Crime Thriller – Lit World Interviews

Synopsis

Attorney Kyra Gibson has a lot on her mind this Thanksgiving. She’s been working long hours on a multi-billion dollar corporate merger, her family is visiting from London, and her relationship with former police detective Tarek Collins is heating up. When she and her companions are invited by her aristocrat client to attend a formal gala at a historic mansion on Chappaquiddick, Kyra reluctantly agrees.

But Chappy is more than just a playground for the wealthy. It’s a wild, remote place cut off from civilization. When the first body is found, the occupants are worried. Was it an accident or murder? When a second guest is brutally killed and then a third, there’s no doubt and the guests fearfully turn on each other. They are locked in a house with a murderer picking them off one-by-one. Kyra, her best friend Chase Hawthorn, and Tarek must survive the night and find the killer, or one of them could be next.

You can get Widow’s Walk at Amazon.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

Most of my plots are pulled from headlines, and then I add in the murder.

Your book is set in Martha’s Vineyard. Have you ever been there?

Yes, I’ve been visiting the island for years and this series is a sort of love letter to it. It’s one of my favorite places.

Do you have another profession besides writing?

I do. In my other much more boring life, I’m an IP lawyer, not unlike my protagonist.

What genre do you write and why?

I write mystery/thrillers. I simply prefer writing plot over emotional journeys and mystery and thriller lend themselves to plot focused stories.

Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?

The hardest character is actually my FMC, Kyra. The book is told from her perspective and sometimes I have to remember to be in her head, to remember she’s not privy to everything I know, especially what the other characters are thinking. The easiest is a tie: between Cronkite and Ali, Kyra’s aunt. Cronkite is the epitome of “cat,” and Ali is the sister I’d want if I had one.

If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

If I were to write myself in, I’d write myself as a victim who gets her revenge from the grave. I think I’d be a beloved, local writer who, after an ugly exchange with an unruly summer visitor at a popular Vineyard Haven diner, met a very bloody, untimely death at the hands of the unpleasant woman. As the murder investigation progresses the murderess’s world is destroyed. Obviously, I’ve never been bowled over by an aggressive tourist at The Black Dog Tavern. Nor am I petty. It’s complete fiction.

What’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you?

A few years ago, I trespassed (broke into) a deserted asylum for children. It looked like it’d been abandoned overnight. Toys were on the floors. Artwork hung on the walls. The library’s books were strewn about, beds pushed up against the walls haphazardly. The cherry on top, though, was someone had staged a huge clown doll on the roof of one of the buildings. I’ll have nightmares of that clown’s manic grin for life.

What is your favorite thing to do in the autumn?

My favorite thing to do in the autumn is tea, coffee, or a glass of wine by the fire with a book. I love a wood burning fire when it’s chilly out. It’s so comforting.

You can get Widow’s Walk at Amazon.

When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs. AMAZON

The Wraith's Return — The Wraith’s Return

London based lawyer Kyra Gibson returns to Martha’s Vineyard and the beach house she inherited for an extended summer holiday. Still reeling from her father’s brutal murder and the role she and the handsome detective, Tarek Collins played in uncovering it, Kyra is hopeful for some peace and quiet. But when a summer squall reveals the wreckage of the pirate ship, Keres, rich with rumored treasure, all hopes of peace are dashed. Conservationists and treasure hunters descend on the exclusive island to lay claim to the ship. When two of the salvagers are killed, Kyra and Tarek’s friend, pub owner and amateur historian, Gully Gould is arrested for murder. AMAZON

Author Bio:

Raemi A. Ray travels to Martha’s Vineyard and around the world inspire her stories. She lives outside Boston. When not writing or traveling she earns her keep as the personal assistant to the resident house demons, Otto and DolphLundgren.

Find out more: https://raemiray.com/

Facebook: @raemiray

Instagram: @miss_raemi

Synopsis:

What if crying out for help made you a target?
Within hours of arriving in Montego Bay, Eddie Barrow and his friend Corey Stephenson witness a gruesome murder outside a bar. When the victim’s sister reaches out for help, they learn of machinations to conceal foreign corporate corruption and a series of horrific sex crimes. However, Barrow and Stephenson’s commitment to solving the case is put to the test once they find themselves in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal network—one that extends beyond the shores of Jamaica.

11 Questions with Russell Brooks.

How did you do research for your book?
I read several news articles to research the subject matter of Jam Run—especially the character and situation that were inspired by the murder of Dwayne Jones. He was a trans teenager who attended a dance party outside Montego Bay dressed as a woman. I read about other events that also inspired the story’s plot.

Further research involved consulting with experts, including locals in Jamaica, gun and martial arts experts, a Jamaican lawyer, a psychologist, and even an inventor who appeared on the TV show Shark Tank.

Your book is set in Montego Bay and its surrounding areas. Have you ever been there?
Yes. I visited Montego Bay in January 2023 and spent two weeks visiting the locations in Jam Run.

Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
Chevelle was the most challenging character to write. She’s a high-functioning autistic person who was raped when she was twelve and had a son. My knowledge of autism was limited before I created the character, so it was essential to consult with Nordia Sweeney—a Jamaican specializing in teaching intellectually disabled students—to make Chevelle realistic. Since Chevelle was also a rape victim, I had to approach that content very carefully to avoid offending readers who are either rape survivors or who know or work with them.

The protagonists, Eddie Barrow and Corey Stephenson were the easiest characters to write because I already wrote about them in Chill Run, the first book in the series. As an author, I learn more about the characters I write about as I progress with a manuscript.

How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
The only similarities between Eddie Barrow and myself are that we’re both authors born and raised in Montreal and whose parents are from Barbados.

In your book you make a reference to the murder of Dwayne Jones…how did you come up with this idea? What made you write a book about…Dwayne?
I read about Dwayne Jones’s murder while working on The Demeter Code. I was disturbed to read he was killed for dressing up as a woman while attending a straight party. What was worst was the way he was killed. The poor guy was stabbed, shot, and run over by a vehicle. That’s beyond hatred. It’s pure evil. And it says a lot about the killer(s). What also bothered me was the fact there were over 300 people at the party, yet nobody claimed to have seen anything—even though the incident began in the parking lot. The details of the murder were so disturbing I couldn’t ignore or forget. Full disclosure, Chill Run was initially written as a standalone. However, Dwayne Jones’s murder inspired me to write a sequel that deals with hatred, crimes, and injustices against the LGBTQ+ community because, in my opinion, these issues aren’t addressed in the Caribbean community often enough. Fortunately, some countries in the Caribbean have abolished laws that discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community. Others still keep these laws active, which I believe is unfortunate.

There are many crime thriller books out there about rape and hate crimes. What makes yours different?
What makes Jam Run different from other novels in the genre is that 98% of the characters are Afro-Caribbean and inspired by events that mostly took place in Jamaica. What’s also unique is that Eddie Barrow is a young Black man of Barbadian descent born in Montreal, Quebec. We usually see crime-solving characters who are white and who are either detectives or former military. Sometimes we see Black characters who are tough and intimidating. Luther—played by Idris Elba—comes to mind.

Eddie is the opposite. He’s not a detective. He’s an author with no fighting skills, nor does he fit the tough guy image we’re used to. He’s the guy next door and one of the least intimidating people you can imagine.

But most importantly, we often read about stories of the genre with Caribbean settings. Still, the Caribbean culture is absent because they aren’t written by authors who are either West Indian or of West Indian descent. I wrote and researched Jam Run in a way that would not stereotype Jamaica or the Caribbean. This is why having the Jamaican characters speak as the average Jamaican living in Jamaica would speak—whether in Patois, broken English or English with local expressions was important. For instance, there’s a scene where Eddie, Corey, and a secondary character are trying to escape a burning house. Their acquaintance tells them they can exit through the washroom. Eddie’s puzzled until Corey yells that their acquaintance was referring to the laundry room.

What is your next project?
My next project will be the fourth Ridley Fox/Nita Parris thriller.

What is the last great book you’ve read?
Die Trying by Lee Child.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book?
One of the challenges for me was raising funds to publish and market Jam Run. The story and subject required weeks of research due to the sensitivity of the content. While working on my first book, I read that the average person won’t be my only audience. There will be industry professionals such as police officers, martial artists, lawyers, and doctors who’ll read my books. But in this instance, I knew that I had to be extra careful so as not to offend rape survivors or those who know or have worked with these victims to be sure that the wrong message is not interpreted by either a sentence of dialogue or the way I describe a scene. The biggest reward as of today was that for the first time, I visited Jamaica and went to the locations that took place in the story. I also had a chance to experience Jamaica, meet the locals, and have one of the best times of my life.

Which authors inspired you to write?
John Grisham, Vince Flynn, and Joseph Finder.

If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?
I want them to remember me as the author that kept them up late at night that they woke up late for work.

You can purchase Jam Run at Amazon.

Russell Brooks, author of Jam Run — Russell Brooks

About the Author

Russell Brooks is an Amazon bestselling author of several thrillers—Pandora’s Succession, Unsavory Delicacies, Chill Run, and The Demeter Code. If you enjoy heart-pounding thrillers with conspiracies, martial arts, sex, betrayal, and revenge, then you don’t need to look any further and
see why these are among the best mystery thriller books of all time..

Website: http://russellparkway.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RussellBrooksOfficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoOtherRussell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/russellparkway

Russell Brooks blog tour — Russell Brooks Blog Tour

Tag: Crime Thriller

8 Questions with Raemi A. Ray, author of Widow’s Walk.

11 Questions with Russell Brooks, author of Jam Run!

Let Your Friends Know

Let Your Friends Know