minds, so that they understand and relate to them, without having to slow down the pace with detailed descriptions.

S. MAG.: What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

JI: Favorite: chicane. As a little girl I enjoyed the way it rolled off the tongue. In adulthood I love the whole concept of it and how it applies to writers as we work to overcome the inevitable obstacles in our stories.

Least favorite: maggots. I have a phobia of them and the sheer mention of the word sends me reeling.

S. MAG.: If you could write a message to future aspiring authors and place it in a time capsule for them to read years from now, what would you write?

JI: Research thoroughly, write from the heart, and build believable characters that become real, so that readers are swept into the story.

S. MAG.: Does anyone get to read your work before it goes to the publisher?

JI: I believe that constructive feedback gives a story depth, and have a select group of willing participants who read the book and feedback, so that I can make any amendments before the novel is submitted.

S. MAG.: Can you share anything with us regarding your future, maybe plans for a sequel perhaps?

JI: I am three quarters of the way through the sequel to “An Unfamiliar Murder,” currently untitled. DCI Helen Lavery is a very deep and diverse character and we see another exciting facet of her in the second book.

Two of Jane’s short stories, Duplicity and Perilous Truths, will appear in Crime Anthologies released in 2012 by Rainstorm Press and Bridge House Publishing. “An Unfamiliar Murder” (published 2/13/12) is her first novel is available on Kindle worldwide and paperback from Amazon. UK Paperbacks are also available now. Suspense Magazine is so happy to have had this chance to speak to Jane about her debut novel. With the rave reviews she’s received, we dare say, this author has lots more to come. Check out her website at http://www.janeisaac.co.uk/index.html. 

SuspenseMagazine.com 17 The JadePendant By Jon Land “In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother David Grant . . .” David Grant awoke to the military chaplain giving him Last Rites. “And we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep—“ David’s hand shot out and grabbed the chaplain’s arm, freezing his words in place. He seemed caught between breaths before gently easing free of David’s grasp. “Doctor!” the chaplain called out. David’s vision cleared to the sight of an army field hospital layered with narrow cots, most of which were empty. Afghanistan, that’s where he was, he thought, his memory slowly sharpening. A pair of doctors were hovering over him now, clearly surprised he was still alive. With good reason. He’d been riding in a Humvee when the ambush outside of Mozul began with a series of IEDs exploding in the path of the supply convoy. David’s armored Humvee was reduced to a flaming husk of shrapnel and steel in a single flash, a dream-like quality rendered onto the scene by the concussion that had dazed him. Sounds registered in fits and starts; guns firing, men screaming, cries for help. He felt powerful arms dragging him from the Humvee’s carcass, his legs dragging like discarded sacks across the scorched pavement. The arms laid David behind the cover of a sand berm just off the rubble-strewn road, left to listen to desperate orders struggling to rise over the heavy rat-tat-tat of machine gun fire. There were thuds and grunts and screams before his battle buddies’ fire grew thin and sporadic, then moaning and whimpering. David’s M-16 was long lost but he managed to draw his sidearm, whatever was left of his legs inside his fatigues gone numb now. He ratcheted the slide back to chamber a round, wanting to crawl out and save what buddies he could, add his own bullets to the fight while they awaited reinforcements and close air support. But his body refused to obey, refused to budge, and all he could do was prop his shoulders as straight as he could and wait for the Taliban to round the berm before he felt himself drifting off. David awoke briefly in the medical evac chopper and then again while he was being stretchered into the field hospital. He remembered the surgeons working on his legs, no sense of feeling from the pelvis down then and still none now with the shapes of thick bandages and splints visible beneath the bed sheets. “Even if he lives, he’ll never walk again.” Words from the past or present, he couldn’t be sure with his brain feeling all cottony. He heard voices but the lips of the doctors and nurses suddenly surrounding his bed weren’t moving. A penlight shined in his eyes, blood pressure cuff wrapped around his arm. David heard the air being pumped in, the cuff tightening followed by the hiss of the air releasing. Then a morphine-induced fog overcame him, the world switching from video to still shots before darkness claimed him

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 18 once more. wheelchair’s extension: The fog brought his battle buddies back to life, returned him to the convoy before the IEDs ruptured steel and savaged Dear David: flesh. He was screaming a warning to stop, that an ambush lay in wait ahead. But no one could hear him, as if he was the I’m so sad for the tragedy you have suffered in dead one and the rest of them were still alive. service to our wonderful country. I say this even The fog cleared next in a specially fitted cargo plane though my own husband was lost to a different war. bound for Landstuhl Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany The Lord was merciful with him and he didn’t suffer, on a seven-hour flight into Ramstein Air Force Base. David although I would’ve given anything for him to have knew this was the procedure for vets wounded in the Afghan lived in any condition so I could have provided for field. But he wasn’t prepared for the sight of his own reflection him. With him gone, I’ve made it my mission to in the ambulance’s window glass. His hair had grown out help those like you who’ve been given the chance in wavy patches with the brittle texture of straw. He was he wasn’t. I’ve spent many hours volunteering at unshaven and gazing briefly into his own eyes left with the the local Veteran’s Hospital, and have witnessed first sense of an out-of-body experience in which he was gazing hand the pain and frustration you’re experiencing. at someone he barely recognized. I hope you will take solace in the fact that you have Once at Landstuhl he was confronted at last with the been granted the opportunity men like my husband enormity of his wounds. The field surgeons had saved his were not. I know your prognosis is dire and prospects legs by affixing steel rods to the bones. The result left his for recovery slim, but in spite of my own mourning left leg a full three inches shorter than his right and the which never ends, I have never stopped believing in patchwork of scars and seared flesh kept him from looking miracles. And since my beloved husband was lost to down. The good news, the doctors told him, was that he had me, I have made it my mission to see these miracles feeling and good blood supply. visited on others. I feel in his loss I have gained an They didn’t say anything about walking again. appreciation for the value of life and I will be by your “You stick with me, I’ll fix you up good as new,” his side, figuratively anyway, through the long hours of physical therapist, a big Afro-American man named Barney therapy and recovery you are about to endure. Even promised. He reminded David of one of his battle buddies if you don’t have it in you to reply, know that there left in pieces on the side of the road outside of Mozul. will be an e-mail from me waiting every day. They began his therapy with the simplest of motions, nothing more than learning how to bend his legs and flex his Iris feet as the bones healed, fusing to the steel rods that would be with him forever. Even that brought on a pain greater than David was about to log off, but then hit REPLY instead any David could imagine, though he resisted the painkillers and began to type. now because he dreaded the return of the fog and the pain, if nothing else, reminded him he was alive. Dear Iris: So what? He’d broken up with his girlfriend just before shipping I’m so sorry for your loss. I guess wars are all out. An orphan, David had been raised in the state’s care by the same. I don’t know how much they’ve told you a succession of kind enough foster parents who processed about my injuries, but I’ll be lucky to ever get out of kids like a factory assembly line. No one missed him. No a wheelchair. The best I can hope for, they tell me, is one was asking. No one cared about the reflection of the man to walk with those steel crutches. But what bothers who barely resembled his old form. Barney told him the me the most is the fact that I was the only one in first goal was to get him well enough to move to the Medical my platoon to survive. There should be something Transient Detachment houses on the Landstuhl campus as heroic about that, but the truth is I lived because an outpatient. The second goal was to get him home. the Taliban never found me behind the berm where Neither seemed anywhere near in reach. my friends dragged me before going to their deaths. Then a woman who called herself Captain Jane told Maybe they were the lucky ones. Maybe I’d have him about a USO program for wounded vets that matched been better off if I was still with them now. soldiers like David up with e-mail pen pals just to have someone to exchange messages. The pen pals were culled David from volunteers, the toughest cases given to the most caring and compassionate. David’s pen pal was named Iris He hesitated before hitting SEND, but then the mouse and he read her first e-mail with his legs propped up on a clicked under his hand and the message was gone, whisked

SuspenseMagazine.com 19 on its way. David decided to pound out the reply he’d avoided the day Strangely, the next before. day’s physical therapy session had him running Iris’ words through his head, contemplating the men like him Iris: living their lives out in Vet’s hospitals like the one she visited near her home. He didn’t realize he’d finally put some You must think me a coward for not having the weight on his legs, arms holding fast to the wooden rails guts to reply to your message yesterday. The truth on either side of him, until he caught Barney grinning is I didn’t know what to say. I’ve become so lost in ear to ear. my own pain that I’m unable to feel much sympathy. “Don’t know what’s gotten into you today, champ, but But I guess your pain must be as bad as mine. I sure do like it.” People say you have to move on, start over. You have The next day David was back at the computer at the same managed to do that spiritually as I must physically. time, a new message from Iris waiting in his In-box. I find no solace or relief in watching the wounded like myself making strides I can only dream of. The David: truth is I wish they would suffer as much as I do, I wish everyone would suffer as much as I do. What You know, if my husband had been lucky enough is it they say, that misery loves company? The truth to live, I imagine he’d feel the very same way you do. is I don’t find myself worthy of your support and That was a different war, a different time, and there would understand totally if you choose not to write is no more shame in that now than there was then. I me again. work in a library and there is nothing I enjoy more than watching children read, losing themselves so David much in the story that time, and the world around them itself, ceases to exist. If he had lived, I would’ve But write again she did. David had been staring at the told my husband to surrender to the world of the screen for fifteen unbroken minutes when his in-box icon child, to lose his pain in the wonder of a different flashed. He moved the mouse and clicked. and far off place. It’s your body that’s broken, but it’s your mind that needs a rest from the worry over David: that. Since you lived, I say that now to you and know that the words come from someone who has come to If I bear you any ill will it is only for thinking know a different kind of pain, that of emptiness, the I would ever abandon you. I often lie awake at side of the bed that lies empty next to me no different night thinking of my husband dying alone with no from a lost limb. I can’t go on right now. I must stop. one to comfort him and feel racked by guilt that I abandoned him. So I would never abandon anyone Iris else in need. Today a woman came into the library and stayed until closing. I noticed she had trouble Today David didn’t reply right away. Instead he getting around and when I asked if I could help she read Iris’ words over and over again, memorizing told me she’s going blind and wanted to read as much them until Barney’s powerful hands closed on the and as often as she could before her sight is stolen for back of his wheelchair. good. Her words made me cry. My husband never “Ready, champ?” had the chance to value those moments, but you do And ready he was, recapturing Iris’ poignant e-mail in and if you don’t take advantage of them, then his loss his head to distract him from the session that proved even was for naught. more agonizing than the last. Barney had warned him about that, said that with progress, as his muscles and The message ended there, Iris having sent it without bones learned to work again, came not less pain but adding her name. He still had a few minutes before Barney more. David had thought he was ready for it, only came to fetch him so David typed, WHERE DO YOU LIVE?, nobody could be ready for this. By the end of the and hit send. session, he was soaked in sweat and so exhausted that ST. LOUIS, came her simple response. LOVE THE he actually forgot he’d made two lengths the distance CARDINALS, JUST LIKE MY HUSBAND. WE WERE of the rails without stopping and had managed to turn on HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS. his own for the first time. HOW OLD WAS HE? The next day there was no e-mail waiting from Iris, so OH, NOT MUCH OLDER THAN YOU WHEN HE

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 20 DIED, I SUSPECT. He’d already downloaded the picture one of nurses had I’M TWENTY-FIVE. taken while Barney stood by in the physical therapy center HE WAS TWENTY-FOUR. just in case, and attached it to the message before sending. WHAT ABOUT YOU? Iris’ reply was even simpler. I WAS TWENTY-FOUR TOO. I MEANT NOW. David: David’s in-box icon remained motionless. He was still staring at it when Barney came to get him. I’m so proud of you. He could think of nothing besides Iris. She was with him when he woke up and when he went to bed. Time that Love, Iris had crawled through his therapy sessions before sped up to the point where pain and exhaustion abated in a haze not There it was; she’d finally said what David had been unlike the one induced by morphine, except his mind was feeling. Fingers trembling over the keyboard, he steeled clear enough to realize each day brought more improvement himself to reply. to his legs, improvement he’d been told would never come. Barney pushed and pushed and when that was done, he Iris: pushed some more. “Know what, champ?” he said after one session, grinning. Could I have a picture of you? It would mean so “I think you might just walk out of here.” much to me. Turned out his right leg made faster progress than his left, so walk he did, on standard wooden crutches to an Love, David room in one of the Medical Transient Detachment houses that lacked the smell of alcohol and cleaning solvent that so But no reply came that day or the next. dominated the hospital itself. The staff wore those scents like Undeterred, David wheeled himself up to Captain Jane a rumpled suit, and he came to equate them with the pain from the USO when he spotted her in the hallway. that otherwise dominated his life. “I’d like to know more about my e-mail pal.” David asked Iris to recommend books for him and “I can tell you her name,” Captain Jane said, forcing a recognized almost none of them once the USO somehow smile. tracked the titles down. There were novels like East of Eden “I know that already.” by John Steinbeck, The Good Earth by Pearl Buck, and For “And it’s all I know. Such things are handled elsewhere. Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway. There was Angela’s I don’t even know where she’s from.” Ashes, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and a book about a young “St. Louis,” said David. “She’s a Cardinal fan.” girl called Next to Normal. There was To Kill a Mockingbird David’s mind continued to obsess through the therapy which he remembered but never really understood. All sessions that grew even more arduous as he continued to books about dealing with adversity David devoured more improve against all expectation. It got to teams of doctors than read, practically memorizing some passages and then and nurses at the Landstuhl Medical Center would gather in trading thoughts with Iris on them until the point where such awe to witness Barney put David through his rigors. They’d exchanges came to dominate their e-mails. The characters watch and shake their heads, whispering to each other and became his inspiration and he lost himself in their plights jotting notes down on their clipboards. Finally the wooden to the point where, however briefly, he forgot his own while crutches were a memory, replaced by steel canes that made drifting off to sleep in his MTD house room. And suddenly him feel truly functional again. his sessions with Barney felt less laborious, the pain still In his free time, David would go to the computer room there but tucked away in the same place where David kept in search of the Iris beyond the in-box. He never again asked the stories Iris had sent him. Then the most momentous day for a picture and the subject didn’t resurface. Instead, they yet came and he felt one with his new heroes: resumed their exchange on books, his progress, her day at the library, always signing off with “love,” the word David Iris: kept coming back to when unable to lift his eyes from the screen. Meanwhile, he began researching libraries in the St. I stood up on my own today for the first time. I Louis area, searching for one that had an employee named thought you’d like to see a picture. Iris. Finding such personal information defied his best efforts, so he scoured the libraries’ individual Websites for David pictures that might identify Iris in a photo caption. When he found photos, but no captions, he began to fixate over

SuspenseMagazine.com 21 trying to guess which of the women she might be, never to Iris: any satisfactory result. “Well, champ,” Barney said to him one day, “looks I don’t care about appearance. I’m the last man like my prophecy’s gonna come true.” in the world who should based on what I looked like David looked down at his legs now covered when I came in here. It is I who beg you for this in gym pants and absent the awful swelling and meeting. If it is to be only one, fine. But perhaps lumps. “I’m gonna walk out of here,” he realized. it will be for a lifetime. If your answer is no, I will “Bound for the Intrepid Center for Heroes in understand and you need not even reply. That will San Antonio where they’ll finish the job we started. be answer in itself. Best in the world at this,” Barney said, winking. “Second only to me.” Love, David With the time of his departure looming closer, David summoned the courage to craft the e-mail he’d But Iris did reply. Immediately. been composing in his mind for weeks now. David: Dear Iris: Very well. But here are my conditions so both The miracle has come to pass. In a week’s of us can go on with our lives without forcing time, I’m shipping out on my own two feet I couldn’t something that is forced upon us. E-mail me even feel when I first checked in here. I’m headed for your flight information and I will meet you in the a rehab hospital in San Antonio, but I asked them to terminal. You will know me by a red jade pendant route my ticket through St. Louis. Please tell me we I’ll be wearing around my neck. It was my mother’s can meet so I can thank you in person for all you’ve and her mother’s before her. That way, if you don’t done. I never could have come this far without you like what you see, if you’re disappointed by my age and—okay, I’ll say it—I love you. More than I’ve or looks, you need not approach and both of us can ever loved anyone. Even though we’ve never met or go on with our lives without reservation or regret. spoken and I don’t even know how old you are or The choice will be yours. Just look for the woman what you look like. Please tell me you’ll meet me. wearing the jade pendant. Please tell me you’ll allow me to buy you dinner. Love, Iris Love, David David could barely restrain his excitement. For the first David felt himself tense, fearing no response would time in longer than he could remember, he had something come. But Iris’ reply came within moments. to look forward to, his life filled with meaning and purpose and hope. The army booked him on a commercial flight David: home and he agonized over the stopovers and plane changes, fearing he might arrive late to find Iris and her red jade I have come to love you as well, more than pendant nowhere to be found in St. Louis’ Lambert Airport. anyone since my husband. But you owe me nothing He’d e-mailed her his itinerary, but heard nothing back. and if we were to meet in person, we risk losing the Perhaps this had been her way of letting him down easy. wonderful bond we have formed. If I turn out to Perhaps there would be no woman wearing a jade pendant be beautiful, how could I ever know your love and waiting for him in the terminal. devotion for me was not based on that? And if I’m He couldn’t walk fast, but he could walk well enough not, how could I know your love was not based on with nary a limp now. Standing was actually just as hard and obligation? I beg you to leave our love at this, as it he’d conditioned himself to lean on something for support will remain for all time, so neither of us need feel whenever forced to stand for more than a minute. any disappointment or regret that might otherwise And that’s what he was doing, single tote bag slung over result. I could never live with that and trust you his shoulder, inside the airport terminal after his flight into wouldn’t want to either. St. Louis had arrived right on time. Shoulders propped up against a wall next to an airport bookshop with clear view Love, Iris of all those approaching. He caught a glimpse of himself in a nearby glass wall, comparing it to the one he recalled from the ambulance that had brought him to Landstuhl. His

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 22 hair was trimmed neat and short, his face clean-shaven and David steadied himself with a deep breath and, feeling unmarred by scabs and stitches. As for his eyes, well, they no sense of disappointment whatsoever, pushed himself looked filled with life again, bright and hopeful. from the wall, angling his feet to intercept the old woman. Seconds past, then minutes, with no sign of a woman “Excuse me, Iris,” he said, smiling with warm hand wearing a red jade pendant. Just harried travelers rushing to laid upon her shoulder. Stopping was hard for him and the get to this place or that, everyone hurrying. terminal’s slick tile made it even harder. “I’m David Grant Finally he spotted a blond woman approaching, a and I’m so glad you’ve kept our dinner date.” few years his senior and ravishingly beautiful. Seeing his But the old woman looked at him strangely. “Young uniform, she cast him a respectful, even flirtatious smile man,” she said, her voice soft and scratchy, “I don’t have when she neared and David felt his breath bottleneck in a clue who you are or what’s going on. But a few minutes his throat. Could this be her, could this be Iris? Then she ago a beautiful young woman with blond hair gave me this drew close enough for him to see her white blouse clearly, pendant and told me if a young gentleman stopped me, I was no pendant dangling from her neck. David was tempted to to say she’d see you for dinner at the restaurant at the end of follow her anyway, but quickly reminded himself of his true the terminal.” purpose even though the woman held her gaze on him until David felt his world wobble, legs suddenly even more the bustle of the terminal swallowed her. unsteady as his eyes cheated into the distance where the real Instead David waited and watched to no avail. The Iris was waiting for him. terminal crowd thinned and amidst it he spotted an older “Oh,” the old woman resumed, looping the jade pendant woman coming his way, spine slightly hunched from age and from her neck and handing it him, “you’d better give this arthritis. Her gait was slow and uneven, her hair bright silver back to the young lady when you see her.”  and thinning at the top. And, as she drew closer, the bright terminal lighting revealed a red jade pendant clinging to her wool sweater.

SuspenseMagazine.com 23 Allison LEOTTA Follows the Letter of the Law

Interview by Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Tim Coburn

Allison Leotta was a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. for twelve years. She specialized in prosecuting sex crimes, domestic violence, and crimes against children. “Law of Attraction”—her first novel—was published by Simon & Schuster in 2010. Suspense Magazine named it one of the best books of the year, and the Washington City Paper called Allison “one of the most notable new faces to debut in 2010.” It’s sequel, “Discretion,” will be published in July. Michael Palmer said, “’Discretion’ is a terrific read. Slick, sexy, and very smart. Allison Leotta is a master at creating tension and then mercilessly tightening it. This is the kind of book I love to read, crafted by a wonderfully imaginative writer, who really knows what she is talking about. Allison Leotta is headed to the top of the heap.” With accolades like this one, who wouldn’t want their own copy? Allison also blogs about what TV crime shows get right and wrong, from her perspective as a real sex-crimes prosecutor. The ABA calls her blog—the Prime-Time Crime Review—one of the best legal blogs in America. Allison is a graduate of Michigan State University and Harvard Law School. She lives in Takoma Park, Maryland with her two sons and her husband Michael, who also served as a federal prosecutor. If you check out her website listed at the end of this interview, you can read more

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 24 about Allison in the Washington Post, watch her in a TV interview and learn more about the background of her first novel. Suspense Magazine is thrilled to bring you more in this month’s exclusive interview with Allison.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): What made you decide writing was a passion you could not squelch nor did you want to?

Allison Leotta (AL): Reading has been my passion since I was a kid. I always thought I’d like to write a book. But I’d never met a real-life author, and had no idea how it was done. Then I got pregnant with my first son, and a weird sort of biological clock went off. I knew my life was about to change in a big way. It was now or never. That’s when I started writing “Law of Attraction.” That book was written in the spaces of my life between prosecuting and mommying. I would wake up at five a.m. and write for a couple of hours before heading to work. I wrote at night and on weekends. After my son was born, I wrote during his naps and after bedtime. Now, the sound of a softly snoring baby triggers a Pavlovian response in me to start typing.

S. MAG.: With “Law of Attraction,” you got a couple of reviews that said in part: “…taking on a still-taboo subject” and “… creating a buzz with critics.” Writing is supposed to bring on a feeling, an emotion. Yours does that in spades. Does that scare you, concern you, or make you happy like you’ve done your job as a writer?

AL: Well, thank you! I’m always delighted to hear that my writing causes people to feel something. That’s one of the best things a book can do. For twelve years, I worked in the midst of very emotional subject matter. I was a federal prosecutor in D.C., specializing in sex crimes and domestic violence. At the heart of many of my cases was the intersection of love and hate. Many crimes stem from love gone wrong, and are committed by the victim’s most trusted ally: a spouse, lover, friend, or parent. I found I was thinking about my cases all the time. I may have started writing in part to process this very emotional world. Some of that emotion had to end up on the pages. When that happens, it’s a good thing on at least two levels. It helped the story. And it was cheaper than therapy.

S. MAG.: Being very interested in the little things people say, what other Pavlovian responses do you have other than typing when you hear a baby softly snoring?

AL: I feel like I should go to bed! I have two preschoolers who wake me up every morning at 5:30 am. If I don’t sleep when my kids are sleeping, I will never sleep at all.

S. MAG.: Do you feel your writing changed how you viewed certain aspects of your job and vise versa?

AL: I think that being an Assistant U.S. Attorney and being a novelist were mutually beneficial. My work as a special victims

SuspenseMagazine.com 25 prosecutor was fascinating, and gave me compelling material to write, while writing my fictional characters made me understand my real-life witnesses more deeply.

There’s something about writing a story from the victim’s point of view—spending hours imagining what it’s like to sit in that chair, instead of my own—that made me better able to understand and empathize with the victims whose cases I handled.

S. MAG.: Being a prosecutor of sex crimes and domestic violence has to be a horrific job at times. The things you see and hear cannot be for the faint of heart. How do you wind down from that? How do you keep it from invading you and your family?

AL: Every prosecutor I know has some way to shake off the job at the end of the day. Some are marathon runners, some do yoga, some go shopping for shoes. For me, it became writing. My husband, Mike, was also a federal prosecutor for much of the time that I was. So there was no avoiding having the job permeate our family life. Our kids understood that “Mommy and Daddy send bad guys to jail.” They often asked if they could come and see me send a bad guy to jail. I never did let them.

S. MAG.: What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt? What profession would you absolutely not like to participate in?

AL: In a parallel universe, I’m a veterinarian. I love animals. I’d also like to be a chocolate taster. Is anyone hiring chocolate tasters?

S. MAG.: What is your idea of fun? If given a choice to skip work for a day, how would you spend the entire day?

AL: Reading Suspense Magazine, of course. *Believe it or not, we paid her very little to say that! LOL! S. MAG.: You received lots of praise and emotional responses from your first novel. That being said, when writing “Discretion,” did you find it hard to put away “Law of Attraction?” Did thoughts of trying to initiate the same response even come into play?

AL: Since “Discretion” is a sequel to “Law of Attraction,” it was impossible to put away ‘LAW.’ I was building on the characters of that book. At first, the challenge was: how do you get past Happily Ever After? My heroine, Anna Curtis, walked off into the sunset last time. What happens when she wakes up the next morning? But…that’s actually something we all wonder about. And I found that exploring Anna’s relationship with her prosecutor boyfriend—and the romantic challenges facing a woman who had a dark childhood and now sees the worst things people do to their loved ones every day—was an intriguing storyline in itself. And that’s before we even get to D.C.’s high-priced call-girl underworld, which Anna has to investigate in “Discretion.” So, I think it worked out. I’ve been gratified by the wonderful critical response “Discretion” has gotten so far. I hope readers will love it too! S. MAG.: What do you think has stayed the same about you throughout your life?

AL: Reading.

S. MAG.: Any plans for another book? What can we expect next from Allison Leotta?

AL: Yes, I’m under contract with Simon & Schuster to write one more Anna Curtis novel, the third in the series. That’s what I’m working on right now. After that’s done, you can expect me to have a drink!

Suspense Magazine is pleased to have had this opportunity to speak with such a writing powerhouse as Allison Leotta. If you want to read and get to know a great author, check out Allison’s website at http://allisonleotta.com. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 26 The House at the end of the Street By Jodi Ann Hanson

The house at the end of the street was was now past the point of no return, so each boy climbed the proverbial haunted house. The kind of over the ledge stepping into what was at one time, the formal house that kids in small towns created stories and rumors living room. The wallpaper was peeling and the room gave about. Stories of murders and ghosts and people gone off a dank musty odor. A blackened fireplace stood against missing. You know, you’ve told these stories, too, around the wall, remnants of burned candles and melted wax on the campfires and especially at Halloween when the excitement once gleaming mantle. Cobwebs hung from the chandelier of the season catches hold of you. and corners of the doorway leading into the front hallway The most popular story is one of a little boy named giving a spooky effect. Each of the boys could feel a gnawing Arnold Johnson. He was an eight-year-old boy on summer fear in their stomachs. None of them wanted to venture from break from school, out for a day of exploring and general the room but knew they were bound to, or be doomed to a tom foolery with his gang of friends. He, Artie Simms, and lifetime of teasing for being too afraid. Donnie Fields were the kind of mischievous boys prone to Of course they heard all the ghost stories and now they dares and generally getting into trouble. It was 1945, a time were going to explore that very house. Not one of them when video games didn’t exist. You entertained yourself wanted to be the first out of the room. Being the oldest and with toy soldiers and played outside with your friends from official leader of the group, Donnie pushed Arnold through morning until night, only coming in to wash up for dinner. the doorway. With trepidation and a quick glance over his You went swimming or fishing. Built forts and rode bikes shoulder, Arnold stumbled into the hallway. Tiptoeing along for fun. Your parents gave you twenty-five cents on Saturday the thick layer of dust covering the floor, he found himself afternoon so you could go to the show, watch Abbott and thinking that he was the only person to walk on this floor Costello’s latest crazy antics and then get a soda at the drug in a very long time. No recent footsteps were to be seen. store. Although it was early afternoon, the house was dark, making The story told is that on this particular day the little gang it difficult to see anything further than a foot or two in front ran up the street raking sticks along fences and shouting of themselves. Arnold and the other boys walked in a row between themselves about nothing in particular. They ran with their hands running along the wall, almost as if it was a until they reached the house at the corner, 175 Hickory way of keeping the small group connected. The way elephants Lane. Sheltered by enormous trees with draping branches, walk holding each other’s tails or the way you walk through standing behind a low black wrought iron fence the house the funhouse at the county fair. was ramshackle and overgrown with vines. The grass was A grand sweeping staircase stood to the left of the boys. going to seed and covered with hundreds of yellow topped Peering up to the floor above to make sure nothing was up dandelions, unmowed for several years and resembling a field there to get them, they headed ever so slowly up, walking on by this time. The boys stood together, sticks resting on the tiptoes and holding fast to the railing. Halfway up to the first ground staring at the house with a mixture of fear and daring. landing, Arnold and his friends stopped dead in their tracks. Eventually, Artie being the bravest of the three, suggested They’d heard a rustling sound just ahead. Donnie and Artie going inside to see if they could find any ghosts. None of retreated a few steps down, having both heard the noise as them wanting to appear the chicken of the group, the other well. With one look behind him and his heart in his throat, boys reluctantly agreed. Filled with dread, they approached Arnold continued up the remaining stairs. the house in a line looking like ducklings following their Once he reached the second floor, Arnold headed to the mom. Climbing the steps gingerly and looking behind to right toward the faint sunlight coming through the doorway. make sure each of them were close by. Looking over his shoulder yet again to see if the other two Once at the door, Arnold reached out and jiggled the boys were behind, he continued on his way. They heard knob, which of course was locked. They peered into the the rustling sound again, louder this time and in the room window beside the porch and tested to see if it was open. directly beside them. Muffling screams with their hands, It was. The window squeaked as it lifted from the jamb. It they rushed quickly by the room and headed to their original

SuspenseMagazine.com 27 destination, the room ahead. They ran through the doorway, the one his mom had at home except this one had patches of each of boys doing a quick scan of the room for ghosts or a rust dotting the sides that had once been pristine white. The hidden madman waiting for them. exterior door heading into the yard was beside the machine. The room looked clear, nothing but a layer of dust It stood closed and bolted from the inside. There would coating the contents. There were remnants of furniture from be stairs on the other side with a set of wooden doors that the previous tenants. A broken chair sat in the corner with opened on an angle as all basements had in that time. the fabric tattered and hanging down. An overturned lamp Walking further into the basement, Arnold stepped on a on the small table beside it, and an ancient looking bed rotting wooden door in the floor behind the pile of wood. He with a sagging and torn mattress stood directly beneath the hadn’t seen it when he came down the stairs. He swept the window. Across the room there was a closet with the door dirt away with his foot and knelt down to investigate. There slightly ajar. While Arnold and Donnie walked around was an iron ring bolted onto it as a way of lifting the door. investigating the furniture, Artie headed to the closet and Arnold tugged the ring with all his strength. Nothing. He peered inside. Except for a few hangers and a bare light bulb tried again and eventually it budged, giving way. It opened with a long string hanging above his head, there was nothing with a creaking of the hinges that hadn’t been moved in contained in the small space. Donnie whispered that they many years. A stale smell immediately reached Arnold’s nose should look in the other rooms, wanting to get out of the as he peered into the hole. A set of rickety and rotting steps house as quickly as possible. The other two looked at him led down. It was really dark down there. Why would there be and nodded in agreement. a room below the basement? Curiosity getting the better of In a group, the boys headed out of the bedroom toward him, Arnold leaned over the hole stretching as far as he could. the room where they heard the noises. The door was closed, Suddenly, Arnold lost his footing. The wooden frame around so Donnie being the closest, reached out and turned the knob. the hole had rotted and before he knew what was happening, Slowly he opened the creaking door, expecting something or he found himself tumbling downward. Landing on the floor someone to reach out and grab one of them. Gingerly peaking with a heavy thump, he was shaken and disoriented. To make his head around the door, he saw this room was empty too. matters worse, the door above him slammed shut. Now he No footprints in the dust or a soul in the room. How was was in complete blackness. it that they had all heard the noise? Surely they hadn’t all Trapped, hurt and terrified, Arnold crawled on his imagined it. Artie pointed at the tattered drapes billowing in knees, reaching his arms out in front of himself trying to front of the window. The glass pane behind the curtain was locate a wall. He could hear the squeaking of mice around broken. The noise they heard was only a branch scratching him, but couldn’t see them. He was afraid of mice, so being against the broken glass. trapped in the dark with them was a nightmare scenario. There was one more room on this floor, but the group He kept crawling until he finally reached a wall and with his decided to skip past it and there was no way they were even hands moving one above the other for balance, he slowly going to think of going up the stairs to the attic. Still they stood up. He fished above his head in the hope of finding all wanted to explore the rest of the house and their moms a light, but there was none. From what he could tell, the would soon be calling for them to wash up before dinner. room was empty. Finally, he felt something solid at his feet. Back down the stairs they went. Each of the boys was more He realized it was the stairs leading back up to the basement confident having found nothing to fear upstairs. Once back level. He stepped on the first riser and reached out with the in the front foyer of the house, the boys decided they would toe of his shoe to locate the next step before moving upward. split up and search the remainder of the house. If any of them After he had gone three steps, the staircase crumbed with a found something of interest they would call to the others deafening crack, sending Arnold back to the dirt floor below. to come and check it out. Arnold headed to the basement He realized then he was trapped. while Donnie went into the study and Artie to the back of the Panic set in and Arnold began screaming. He screamed house, toward what he assumed would be the kitchen. at the top of his lungs until his throat hurt and grew hoarse. The basement smelled musty and was damp from rain Why weren’t his friends running to let him out? Could they coming through a broken window for many years. The dirt even hear him down here? Arnold was terrified. What if they floor was sunken in places and held little puddles of stagnant didn’t find him? The walls were hewn smooth so there was no water. Spiders and other various bugs quickly scurried place to get a foothold to hoist himself up. He was well and along the floor and walls, having been disturbed by Arnold’s truly trapped. With a feeling of hopelessness, he sat down footsteps. As he walked through the dangling cobwebs, he and started to cry. brushed them from his face. Then from the corner of his Upstairs Donnie and Artie met in the foyer as planned. eye Arnold could see movement. With a start he snapped Neither had found anything exciting in the rooms and wanted toward the space beneath the staircase in time to see a rat to leave. They wondered where Arnold had gotten to. He had running along the wall and into a small hole. The darned been gone for a long time now. They figured he was hiding thing scared the heck out of him, making his heart race and somewhere waiting to jump out and scare them. Looking his knees weak. Turning in a circle, he took in the contents around behind doors and furniture, calling out his name as of the basement. A wooden shelf holding mason jars filled they searched, they didn’t find him. The two of them headed with rotting contents stood under the staircase where the rat toward the basement and peered down. Not seeing Arnold had been. There were piles of wood for the stove that once they decided to go down to see what he was up to. Maybe he heated the house. Decaying furniture and gardening tools lay had found something interesting and had lost track of time. broken and scattered willy-nilly throughout the space. There When the boys reached the basement, they scanned the was a ringer washing machine under the window just like space and realized Arnold wasn’t anywhere to be found. They

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 28 saw that the exterior door was bolted so they knew he hadn’t looked into every nook, cranny and possible hiding spot. gone outside. They started to think maybe he really was They searched attic, second floor, main floor and basement, hiding somewhere upstairs. They bounded back up the steps not finding Arnold. Going outside, they searched behind calling out for Arnold, but he didn’t answer. Game for a quick trees and in the decrepit garage. Again nothing. round of hide and seek, the boys ran around the main floor Arnold could hear the commotion upstairs. He stood once more looking behind doors and any of the discarded and yelled as loudly as he could. He hammered his fists furniture lying about. Again they didn’t find him. Up the against the walls and stamped his feet. Stopping to listen stairs to the second floor they ran checking each room and then starting the process all over again. Nobody heard him. closet still calling out for Arnold with no response. The boys Nobody came. figured maybe Arnold chickened out and had snuck back out Outside, the search party regrouped and tried to decide the front door instead of going into the basement. their next move. They were getting more worried by the Arnold was to the point of panic now. There was minute. Arnold’s poor mom was being consoled by some of absolutely no way out and nobody heard his shouts. the ladies from the neighborhood as she cried uncontrollably. Hopefully, his friends would look for him and if they didn’t It was twilight now and darkness would soon be upon find him they would at least tell his mom he was missing and them. She was worried about the possibility of him laying his parents would come looking. He had to hold onto that hurt somewhere and knowing he’d be afraid of the dark. thought or he would lose his mind sitting there. He could The men decided to drive, searchlights blazing through the still hear the mice scurrying about and every once in a while surrounding neighborhoods, parks and playgrounds. Mrs. he could feel one of them touching him. He pulled his knees Johnson was instructed to go home and wait in case Arnold up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, trying came home or someone called to say they’d found him. to protect himself from the darkness. He was hungry and Through the night, the search continued. The men came to thirsty, his body sore from the fall. He wanted to crawl under the house periodically for coffee and sandwiches and to let the blankets of his bed and sleep. the ladies know if any progress was being made. A reporter Artie and Donnie ran up the street until they came came to do a segment for the morning news, where she’d ask to Arnold’s house. Out of breath, they went around to the for help from the people of the town. Everything was being backyard expecting to see Arnold playing in the grass with his done, but nothing was happening. golden retriever Sally. But he wasn’t outside. They knocked on * * * the back door and waited for Arnold’s mom to answer. After Arnold lost track of time. He didn’t know a few seconds she came to the door wiping her hands on her if it was day or night in the dark space. He didn’t know how apron. Artie asked if Arnold was home. Mrs. Johnson looked long he had been trapped. It seemed like forever. He was at them with questioning eyes and said she thought Arnold hungry and thirsty and needed to use the bathroom. He held was with them. Knowing they would be in big trouble the onto a small trickle of hope that kept him from losing his boys explained that they had gone into the “haunted” house mind. He wondered if his mom was okay. She was probably and had lost track of Arnold. They told her they figured he worried sick. She’d definitely be mad but happy too that he chickened out and headed home. Hearing this, Mrs. Johnson was home. Just a little longer and they’ll find him for sure. held the door open for the boys, went immediately to the Right? telephone and began calling the neighbors to see if Arnold * * * was visiting and having a glass of milk and some homemade The search continued for almost a cookies. Each of the neighbors said they hadn’t seen Arnold month before the police and townspeople all day. Now she was getting worried. had finally given up hope. Absolutely every stone Quickly she dialed Arnold’s dad at work and in a panic, had been turned, every lead investigated to no end. Mr. and she told him what the boys said. She begged him to come Mrs. Johnson realized that Arnold was probably not coming home immediately and help her look for him. Next she called back. They grieved their only child, but still held hope in the police and explained the situation. What seemed like an their hearts that someday he would be returned to them. eternity, later both the police and Mr. Johnson were flying People in the neighborhood and the public authorities into the driveway and out of their cars. Quickly gathering the decided the house should be boarded up to prevent any other neighbors and planning a search of the area. The first place kids from the same outcome. Parents warned their children they’d look was of course, the “haunted” house. to stay away from the house. Kids at sleepover parties still * * * spooked each other with stories of the haunted house, adding Arnold stopped crying. He rested his head on more gruesome details as the years went by. Of course there the wall and was dozing. Teetering between alertness and were always the boys taunting and daring each other to spend sleep, he visualized the moment when someone would find the night in the house alone in search of the ghost of Arnold him and take him home to his mom and dad. They would Johnson. cuddle him, take him to get a hamburger and milkshake then Almost two decades later the old house was being torn tuck him into bed, sitting with him until he fell asleep. down for new development. One of the workers found * * * Arnold in the room below the basement. His parents were Carrying flashlights, the police, long passed away so he was placed in the town cemetery with Arnold’s father and the rest of the a small headstone marking his short life, mourned by a few volunteers broke through the front people from the town who remembered the story of the boy door and rushed into the house. Splitting up, gone missing one summer day.  the men ran searching for the boy. Through the house they

SuspenseMagazine.com 29 Characters are People Too Lynda Fitzgerald Interview by Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Caitlin Brown Lynda Fitzgerald has been writing all her life, and studied creative writing at both Georgia Perimeter College—where she was the winner of a Creative Writing Scholarship—and at Emory University. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found curled up with a book written by one of her many favorite authors. Lynda has always been a reader and cannot recall a time when she didn’t. She says she can’t imagine life without books. Many years ago, she read “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury with horror. Lynda recalls thinking, Burn all books? Hideous thought. Life would be so much less exciting if we couldn’t count books as friends. Lynda’s debut novel, “If Truth Be Told,” was released in June 2007. Set in Melbourne Beach, Florida, “If Truth Be Told” has elements of romance and suspense while it explores the value of truth as opposed to compassion and family loyalty. Her second book, “Of Words & Music,” set in Atlanta, Georgia, was released in March 2009, and her third, “LIVE Ringer” the first in a mystery series, was released in 2010. For the LIVE series, she, along with her characters, head back to Melbourne Beach, Florida. “LIVE Ammo” hit the shelves in April 2012. Although she was born in Florida, Lynda now resides in Snellville, Atlanta, close to her two children and four grandchildren. Though she now lives miles from any ocean, her heart and soul remain firmly planted at the seashore. Lynda shares her love affair of Melbourne and Vero Beaches in Florida on her site. Suspense Magazine brings you our exclusive interview with author Lynda Fitzgerald. Enjoy!

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): You are obviously a fan of books. A person after our own heart, by the way. You say books are our friends. Tell us what that means to you specifically.

Lynda Fitzgerald (LF): Books have always seemed like friends to me. I remember reading Nancy Drew and “Heidi” and innumerable others when I was young. Those people weren’t characters in books to me, but new friends. They pulled me into their stories. They entertained me and taught me new ways of looking at life. It was thrilling to open the front cover of a book not knowing what or who I’d find inside.

I feel exactly the same way when I begin a new novel now, whether I’m reading it or writing it. In my own writing, my characters have never felt like “characters”—people I created on blank paper with words—but like people I know well. And even if I’ve roughly outlined the plot, I’m always surprised where these people take me. I feel like each novel is a new adventure.

S. MAG.: What is your favorite genre to read?

LF: I started out reading the usual kids books, but when I got a little older, ten or so, I became a bit of a snob. Well, maybe more than a bit. For years, I only read the classics. I can laugh at that prissy little pseudo-intellectual that was me now, but I was quite serious about it at the time. Even though I was insufferable for years, that reading gave me a solid understanding and

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 30 appreciation of fine literature. Now, I read everything. I read lots of suspense and mystery because I love it and because it’s what I write. I read humor and non-fiction and memoir, but suspense remains my favorite.

S. MAG.: Do you think it’s your love of reading, your Creative Writing Scholarship, or something else that brought you to this stage in your life where writing is something you simply must do?

LF: That’s an excellent question. I’ve always known I had to write. I can’t remember ever wanting to be anything but an author, but it was a long road to publication. Thirty years long, in fact. Part of that was my fault. I wrote short stories and poetry for many years without ever thinking of trying to publish them. Then my English professor suggested I submit two short stories to my college’s creative writing contest, and I won. I was astounded. It was that Creative Writing Scholarship that propelled me into writing my first novel. I’d always been afraid of the scope of a novel. I mean, eighty to ninety thousand is a lot of words to commit to, and it terrified me that I might begin it and not be able to finish. Then once I finished it, I was scared to death that I’d never be able to write another. But I did. And then another and another. In fact, the ideas come to me faster than I can write them these days.

But writing didn’t mean getting published. I sent out that first manuscript knowing it was the best first novel written. It was brilliant! Unfortunately, the ten or so publishers I sent it to disagreed. So I filed it in my file cabinet and wrote another. It was my third novel that was finally picked up for publication.

S. MAG.: Bring us back to the moment when you found out you were going to be published for the first time. Can you describe the feeling and what your very first thoughts were?

LF: Well, after thirty years of trying to find a publisher, my first thought was, “It’s about time.” But truly, I felt like I’d stuck my finger in a light socket—electrified. Talk about an adrenaline rush! I walked around in shock all day. Well, for several days. Then, being me, I was afraid they would change their minds. I don’t think I took a normal breath until I saw the book between covers.

What I realized then was that I’d been so busy learning how to be a better writer that I didn’t have a clue how to be an author. I didn’t know about ARCs and cover art and websites or any of that stuff. During the year between acceptance and publication, I felt like I got my master’s degree in “Being an Author.” It was exhilarating and exhausting.

S. MAG.: What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

LF: Oh, so many choices. You know I’m a Floridian. Once during a hurricane, I ran to the end of the Cape Canaveral jetty barefooted on a dare. That was in the days before they’d built the boardwalk to the end and put rails and safety signs everywhere. In those days, the jetty was a long finger of massive boulders that jutted out into the Port Canaveral harbor. Actually, I was sad when the state took it over and made it safe. It was a lot more fun in the old days, same with the Sebastian Inlet jetty. I used to scamper over those rocks as sure-footed as a mountain goat. Now the greatest danger there is getting hooked by an angler on the pier.

S. MAG.: It seems with the age or electronic games and such, children don’t appreciate the written word as we did. How would you make reading more fun for the youth of our country to keep them reading into adulthood?

LF: I know what I did with mine. I put them to bed each night telling them they could keep their lights on for an extra half-hour if they were quietly reading. Of course, I put them to bed half an hour early, but they didn’t know that. I raised two avid readers that way. Before they could read, I read to them every night. I think if you start them young, it helps a lot.

SuspenseMagazine.com 31 S. MAG.: In your career as a writer, how many times have you considered throwing in the towel?

LF: Only once, about a month before “If Truth Be Told” was picked up for publication. I’d already spent thirty years writing: nights, weekends, vacations. It was so depressing to get rejection after rejection. I wondered if maybe I wasn’t any good. But I was a reader as well as a writer, and I knew I was good. Then I asked myself a question. If I never got a word published, would I keep writing? I knew in that instant that I would. By then, writing wasn’t something I did, it’s something I am. Quitting would be like losing an arm or leg. Talk about having your identity tied up in what you do.

S. MAG.: In “If Truth Be Told,” you explore the value of truth instead of compassion and family loyalty. What made you reach more toward the truth element as opposed to the others? Was that a specific angle you intended or did it just go that way?

LF: It was really the other way around. Christie always felt exposing the truth superseded those values, but when she suspected a one family member had killed another, she came to look at “truth” differently.

I probably shouldn’t say it, but “If Truth Be Told” is based on an incident that took place in my family. When it happened, I had to ask myself how important exposing the truth was to me personally. What if it ripped a family apart? What if it irreparably damaged someone’s memory? What would that accomplish? It was a truth that needed to be told, but fictionalizing it got it off my chest without damaging anyone. It seemed the best compromise I could make.

S. MAG.: How does your LIVE series differ from your first two books? How are they the same?

LF: I think I was searching for my voice with my first several books. The first one published was branded by the publisher as romantic suspense. I didn’t really know about genres when I wrote it. I thought it was mainstream. The second, “Of Words & Music,” is women’s fiction. Again, I thought it was mainstream. What did I know?

When I sat down to write “LIVE Ringer,” I knew I was writing suspense. Writing that book was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. The characters are quirky and fun and funny. The story barrels forward. When I began it, I thought I was writing a standalone novel. It wasn’t until I got near the end that I knew I wasn’t finished with those characters. I had a lot of things I wanted to do to them, so I wrote “LIVE Ammo.” Then “LIVE in Person.” That one’s due out next year.

As far as similarities, everything I write is character-driven. I’ve read a lot of plot-driven novels, and they always leave me feeling…incomplete. I love a good plot, but it’s what happens to the characters that hooks me and keeps me reading. And writing.

S. MAG.: Hard question: If a fan really wants to get to know your characters and what your style is about, what book would they have the most fun with?

LF: That really is a hard one to answer. Christie, the protagonist in “If Truth Be Told,” is my favorite character of all time, and there are a lot of other really good characters in it. “Of Words & Music” has Marabet, the protagonist’s best friend and housekeeper, who cracks me up. I don’t know where some of the stuff she says comes from. But I think the LIVE series has the biggest collection of wonderful characters, and the books truly are fun to read. They’re not bogged down in backstory or detail, and the characters move the stories forward. Like I said, very hard to answer.

S. MAG.: What’s next for Lynda Fitzgerald? Can you give us a little tidbit?

LF: Writing, writing, and more writing. I’ll bet you aren’t surprised. I’ve already written the third in the LIVE series and have at least three more planned. I’ve also written a standalone suspense novel, “Winter Kill” that I hope will be out late next year. It’s a real departure for me. Most of my books are set in Florida, but “Winter Kill” is set in Minnesota. The story is based on a one-inch newspaper article I read over thirty years ago. One of the short stories that won me that scholarship in college was based on it, but after I wrote that, the story still wouldn’t let me alone. I had to do it justice in novel form. Now I feel like it’s at peace.

And maybe one of these days, I’ll pull out that first novel, dust it off, and try to make it as good as I know it can be. I still think it’s potentially the best thing I’ve ever written. Maybe with some serious tweaking, I’ll finally be able to convince a publisher of that.

Suspense Magazine certainly doesn’t think it will take much convincing, judging from the books you’ve had out thus far. We thank Lynda for her time and urge you to check her out at http://fitzgeraldwrites.com/. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 32 Suspense Magazine Book Reviews

Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch Inside the PagesBy Nancy Atherton Vanishing Girls Atherton’s seventeenth book in the Aunt Dimity Mystery series is sure to delight fans. Although this is the By Katia Lief first I have read, I found this story original, well-written, and just plain fun. Ex-policewoman, Finch, England is a quaint, historical village, with its fair share of gossips and busybodies. In fact, whenever Karin Schaeffer, is back! something new or unusual happens, most of the villagers make it a major event. As we begin the new tale, When Amelia Thistle moves to Finch, her new neighbors are eager to welcome her and learn more about Karin receives a phone her. Crowding into a local tearoom next door to Thistle’s new home, the villagers watch with bated breath as she call that’s meant for moves her things in, waiting to see just what the woman will bring to Finch. Among them is Lori Shepherd, who her detective husband, befriends Thistle and soon discovers her true identity and vows to conceal it. She also learns the reason for her Mac. Mac is down with arrival in Finch, an ancestor named Mistress Meg, the Mad Witch of Finch. a horrific case of the It isn’t long before Thistle’s space is invaded, along with her peace of mind. Together with Lori, the villagers flu, so Karin decides to soon involve themselves in seeking clues leading to the truth about the witch…and protecting Thistle from intercede on his behalf. Apparently, two those intent on tracking her down. women have been found on a Brooklyn Atherton is a superb writer who brings a lot of charm and wit to her story. Aunt Dimity is street. One is a young girl who is the a bit of a surprise for someone who hasn’t read any of Atherton’s previous books, but she is an victim of a hit-and-run, while the other original and a great help to Lori Shepherd in this particular witch hunt. I thoroughly enjoyed is a young woman who has been found this story and look forward to going back to the beginning to read the series from the start. slain with a dagger sticking out of her “Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch” is a stand-alone novel. So, even if you haven’t read any chest. of Atherton’s previous books, no problem. This one is an enjoyable read and is sure to keep you This particular MO is familiar turning pages until all mysteries are solved. to the city, seeing as that for the last  two years the perpetrator known Reviewed by Lynne Levandowski for Suspense Magazine only as the “Working Girl Killer” has Endangered hunted prostitutes in Manhattan, and By Ann Littlewood has already savagely slaughtered nine Iris Oakley, with a nose for trouble even an elephant might envy is a zookeeper at the Finley Memorial women. But with this new crime, the Zoo, just outside Portland, Oregon. It’s not as though Iris doesn’t have enough on her plate as it is. She’s a killer seems to have ‘jumped the river’ and is now operating in Brooklyn. twenty-something widow with an active two-year-old son, a massive mortgage, two high-spirited dogs, and Since Mac is not ‘well enough an uncertain career path at the zoo. Her latest assignment? Drive up into the hills and pick up an unspecified for duty,’ Karin heads out to meet with assortment of exotic animals discovered on a farm that doubled as a rural meth lab. Billy Staples, a Brooklyn policeman and Iris finds smuggled tortoises, squawking parrots, biting macaws, and the body of a teenage girl, apparently friend, to check out the scene. Billy has a the daughter of the drub lab operator. Was she killed when the farm was raided or murdered later, and if so, by great deal of trouble dealing with horrific whom? As events unfold, one thing is certain, someone has a murderous interest in the rescued animals and crimes such as these. Long ago, Billy lost whatever secrets they hide. But who could it be? everything at the hands of a psychopath Author Ann Littlewood imbues her novel with the realistic day-to-day operations of a zoo, not surprising and sometimes falls into a paralyzing given her years of experience as a zookeeper. A newborn mandrill is causing friction in the primate house and darkness (suffering from PTSD) when Iris worries that Sky, the alpha male of the troop may harm the newcomer. Human relationships are on her he comes across a crime that brings back mind as well as Marcia, her best friend since school and Denny, a coworker at the zoo who have split after two the nightmares. years together. And what is up with Pete & Cheyenne, Iris’ peripatetic coworkers and boarders. Why have they As Karin investigates, she notices become so secretive of late? that there are differences with the The action and the danger increase as the story unfolds. It’s when her unknown adversary threatens her son latest crime scene that make it look as that Iris’ maternal instincts kick into full gear, and she takes on the attributes of a she-bear protecting her young, if another killer—perhaps a copycat— and the story takes the reader racing toward a deadly showdown. could be responsible. As she finds herself  being pulled further into the crime, Reviewed by Andrew MacRae, author of “Murder Misdirected” for Suspense Magazine Karin also has to juggle her family. But Heartbroken when the killer strikes too close to home, By Lisa Unger Karin must soon find a way to solve the “Heartbroken” is a treasure! Ms. Unger has brilliantly written about one family’s history, case and protect the ones she loves from and relationships and how they evolve. becoming the next victims. Birdie Heart Burke lives on a private island, Heart Island, in the Adirondack Mountains The plotting and timing of this that has belonged to her family for generations. She and the island are one, and she loves it story is absolutely perfect, and the there. Birdie is the oldest member of the Burke family and she rules with an iron fist. author does an incredible job keeping Kate is Birdie’s daughter and has written a best-selling novel, using the journals of her the reader’s interest and making it completely impossible for readers mother’s sister, and her grandmother. Kate has an adversarial relationship with her mother, at best. to solve the mystery. Although I Emily is a confused young woman, making all the wrong choices in life. But, in her past, she has memories recommend reading the full series to of one perfect place, Heart Island, and she knows that if she can just get there, life and its choices will become get the ‘who’s who’ down, the building clear to her. Nothing bad can happen there. of danger and the ‘up in the air’ ending As these three women come together on Heart Island, they learn about what it is to be redeemed, what it makes this a story that die-hard suspense is to be found, and what it is to love. fans will absolutely love. This gripping story is so good that I stayed up all night reading it because I could not put it down. I highly Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of recommend Ms. Unger’s “Heartbroken,” and I’m going to find copies of each of her books and devour them as “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense I have this one. A truly great read! Magazine  Reviewed by Holly Price, author of “At Death’s Door” coming soon, for Suspense Magazine 

SuspenseMagazine.com 33 Purgatory Hunt the Wolf Chasm By Don Mann with Ralph Pezzullo By Steven Ulfelder In the new battle order against terrorists, the forward forces are special ops groups, especially the Navy’s Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) teams. Don Mann knows that world intimately. As a Chief Warrant I was fascinated to learn that Officer 3—a specialist rank above sergeant—he was an advanced training officer for SEAL Team 6. Purgatory Chasm is a real place Along with is co-author Ralph Pezzullo, Mann wrote the bestselling non-fiction memoir “Inside Seal in Massachusetts. “Purgatory Team 6,” and this summer they’ll publish a second non-fiction volume, “The Navy SEAL Survival Chasm” is a fast-paced mystery Handbook.” novel whose main character Mr. Mann brings that expertise to fiction with “Hunt the Wolf.” To CWO Thomas Crocker, a SEAL Team 6 Conway Sax, is a sometime auto unit leader, people are either sheep or wolves. His purpose is to protect the sheep by hunting the wolves. His unit is mechanic with a past involving assigned to get Abu Rasul Zaman, a high-ranking al-Qaeda terrorist who’s responsible for a deadly car bomb attack on alcohol and time in prison. And the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. Zaman has been traced to an apartment building in Karachi, Pakistan. The team enters Sax is a member of Barnburner, a Pakistan under the guise of mountain climbers attempting to climb K2. When they attack the apartment, Zaman select group of AA members who manages to escape, but the SEALs do capture computers that provide a lead that sends them off in an unexpected will do anything for each other. Author Steve Ulfelder tells direction. the story in first person, giving us A young woman named Malie Tingvoll has been kidnapped in Norway. As a representative of Norwegian the sense of speed and obsession Intelligence explains to Crocker, it is the latest in a string of abductions that are tied to a Middle-Eastern man by the that pervade the whole novel. We name of Cyrus. The intelligence his team recovered provides a link between Zaman and Cyrus. know from the first paragraph To save Malie and take out Zaman and Cyrus, Crocker and his team must race from the slopes of K2 to a that Sax does not like fellow farmhouse outside Marseille and on through Pakistan and Oman. They also discover and must stop a terrorist plot Barnburner Tander Phigg. But that could cripple the world economy. when Sax finds Phigg’s strangled Mann’s sparse prose keeps the story crackling and he imbues the novel with authenticity thanks to his thirty body, he is determined to carry years of service. His is a new voice in the genre that I’m sure we’ll hear from again. out his promise of loyalty, and Reviewed by David Ingram for Suspense Magazine  puts his own life in danger as he searches for Phigg’s killer. Sax has Hard Target given up drinking and he possesses By Alan Jacobson the single-mindedness recovering Fans of this enigmatic writer are sitting on the edge of their seats right now waiting to get this alcoholics often possess. He one, and they should be. This is non-stop action thriller that puts Jack Bauer to shame. From plots to uses this focus to deal with his sub-plots, introducing groups who are being ‘watched’—everything from the CIA to the NSA to the relationships as well as the shady FBI—are covered in this new tale. characters who intrude in his life At the very beginning, readers ‘hop’ into the President’s helicopter with the new President-elect as he searches for the murderer. of the United States, and find themselves immediately wrapped up in a terrorist plot that—believe it The book is populated by or not—hasn’t been written before. complex characters who struggle The new President-elect, Glendon Rusch, his family, and various Secret Service officers are on their way to with their troubled pasts and a well-earned rest after an exhausting two-year Presidential campaign. Out of nowhere an explosion erupts in the whose lives intersect in often helicopter and the ‘whirly-bird’ goes straight down into a Virginia field. This newest terrorist ‘scheme’ baffles the cataclysmic ways. Sax’s own father FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, because it’s simply unheard of that anyone would have the sheer guts to attempt an turns up sober for once in his life, assassination inside a helicopter, which is guarded night and day at a base in Quantico. a fact which should have made Sax FBI agent Aaron Uziel, and Hector Santos—a Department of Defense operative—are in charge of the suspicious, about the same time as investigation that will soon grow larger and larger, presenting a danger to not only the present administration, but does Phigg’s estranged son and his also the next one in line. Vietnamese wife and child, whom With all the twists and turns presented, reviewers will have to be very careful with this one, seeing as that no Sax takes under his wing. And spoilers can be revealed. What can be said is that the plot of this book is first-class and the research that has been done the reporter seen with Phigg just to make sure the novel is ‘right on target’ is extraordinary. This one is guaranteed to KEEP you sitting on the edge of days before his death—who is she your seat even after you have it in your hands. This captivating ride is a definite keeper! really? Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine  “Purgatory Chasm” is Ulfelder’s first novel, but he Wicked Eddies clearly has the ability to get inside By Beth Groundwater the minds of his multi-faceted This second in the Mandy Tanner River Ranger series picks up where “Deadly Currents” left off. [If you haven’t characters and bring out their best read the first book, please skip this review!] Mandy is engaged to the handsome Rob Juarez and they have combined and worst. His casual style moves their businesses. All is not smooth sailing however, in either their personal relationship or their business one. the reader along at a rapid pace The new company, a year round business called RM Outdoor Adventures, needs cash. Rob knows just where to that fits perfectly with the theme get it, but Mandy resists. She can’t bring herself to sell the home of her recently deceased Uncle Bill, the place where of automobiles and racing. Even she knew so much happiness after her parents’ deaths. though I am not an auto racing The story begins with Mandy rescuing a man and a woman who have fallen off a raft, administering CPR to the enthusiast and can’t even change man, only to have him die. He was a local real estate developer who was competing for use of a waterfront property, a tire, I found myself caught up an unpopular guy, but his death doesn’t seem unnatural at first. Soon after, during a trash-collecting trip in the story. Ulfelder has created with her boss Steve, she discovers the dead body with a hatchet in his neck. Sax as a flawed human being with Added to that, she and Steve go searching for a missing rafter and Mandy discovers a drowned a sense of integrity and honor. body, but not that of the rafter. Mandy is thrilled when Detective Quintana agrees to work closely with I look forward to more of his her. Trouble is ahead for her best friend Cynthia Abbott, the happy blond-joke cracking bartender. novels. This story is action packed, with well-placed lulls for Mandy’s ongoing relationship issues. I don’t Reviewed by Kathleen Heady, want to give any more away, so I’ll stop now. This is a good read! author of “The Gate House” for Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “Choke” for Suspense Magazine  Suspense Magazine 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 34 Hell or High Water Death of An By Joy Castro Artist This mystery falls into the very short category of ‘instant, and intelligent, page-turner.’ By Kate Wilhelm Set in post-Katrina, New Orleans, readers follow the story of a newspaper reporter working for The Times-Picayune. Nola is her name and she is absolutely sick and tired of her current job. The March in coastal Oregon is a Big Easy is definitely a city she wants out of, but in order to be free she needs to be transferred to time of quiet anticipation. Though the Crime Desk to get her shot at reporting real news and building her reputation as a professional the business of summer is coming journalist. fast, the crowds are yet to come. It’s Nola Cespedes has her reasons for hating the city she dwells in; her mother came into New Orleans with the a time of peace and preparation, other ‘boat people’ from Castro’s Cuba. Nola and her parents were fine until her father up-and-left one day deciding but this year there will be none of to leave for greener pastures, causing Nola and her mother to move into a frightening locale called Desire Projects. that for the Markov family. Being poor was a cross to bear, but Nola developed a hard, almost fearless skin. With her mother’s hard work and Four generations of Markovs determination, Nola was sent to a school outside of her district and became well educated. have their roots in Silver Bay, a After going through boring assignment after boring assignment, Nola finally receives her first full-length small tourist town up the coast feature for the paper. The topic: sexual predators that have fallen off the radar since Hurricane Katrina. Nola needs from Portland. Marnie, the long- to hunt them down and get them on record once again to protect the citizens. She isn’t particularly happy about this widowed matriarch, raised her assignment, but in order to make a name for herself and get that all-important boost, she takes it on. daughter Stef, mostly on her own. Stef, a mercurial artist, is a single This feature takes Nola into the worst parts of the city as she becomes deeply involved in the case of a missing mother with her daughter Van, a tourist. Soon the assignment turns into a true obsession for Nola, as she must find the person responsible for a recent medical school graduate, horrifying crime. and Van is continuing the family Much more than a mystery, this is a very pointed story regarding serious crimes against others. Readers will tradition with her young son. The cheer on this one small woman who takes it upon herself to right wrongs, and although the story is not a ‘fun’ read, four generations have forged a tight it is a tribute to the many individuals who had their lives ripped out from underneath them when Hurricane Katrina relationship, one that supports and made her terrifying appearance. sustains each of them. Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine  That closeness comes to a shocking end when Stef dies in an Robbie Forester and apparent accident. Both Marnie the Outlaws of Sherwood Street and Van believe that Dale, Stef’s By Peter Abrahams fourth husband, is responsible. Robbie is a Brooklyn middle schooler and only child. Her mother is an attorney and the main Dale is the owner of an art gallery moneymaker while her father is an author. Her life is pretty normal but all that changes when she gets and he recently betrayed Stef by a charm bracelet. This charm bracelet gives her special abilities…when it chooses! putting some of her most valuable She makes three intriguing friends who the bracelet’s magic seems to empower as well. Also, artwork up for sale, something Stef they acquire a very timid dog they and the bracelet like. The diverse group sets out to understand swore she’d never do. the bracelet and its power. The magic seems to work when it is righting a wrong and the ‘merry band’ uses that to the Marnie and Van are so advantage of the less fortunate. convinced that Dale killed Stef There seems to be a bigger issue concerning the whole neighborhood. Rent is increasing and there is no money they enlist the help of a newcomer to pay it, while people are being evicted and businesses are being shut down for lack of money. Robbie and her friends to town. Tony, a former New York City homicide detective, isn’t sure must right the wrongs they see, but are they facing more than they can handle, even with the new powers? he’ll be able to do anything, but This is a wonderful modern twist, young adult version of “Robin Hood.” Great start to a new series! as summer wears on, he gathers  Reviewed by Ashley Wintters forSuspense Magazine information that reveals Dale could Lethal Outlook well be a killer. Proving it in a court By Victoria Laurie of law however, is a different matter Abby Cooper, one of the best characters in the world of suspense and mystery is back; and as and he isn’t at all sure that Marnie always, readers will not be disappointed with one single page. and Van care about the law. Not anymore. Not with Dale still in For those who have not yet read a Psychic-Eye Mystery, Abby Cooper is a psychic extraordinaire charge of Stef’s paintings. Not with who’s partnered with her best friend, Candice—a Private Investigator. These women are very strong, Dale still free while Stef is dead. with Abby’s psychic abilities being very real, and they’ve worked with the FBI on cases before that “Death of an Artist” is tightly needed their particular ‘brand’ of investigating services. However, when a new client approaches focused on Marnie, her adult their firm—a woman who can literally give them no information including an actual crime—Abby is handed a granddaughter Van, and the weary problem she may not be able to solve. Tony. Author Wilhelm takes the A woman has disappeared from her home and Abby is at a loss about what to do. She and Candice take the case reader deep into the hearts and on and do some very interesting maneuvers that has them delving into crimes committed in the very recent past. minds and lives of these widely Using Abby’s gift, the partners find more and more out about a case where a young mother disappeared from her varied personalities as, step by home, leaving her baby behind. With no clue as to what happened, Abby and Candice meet with the girl’s parents and cautious step, they forge an alliance husband, but these people are not exactly believers in the ‘psychic’ mentality. Most of the authorities are sure that the that brings them closer and closer husband of the supposed victim is responsible and are definitely not interested in looking in any other direction. With to the question none of them wants the investigation concentrating on the husband, Abby and Candice go down their own path and find a ton of trouble to ask out loud. They all want Dale dead. Who, though, while searching for an alleged kidnapper and an alleged victim who still hasn’t turned up dead or alive. will get to him Not only must Abby solve this odd scenario, but she is also on crutches because of an accident she had on her first? last case, as well as hip-deep in wedding plans that are being organized by her sister—a woman of military efficiency Reviewed by Laura who is way ‘over the top.’ Alder, author of With this winning combination of humor and entertainment, this mystery succeeds in all directions and will “Plotting at the have fans begging for yet another Psychic Eye mystery. PTA” for Suspense Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine  Magazine 

SuspenseMagazine.com 35 Murder in Passy Don't Cry, Tai Lake By Cara Black By Qiu Xiaolong In his latest Inspector Chen novel, Qiu Xiaolong writes in a brisk style that almost has the Passy, the sixteenth cadence of Chinese. As Inspector Chen goes off on a surprise vacation offered to him by a high arrondissement, or district, of government official, the author provides a look into today’s modern, technologically advanced Paris is the setting for the action in China. Chief Inspector Chen Cao of Shanghai becomes involved in a murder investigation after he checks into an elite private resort normally reserved for high ranking Communist Party members. Cara Black’s recent novel featuring The resort is located on the shores of Tai Lake, known for its pristine, clear waters, and the tasty fish private investigator Aimée Leduc. from the lake that are specialties in local restaurants. But besides being a tourist destination, the city of Astride her vintage Vespa scooter Wuxi has become a center of industry, and Tai Lake has been polluted with a toxic algae. and armed with not much more When the director of one of the manufacturing plants most responsible for the pollution is found murdered, an than her Prada boots, designer environmental activist is arrested, and China’s Internal Security is ready to convict him without further investigation. scarf, and no nonsense attitude, Chen befriends a young woman named Shanshan who has a connection to the accused man, but he must take Aimée takes on a tough case…that care in his investigation since it is not his jurisdiction, and he must tread carefully lest he upset the higher-ups in the of clearing her mentor’s name of Party. murder. Chen uses all his skills and intuition as a top notch police officer to discreetly search for the killer. Cara Black’s novels, each set The novel is woven through with classic Chinese stories and centuries old poetry that seem to be familiar to everyone. It is clear that against the backdrop of modern China with twenty-first century technology, there still in a different arrondissement of exists a strong traditional culture. But human emotions are universal, and as Chen works on the case, his feelings for Paris, are compelling explorations Shanshan grow, and he must tread a careful line. of the City of Light’s darker “Don’t Cry, Tai Lake” is a riveting mystery as well as a look into a culture that most of us know only on the environs. Passy, once a small surface, and Inspector Chen is a protagonist with the multiple dimensions of a man balancing a complex modern life village on the outskirts of Paris, in a very traditional world. is now the dwelling place of the Reviewed by Kathleen Heady, author of “The Gate House” forSuspense Magazine  wealthy and well to do. A place, Dandy Gilver and the it is said, where even the maids Proper Treatment of Bloodstains wear pearls. But the district is not By Catriona McPherson without its grim history, including This mystery is amusing in a reserved, Scottish way. It’s the fifth in theDandy Gilver series, its selection by the Gestapo during published in this country in 2012, but 2009 in Great Britain. the occupation as an ideal location Dandy, an aristocrat from a bygone age, 1926 according to the back cover text, is actually for its torture chambers. Aimée named Dandelion Dahlia Gilver. Her family inhabits Gilverton, but that place isn’t seen in this novel. finds she must peel back layer after Instead, she spends her time at another aristocratic mansion, as a lady’s maid. She takes an undercover layer of past deeds and doubtful assignment for the mistress of the house, Walburga Balfour, called Lollie. Lollie needs to stop her doings to get at the truth. husband from killing her, as she tells Dandy he’s been threatening to do. Lollie is doubting her sanity and needs The story is set in 1997 as confirmation, and her life saved. the Basque separatist movement She tells how her husband, Pip, has been whispering into her ear snatches of a gruesome Robert Browning poem about strangling his mistress. Dandy must embark on this adventure without her good friend, Alec, as she immerses is moving toward making peace herself in the workings of a place with the incredible number of twelve servants. When Pip himself turns up dead, with the French government. But most of the servants are suspects, along with Lollie and some others. not all involved are interested in a A flavor of the times is helped along with the character of Harry, the valet and the resident “Red.” Other eddies peaceful solution to that conflict and whirlpools of relationships lurk under the surface below stairs. But there are upstairs suspects as well, and and someone is ready to murder to Dandy faces the potentially fatal problem of maintaining her disguise in front of the servants, any of whom may have keep it from happening. Or is that murdered their master. really the case? Could this be a Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “Choke” for Suspense Magazine  crime of passion, with the political trappings and clues merely red Love is Murder Edited by Sandra Brown herrings? Not only will fans jump for joy when they see the name Sandra Brown with a new title, but they The streets of Passy are will also be ‘over the moon’ when they realize that is actually a story collection of romantic suspense wet with the rains of autumn as tales that are insanely good. Thirty short stories are included, written by some of the biggest names in Aimée Leduc prowls in search of the mystery/thriller genre. From Lee Child to Sherrilyn Kenyon to Heather Graham, these bestselling a solution. But she is not without authors have outdone themselves with passionate tales of murder and mystery. allies, chief among them is René, To offer just a few ‘golden nuggets’ of storytelling, William Bernhardt gives readers a tale titled, her dwarf associate in the detective After Hours. This extremely riveting murder involves a beautiful girl who, literally, had no enemies. However, when the business. And what of Melac, the medical examiner comes up with a big surprise that stuns detectives, readers will be shocked as they ‘watch’ an ending too handsome, too charming, and unfold that is an absolute blast! all too willing police investigator Another story you’ll never forget comes from James Macomber. This sinister tale takes place in London, where a ‘not so very nice husband’ finds himself in court battling for custody of his children. After losing his argument and who is like candy to Aimée? She the children get ready to head to the home of their mother, the woman simply disappears. Police, in their attempt to doesn’t trust the flics. She doesn’t locate her, are led on a hunt that takes them to Execution Dock, which is a place that was once used to slowly torture do flics as she scornfully tells Melac. pirates, mutineers, and other seafaring men for their sins. Ah, but he is so very Alexandra Sokoloff’s fans will love her tale of a young woman who is brokenhearted by her failed engagement charming…. and decides to go on her planned honeymoon all alone. Setting off for Paradise Island to stay in a lovely hotel called Reviewed by The Atlantis, she finds herself surrounded by a stunningly mysterious man and a beautiful jewel-encrusted box that Andrew MacRae, has a history you will not believe. author of “Murder This review could go on and on considering the brilliant talent, tall tales, and exciting and passionate romance Misdirected” for this collection offers. But to save space, my advice is simply to go out and get it immediately! You’ll have a ball with these authors! Suspense Magazine   Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 36 Ransom River The Fear Artist By Meg Gardiner By Timothy Hallinan A mystery wrapped in a mystery, readers are introduced to attorney, Aurora “Rory” Mackenzie, who has been working for a charity called, Asylum Action, a group that helps refugees gain political asylum. In a matter of hours, Poke Because of her job disintegrating, Rory needs to start again and returns home to Ransom Rafferty’s comfortable life as a River—a small city near LA—and ends up sitting on a jury panel. Rory becomes juror number seven successful travel writer living in a murder case involving two local police officers, but on the first day of the trial, two heavily-armed in Bangkok, Thailand is turned gunmen get inside the courtroom and take everyone hostage. upside down and then inside During the next few hours of intense negotiations, the hostage negotiator gets to work, the gunmen plan for out as a stranger dies in his arms, their next move, a SWAT team sets up across the street, and they all watch the siege end in a very interesting way. whispering three last words as Even more intrigue crops up when the local police believe that Rory had something to do with the crisis. They believe his life slips away. Thai secret she may have been an accomplice, since the gunmen seemed to single her out and give her far more attention than police officers haul Rafferty in for the other hostages. questioning yet at the same time To get herself untangled from a web of intricate lies, Rory is soon joined by an old boyfriend, Seth Colder, who knows that the city of Ransom River is full of cops on the take, and a local force that seems to have run across denying the dying man was shot, this particular type of problem once before. In fact, Ransom River had once been the scene of something a little too waving away the still wet blood familiar. As the duo start working together to clear Rory’s name and find out who was responsible for the courtroom on Rafferty’s shirt as having no debacle, the suspense grows and grows. significance. When a mysterious The very first thing that catches the eye is the author’s dedication of this incredible thriller to one Stephen King, and murderous American with which makes it impossible to set the book aside. Knowing that the thrills are about to commence, Meg Gardiner ties to the CIA enters the picture, once again does not disappoint her readers, or the ‘King.’ An excellent storyline, this is a tale that truly delves into the Rafferty decides it’s high time to world of ‘small town living,’ and the wishes and dreams of most young people to get away from these surroundings lay low. And so the deadly game of as soon as possible. hunter and hunted begins. A great thriller that begins with the word ‘go,’ readers will be enthralled until the very last surprise is sprung. A Rafferty uses his knowledge definite keeper! Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery – 13” for Suspense Magazine  of the back lanes and shoddy neighborhoods of Bangkok to his advantage, blending as best he House Blood can into anonymity. At the same By Mike Lawson time, he reaches out to his contacts “House Blood” is a well-crafted international political thriller featuring congressman, Joe within the shadowy world of ex- DeMarco, among a large cast of intriguing characters. At the center of the main plot is Mulray Pharma pat, retired spies of dubious trust and its CEO, Orson Mulray; a manipulative schemer who, above all else, desires money and status and purchased loyalty to find out and is willing to sacrifice innocent lives to get it. who wants him dead and why. When Mulray frames a man for murder, DeMarco is tasked with examining the case in a half- What Rafferty discovers is that his hearted attempt to appease his boss. Before long, DeMarco finds himself thrust into a complex adversary is an artist in fear, a man situation involving philanthropic organization, The Warwick Foundation, the closely guarded development of a new whose brutality is legendary and a drug, and merciless killers who take their orders from an even more ruthless boss. person no one is willing to cross. “House Blood” by Mike Lawson, is an action-packed thriller that grabs the reader from the beginning and Bangkok too, is under siege holds them captive for the ride. The characters are well-developed, some of them endearing, and there are plenty as relentless rains threaten to flood of unexpected twists. The sub-plot is clever and the author demonstrates excellent knowledge about the world of the city. The torrential downpours politics and the pharmaceutical industry. provide a backdrop to the story This is an excellent thriller. and a cover for both Rafferty and Reviewed by Jenny Hilborne, author of “Madness and Murder” for Suspense Magazine  those who pursue him. Indeed, the city is itself a character in this story Murder for Choir and Hallinan paints a personal, By Joelle Charbonneau passionate portrait, illustrating The first in a brand new series, “Murder for Choir” is not only a fantastically fun plot, but it will Bangkok’s many colors, tones, and also be a fan favorite. Seeing as that the TV show Glee, is right up everyone’s alley right now, writing a shades. new series that centers on a teacher and their students is almost like reading about old friends. A tale of risk and danger Paige Marshall is an opera singer, but is having a difficult time trying to land a singing role at begs the same in its writing and the moment. Staying with her Aunt Millie, who’s a Mary Kay representative, Paige accepts a job as an Hallinan delivers by giving us a instructor/coach with the Show Choir in the town of Prospect Glen. The new teacher isn’t getting a great reception from the students, as they want to be champions in the competitions taking place in tale told with crispness, poetry, their area and they don’t think Paige is qualified to coach them. humor, and pathos, all presented When Paige is on her way to see the director, Greg Lucas, she goes into the auditorium and finds it dark. All in present tense, itself a narrative that’s visible is the Grand Piano up on the stage, and it looks as if there’s someone sitting on the bench. Walking form dangerous for the writer, but toward it, Paige does find Greg. Unfortunately, he’s been strangled by the microphone cord and is very, very dead. in this case, delivered well and one Paige’s best male singer is the main suspect, but she decides to go on the hunt for more people to investigate. that increases the immediacy of its Looking at a number of suspects, including the wife of the victim and his co-workers, who didn’t like him all that telling. much, she ends up coming into contact with a police detective who doesn’t appreciate her help. As Paige continues Reviewed by to dig, she begins to come to the notice of the killer and he/she has one thought in mind: how to eliminate the Glee Andrew MacRae, Club teacher. author of “Murder This is a very smartly written book. The characters are a mixed bag including everyone from the kids in the choir to Paige’s Aunt Millie, who just loves that Mary Kay Pink Cadillac! A truly fun read that will have readers looking for Misdirected” for book two as soon as they finish. Suspense Magazine Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine  

SuspenseMagazine.com 37 Plotting Back Fire at the By Catherine Coulter PTA Catherine Coulter has been a bestselling author for a long time now. Among her many gifts are By Laura Alden the couple that readers know and love who work in the FBI—Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich. Since the first moment this couple was placed on paper, they have become the power couple when it Cozy readers comes to solving crimes. will truly delight With this newest offering, Coulter begins with a shooting. A San Francisco Judge, Ramsey in the fact that this Hunt (A.K.A. Judge Dredd), who is a friend of the FBI power couple, is standing outside his home is the third in the overlooking the Bay when he is shot. Thankfully, he turned when his wife called out to him and the bullet didn’t quite series of these super-fun books, meet its intended mark. The Judge is still alive. At almost the same moment in Washington, D.C., an anonymous note and with each release the plots just is delivered to Savich’s office that reads:FOR WHAT YOU DID YOU DESERVE THIS. And the chase is on… keep getting better and better. Ramsey Hunt was about to preside over the murder trial of Clive and Cindy Cahill. The pair allegedly murdered Our heroine is Beth Kennedy. Mark Lindy—a man who was working on a top-secret project for the government. The prosecutor, Mickey O’Rourke, A divorced mother of two, Beth is became very confused and seemed to have unanswered questions and concerns about taking the pair to court. When also a children’s bookstore owner, Judge Hunt realized something was wrong, he postponed the trial, calling for a meeting with the prosecutor who the PTA Secretary, and a woman mysteriously disappeared. who is engrossed in many other Savich and Sherlock are asked to come help unravel this mess, and as they wing their way to the West Coast, they thankless jobs. In her small town in Wisconsin, Beth works extremely try desperately to figure out why anyone would want to kill the Judge, seeing he’s the most impartial person at the hard as a Mom and her friends see trial. And every time they discover an answer…more odd questions pop up out of nowhere. They must do everything her as a kind—yet, slightly odd— within their power to beat a determined killer with an incredible plan. Add in a new ‘romantic’ entanglement between woman. a super-tough cop and a slightly egotistical agent, and you have the perfect recipe for yet another thrilling Coulter You see, Beth has also been read. known to do a little crime fighting This is the sixteenth installment revolving around the amazing lives of Savich and Sherlock and, quite frankly, from time to time. Or, as the Coulter just keeps getting better and better! police chief sees it, Beth is more Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine  than a bit nosy even though she’s extremely helpful. Beth and the The Golden Scales PTA members are planning a By Parker Bilal Senior Story Project, which will A mystery set in Cairo is not my traditional fair. Throw in a plot involving football and you’ve aid the elderly residents of Sunny almost lost me. However, as I read this first paragraph, I realized my visit to Cairo via “The Golden Rest Assisted Living Facility. The Scales” was to be thrilling, led by a writer who knows how to open with a punch. students of Tarver Elementary “The bright light struck her full in the eyes and for an instant she was blinded, as if struck by School are going to create and some ancient curse. Liz Markham reared back, completely stalled by the human mass that confronted publish a book that the PTA can her. Her heart racing, she began to run. Her child was somewhere out there, lost in this madness.” sell at their next fundraiser to help. By the time I’d turned the first page, I knew another thing, London born author Parker Bilal (pen-name of Sadly, one of Beth’s most Jamal Mahjoub) could write and pace with the best mystery thriller authors. This from a writer classified as a literary faithful bookstore customers, novelist—which I usually take to mean ‘can turn a beautiful praise but the pace is slow.’ Amy Jacobson, has passed away “The Golden Scales” introduces us to Makana, an exiled Sudanese private investigator, living on a run-down Nile from bee stings. She knew that houseboat. Hired by wealthy Hanafi, owner of Cairo’s star football team, he finds himself investigating the team’s star Amy was extremely allergic, but player Adil Romario. she was always very careful not to get into a situation where she Everything is a closely held mystery until the last few pages: What happened to Makana’s wife and daughter years could be stung. In addition, it’s before? Why did the powerful Hanafi hire the lowly Makana? What does a twenty-year-old case of a missing child and very early in the year in Wisconsin her English mother Liz have to do with his investigation? and no one can understand where As layers of sub-plots and colorful characters are paved, you are drawn into a fascinating world of the wealthy and the bees came from that ended glamorous of Cairo and just as quickly plunged into the dark and cutthroat life of the criminal underworld. The links Amy’s life. Beth goes on the hunt between the two reveals themselves the deeper Makana pursues his leads. for anyone who may have a grudge This is Egypt without the pyramids but peopled with dark characters, intriguing back stories and a stoic, against Amy and who could have intelligent lead character, who carries himself with credible assurance. unleashed killer bees that sent her Bilal has created a character and setting thriller lovers will be eager to visit again and again. “The Golden Scales” to an early grave. is the first of a detective series featuring Makana and this is one reader who looks forward to my next visit to Egypt, These two very different with or without pyramids. storylines merge into one and offer Reviewed by Susan May for Suspense Magazine http://susanmaywordadventures.blogspot.com.au/  a great deal of intrigue. Combining Beth’s circle of friends at the store A Dark Anatomy and at the PTA, readers soon see By Robin Blake the enemies mixed in with the It is England 1740, attorney and local coroner, Titus Cragg, is called to the scene of a death. smiling faces. Beth also has a new He rides his horse to the scene and once there, he finds the squire’s wife has had her throat slashed. gentleman friend who is quite He teams up with his friend and local doctor, Lucas Fidelis, to investigate what happened to Mrs. persistent, but Beth really isn’t Brockletower, so he can do his job and hold an inquest. ready to commit to anyone quite There is a lot of speculation, many in the community suspect some big secret about the dead yet. Especially not until she solves woman, and the theories of what it could be are dark and various. The obvious difference between the ‘bee-sting’ murder. the social classes is cause for animosity. Titus finds that the Brockletowers are not well respected, but Strong characters and rather despised because of how they treat those below them. monumental surprises, this cozy is a definite keeper! Now he has to weed through all the speculation, suspicion, and mystery to find the truth. The twists, turns, and Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author deaths make for a ‘muddy’ investigation that may have an outcome that completely surprises everyone! of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Very well written historical mystery. Love the mix of elements…history, mystery, and science all rolled into one! Suspense Magazine  Reviewed by Ashley Wintters forSuspense Magazine 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 38 The Other Woman's House My Bad Tequila By Sophie Hannah By Rico Austin Taking place in England in a small village called Little Holling, Catriona Bowskill (Connie), and her husband Christian (Kit), live in Melrose Cottage. They run their own business called Nulli Most of us have experiences Secundus Ltd. (which means: Second to None). They are data management consultants, and live near in life we wish we could forget, or Connie’s family who spend their time running a store where Connie does part-time bookkeeping. did because of alcohol-induced Just one big happy family…you think? Considering this is a true psychological suspense novel, don’t blankness. Austin calls these ‘bad bet on it. tequila’ moments, as imbibing in From the beginning, readers understand that Connie has a slight issue. One night, unable to get to sleep, she that particular libation seems to goes to her computer and enters a real estate website to take a virtual tour of a house in Cambridge. This house has have more bad consequences than been an obsession of hers for a long time, but she’s not able to discuss her feelings with anyone else, including her others. This novel, loosely based on husband. As her ‘fingers’ do the walking, she enters the lounge in this virtual world and there, lying face down in a his real-life experiences—or those pool of her own blood, is a woman. Connie rushes to tell her husband and have him look at this horrible picture. But he can remember anyway—is his when Kit arrives, the picture of the woman is gone and everything is very pristine. Connie tells everyone who will ‘bad tequila’ moment. listen to her about this sight, yet when any of them—including the police—look at the site, not to mention visit the When a young jock on a house in person, they find nothing and insist it’s all in Connie’s head. college football team is cut and At first, it’s odd when the reader sees that all of Connie’s family members are incredibly mean to her, and have down-on-his luck, he is given the no love for Kit. The policeman covering the case has just gotten married and he and his wife are always at each other’s opportunity to travel to Mexico throats. And, topping it all off, Kit seems to be doing all he can to push his wife over the edge by constantly putting with a group of students and take a her down. It seems that there’s no one in this story that’s happy. But, no worries, all will be explained. moment to reflect on his recent bad This author’s descriptive writing truly deserves acclaim, although sometimes the intense bitterness of the luck, or to get totally wasted while characters detracts from the actual mystery that readers want to get to. brooding over his own stupidity. Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine  He takes it. Life is grand, not a care in the world, white beaches, surf’s Soul on Fire up and pretty woman and alcohol By John E. Forster are on the menu. After a rough start in life, Neil Daniels has found his happiness and his calling in life. He has When tragedy strikes and a been married to the love of his life, Cindy for twenty-four years and they have an adorable eleven- motor vehicle accident kills several year-old, Savannah and a twenty-one-year-old son, Justin. Neil is a pastor and his passion is telling members of their party, the close- others about Jesus Christ. knit group unravels. Rico and Tina, Everything in his life changes when his wife and daughter take a trip to Manhattan in September at one moment considering young of 2001. Cindy has won a trip to the Morgan Stanley home office located in the North Tower of the love, suddenly turn on each other World Trade Center. She and Savannah arrive and are taken to the office on the morning of September 11…and then and Rico drowns his sorrows with the world changed. tequila. The next day when it is time Neil still believes in God, the Bible, and everything it says. Now he has a tough decision to make. Does he to leave, Tina has vanished. When break the promise he made to God so many years ago and make the terrorist pay for what he has done or stay on the he arrives back in the States, Rico sidelines? finds himself under arrest for the A heart-wrenching story! This depiction of 9/11 and how it changed life really hits home.  murder of Tina. Her father, a US Reviewed by Ashley Wintters forSuspense Magazine Senator, is baying for his blood, his The Alpine Winter The Sleeping and the Dead friends from the trip are all turning By Mary Daheim By Jeff Crook evidence against him and by the Emma Lord is the editor of the Alpine Advocate An ex-cop turned photographer and end of it, Rico finds himself in jail and just really isn’t in the Christmas spirit. Her lover, a Leica camera that tells stories it has no facing five long years on a trumped Milo Dodge, is out of town. Her brother and son, right to know. up manslaughter charge. both priests, are supposed to be coming for a visit. Jackie Lyons, formerly of the Rico takes the time to reverse The problem is, her son, Adam is stuck in Alaska Memphis Police Department, turns into his ‘bad tequila’ moment and because of snow. Ben, her brother, disapproves of her a junkie after one thing too many uproots rebuild his life, creating a successful involvement with Milo and everything is just wrong. her world. She tries to pull it together life after his prison sentence, until Besides Emma’s personal problems, some human with the help of a detective friend by the one fateful journey leads him bones are found and Roy, the local postmaster, believes name of Adam. She now takes pictures of murder scenes back to San Carlos and the scene they could be his mother’s who disappeared many years and sells them back to the department...and an old perv of the crime. Faced with his past, before. One of Emma’s star reporters has gone because she befriended from a past case. It is her means of making he begins drinking again. With a a living. his son has escaped from jail. Also, her best friend is surprise ending, Austin takes us on When the Playhouse Killer enacts his version of well- having significant problems with her grandson. rough-hewn journey on his debut known plays, Jackie becomes knee-deep in the case. She novel, a 2011 Readers Favorite Milo comes home to solve the puzzle of the ‘sees’ things differently than the detectives, and that ‘sight’ award winner. human bones and face the family disapproval. There is is what leads her to the serial killer. She fights off her own Reviewed by Mark lots of town gossip, murder and opinions! Emma puts death in order to bring justice to the dead around her. Sadler, author herself in danger to find the identity of the remains and Despite the fact that I feel Crook misses the mark at of “Blood on his maybe solve several mysteries at once. times when he attempts to write the female protagonist, the Hands” published Lots of characters to get to know and love along book is enjoyable and worth the read. by Suspense with unexpected twists through the plot! Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “One Major Publishing an Reviewed by Ashley Wintters for Suspense Magazine Mistake,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of imprint of Suspense  Suspense Magazine  Magazine 

SuspenseMagazine.com 39 The Body in Suzy's Case the Boudoir By Andy Siegel By Katherine Hall Page By far, this is a book that should be nominated for the most heart-wrenching material published all year. Page’s latest Faith At the very heart of this novel is a little African-American girl named Suzy Williams, and her loving Fairchild cozy is a departure mother, June. As readers are introduced to this tale, they quickly meet Tug Wyler, a personal injury for her. Most of her other attorney who is out to see that justice is done even if the case has been deemed ‘a loss.’ books in the series have Tug is very much a hero for the people who seem to be ‘left behind’ in cases where the plaintiff is been squarely on the poor and cannot hire fancy attorneys. These are the people who have no hope against the defendant, murder mystery shelf. In which is usually a large corporation with lots of funds that don’t want to accept blame, or lose any of their ill-gotten gains. this, the twentieth book, Tug is asked by Henry Benson, a criminal lawyer with a multitude of clients who are in need of the sort of ‘risk-taker’ that Faith Fairchild, caterer Tug is, to take over the case. and minister’s wife, is in an When he receives Suzy’s dilemma, who was injured in the hospital when she was hooked up to a faulty medical airplane, flying to Europe machine that left her severely brain-damaged, the case is already six-years-old, and June has been trying to get restitution to celebrate what I think from the hospital for all this time. Of course, with a flock of lawyers that are more hard-hitting than the Green Bay Packers is their twentieth wedding defense, the hospital has been winning all along. Benson just wants Tug to make the case go away and to get out of it anniversary with her beloved gracefully. Tug doesn’t want to admit defeat however, and when he meets the Williams’ girls, he becomes like a dog with a Tom. She slips into a reverie, bone. By taking the case, Tug finds all sorts of cover-ups and underhanded things that went on in that hospital six years ago recalling her marriage and and becomes determined to win for Suzy. the events leading up to it, A book that will make people sit up and take notice. This author, who is a personal injury and medical malpractice and that is what comprises attorney, certainly knows his subject and will dazzle the reader more than once with his expertise. By the end of the book the story. There’s not much you’re practically standing up and chanting, “Suzy! Suzy!” (just like the ultimate Rocky Balboa fight). Mr. Siegel has been mystery. That is, there is no named ‘Super Lawyer for 2011’ and should be named Super Writer, as well. murder until page one twenty, Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine  although another mystery— more of a puzzling event—is Harbor Nocturne brought in around page one By Joseph Wambaugh hundred four. Wambaugh, a former L.A. cop, has churned out over twenty novels pulling on experiences he But it’s fun seeing the went through ‘on the job.’ He tells us there are two types of cops; that since the years after the Rodney early days of Faith and Tom. King beating the department became full of “risk-averse cops who wanted to get through their closely Faith’s sister Hope, is in a supervised careers safely” and the “retro action-oriented risk takers, who always ran straight to the sound disastrous relationship, which of guns.” He makes it pretty clear which one he would have us believe he is. is affecting her business. Faith The cops are characters from his last four novels, ‘Hollywood’ Nate and Flotsam and Jetsam, is rather busy with wedding charismatic figures in the Los Angeles police Hollywood Station series who are once again called upon to plans though, and doesn’t pay carry the storyline with their sidekick partners. None of the coppers or their adventures are as awe inspiring as his first few much attention, so there’s a novels and you get a feeling Wambaugh knows this as he can’t help but remind us of his illustrious writing past by referring good bit of tension there. Faith to his 1973 masterpiece “The Onion Field,” and still have all his officers touch a picture Theof Oracle, a figure from his past, also employs an emigrant as they exit the station every day, just like The Green Bay Packers getting a blessing from Lombardi every time they play; named Francesca who seems tradition is strong within the department. to be hiding something from Wambaugh comes to his own in this latest narrative when he gets away from the police department and wanders into the other employees at Have the character development of the seedy side of San Pedro and explores the lives of Lita Medina, a down-on-her-luck illegal Faith. One more stressor is alien from Mexico who has been caught up in the entertainment business, taking her clothes off in a local strip club. With Tom’s sister, who takes an Koreans and Russians plying their trade in the human smuggling and making these young girls pay to play, local hoodlum, instant dislike to Faith. Hector Cozzo plies his trade as a procurer of talent for his new bosses. A chance meeting with Lita and one of Hector’s old Faith’s main conflict high-school chums, Dinko Babich soon leads to true love and the unraveling of the flesh trade in San Pedro. is leaving New York and all With his typical dark humor, Wambaugh leads us through his latest entertaining, suspense filled, and tragic storyline the dining and shopping with gritty reality. Another entertaining read from the master of police dramas. opportunities there to move Reviewed by Mark Sadler, author of “Blood on his Hands” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense  to Alesford in Massachusetts. Magazine Like many New Yorkers, she doesn’t know that people Outerborough Blues: A Brooklyn Mystery elsewhere actually dress and By Andrew Cotto eat and have lives, too, but Have you ever read a book that you know you will read again and again? “Outerborough Blues” is now a book on my she does find this out and list. Andrew Cotto has a style of writing that is lyrical and commanding. He skillfully draws the reader’s attention with the becomes content with her lot. voice of Caesar Stiles as he tells the history of his family’s lineage and his attempt for redemption. There are some minor Stiles is a man haunted by his past. A drifter recently arrived in Brooklyn, he is looking to set down roots and create a incidents, which could or ‘normal’ life for himself. He takes a job in a local joint called The Notch as a bartender and cook, minding his own business could not be construed as and doing a good job of it until an attractive French girl walks in to the bar, orders a drink, and enlists him to find her attacks, but no one is alarmed missing brother. Stiles agrees and his quiet little world is thrown off kilter. by them, until the body shows In the course of his search for the artist, Stiles finds himself rooting around in the seedy side of Brooklyn’s up late in the book. underground: a place of drug addicts, prostitution, and organized crime. Stiles begins to notice a car tailing him and a This is a nice trip down growing pile of cigarette butts outside his front gate. Someone is watching him, leaving a crawling feeling down his spine memory lane for fans of Faith. as he wonders who it could be. Having crossed a nefarious individual who he calls The Orange Man, Stiles is worried the Lots of references to clothing man may be looking to retaliate. designers and food, and Stiles’ past soon catches up with him in the form of his ex-convict brother who has a violent temper usually directed yummy recipes in the back. in Stiles’ direction, and this time isn’t an exception as he seeks to settle a family score. With his brother on the warpath, Reviewed by Kaye George, the continued search for the missing man, and a beating from a group of local thugs, Stiles’ life spirals out of control in the Author of “Choke”, for course of one week. Suspense Magazine  With his second novel, Andrew Cotto has firmly carved a niche for himself in the mystery genre. Reviewed by Jodi Ann Hanson, chaptersandchats.com for Suspense Magazine 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 40

MOVIES The Amazing Spiderman 2012 Genre – Action/Adventure (PG 13) When you have merchandise from the last version of the film, à la Spiderman carry bag, t-shirts, and baseball cap, is it a touch too soon to restart the franchise? The Amazing Spider-Man™ is marketed as the untold story of our webbed hero. Despite some elements remaining of the original story, there is an unfolding mystery and a new villain. For the Spiderman aficionados, this franchise could arguably be a truer portrayal of the comic book story. In The Amazing Spider-Man™ the story begins with seven-year-old Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and the mysterious disappearance of his parents, which leaves him orphaned and in the care of his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (a perfect Sally Fields). It is in these early scenes we learn more of the Peter Parker history barely mentioned in the original. Returning to the familiar ground of Peter’s teenage years, we understand better the emotional impact of his parent’s disappearance. He is introverted by choice but carrying a strong sense of humanity as opposed to being the bullied geek. Gwen Stacy (always perky Emma Stone)—introduced in Issue 31, December 1965 of the comic series—is Peter Parker’s first crush. In searching for answers about his parents, Peter uncovers information leading him to Oscorp and the lab of his Father’s ex- partner Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). There Dr. Connors is searching for the key to cross-species genetics to cure the world’s health and physical disabilities, and most notably regrow his own missing arm. Of course, Spiderman is nothing without the inevitable spider bite and we are into original story territory with the struggles and fun of discovering his new abilities. When Connors injects himself with untested serum, he evolves into the megalomaniac, Lizard. I know—it does sound weird but I’m informed Lizard is one of Spiderman’s most famous enemies, although perhaps unknown to fans of the earlier films. The attempt to revisit a successful franchise so soon was a courageous move and it could have been a fail. The Amazing Spider-Man™ is a big fun romp, especially in IMAX 3D, with some young energetic actors and solid golden oldies. Even better, this time ‘round I save on merchandise. The must-have Spiderman t-shirt I’m usually begged to buy...you’ve already got one, almost brand new. Reviewed by Susan May http://anadventureinfilm.blogspot.com.au/ for Suspense Magazine  BRAVE 2012 Genre – Fantasy Adventure (G) In the best books and films, we fall in love with the characters—their personality, their strengths, their struggles, their style. In Brave’s Merida, Disney Pixar has given us not only a beautiful character that young and old will love; they have also given us her HAIR. That’s right, I said, her hair. Let me tell you, I now dream about owning a Merida doll or a Merida wig or a blanket made from Merida hair. This red, flowing, gorgeous, wavy and ringletted matter is stunning. It has a life and a beauty of its own and I’m looking forward to a sequel to see what becomes of Merida’s hair. And that is part of the magic of this film, the animation is the most exquisitely divine ever seen on screen. The story introduces Pixar’s first female hero in Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a Scottish princess destined to marry one of the sons of the four clans. The necessity of the marriage is steeped in Scottish folklore and history and it appears unavoidable. Since childhood, Merida has behaved more like her boisterous father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) than a demure royal daughter. She becomes an expert archer and a beloved sister to her brothers, identical triplets Harris, Hubert, and Hamish—adorable mischievous young red-headed boys (and even they’ve got good hair). Merida, like her hair, will not be tamed. As she grows older, her struggle against her destiny and her Mother Queen Elinor’s (Emma Thompson) expectations that she play the perfect Princess, tears mother and daughter apart. When the clans come together to celebrate the betrothal of Merida, to the winner of a physical challenge, everything comes to a head. Merida sets forth on a path which brings her a humorous encounter with a witch (Julie Walters), who grants her an ill-considered spell. In her plight to reverse the spell, Merida must discover truths about herself and her Mother and what it means to be brave. Brave is the tenth original film from Disney Pixar, and as in all their films—as masterful as their animation may be—it’s the parable within the story that reaches out from the screen and drags you in. Oh, and lest we not forget, accepting that you will never have hair like Merida no matter how much product you use. Reviewed by Susan May http://anadventureinfilm.blogspot.com.au/ for Suspense Magazine 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 42 Featured Artist

Erica SeesPetit art as an Ever-

Changing Craft Midnight Witch Texture : http://morrigan05.deviantart.com Interview by Suspense Magazine Model : http://fr.fotolia.com SuspenseMagazine.com Castle : http://fr.depositphotos.com43 Forest : http://fr.depositphotos.com Eve

Red Rose

Model: http://fr.depositphotos.com Background: http://fr.depositphotos.com Apple: http://fr.depositphotos.com

Elfy

Glass: http://archaii.deviantart.com/art/Shatter-Glass- brushes-82308115?q=favby%3Astreamopassion%2F414 86439&qo=15 Ladybug: http://fr.depositphotos.com/3195116/stock- photo-Ladybug-on--white.html Model: http://mariaamanda.deviantart.com/art/Fairy- Tale-Stock-299326346

The Kiss of Dawn

Nebula: http://luminya.deviantart.com Crow: http://peroni68.deviantart.com Model: http://fr.depositphotos.com Cherry: http://fr.depositphotos.com Model: http://fr.depositphotos.com Bird: http://thiselectricheart.deviantart.com Antlers: http://tasastock.deviantart.com

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 44 Red Rose ...my dream is actually to be published" as a book illustrator in urban fantasy... Erica Petit was born in Tarbes, France." She started to draw, little by little, and continued to do so until she was fifteen years old. But if drawing is her passion, schooling was her nemesis. Her dyslexia forced her to repeat school years, to the point that Erica’s mother had no choice than to put her in a specialized school for children with learning difficulties. Erica’s artistic side was always present however, and her Gothic sensibilities didn’t go unnoticed inside the school. Always with a sketchbook in hand, she spent her free time doing her drawings. She would have liked to go to a school of fine arts, but unfortunately didn’t finish the grade level needed. But her own personal learning curve continued, with her sketches giving way to digital art. After a few years of academic struggles, she finally decided to make her passion a profession. She found a training designer/graphic designer program that valued motivation and talent over completion of formal studies. Self-taught in graphic design, she found it was pretty easy and was accepted a year and a half after she began practicing photomanipulation and a little painting, always in the fantasy/Gothic genre. Currently, Erica works odd jobs in children’s animation, which allows her to pay for a small part of the training she started about a year and a half ago. Now Erica’s dream is to become an illustrator of books in the field of photomontage, aiming to be published and exhibited. Suspense Magazine is very pleased to bring to you artist Erica Petit. She has a huge talent and we are so happy we can share that with you this month.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.) : Having dyslexia, do you think your art helped you with learning? We can only assume it could at times be a daunting task.

Erica Petit (EP): Not at all, I was followed very closely for that. I think at this time I have no problem with dyslexia. I think if one is driven with a minimum of imagination and creativity you can do anything in art.

S. MAG.: Not being able to go to a fine arts school had its disappointments, but do you feel any less talented or able to do what you have so obviously come to be really good at?

EP: Yes, I was a bit disappointed not to have the desired art school I wanted. But I didn’t become discouraged either. I taught myself some tips on the Photoshop software and I only continue to improve myself.

S. MAG.: You say your sketches have more or less disappeared, giving way to digital art and such. Do you ever see yourself going back to sketching, even if it’s just to see if you can still do it?

EP: Oh, it has been at least five years since I have drawn. I think I’ll start again soon because my training forces me to learn the base sketches. So it is very likely I’ll return to sketches in my Deviant Art.

S. MAG.: A door closed could be deemed an opportunity missed. That being said, even though fantasy/Gothic genre is your favorite, do you dabble in other art genres or perhaps see yourself trying something else in the future? Or do you see

SuspenseMagazine.com 45 it being more practical to stay with what you know Midnight Crow and love, perfecting it over the years?

EP: No, I’m already trying to change the concept in my work, but once you have a specific style, for me, it is not changeable, although the concept has changed as more of the fantasy to reality like the landscape.

S. MAG.: After missing out on going to art school, what was it like to find a graphic designer course that didn’t require a high level of education, but only for you to show your love of the work and a level of ability? Model: http://www.dreamstime.com Crow: http://fr.depositphotos.com Church: http://fr.depositphotos.com EP: I’m currently training to be an online designer, I Raven: http://fr.depositphotos.com found this course on the ‘Net. I wanted to progress in Rose: http://fr.depositphotos.com this area, unfortunately in my city there is no study to separate the fine arts. And the level is too high. So I inquired about the online courses on the ‘Net, and I discovered that this school is located in Paris and also on remote form. I had to prove to recruiters my motivation and my self- taught skills in time with a cover letter and examples of my creations. I received a favorable response in the next few days.

S. MAG.: What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

EP: Being calm, I’ve done nothing crazy yet. Besides my mother accused me of not living my youth as it should be. I hardly ever go out of my house because I’m a homebody.

S. MAG.: Who is your favorite artist? Why?

EP: My favorite artist is Victoria Frances. I love the universe and I find myself in her creations. I was always attracted by the romantic Gothic, and everyone who touches the medieval. Our universe is dark, but beautiful and made ​​to feel numerous emotions for me.

S. MAG.: Do you have a piece that you thought at first you might sell if a buyer came along, and then decided you loved it so much and had such a connection to it that you kept it for yourself?

EP: For now I haven’t had the opportunity to create a work that I take very much to heart. But if this were to happen, I do think that it would remain unavailable for sale.

S. MAG.: Describe a person or situation from your childhood that had a profound effect on the way you look at life.

EP: I had several. My mother encouraged me to have a free mind, allowing me to be thoughtful enough (a bit too much). She made ​​sure that I can achieve what I wanted and my friends also pushed me along this path, where I made ​​good contacts in the field of art. I think it evolves according to my surroundings and what is life.

S. MAG.: Do you have any plans in the works to have your pieces shown in a gallery or museum? If not, is it one of your fondest dreams or do you just do your art more because it’s your passion?

EP: At the moment I haven’t had the occasion, but my dream is actually to be published as a book illustrator in urban fantasy and make my first steps in exhibitions.

We were honored to bring you Erica Petit as this month’s featured artist. She has such talent and if you’d like to see more of it, check out her page on Deviant Art at http://streamydigital.deviantart.com/gallery/. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 46 Midnight

Model: http://fr.depositphotos.com Background: http://fr.depositphotos.com Bougie: http://fr.depositphotos.com

Mysterious Girl

Model: http://fr.depositphotos.com Interior: http://fr.depositphotos.com Brush: http://archaii.deviantart.com & http://poison- dropstock.deviantart.com/

SuspenseMagazine.com 47 Vicki Pettersson What’s Your Sign?

Interview by Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Jeferson Applegate Vicki Pettersson is a New York Times bestselling author who’s written the Signs of the Zodiac series. It’s a six-book urban fantasy series set in her hometown of Las Vegas. Vicki has a bachelor’s degree in English, which, according to her, basically qualifies her for nothing, hence the reason why she chose a ten-year career as a showgirl in the now-retired Folies Bergere. It’s okay though since now she’s retired too, passing the time as an author until she’s fifty-five—the minimum age requirement to join the cast of the Palm Springs Folies. She hopes then to have the time to while away her nights with sequins, makeup, and all her best friends. Dare to dream! Vicki says, “You can take the girl out of the show, but you can’t take the show out of the girl.” She has more than just a couple of years before she can rejoin her dancing roots. Vicki is now writing her new supernatural noir trilogy, also in Vegas. However, it has a whole new world and cast of characters: a supernatural private eye and a rockabilly reporter with a nose for trouble. The Celestial Blues series debuts with “The Taken” on July 12, 2012. A little bit about her upcoming release comes right from Vicki’s website: Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was back when gumshoes hoofed the streets…and he was still alive. Fifty years later, he’s a celestial Centurion, assisting the recently, and violently, dead. Yet just because he’s an angel doesn’t mean he’s a saint. One small mistake has altered fate, and now he’s been dumped back onto to the mortal mudflat to collect another soul— Katherine “Kit” Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation is about to get her clipped. Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let this sable-haired siren with hairpin curves come to harm. Besides, protecting her offers a chance to find the truth about his own mysterious death—and wreak some vengeance for the murder of his beloved wife, Evie. Joining forces, Kit and Grif’s search for answers leads beyond the blinding lights of the Strip into the dark heart of an evil conspiracy. But a ruthless killer determined to destroy them isn’t Griffin’s biggest threat. His growing attraction to Kit could cost them both their lives, as well as the answer to the greatest mystery of his long afterlife… Sounds like another bestseller to us here at Suspense Magazine. Vicki divides her time between her family in Las Vegas and Dallas. She says, “It’s one hell of a commute.” And, in case you didn’t know or were perhaps wondering, the Swedish last name Pettersson, is pronounced “Pet-ter-suhn.” Enjoy our exclusive interview with New York Times bestselling author Vicki Pettersson.

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 48 Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): What others who feel the same even more? an idealized self that way. However, put led you to write paranormal novels? someone’s heel to the flame, and you very VP: It’s funny you mention Kelley. It quickly get a sense of the real person. Vicki Pettersson (VP): It was a was important to me to get the book in That’s why presidential campaigns can convergence of luck and fatigue, really. I’d her hands for two reasons. Along with be so dramatic. It’s the draw of reality been writing historical fiction for years Harrison and Harris, she was one of programming. If I want to know what and had hit a rut. I was making little the authors I most admired in Urban Grif really thought of the fifties, I provide progress in my WiP, losing confidence Fantasy when I was first published—my him with an opportunity to contrast it in myself, and having no fun at all. UF trifecta, if you will—and she is also with modern-day life. If I want to know So I decided to dump that unfinished inadvertently responsible for this story. why Kit is drawn to rockabilly, I give novel—one of the hardest decisions I’d It arose out of a (very) short story that her room to express it via the things she ever made—and immediately made two I penned before I was published in order chooses to surround herself with. What rules for myself. First, I wasn’t going to to win an ARC of one of her books. The isn’t there—what’s edited out of a life and write anymore, at all, ever, if it was going kernel of the idea—a person who used to a conversation—is often more important to make me miserable. (If it’s tortuous, be alive ferrying the violently deceased and telling than what is. don’t do it. Duh.) into the afterlife—stayed with me throughout the writing of the Signs of the S. MAG.: What do you think has stayed That doesn’t mean don’t work hard. Zodiac series. So when Harper picked up the same about you throughout your I actually like working hard and the the Celestial Blues series years later, she life? feeling of accomplishment that comes was one of the first people to know. I told with finishing such a big project; there’s her I owed her a debt of gratitude…even VP: That’s easily my curiosity. I’m nothing more fulfilling. But I decided though I lost that long ago contest. curious about everyone and everything. I wasn’t going to go through life being My husband knows there isn’t a person angsty and miserable, so if the creative S. MAG.: If you could live in a different or child or animal I won’t engage just to life was going to be a torture to me, then time period, which would you pick and get more of a sense about what makes I just wouldn’t do it. That’s essentially why? them tick. Everyone has a story, but where the fantasy came in. I stopped more important to me than that is the looking at the story through the filter VP: I’d want to live seventy years in the ‘Why?’ behind that story. “Why” is why I of what I should write, and began future just so I could see the people that wake up every day. chasing the fun. The fantastical elements my children become, as well as continue mushroomed from there, and believe me, my journey as a mother. After all, I S. MAG.: What do you think are your I was more surprised than anyone. already know what happened in the past, three best qualities? Worst? and given time I could always study it The second rule was simply to finish more deeply through books and film, but VP: Best: persistence, open- whatever I started. I put blinders on I don’t know what happens next in this mindedness, and humor. Worst: and became extremely mulish about the life, and I really want to. I always want temper, (lack of) patience, and work. I didn’t have a clue where “Them more. impulsiveness. Scent of Shadows” was going to fit in the marketplace, but I decided not to S. MAG.: You’re sitting down with S. MAG.: What is your favorite word? worry about that until it was finished. Grif and Kit. Even though they’re Least favorite? Knowing that I was going to have to live your characters, it’s a known fact that with my story for a long while also made characters evolve and change all the VP: My favorite word of the moment is me extremely careful about what I did time. That being said, what would you peripatetic because I have an extremely choose to write about. ask them while chatting with them? peripatetic life just now. I also just like What one thing would you really like to the way it pinballs off the tongue. Least S. MAG.: Regarding “The Taken,” know? favorite is e-piracy. bestselling author Kelley Armstrong says, “A delectably dark paranormal VP: Everything I want to know about S, MAG.: What is the craziest thing thriller. I’ve always been a fan of them individually, and as a couple, I you have ever done? Pettersson’s work, but she knocks it out pose through story questions. I put them of the park with this one.” Does a praise in a situation, and see how they act. VP: I don’t like to leave the house, and I like that make you work even harder to After all, a person can talk all day long like vast expanses of time to be alone, be sure the next book impresses her and about themselves, but you still only get therefore I’m doing the craziest thing

SuspenseMagazine.com 49 I’ve ever done right now: dividing my didn’t work out. But the skill remained, I story question in the trilogy: “Who killed time between family in two cities, which gained that at least, and a fresh story was Griffin Shaw?” requires lots of planning, time on planes, also a fresh start. So when I told myself and having to brush my hair. On the up that I was going to write until the day I already know the answer, of course, but side, I see a good deal of things I wouldn’t I died whether I was published or not, I won’t find out how and why until I get otherwise experience, and I do actually that’s when I knew—the story wasn’t my to that last scene…and, again, the ‘Why’ get to see all the people who are most love, it was the work. is what I’m after. important to me. But it’s still crazy. S. MAG.: What’s on the horizon for There you have it, Vicki Pettersson S. MAG.: When did you know that Vicki Pettersson? What little tidbit can in all her glory and loving it. This writing chose you? you share with your fans? talented author can be found on the Internet at, http://www.vickipettersson. VP: When I couldn’t give it up. I worked VP: I just turned in the second book com/. Suspense Magazine sends her a on my first WiP for about five years, so in the Celestial Blues series, and will huge thank you for giving us her time. giving it up—thinking that I wasted all finish writing that trilogy in 2012. I’m It’s appreciated beyond words.  that time in my life—was heartbreaking. totally taken with Kit and Grif right It was very much like a relationship that now, and am chasing the over-arching

A Taste of “The Taken”

“Help me!” she was yelling as Grif came through the door. Impressive, since she was missing her larynx. “There’s been a terrible crime!” Can’t argue that, Grif thought, gaze skimming the hem of her cheap vinyl skirt. “You Nicole Elizabeth Rockwell?” “Wh-what?” She looked from Grif to the fresh corpse on the bed— her own—then back again. “Yes.” “Right.” He shut his notebook, returning it to his suit pocket. “Come with me.” Rockwell took one good look at his quasi-transparent form and promptly collapsed on the bed. “Wh-who are you?” “Griffin Shaw. I’m here to help.” He hesitated, then jerked his head at her remains. “Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.” Her expression, blasted and constricted all at once, made his jaw twitch, but he shrugged it off. Guardian wasn’t his beat. As a Centurion, he merely assisted the recently, and violently, dead into the Everlast.

Reprinted from THE TAKEN: Celestial Blues: Book One by Vicki Pettersson by arrangement with Harper Voyager, a division of HarperCollins. Copy- right Vicki Pettersson, 2012.

Review of “The Taken” by Vicki Pettersson Griffin Shaw is a Centurion. He escorts the souls of those who are murdered to the afterlife. He is plagued by dreams that are memories of his life and his murder. This is what keeps him doing his job and not moving on to Paradise. In life he was a P.I., in death an angel, but his latest faux pas with a spirit, Nicole Rockwell, lands him in the middle of Vegas. Kit Craig is a reporter for her family’s newspaper. She is also a rockabilly…she dresses and lives as if she is in the 50s. She is divorced, independent, and has a way with words. Her best friend has…err, had a way with photos. They were a perfect team until their last story led to Nicole’s death. Now, since it was Grif’s mistake that changed destiny, he is supposed to be there to fix it, but instead, with his new flesh intact, he teams up with Kit to help her figure out who killed Nicole and is trying to kill Kit! Grif also takes the moral opportunity to look into his murder since it has held him back for the past sixty years. As they investigate, their attraction grows, as does the danger the two of them are in. The murder is more than they’d suspected and maybe more than they can handle! Intriguing mix of paranormal, romance, and mystery with just enough suspense! Reviewed by Ashley Wintters forSuspense Magazine 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 50              

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         

      

          SuspenseMagazine.com 51  Jon Land A Texas-sized Talent! Interview by Suspense Magazine

on Land graduated from Brown University in 1979, Phi Beta Kappa and Magna cum Laude, and continues his association with Brown as an alumni advisor. LandJ often bases his novels and scripts on extensive travel and research as well as a twenty-five-year career in martial arts. He is an associate member of the U.S. Special Forces and frequently volunteers in schools to help young people learn to enjoy the process of writing. Perhaps one of crime fiction’s best-known characters is Land’s creation, fifth-generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong. With the legacy of her grandfather Earl and father Jim, Caitlin lives up to the Strong legend with the help of the SIG Sauer clipped to her side and a truly “strong” sense of justice that’s been instilled in her since birth. With more than twenty-five fiction novels to his credit, Land stepped away from Caitlin’s life to write a true crime story with an ex-FBI agent, Robert Fitzpatrick, titled “Betrayal.” It’s about Fitzpatrick’s need to catch, prosecute, and convict one of Boston’s most memorable gangsters, Whitey Bulger…at any cost. Land’s books come away with stellar reviews, which is not surprising when dealing with talent like his. Besides being a bestseller, Land is the vice president of marketing of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and is quite often asked to speak on topics regarding writing and research. Land has even dabbled in screenwriting, with his first film credit coming in 2005. Working with so many industry professionals has garnered the respect and friendship of many author-colleagues. Land currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island and loves hearing from his readers and aspiring writers. Suspense Magazine continues to be honored with Land’s works as well as his support.

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 52 Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): With such a long, very successful career, what keeps you motivated to continue to challenge yourself and write such fascinating stories?

Jon Land (JL): My ego! (laughs) Well, maybe a little. My motivation comes, first off, from a genuine love of the characters I create. Caitlin and Cort Wesley seem so real to me, it doesn’t really feel like I’m writing the story so much as that they’re living it. There’s so much emotion in these books compared to anything else I’ve ever done. Beyond that, I’ve got to pay the bills like everyone else and this is what I do for a living. In that respect, plenty of my motivation stems from the fact that I know how lucky I am to be earning a living at what I love to do. Finally, of course, there’s the elusive goal of someday reaching the New York Times bestseller list!

S. MAG.: Inside this issue is your short story, “The Jade Pendant”, and it’s a strong departure from your normal writing style. Are you possibly dipping your toes into something else to spring on your lucky readers? Maybe trying a new genre?

JL: I think the Caitlin Strong books have made me a much better and more versatile writer. “The Jade Pendant” is what I’d call a “romantic” thriller with the twist being that it’s a love affair between two people who’ve never met. That said, I grew up watching great anthology shows like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents and became enamored with the twist ending. That led to this story’s wonderful surprise in the end and you’ll see a similar one in “Last Shot,” my contribution to a terrific ITW short story anthology “Love is Murder” that just came out.

S. MAG.: You enjoy inspiring and teaching young people about writing. What is the one thing you feel is the most important piece of advice you are sure to tell them every time you meet a new group of children?

JL: Whoa, you’re challenging me now! Seriously, there are so many things I could say here. But the first that comes to mind is liking what you write because if a young person likes what they’re putting down, they’ll write more and they’ll write better. The thing that discourages many young people from writing is they get intimidated by all the rules and, my most hated word ever, the educational “rubric” involved. I mean, come on, what happened to just being creative? I come at them from that standpoint to make the process fun.

S. MAG.: What sentence or scene in one of your books do you look back at and say “I can’t believe I wrote that?” Can be good or bad.

JL: I love that question and I’m going to use an example from the latest Caitlin Strong book, “Strong Vengeance.” It’s a scene when a killer named Jalbert Thoms shows up at the house where Caitlin’s living with her outlaw boyfriend Cort Wesley Masters’ two sons (while he’s in prison) on the pretext of making a simple delivery. But the killer—how can I best say this?—is really twisted in a perverse way and his leering comments to the seventeen-year-old Dylan chilled even me to the bone. Remember the rest stop scene in No Country for Old Men where Anton Chigurh mentally tortures the man behind the counter before taking out his now infamous coin? There’s no violence in that scene, nothing really happens. But it gave me goosebumps and I tried for that same effect in the scene where Jalbert Thoms confronts Dylan the way he does specifically to provoke Caitlin and, man, does he ever!

S. MAG.: What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

JL: Wow, I have lots of favorite words. “Ironic” comes to mind immediately along with “paradigm” because both are words that fit so many situations. I don’t really have a least favorite word, although there are few I never use because I know they’re offensive to certain groups. This is a tough enough business as it is without alienating people!

S. MAG.: What can your fans expect to see coming from you in the next year’s time?

JL: Well, I’m bringing back my longtime series action hero Blaine McCracken for the first time in fifteen years for Open Road Media in November in “Pandora’s Temple.” McCracken went into semi-retirement in large part because his kind of high-concept, high-action tales had fallen out of favor in the marketplace. But great storytellers and writers like James Rollins and Steve Berry have helped revive that sub-genre so I found myself wanting to bring Blaine back in an adventure worthy of him: in this case, setting him on the trail of what we know as “Pandora’s Box.” It was actually a jar, but you get the idea! Next summer will also

SuspenseMagazine.com 53 see the release of the fifth Caitlin Strong book, “Strong Rain Falling,” and I hope to have lots more to report on the film front, along with having completed the sequel to “The Seven Sins.”

S. MAG.: Do you have a novel (your own) you would like to see made into a movie? Who would you like to see play your protagonist?

JL: Hey, perfect transition! I’d like to see all my books made into movies, but the most realistic would probably be “Strong Enough to Die” since it’s the first Caitlin Strong adventure and Caitlin is a character just made for the screen. I’ve always pictured Eva Mendes as Caitlin but Hilary Swank would be great too, as would Jessica Biel. Beggars can’t be choosers!

S. MAG.: In the age of electronic readers Suspense Magazine Review of becoming all the rage, what do you find is “Strong Vengeance” by Jon Land: the biggest challenge for you personally as an Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong is from the stock where established writer? legends are made, but Captain Tepper decides she needs to learn how to balance her two responsibilities: job JL: Now that’s the $64,000 question, but it’s an easy and family. She is caring for Cort Wesley Masters’—her one to answer: the biggest challenge is to continue being boyfriend—sons Dylan Masters and Luke Tores. Cort successful and avoid becoming irrelevant. There are just so would be there, but he’s literally fighting to survive in a many choices out there; the market is simply deluged with Mexican prison for the murder of a drug lord. books and we’re losing bookstores and book sections in other Suddenly, Cort is out of jail. His old acquaintance outlets are shrinking. Like all authors I have to look for new Jones has a job for him. There’s a terror cell in San Antonio opportunities and paradigms—see above. (Laughs) Things I and his talents are needed. So, if Cort rids Texas and the might not—probably wouldn’t—have pursued not too long world of this terror pack, he is free. Lesson to be learned: ago, I’m now jumping at. The wonder of creativity has to be everything costs and nothing is free! balanced with the reality of the market and the need to make This story has it all, two ships—one from the past and a living. But again, I’m in no position to complain. one present—love, fear, betrayal, treasure, Texas Rangers (of course), and a few grisly/sickening scenes that are so S. MAG.: If you could sit down with Caitlin Strong and/or well-written they made me retch. I could go on all day. Cort Wesley and speak with them one on one, what would One concrete thing I will share, Teofilo Reyes Braga hauls you ask? away garbage—an ironic job for him. Blurred lines between lies and truth on both sides of JL: Why the hell aren’t you helping me sell more books! (laughs) the law, past and present with fierce tendrils linking them No, if I said that, they’d probably shoot me! I guess I’d want to together and the exploding mushroom that is this story know what keeps them going. How many times can you save just gets bigger and bigger right in front of your eyes. The the country without getting burned out? I’d like to ask them, way Land weaves his tale caught me off guard at every similar to a question you posed earlier, about where they see junction, and I loved it! themselves next year, then in five and ten. Do they still think I would be utterly remiss if I didn’t mention the way they’ll be essentially modern-day gunslingers? Will they be Land portrayed the father and son relationship. Cort together, married even? Stuff like that. adores both his sons, but his relationship with Dylan is so expertly written, when those two shared a scene, I felt 10. Finish this sentence: “If I stopped writing tomorrow I I was peeking in on something real. would .” When I start a new novel, there’s some anxiety in the newness. I start reading and instantly feel that “fear.” JL: …lose my (beep)ing mind! Writing is like therapy for me— Then, out of nowhere comes Caitlin Strong, my old friend I’m only happy when I’m doing it and miserable when I’m not. with her SIG-Sauer and I am completely unafraid. I take It’s like a fix, a drug. Everything feels better when I’m in the her hand and allow her to lead me wherever she’d like. For midst of creating and telling a story. me, that makes not only an amazing character, but comes from a class-act author! Suspense Magazine is a huge fan of Jon Land’s. This is an Reviewed by Terri Ann Armstrong, author of “How to author who has a serious story to tell, and we promise you’ll Plant a Body” published by Suspense Publishing, an enjoy every single word. To learn more about this author, imprint of Suspense Magazine  check out his website at, http://www.jonlandbooks.com/. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 54 THE INSIDE STORY –CASE SOLVED

On Location By Starr Gardinier Reina Press Photo Credit: Andrew Zinnes

Homicide School, Sgt. Derek Pacifico JUNE 2 – 3, 2012 SANTA MONICA, CA

I was privileged to have been able to attend and cover the Writers’ Homicide School on June 2 and 3 in Santa Monica, California. The class was taught by Sgt. Derek Pacifico, a homicide detective at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Actually, “previously of” is a more accurate description, as Pacifico just retired from that position, where I’m sure he will be missed. Pacifico’s career started at the jail, where he spent three years. He then went through a six-year stint as a patrol officer, and was then promoted to homicide detective, where he employed his skills for six more years before spending the next seven as sergeant. He now uses his twenty-two years of reality. For this reason, he gave us the tools during this experience to teach novelists and screenwriters in a two-day crash course to better portray crime scenes and the ensuing lecture. investigations. The class was definitely an eye-opener. It’s amazing how Nicole Jones—screenwriter and associate producer of we authors pen things incorrectly in our novels. According The Scribbler, which is in filming now, and writer of Privacy, to Sgt. Derek Pacifico, most readers will not even realize a thriller that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival—said many of the things we get wrong, but as a homicide detective, she attended in hopes of gaining insight into crime scenes he would love to see more and lingo to make sure she’s accurate. Katherine Ruppe, a writer of screenplays who has a suspense thriller titled “A Killing Frost” under option, also said she wanted to make sure she was using authentic information and was hoping to get some new ideas. With these hopes of acquiring educational material, we all sat through this intensive seminar on what really happens in the life of a homicide detective. Starting with the basics such as rank structure and penal codes, he made his way into the more interesting territory of crime scene containment. This has to do with the detectives’ and crime scene investigators’ roles. Signs of death was another hot topic. It’s not just rigor mortis they look at, but other facets of the body’s condition as well. Ah…and then there are the gunshot wounds. Whether shot from up close or further away, detectives can assume the

SuspenseMagazine.com 55 position of the shooter by several different means. This was who thinks you should. something authors can definitely stand to learn about and Film editor Stephen Myers—who is currently working employ when writing those types of scenes. on the ABC show The Secret Life of an American Teenager— Do you know the difference between murder and said he found this class to be “helpful” and liked the homicide? Attendees do now because Pacifico explained it. “realism and authenticity.” Andrew Zinnes, co-author of the Penal code 187. Purpose, cop shooting, justifiable and lawful “Documentary Filmmakers Handbook” and the “Guerilla are just a few words of explanation I’ll tease you with. Film Makers Pocketbook” from the Film Maker Junction But that’s just one small part of what we learned. Using hosted this event and said this course was “…priceless…” real case studies with actual crime scene photos—I had to and it was “…an eye-opening look at how much psychology actually close my eyes on one photo—Pacifico didn’t just is used in law enforcement and how it can be portrayed lecture on how someone was killed but had inaccurately on TV.” us all participate in trying to figure it out Tyler Ditts, a ourselves. He gave us the tools and asked writing teacher at Cal that we apply them and attempt to “detect” State-Long Beach and that which detectives investigate and see on author of “King of an almost daily basis. We all tried and we Infinite Space”—the had some great responses, some of which first in a series about a were on the “mark,” but detectives, we are homicide detective in not…that is, in real life. In our books or Long Beach “…likes scripts, that’s a different story. his presentation…” An investigator doesn’t just try to and the fact that “… prove guilt—he/she must look closely at it’s his specialty to talk everything, no matter how big or small to writers.” Ditts came to determine who, what, where, and how. for the same reason as What about “why”? I can’t all of us—authenticity tell you that, but you will and accuracy in learn it in class. our writing—and Pacifico spoke of left realizing that “…looking at the evidence, GSR (gunshot photos…[we] jumped to a lot of residue), tire tracks—how conclusions and it was a lesson not to they actually compare them, assume.” latent prints, warrants, and Pacifico will continue teaching many other crime scene this and many other courses across techniques. The importance of the country. Using his years of fiber analysis and what it can experience, he is penning his tell you, comparative science, own novel. It’s to be based on an and the chain of custody were unsolved case of his, but obviously other subjects he touched on. adapted as fiction. It promises to be He also showed actual as good as his presentations and we at Suspense Magazine interviews and interrogations. I believe the whole class— can’t wait for its release. including myself—was surprised to learn they were not what Personally, I would recommend this class to any aspiring we thought. There is much more to it than civilians realize. I or published author writing genres where there are crime/ can’t tell you everything, but I can say detectives have a whole murders and/or investigations and interrogations taking system they utilize before they even get to the interrogation. place. It’s packed with real information, some of which will They can tell if someone—whom they just met during that stun you. This class is worth every penny you spend and particular investigation—is lying or not. How, when they more. He gives very valuable information and a mini do-it- don’t know this person? Good question, and Pacifico tells yourself instructional toolkit so that we as authors can pen you this answer and much more. accuracy instead of what we see on television. During the lecture, Pacifico stated that “guns don’t kill Suspense Magazine thanks Derek for his valuable time people, shot placement does” and I don’t want that placement and allowing us to cover his Homicide School. To find out to be somewhere on my body for giving away everything he more about Sgt. Derek Pacifico and to find dates on upcoming taught in class. That’s why you’ll notice a bit of vagueness. classes, please visit: http://www.crimewritersconsultations. You’ll have to attend one yourself and I’m not the only one com/. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 56

Paul Levine Writing is the Best Therapy

Interview by Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Alan Weissman aul Levine has done it all: newspaper reporter, law professor, trial lawyer, and now, full-time novelist. For Paul, writing fiction is an automatic act. He told some real whoppers for years in his legal briefs. His booksP have been translated into twenty-three languages and in Germany—for reasons he doesn’t know—he is published under the name “Polly Levine.” When creating his main characters in the Solomon vs. Lord series, Levine leaned on his seventeen years of practicing law as well as his three marriages. Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are fighting lawyers who love and hate each other and can’t even meet in the middle when it comes to something as simple as “good morning.” However, life is truly hot when they’re together and rather flat when they’re apart. The two make one exceptionally good trial team, but as in all great pairings, there’s always the chance they’ll kill each other while the jury is out. Paul Levine has recently released all four books in the series in e-book format: “Solomon vs. Lord”: Trial lawyer Victoria Lord, who follows every rule, and Steve Solomon, who makes up his own, bicker and banter as they defend a beautiful young woman, accused of killing her wealthy older husband. “The Deep Blue Alibi”: Solomon and Lord come together—and fly apart— defending Victoria’s Uncle Grif on charges he killed a man with a spear gun. It’s a case set in the Florida Keys with side trips to coral reefs and a nudist

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 58 colony where all is more—and less—than it seems. “Kill all the Lawyers”: Just what did Steve Solomon do to infuriate ex-client and ex-con Dr. Bill? Did Solomon try to lose the case in which the television shrink was charged in the death of a woman patient? Last, but not least, “Habeas Porpoise” (formerly titled “Trial & Error”): It starts with the kidnapping of a pair of trained dolphins and turns into a murder trial with Solomon and Lord on opposite sides after Victoria is appointed a special prosecutor, and fireworks follow! As you can see, Paul has quite a hit on his hands and his dozens of accolades is proof of that. Suspense Magazine is proud to have this opportunity to speak to Paul in this original interview. Enjoy!

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG,): You go from reporter, to professor, to lawyer and now to novelist. Tell us about that bridge.

Paul Levine (PL): Many bridges. No plans. By which I mean I just kept changing careers when the current one stopped being fun. There’s also my stint as a television writer on the long-running JAG and the short-lived First Monday, a flop of a show I co- created. I started my adult life as a reporter with the Miami Herald. Covered the courts, was intrigued, went to law school, taught part-time, practiced law in Miami for seventeen years, had the mid-career blues, and wrote “To Speak for the Dead” instead of seeing a shrink. By creating Jake Lassiter, a lawyer who didn’t take any crap, I gave my alter ego a more exciting professional life than I had. (Jake would punch out a lying witness, something I often wanted to do).

S. MAG.: When you first conceived the whole idea of two trial lawyers, male and female, did you know you wanted them to mix like oil and water and fire and ice? Or did that just evolve over time?

PL: You’re talking about “Solomon vs. Lord,” my battle-of-the-sexes legal thrillers. Back in the ’80s, I enjoyed the banter between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd on Moonlighting. Those characters were direct descendants of Nick and Nora in “The Thin Man.” It’s the “opposites attract” theory of relationships. So, yes, I knew exactly where I was going from page one.

Steve Solomon is a rogue lawyer. Irreverent, he doesn’t follow the rules. In fact, he makes up his own. “Solomon’s Laws.” The first one: “When the law doesn’t work…work the law.” Victoria rigidly follows the letter of the law. Of course, Steve drives her crazy. One of the early tag lines for the book was: “They’ll either end up in jail or in bed.”

S. MAG.: You had a fourteen-year hiatus between “Flesh & Bones” and “Lassiter.” Were you worried about fans remembering— well—your character(s)? Did you do anything special to re-open the door and remind them?

PL: I was worried about my readers still being alive! “Lassiter” really is as much a standalone as a series book. There’s enough back story there for the new reader, and it’s really my favorite of those eight books.

SuspenseMagazine.com 59 S. MAG.: How was it different to write for television as opposed to writing your own novel? Was it different?

PL: Start with the proposition that when you come onto the staff of an existing show, you’re working with someone else’s characters and backstory. You come up with new stories, but when you come onto a show—as I did with JAG—around episode one hundred, there’s an entrenched history. Still, writing for television sharpened my dialogue skills. I think the novels, starting with “Solomon vs. Lord” through “Lassiter” are more crisply written than the earlier books.

S. MAG.: Why go from paperback to e-book format with such a popular series? Was there any worry that you’d be making the wrong move? Or were you sure it was the right move?

PL: E-books are the future, and the future is now. I’m confident about this move.

S. MAG.: How did your three marriages affect the shaping of your Solomon vs. Lord characters?

PL: They gave me a sharply honed sense of humor.

S. MAG.: Why change “Trial & Error”—a great title for a book featuring lawyers, by the way—to “Habeas Porpoise?” Was it just a matter of play on words to incorporate the world of law and water mammals together?

PL: I always wanted to name the book “Habeas Porpoise,” but my publisher thought it sounded too frivolous. Now, the book opens with the kidnapping of a couple of highly trained dolphins, so I think the title is organic to the story. Meanwhile, there are several books by different authors titled “Trial and Error” but only one named “Habeas Porpoise.”

S. MAG.: Over time, how have you changed the way you look at life/people? PL: I am less judgmental and easier-going. Jodie Renner Editing S. MAG.: What one attribute do you find unacceptable in others? Yourself? Fiction Editing and PL: Only one? Well, I can’t stand people who lie. As for Critiquing Services my shortcomings, they are too numerous to mention www.JodieRennerEditing.com here. Specializing in thrillers, S. MAG.: What’s on the horizon for you? Anything romantic suspense, you can share with your fans and our readers? & other crime �iction PL: “Last Chance Lassiter,” an e-book original novella, will be an Amazon Kindle exclusive later this summer. It’s a prequel, with Jake Lassiter as a young lawyer representing an old blues musician whose Look for Jodie’s craft of �iction articles on these blogs: greatest song was stolen. We’ll learn how Jake got to Crime Fiction Collective, Blood-Red Pencil, The Thrill be the man he is. Begins,“Jodie Writer’sRenner worked Forensics, with me and to transform Suspense my Magazine. thriller, , from an exciting book to a tight, suspenseful, heart-pounding thrill ride.” Suspense Magazine was honored to have had The Lonely Mile this opportunity to speak with Paul. A couple of final “Jodie edited my last three novels and - Allan did aLeverone notes: every book in the series has been re-released terri�ic job. … Highly recommended!” in Kindle editions with new cover art. Additionally, Paul wrote a piece on Steve Solomon’s “laws” that “I rate Jodie 6 stars out of 5!” - LJNo Sellers Remorse bloggers/reviewers can post. - Ian Walkley, If you’d like to view the page that has the new Free sample edit for new clients covers, excerpts, and praise, take a look at: http:// paul-levine.com/content/svl.asp. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 60 America's Favorite Suspense Authors On the Rules of Fiction Part II: Breaking the Rules

By Anthony J. Franze

In this series, author Anthony J. Franze interviews other suspense writers about their views on “the rules” of writing. This month, several bestselling authors—including David Baldacci, Steve Berry, Tess Gerritsen, Gayle Lynds, Brad Meltzer, and others—discuss the potential perils of following the conventional rules of fiction. Next month, Anthony covers Robert Dugoni’s “seven deadly sins” of writing.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Hemingway’s quip is right, of course, so sometimes writers need a little help to stem the blood loss. One source is “the rules” of fiction. Since they were scribbling stories in their middle school journals, most of today’s popular suspense writers have heard the conventional rules: “write what you know,” “show, don’t tell,” “avoid clichés,” etc. And many authors have followed certain rules with great success. John Grisham confessed to following ten rules when he crafted his groundbreaking novel, “The Firm.” And last month I covered Steve Berry’s eleven rules of writing. Many of the country’s most popular suspense writers, however, preach caution when it comes to the rules. Call them rebels, nonconformists, or just contrarians, but many of the thriller world’s elite warn that when writers follow “the rules” it can be detrimental to fiction. Here’s why:

Rules Can Stifle Originality

David Baldacci is one of the kings of suspense fiction. With twenty-four bestselling novels, including his latest bestseller “The Innocent,” he knows a thing or two about writing. And for Baldacci, “Generally, any rules are detrimental. Anything that makes one book read like another book is not a good thing.” Baldacci has heard some “silly” rules over the years, like “the rule that a book must have a neat, nice ending.” That’s wrong, he says: “Life is rarely so tidy, and although we write escapist fiction, it should seem real while reading it.” A writer’s goal should not be to follow

SuspenseMagazine.com 61 particular rules, but “to write a book that you can be proud of, passionate about and that readers can read with great enjoyment.” Other members of thriller royalty, including the queen of espionage Gayle Lynds, similarly think conventional rules can suffocate originality. “No one who strictly follows rules adds anything new to our culture, and in this case, to literature, whether genre or mainstream.” Lynds said if you want to create something fresh in fiction, you’ve got to know the rules—and then break them.

Rules Can Bore the Reader

The gravest sin for suspense writers is to bore. Yet, some conventional rules— like the perennial “write what you know”—can lead writers down a path to boring their readers. Robert Dugoni, who’s been called “the heir to Grisham’s literary throne,” puts it this way: “I was a civil litigator, which means I represented clients sued in civil actions that often ended up in mediations and arbitrations and the rare trial. If that sounds boring, it’s because it usually was.” Dugoni described a typical day as “writing pissy letters to other attorneys for ignoring one civil rule or the other, or because his or her client failed to adequately answer an interrogatory. Anyone see a thrilling story in that?” For Dugoni, “often what we know is boring, and the more ‘real’ we try to make our fiction, the more boring it becomes.”

Rules Can Make Writers Manipulate Their Work

Lee Child said he follows few hard-and-fast rules, and, as I’ve written elsewhere, Child is wary of the cottage industry of how-to books dispensing the rules of fiction. “These books usually are completely wrong in my experience and fatal in my judgment.” For instance, Child scoffed at the conventional rule that writers must “show, don’t tell.” He said writers are called “storytellers, after all, not story showers.” Because of the show-don’t-tell rule, Child thinks that many writers are so scared of “telling” that they manipulate their work, such as having characters peer in a mirror and describe themselves, rating their own looks. “Who does that in real life?” Child laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with just writing ‘he was a tall man with brown hair.’ Just tell the damn story.” The conventional rules dispensed in these types of books also are fatal, Child said, because they encourage writers not to follow their instincts and own good judgment. “Writing is such an organic and personal thing, it needs its own heart beat, its own DNA—it can’t be done by committee. If Book X says you can’t do this, and Book Y says you must do this, as soon as you start thinking along those lines, you’re lost, the spark is gone, the vividness is gone because it becomes a committee decision.” To paraphrase Child, and to violate the no clichés rule myself, writing via committee also results in too many cooks spoiling the broth.

Rules Can Make Writers Ignore What Works

“The best rule of writing is this: There are no rules.” So said Brad Meltzer when I asked him about the rules. Meltzer has had eight bestselling novels, two acclaimed non-fiction books, an award-winning comic book, a popular television show, and even a successful clothing line, so I was skeptical with his disavowal of all rules. What this jack-of-all-trades really meant, however, is that writers should not get caught up in the rules and should just do what works. Tess Gerritsen, who has sold more than twenty five million books worldwide, agreed. As long as a thriller is entertaining, she said, “anything goes and there’s no right or wrong.” Robert Dugoni gave an example of the “do what works” principle: “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” “The conventional water cooler talk among writer friends is that the book starts too slowly and ends too late, that American publishers would have told the author to cut a hundred or so pages from the beginning and end of the book. The point is, however, the book does work. The writer was able to engage us with an interesting premise and, more importantly, interesting characters.”

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 62 Let’s not get carried away

All of this said, these writers do not shun all rules. Each in fact identified some core principles they follow:

Know what every character wants. Brad Meltzer “needs to know what every character wants. If I know that about you, I can look through your eyes. Other than that, it’s all up for grabs.”

Research a lot, include a little. David Baldacci says: “Less is best. Do all the research you can possibly do and then leave most of it out while integrating what you do leave in so that it does not interrupt the story. We’re writing novels, not textbooks.”

Edit the manuscript on paper. Robert Dugoni offered a practical tip: “Print out the manuscript and edit it on paper. I don’t know why this is, but reading a book on a screen is not the same for me as reading it on the printed page.”

Include tension in every scene. Tess Gerritsen “strives for tension in every scene. I don’t mean all-out action or conflict, but just the sense that something is ‘off’ or ‘not right’ or disturbing. I think this is the secret to great pacing—keeping your characters off-balance, always having something that’s troubling or making them feel uneasy.”

Use discipline with point-of-view. Steve Berry follows this rule, as does Lee Child. The reader must know who is telling the story and the writer should not take them into more than one character’s head at a time.

Follow a three or five-act dramatic structure. Gayle Lynds said this is one of her main rules, also endorsing Chekhov’s principle that “when a gun is put on the mantelpiece, it must be used in one way or another in the story.”

The core lesson, according to these renowned storytellers, is not to throw out the rule book or principles of writing; it’s knowing when to break the rules. That, of course, can come only from experience, instinct, and trial- and-error. And even after selling millions of books, these writers acknowledge that it’s still not easy. As Brad Meltzer said, “the best advice I’ve been given was simply this: It’s okay to admit it’s hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it.” 

Anthony J. Franze is a lawyer in the Appellate and Supreme Court practice of a large Washington, D.C. law firm, and author of the debut legal thriller, “The Last Justice.” In addition to his writing and law practice, he is an adjunct professor of law, has been a commentator for Bloomberg, the National Law Journal and other news outlets, and is a contributing editor for the Big Thrill magazine. Anthony lives in the D.C. area with his wife and three children.

Press Photo Credit: Robert Dugoni (www.robertdugoni.com), Tess Gerritsen (www.tessgerritsen.com), Steve Berry (Kelly Campbell), David Baldacci (Alexander James/John Groo), Gayle Lynds (www.gaylelynds.com), Brad Meltzer (Herman Estevez), Lee Child (Sigrid Estrada)

SuspenseMagazine.com 63 Thorne & Billingham, Ever Evolving Mark Billingham Interview by Suspense Magazine

ark Billingham was born and brought up in MBirmingham, Great Britain. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian, Mark began peddling his particular brand of comedy in 1987. Since then, he’s appeared on over thirty radio and TV shows, played every comedy club in the U.K. and bought a new hat. As a regular performer and emcee at London’s world famous Comedy Store, Mark talks dirty, waxes lyrical about animal husbandry, and takes the starch out of people’s shirts. On Mark’s website, he talks about character development. He says: “When I am asked to describe Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, I have often said that the reader knows every bit as much about him as I do. And I stand by that. When I created him for the first book, “Sleepyhead,” I was determined that he should be a character who would never be set in stone, but rather one who would develop, book on book, who would change and grow as we all do, and who, crucially, would be unpredictable. Many authors who write series have created thick dossiers on their protagonists; complex biographies containing everything from family history to inside leg measurement. This may make life easier for the writer in some ways, but to me it seems limiting. As I write each new Thorne novel, I am determined that whatever is happening plotwise, a new layer of the onion will be peeled away and reveal something about Tom Thorne that is surprising. To me as much as anyone else. This may not always be something that the more conservative reader likes too much, but

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 64 that can’t be helped. Simply put, if I can remain interested in the character, then hopefully, the reader will stay interested too. The day a character becomes predictable is the day a writer should think about moving on, because the reader certainly will.” His first crime novel, “Sleepyhead,” was published in 2001. It was an instant bestseller in the U.K. It has been sold widely throughout the world and was published in the U.S.A. in the summer of 2002. The series of crime novels featuring London-based detective Tom Thorne continued with “Scardey Cat” and then “Lazybones,” “The Burning Girl,” “Lifeless,” “Buried,” “Death Message,” “Bloodline,” “From the Dead,” and most recently, “Good as Dead.” Mark is also the author of the standalone novel “In the Dark” as well as a series of children’s thrillers, Triskellion, written under the pseudonym Will Peterson. Mark’s next book, a second standalone thriller called “Rush of Blood” will be published in August 2012. A celebrated television series based on the Thorne novels was screened on Sky One in the autumn of 2010, starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne. An adaptation of “In the Dark” is currently in development at the B.B.C. Mark lives in London with his wife and two children. He is currently writing his next novel. Suspense Magazine feels privileged to have this opportunity to speak with Mark.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): How did you take a leap from stand-up comedy to writing crime novels?

Mark Billingham (MB): Well, it wasn’t quite a leap because for quite a while I was doing both things at the same time. I was writing the books during the day and then heading out to tell jokes in the evening. Comedy can be such a nasty, competitive business that there was probably more blood spilled during the shows than on the pages of the books. The comedy stood me in good stead I think as far as the novels went. It taught me about the importance of entertaining an audience: a novel is very much a performance for me and about engaging your audience quickly. I don’t do the comedy clubs any more; there aren’t enough hours in the day and I’m traveling so much to promote the books that I can’t be away doing stand-up as well. I can’t resist putting the odd joke into the books though.

S. MAG.: Do you find comedy coming into your writing, in particular your character of Detective Inspector Tom Thorne?

MB: Absolutely. Thorne isn’t a gag-merchant. He’s not always that quick-witted, but there HAS to be humor in the books. I think there has to be humor in ANY book, because without it the writer is not reflecting the real world. Often the funniest things can happen at the darkest times in our lives and any I certainly try to mix it up. Without humor the books would be unremittingly bleak and it’s important to vary the mood. And coming from a comedy background, there is always an impulse to see the funny side. It’s not hard for that to find an outlet when you’re writing about those that do the job Tom Thorne does. If you want to hear jokes flying thick and fast, go to a murder scene.

S. MAG.: Three-part question: Where did Thorne come from? In developing characters, you say, “As I write each new Thorne novel, I am determined that whatever is happening plot-wise, a new layer of the onion will be peeled away and reveal something about Tom Thorne that is surprising.” What brought you to this particular conclusion? Does that run smoothly or do you find it hard at times to peel away that next layer?

MB: I’m not sure where Thorne came from. The first novel was for me all about the victim: a woman who spends the entire book in a coma. Thorne has been a character that has—I hope—evolved and developed over the course of the novels that came afterwards. I decided early on that I would do it this way and rather than putting it all there in that first book: who he is, where he’s from, what he looks like, what he has for breakfast, it would be more satisfying if the reader got to know him at the same time I did. That way, with a new layer of the onion striped away each time, he can remain unpredictable and keep surprising the reader. Yes, you’re right, that can be tricky sometimes and often I wish I DID have that dossier on him that would make my life easier, but I think, on balance, it was the right decision.

S. MAG.: How would you make reading more fun for the youth of our country to keep them reading into adulthood?

MB: It’s really hard, especially with young boys, and I see it all the time as the father of a teenage boy and a teenage girl. It’s important for a young reader to find a book for themselves, something that fires their imagination. They need to find out that reading is not a chore; it’s not like doing homework. It’s tough when they have so many distractions now. Books have to compete with these incredible computer games and with the time-suck of social media, but the right book will still flick that switch if they can find it. My fourteen-year-old son has just discovered Thomas Harris, so I’m pretty happy. Can’t start any better place than

SuspenseMagazine.com 65 that! Though of course it may mean that he’s developing into a serial killer.

S. MAG.: If we looked at your bookshelf, what authors would we find there?

MB: Okay, I’m looking. From here I can see Denise Mina (the books, not the author. My shelves aren’t that big), Michael Connelly, George Pelecanos, John Connolly, Elmore Leonard. Yes, there’s plenty of crime fiction, but I can also see a history of jokes, many books on London and a biography of Johnny Cash.

S. MAG.: What do you think has stayed the same about you throughout your life?

MB: Definitely a desire to show off and to tell stories. I remember the buzz of reading stories out to the other kids in my class and, if I’m honest, that’s still what it’s about. Hopefully my audience has got a LITTLE bigger.

S. MAG.: What do you think are your three best qualities? Worst?

MB: Best? I can’t imagine living without my family, I’m loyal to my friends and I’m ALWAYS punctual! Worst is trickier, obviously. I think I’m probably a control freak, I’m a travel Nazi (see control freak and punctuality) and I always over-order in restaurants.

S. MAG.: What did you think about the TV series that was based on the Thorne novels? Did they do justice to your view and voice?

MB: I was really proud of the series. Changes were made, obviously, but they have to be. A book and a film are hugely different animals and there’s not a lot of point in comparing the two. You simply can’t make a four-hundred-page novel into a couple of hours of TV without cutting, condensing, chopping and changing. These made some readers unhappy of course, but nothing was changed without good reason. Above all, we had great actors: Eddie Marsan, Aiden Gillen, and of course David Morrissey as Tom Thorne. Yes, my view of London and the voice I gave to Tom Thorne were there in the adaptation, so I was pleased. We’ll have to see what U.S. viewers and readers make of it when the series airs over there in June.

S. MAG.: So This Serial Killer Walks Into a Bar … do you ever consider writing other “comedy” stories like that and make either a book or short stories or ask other authors to contribute for an anthology?

MB: It’s a nice idea, but right now I have my hands full. And comedy-wise I may have been out of the game too long. You know as well as I do though just how funny a lot of crime writers can be, so I get plenty of laughs hanging out with them. You have got me thinking about it, and actually that’s a pretty good title!

S. MAG.: What’s on the horizon for Mark Billingham?

MB: “The Demands,” which was published in the U.K. as “Good as Dead,” is coming out in the U.S. in June, and a few months later my new book, “Rush of Blood” is coming out here. It’s a standalone which for the first time is partly set in the U.S. We bought a place in the U.S. a couple of years ago and spend a good deal of the year there, so I finally felt confident in writing about it. I’m excited about it, and also a little nervous, but right now all my energy is focused on the book I’m currently writing which is a Thorne novel. He is living with the life-change that will be revealed to readers in a somewhat shocking cameo he has at the end of “Rush of Blood.” Having had a year away from him writing the standalone, I’m enjoying hanging out with the miserable old bugger again.

Suspense Magazine would like to thank Mark for giving of his time and himself so we could all get to know him a bit better. If you want to read a lot more about this busy author, check out his website at http://www.markbillingham.com/. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 66 the Doll Robert By Donald Allen Kirch There are many things in the world to fear: UFOs, demons and ghosts, and evil in general. However, to some living in Key West, Florida, there is a terror worth respecting: a “haunted” object that has been known to attack others and to scare the hell out of them. It has made grown adults run away and has caused children to cry during the darkest hours of the night. It is simply…a child’s toy. Its name is “Robert.” Robert is a rather unassuming doll, dressed as a sailor from the late 19th century. With his black button eyes and innocent blank look, he has plagued the lives of at least three people. In his wake, there are stories of pain, horror, and voodoo. He is like the fictional doll in the motion picture “Child’s Play.” However, unlike “Chucky,” he is real. Robert’s story begins in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Otto were not known as treating their servants with kindness. Although well established within the Key West Community, they were not remembered later in life for their humanity towards others. One of the house servants, after being beaten by Mr. Otto, gave their son a rather unusual gift. A doll dressed as a sailor. The young Robert on Display boy who received the gift, Robert Eugene (Gene) Otto, loved it upon first sight. Little did the boy know that his faithful friend was not offered out

SuspenseMagazine.com 67 of affection. The doll was given to Gene as a way of revenge This would happen on a nightly basis and with always against his parents for their cruelty. The presenter of the gift the same claim afterwards. had been a skilled practitioner in the art of voodoo! “Robert did it! Robert did it!” Gene, with the innocence of a child, loved the doll with After a battle of wills with their son, Robert the doll was all his heart. He named it “Robert.” They were inseparable. taken away from him and placed in the attic of the house, After a time, the joy of the gift was forgotten. where he remained for many years. Life continued. Life moved on. Strange things started to happen. Gene grew up. The Ottos, as they went to bed, would hear their son As time went by, the horrific encounters with Robert were talking to the doll. Sometimes, in a different voice, more forgotten, and later replaced with the nostalgic memories of high-pitched than Gene’s, they swore they could hear Robert a boy and his childhood friend. Gene married and became a talking back. respected artist. Later, after the death of both his parents, the The imaginations of children can be family home was willed to him and Gene Otto came home the most powerful in the world. to Key West. The strange affair was immediately taken as a means for The family home was spacious, and just what a successful Gene to have an imaginary friend. This, even today, is not so artist needed for a place of inspiration. Many times, Gene unusual for a lonely boy. After all, a good imagination was praised the second floor of the home’s turret as a perfect healthy. place to paint and muse. It was not considered a problem until Gene started Cleaning out the home’s attic, Gene getting into trouble around the house. Things would break. rediscovered Robert. Buckets would be tipped over. When asked what happened, Overjoyed, Gene had long thought that his parents had Gene would confidently claim, ‘Robert did it!’ thrown out the sickly-looking doll. He shared the discovery Gene’s father would discipline the boy when he failed to with his wife, and told her of the many imaginary adventures take blame for accidents that were “clearly” his, hoping to do he had with him. At first, Mrs. Otto accepted the find as his fatherly duty of not raising a habitual liar. a happy treasure and a window into understanding her husband’s past. Then came the observations and stories from the neighbors. Still, Robert unsettled her. Many times, while the Ottos were There was a coldness about the away, people would see the doll peering doll that Gene’s wife could not seem out windows, move, and change his to understand. From the moment locations. Some tried to rationalize, Gene returned Robert to the second- claiming it was Gene. The young boy floor turret room, which had been his however, was never in the home and childhood bedroom of the past, the always with his parents. Others, while Ottos knew no peace. visiting in the home, swore that the Gene’s painting turned dark. doll would giggle at them. From out of With cold black-button eyes the corner of their eyes, most thought constantly staring up at their owner’s, that they saw Robert running across the Gene’s mental connection with Robert room, turning to see him glaring up at was still strong. Was the evil voodoo spell them from another chair. still working? Had Gene remembered, Gene’s world would turn frightening. and knew of the evil magic? Late at night, the Ottos would be In any case, Mrs. Otto had enough! awakened by the chilling screams of One day, while Gene had been out their son. Concerned, terrified, and buying paint supplies, she removed dashing into Gene’s bedroom, both Robert from the house. It was her parents would find furniture overturned, intention to throw the cursed doll out of drinking glasses broken, and Robert at their lives for good. the foot of the bed, blankly glaring off into space. Gene Otto: Haunted by his Childhood Gene’s reaction was less than Doll Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 68 understanding. she made sure to leave Robert alone in the attic. She never Screaming at the top of his lungs, Gene insisted that talked of him again. Robert be returned to his “special” chair in the studio. It was A new family moved in. Robert’s duty to glare at his owner, and occasionally glance They had a ten-year-old daughter. out the windows at the people of Key West. Without the doll, Gene’s life was void of substance. So, after several hours After many years of isolation, Robert was once again of begging, Mrs. Otto informed Gene of Robert’s place of discovered and loved by the innocence of another child. The hiding. Hurriedly, Gene ran to the trash heap, picked Robert parents soon realized that their daughter’s happy discovery up, and lovingly took him back into his painting studio. was a curse dressed in a cute sailor’s suit. People started to question Gene Otto’s sanity. The nightmares returned. Every town has a “haunted house,” a sinister edifice The furniture started to move. that seems to bring out the primal superstitions of the local And, once more, it was “Robert’s fault.” populace. Key West was no different in that aspect. Robert turned violent. The Otto House was haunted! Perhaps it was the knowledge of Gene’s passing, realizing School children feared walking past the Otto’s House. that his intended purpose was now over. What was Robert to Robert, they claimed, would giggle at them. He would mock do now? Alone with strangers in the only home he had ever them. He would change his position and move from window known. to window. Parents concerned that their children had been There was revenge to consider… victim to an evil prank, would constantly report Gene and his doll to the local authorities. Some, brave enough, would The child claimed that Robert tried, on several occasions, confront Gene personally. to climb up upon her bed at night, with the sole purpose of killing her. The new parents broke the door, which never had Gene would always listen, but remain adamant. a lock, and pulled the doll from around their daughter’s neck. “It’s Robert’s fault,” he would simply whisper. Neighbors warned them about Robert. As time went by, Gene, himself became They would leave believers. once more terrified of his childhood toy. Robert would never again live with another family. His work became a victim of his illusions. Key West soon recognized Robert’s unique legacy, and Gene Otto claimed that when he tried to enter the turret made him a permanent part of a local museum’s exhibit of room to paint, Robert would be sitting in a rocking chair, famous objects. glaring up at him, and complaining that his accommodations were not satisfactory. Gene would run out of his studio, with If you have the nerve, you can go see him. He is on display shaky hands up to his ears, frightened. When asked by his at the Martello Museum, holding onto a stuffed lion (also a wife what the matter was, she would always hear the same favorite toy of Gene’s) waiting for your attention. But—BE one-word explanation. WARNED—if you want to take a picture of Robert, according to the museum’s staff, you mustFIRST ASK HIS PERMISSION. “Robert.” Those who don’t can suffer dire consequences. From bad film One dark night, during a thunderstorm, Gene entered in their cameras, to auto accidents when leaving the property. the turret room and removed Robert, sending him back up On more than one occasion, museum staff members into the attic. There, Robert would stay for the rest of Gene’s have heard the patter of little feet, and the sinister giggle of life. Even in his terror, he could never bring himself to be a child. rid of the doll. Whatever evil magic had been performed by the disgruntled employee of his father spliced the fates of So, if you are ever in Key West, Florida and wish to see both doll and man. Robert stayed a “haunting” memory with something both pleasant and horrifying, visit Robert. Gene Otto until the day of his death. He has all the time in the world.  From time to time, guests would claim to hear the footfalls of a child coming from the attic, with an occasional To learn more about this author and his work go to: “giggle.” www.donaldallenkirch.com. Remarks can be sent to: Gene would simply smile and say, “Robert.” [email protected]. In 1972, Gene Otto died. It did not take long for his wife to sell their home, and

SuspenseMagazine.com 69 Prepare for heart-racing suspense by thirty of the best James Rollins writers in the business!

Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers—these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.

Available May 29

12_141_Suspense_Thriller3.indd 1 12-03-29 11:28 AM James Rollins Veers From the Genre Train Track

Interview by Suspense Magazine We were able to first meet James Rollins in person at Bouchercon in San Francisco in 2010. James is one of the most engaging authors, getting stopped on almost every step to either I started my talk to a fan, sign a book, or just shake hands to say thanks for “ reading his works. The depths of his novels make him one of the career as a writer most influential writers of the 21st century, and many new authors saying that James was one of their influences to sit down and write. His latest novel, “Bloodline,” continues the adventures of his crafting short Sigma series. It’s the eighth book in the series, and James continues to keep the series fresh and entertaining. His international thrillers have been translated into more than stories during forty languages in thirty-two countries outside of the United States. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd pleasers” (New York Times) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (People my lunch breaks Magazine). In each book, applauded for its freshness, Rollins shows us hidden worlds, scientific advances, and historical secrets—and does it all at lightning speed and with a dazzling approach. at the veterinary Known for building adventures on a base of real science, James mixes the common with the mysterious and then gives his stories clinic. an electrical charge of suspense. Always mindful of history’s legacy, ” SuspenseMagazine.com 71 James shows how secrets—some that are hidden for centuries—can change the path of human dealings. His novels look at how evolving expertise can impact culture not just by the physical intimidation of unchecked advance, but also the spiritual and moral disputes that result. The true terror of technology is not the cogs and the wheels, but how it will change us, he says. Rollins has brought readers at least one book a year since “Subterranean” (1999), his first thriller. The foreign locales of Rollins’ novels have materialized as a union between imagination, research, and his travels throughout the United States and Europe, as well as New Zealand, the South Pacific, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America. Recent travel includes book tours and stops across the country and several European nations, meeting readers and giving talks, seminars, and interviews. In recent years, much of Rollins’ travel has involved meeting readers in small and large groups, at writing and fan conferences, and even at seagoing seminars. His mentoring proficiency and kindness have made him a popular writing instructor and guest speaker for workshops, symposia, conventions, and other discussions throughout the country. He is a member of the main staff of the annual Hawaii Writers Conference and Retreat. In 2005, Rollins joined other celebrities in the genre to create International Thriller Writers, Inc., to identify and support the thriller genre, to provide prospects for mentoring, education, and colleagues among authors and industry professionals, and to grant awards for distinction in the genre. In 2009, Rollins also served as ITW co- president alongside Steve Berry. James was also involved in the USO tour of authors in 2010 with Steve Berry, David Morrell, Douglas Preston, and Andy Harp, in which they went overseas to visit our troops in Afghanistan, giving back to the people that fight to keep our country safe. It was a moving and eye-opening experience for all authors, with James blogging about it on his website. As a boy, James engrossed himself in the scientific events of Doc Savage, the wonders of JulesV erne and H.G. Wells, and pulps featuring The Shadow, The Spider, and The Avenger. That ignited the yearning to become a writer himself. Already a talented storyteller, spinning detailed tales that often were at the heart of pranks played on his brothers and sisters, Rollins went on to perfect his writing skills. When Rollins is not writing, touring, giving seminars, or making presentations, he can be found spelunking, scuba diving, hiking, and/or traveling. James and his two- and four-legged family members who live amid chew toys and paleontological treasures in Northern California.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): Take us back to the very first book to hit the New York Times best seller list. What was it like? How long did the celebration last? Did it make you feel like you had to strive harder for the next book?

James Rollins (JR): That first book to break the magical Top Ten of the New York Times was “Map of Bones,” the first of the Sigma books. I flirted with the extended list for a few books prior to that, but to reach the print list was equal parts a thrill and a relief. At last, I could add the banner “New York Times Bestseller” above my name on a book cover. I did have a small party of friends over for dinner to celebrate—though I believe it was mostly an excuse to break out that expensive bottle of single-malt scotch gathering dust in the kitchen cabinet. But that was about it. Then it was back to work. And truth be told, I did experience that nagging desire mixed with gut-gnawing worry to climb farther up that list, but I set most of that aside—as that’s a certain path to writer’s block. Instead, I have a Post-it note stuck to the side of my computer monitor that states in large Sharpie-black letters: I give myself permission to write crap today. Because sometimes you have to turn your eye from that golden ring and back to that white page.

S. MAG.: You weave history throughout your novels. Were you always a history buff, or did the love of historical fictions draw you to learn more about history itself?

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 72 JR: Definitely the former. Back in third grade, I got that assignment that all school kids get at some point in elementary school: What do you want to be when you grow up? I had three choices at the top of that list: veterinarian, marine biologist, and archaeologist. In the end, I wrote that third-grade essay with veterinarian as my ultimate wish (though it did require looking up how to spell it in the dictionary). But I still never fully escaped those other two desires. I now scuba dive for fun, and I write adventures full of ancient mysteries, lost tribes, and forgotten bits of history. So who says you can’t have it all?

S. MAG.: Other than the exotic locale of Hawaii Writers Conference and Retreat, what is your favorite thing about being so involved in something so exciting?

JR: Without a doubt, it’s meeting the literary idols that I grew up reading: Clive Cussler, Terry Brooks, Anne Rice, even Ray Bradbury. When it comes to meeting them, I turn into a tongue-tied, genuflecting fanboy. It’s actually quite embarrassing for all of us—but what a thrill!

S. MAG.: In your latest book, “Bloodline” your site reads like this: ‘…James Rollins takes you to the edge of medicine, genetics, and technology, revealing the next evolutionary leap forward: immortality,’ yet it is so much more. Giving the war dog’s perspective to say the least. What brought you to writing your latest novel like this?

JR: The seed for this book came during a USO tour of authors to Iraq and Kuwait. It was an honor to meet the wounded warriors in Bethesda and Walter Reed and to thank those still serving in the field. But as a veterinarian, I was drawn to the dogs I saw out there. And there were a lot. Currently in Afghanistan alone, there are six hundred military working dogs employed in the field. I was curious about these dogs and their handlers, and in a bit of serendipity, I ended up running into a vet school classmate of mine at a base in Iraq, who filled me in on many of the details of that unique relationship between soldier and dog. I knew then that I wanted to try to capture that bond on the page.

S. MAG.: Commander Gray Pierce is sitting with you over drinks. What would you talk about? What questions would ask him?

JR: First, if he would give me the time of day, I would be surprised. He’s one busy guy. But if he found the time, I would want to know more about his family (he’s had a tough couple of years on the personal home front). But I would also ask him about his next mission and about his on-again/off-again relationship with Seichan. Because often I’m as surprised as anyone about what this guy ends up doing in any given book. But that’s probably a good thing. Gray keeps me on my toes.

S. MAG.: You wrote “Tracker, a Short Story” an e-book exclusive published June 5. Is this something that you plan on doing more of?

JR: I started my career as a writer crafting short stories during my lunch breaks at the veterinary clinic. I’ve always loved the format, though thankfully those early works are now safely buried in my backyard, never to see the light of day. Still, with the pressure to write one or two books a year, the production of a volume of short stories was simply impossible. Sure, I would occasionally submit a piece to an anthology that piqued my interest, but mostly it was hard to find a fitting place for that occasional story that would pop into my head. But with the advent of e-books, it’s now become wonderfully convenient to bring such short work to an audience—and of course, hopefully a new audience.

S. MAG.: Is there one book you wish that you would have written?

JR: If there was, I would have written it. I’m not known for sticking to the same train tracks when it comes to my writing career. I’ve crafted multi-book fantasy series, I’ve dabbled with children’s literature, and even my Sigma series is a mash-up of scientific thriller, historical mystery, and action-adventure. Maybe it’s not the wisest move to wear so many hats, but that’s one of the joys of writing: it can take you anywhere you want. And that applies to both the reader and the writer.

S. MAG.: Is there a secondary character in “Bloodline” that surprised you by having a stronger voice than you originally thought?

SuspenseMagazine.com 73 THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE 911 ABDUCTON SERIES “A harrowing, edge of your seat thriller, the frightening premise sucks you in, while the twists and turns will keep you guessing to the last breathtaking word.” —Richard Doetsch, bestselling author of HALF-PAST DAWN )JHIXBZ
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JR: That would be Kane, the military working dog featured in this novel. I knew I wanted to try to capture what it was like to be a war dog: to put the reader in the paws of that character. And as a veterinarian, I also wanted to paint an accurate portrait of a real dog, not a four-legged soldier. I wanted to capture what it’s really like to be a military working dog: to let the reader hunt with Kane, to fight alongside him, and to experience that unique bond between dog and handler. So I ended up writing many scenes from the dog’s point-of-view and ended up falling in love with Kane. I hope readers do, too.

S. MAG.: Would you want to live forever? Why?

JR: That would first depend on the quality of those extra years. I certainly wouldn’t want a long, lingering slide into advancing decrepitude and dementia. If I could extend the number of functional and physically active years, then I certainly would be open for that. And the reason for this desire is simple: curiosity. I would love to experience where the human condition is headed. I dabble with the cutting edge of future science in my books, while keeping one leg firmly planted in the historical past. How could I not want to step out even farther to see where it all goes?

S. MAG.: What’s on the horizon for James Rollins? Care to share a bit with us and your fans?

JR: I’ve just finished a multi-year, epic project with the award-winning historical mystery writer Rebecca Cantrell. It will be coming out next January. It’s nothing like I’ve ever written and the collaboration was intensely interesting and involving, bringing out (I believe) the best of both of our skills. Presently my publishing house does not want me to talk much more about it due to the controversial and shocking core of the novel. All I’m allowed to release is the title: “The Blood Gospel.” In addition, I’m waist-deep in next year’s Sigma novel, where all bets are off for the team.

Suspense Magazine was absolutely honored to have this time with master storyteller, James Rollins. If you’d like to learn more about Mr. Rollins and his work, check out his website at, http://www.jamesrollins.com/. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 74 The TOAST OF Tennessee Holly Price

Interview by Suspense Magazine Holly Price was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but spent most of her life between Memphis and Clarendon, the county seat of Monroe County, Arkansas. In Clarendon, Holly lived with her grandparents and enjoyed it so much that she based the town in her first series on it. For a while, she was the only grandchild so she got to be the center of their world and she loved it. To cap it all off, not only were Holly’s grandparents both in public office there, it’s her mother’s hometown. On her father’s side, she is descended from Madison Cawein, the poet laureate of the South, who lived in Louisville, Kentucky. In fact, her father’s name was Madison Cawein, too, in honor of her great-great-great uncle. When Holly was ten, to honor her late maternal grandfather, she wrote a poem about him and it was published in the local paper. It was her first experience with being published and she loved it, even though the attention embarrassed the ten- year-old. Holly has long since been divorced after a bad marriage and has no children. Both her parents are deceased, most recently her mom in 2009. Holly spent the last three years of her mother’s life being her full-time caregiver. She quit working earlier—from her FedEx job based in Memphis—than retirement age to keep her promise of always having her mother with her, and never putting her in a nursing home. She and her brother Chris, who is an executive with FedEx Express, live out in the country and share eighteen acres of land—seventeen are his. He’s at one end and Holly’s at the other. Holly is a committed animal rescuer and have six rescues right now, three cats and three dogs. If she sees a lost or wounded animal, she can’t help herself—she stops and picks them up. She sees it as a calling or a ministry. Holly tells us they’re lots of company for her and going to bed at night with a bunch of critters in her bed is the best. Her home is filled with lots of love and she feels cherished. Having been an honor student, Holly attended the University of Memphis and was in Delta Gamma Fraternity there. She held several offices in the sorority and loved college life. She was active in the Greek system, and was sweetheart to Phi Kappi Psi fraternity. Holly wrote several articles for the Delta Gamma chapter for the national publication, the Anchora, during that period. She also wrote stories, journals, and poetry. But her main passion was reading and she has been doing so since she was three. Image Starting Point for “At Death’s Door” Cover

SuspenseMagazine.com 75 Her mother said, even as a baby in the crib, as soon as Holly could hold one, she would give her a Little Golden Book, and Holly was good for hours. When her grandfather died, she inherited all his books, because he loved reading too. She takes great pleasure in them. Some were published in the nineteenth century. Holly has bookshelves in every room. She owns approximately one thousand books and has read nearly all of them! After the deaths of her father and stepfather, Holly and her mother moved in together back in 1992. They were always together anyway, since they were blessed with a truly extraordinary relationship. They were close friends as well as mother and daughter. She was the light of Holly’s life and she misses her every day. Holly tells us she was given the gift of getting to know her mom, not just as a parent, but as a person. Holly says her mother wanted her to live her dream and write, so in 2002, after having dreamed up a plot and premise for a mystery series, Holly began her first book, “At Death’s Door.” The protagonist is Christie Costner, a woman who retires from an air-freight company, moves home to Breckenridge, Arkansas, (the fictional name for Clarendon), opens an interior design business, and finds the body of a family friend. Being nosy by nature, Christie begins asking questions, and soon finds herself the target of some not-so-nice people. Living with her parents in her middle forties insures conflict, and adjustments must be made by Christie and her parents to recognize that she is a grown woman, and able to make her own choices in life, particularly about the men she sees. And if her mother doesn’t stop fixing her up, murder may ensue in her own family! Holly finished the book and its several edits after her mother passed away. She’s found great help and support from several of her Guppy sisters in completing this first book in the series. She is now writing the second book in the Christie Costner mystery series, “Death by Design,” and also has ideas for several other books, including a romance/adventure/thriller series. Whatever genre she puts them in, she has notes for each one. Life is good for Holly. She is blessed with a great family, loving friends, and the time to write. She also sews, makes jewelry, does needlepoint, and paints and draws using acrylics and oils. One of these days, Holly says she’ll find herself a good man and get married again. One of her favorite things to do is review books for Suspense Magazine. It gives Holly the opportunity to see new work in the publishing field and it feeds her compulsion to read. In Holly’s words, she says: “John and Shannon have been very generous in allowing me this opportunity, and I look forward to the time when they will be publishing reviews of my work too! I would very much like to begin writing articles as well for Suspense. John/Shannon, are you listening?” Holly enjoys several types of literature, mainly mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, romance, thrillers, and historical fiction. A favorite rainy afternoon for Holly would be curling up with a new book, and a glass of wine, and sliding slowly into a good nap. She’s not lazy, that’s why it’s called retirement! Suspense Magazine is thrilled to introduce you to contributor, Holly Price.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): Going back to when you were ten and your poem about your grandfather was published. Now, when you hear that “At Death’s Door” is being published, are the feelings the same? Is the excitement the same or has it become greater now realizing the magnitude of having a novel out there for everyone to be able to read?

Holly Price (HP): The feeling is much greater. When the poem was published, people all over town were talking about it (it’s a small town) and people called the house to tell my grandmother how touching it was, and how sweet, etc. My grandfather was a well-known, honorable man in Clarendon, and he had held public office since the 1920s. He also headed up the American Legion during World War II and as such, was in charge of rubber drives and metal drives. He also was the one who contacted the war office to make arrangements for a young man to be sent home when a member of the family was dying, and, he helped comfort families who lost sons and brothers and husbands in the war. He was the finest man I ever knew and at five, I would sit in his lap in the evening, in his rocker on the front porch, and he would read the Arkansas Gazette—the evening paper from Little Rock—and discuss the current events quiz with me. There were five questions in the quiz, and every night, we would sit rocking on the porch while he told me what the questions were, and what the answers were, and why that was the answer. He would read to me for hours and explain what he read. We read Dickens, and Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Washington Irving. We also read Longfellow. Then, we discussed what we read. This started from the time I was three, and it continued until I was eight and he became ill.

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 76 I adored my grandfather and he adored me. I was so lucky to have him because Dad was never home, and when he was home, he and my mom spent most of the time together because they were very close. I’m not saying my dad was a bad father; he was the archetypal fifties dad who wasn’t involved much with child-rearing. He was more of an absent father, a vaguely benign presence who was home on the weekends.

I’m thrilled about the novel being ready and the thought of continuing work as a writer because I know my granddaddy would be so proud. He taught me to love and appreciate books, and I do.

A novel represents so many things, for one, it says that I finish what I start, and that I’m creative enough to write something worth reading. At least, the feedback I have had so far tells me I am. I love the idea of telling a story that engages the interest of a reader and makes the characters relatable. In “At Death’s Door,” I have created a character that is not perfect, so readers can enjoy watching her grow, change, and cope with situations around her.

S. MAG.: You say you were born with a love for books. We know your grandfather loved to read. Did he read to you purposely freeing that love? Maybe you read to him.

HP: As I said before, he read everything to me, dissecting it, and explaining as he went. My grandfather was an unusual man, in that he had a college education (graduating from Hendrix College in 1906) in a time when it was unusual to have that. I already loved books, but he taught me how and why I should love them. He explained that one could get an entire education from reading books. He made me feel that, each time I opened the cover of a new book, a whole new world existed in it that I could learn about.

I have a big imagination, but I am convinced that the way he worked with me grew my imagination greatly. That’s why I started making up stories so young.

S. MAG.: When you first conceived of “At Death’s Door,” how did you come to name Christie Costner? Where did she come from?

HP: You’ll laugh when I tell you this, but, all my ideas come from my dreams. I have a vivid dream life, always dreaming in technicolor, and I had a dream about Christie and her family moving to Clarendon, and who they all were, why they were there, etc. Christie is named for a little dog I had from 1979 until 1995, She was my baby because I couldn’t have one the normal way.

I told you I had a bad marriage but I didn’t tell you that I lost three children to miscarriage while I was married due to stress and medical issues, and I always wanted to grow up and be a mommy. I divorced right after I lost the last one, (husband was a serial cheater). I was so heartbroken that I gave all that love that I couldn’t give my children to Christie, and to my niece and nephews. Since I never remarried, and since the medical problems got progressively worse, I had a hysterectomy in 1997, and any thoughts of trying again for a baby were permanently ended. I even tried to adopt but that didn’t work out either. I guess the Lord wanted me to be a really terrific aunt instead of a mommy.

So, the character came from my imagination, and the name came from the small furry person who happened to be my baby. The rest of the story is based upon Clarendon, but the characters are all fictional.

S. MAG.: Give us your sell about Christie and “At Death’s Door.” What can you tell the readers that will make them want to know more about her? What makes her a great protagonist?

HP: Christie is a great protagonist because she is a middle-aged woman who has been disappointed in marriage, and who needs to lose about twenty pounds, and does not look perfect all the time, despite her financial advantages. She makes mistakes, says the wrong thing sometimes, can’t decide if she wants another man in her life or not, and is best friends with her mother. Sometimes, though, Christie wants to choke her mother for continually fixing her up with eligible men.

SuspenseMagazine.com 77 Christie is nosy as hell, she always thinks she’s right, whether she is or not, and, as such, ends up being frequently embarrassed when what she thinks is wrong.

Christie is also loving, generous, sympathetic, empathetic, bullheaded and courageous. She takes too many risks, and doesn’t think anyone would actually hurt her, until she finds out differently. Christie is opinionated and outspoken. She forms strong attachments and will stand up for herself and others, even when her position is unpopular.

She can be thoroughly aggravating and thoroughly captivating at the same time. I’ve tried to show Christie as a flawed, but engaging heroine, that readers will cheer and want to kick in the pants all at once.

S. MAG.: What do you think are your three best qualities? Worst?

HP: My three best qualities are my loyalty, my generosity, and my empathy for others.

My three worst qualities are my stubbornness, my poor money-management skills, and being lazy sometimes.

S. MAG.: Do you think a person needs to overcome serious setbacks or challenges to be truly successful?

HP: I don’t think it’s necessary to overcome serious setbacks or challenges to be truly successful, but I think it makes the ride sweeter when you do. I also think that most people encounter these things, and it would be depressingly de-motivating for the rest of us if we know of someone who just “wings it” and falls into success.

I also think that each setback or challenge causes us to grow in maturity and wisdom, and that makes our writing better.

Suspense Magazine is so honored to have had this chance to bring you a little bit about this month’s contributor, author Holly Price. It was a joy getting to know her. If you’d like to read more about Holly and her books, check out her website at, http://www.countrybibliophile.com. 

Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 78 J U S T F O R F U N 1. Brad Thor, “Black List: A Thriller” 14. Paul Harris, “The 2. Lars Kepler, “The Nightmare” Candidate” 3. Sara Blaedel, “Only one Life” 15. Dan Simmons, “Summer of Night” 4. Marco Vichi, “Death in August” 16. Mark Alpert, “Untitled Novel 2” 5. Alex Gray, “Pitch Black” 17. Anne Perry, “Acceptable Loss” 6. Peter May, “Chinese Whispers” 18. Olen Steinhauer, “An American Spy” 7. John Lutz, “Pulse” 19. Roberta Kray, “Broken Home” 8. Cornell Woolrich, “The Black Angel” 20. Marcus Sakey, “Good People” 9. Scott Lasser, “Say Nice Things About 21. Adrian d’Hage, “The Omega Scroll” Detroit” 22. Paul Harper, “Pacific Heights” 10. Michael Dobbs, “Old Enemies” 23. Duncan Falconer, “Pirate” 11. Peter Tonkin, “The Dark Heart” 24. Virginia Duigan, “The Precipice” 12. Matthew Lynn, “Ice Force” 25. Holly Luhning, “Quiver” 13. Michael Wallace, “The Righteous”

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Suspense Magazine July 2012/vol. 036 80 . . . a RIVETING ROLLER COASTER RIDE, complete with NON-STOP ACTION, intriguing characters, and an AMAZING PLOTLINE. I love a good “murder mystery, and “Three Keys to Murder” DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! —SHANA BENEDICT of A Book Vacation Reviews”

For decades, Juan Velarde Cortez obsessively hunted a legendary treasure, and his passing has le� unresolved feelings for his daughter, 36-year-old journalist, Fawn. Now, when a series of grisly killings rock the small island comcommunity—each victim’s face has a distinct signature—Fawn suspects a bizarre connection between the murders, her father’s quest, and the death ritual of an infamous Seminole Indian from the 1800s. A cigar box that once belonged tto her father appears to hold the key. As Fawn draws closer and closer to solving the 200-year-old puzzle and determining the killer’s identity, she will be forced to unravel historical clues that will lead her on a harrowing journey. TTime is quickly running out as a serial killer is watching and waiting in the shadows.

. . . a DELICIOUS, TWISTING JOURNEY unlike any I have read. “ —CK WEBB, co-author of “Collecting Innocents””