Author News & Interviews

Interview: Matt Coyle, author of Blood Truth: A Rick Cahill Novel

Dec 5, 2017

Matt Coyle revived the Raymond Chandler hard-boiled PI model, set in today’s tony La Jolla suburb of San Diego. BLOOD TRUTH sees protagonist Rick Cahill confronting demons that haunted his father, who had been ousted from the La Jolla Police Department years ago and drank himself into an early grave. In this episode, readers realize that Rick is his father’s son.

Rick comes across a safe found in his father’s former home. Do the contents prove his father’s corruption, and is the horded cash blood money? Meanwhile, Rick struggles with a possible rekindled romance with Kim Connelly, now married to real estate mogul Jeff Parker, in the most complex installment of this award-winning series.

In this interview, Coyle chats with Bookreporter.com’s Dean Murphy about Rick’s relationship with his father --- and Coyle’s relationship with his own dad --- the writing life, and the next Rick Cahill mystery.

Author Talk: Steven F. Havill, author of Easy Errors: The Posadas County Mysteries

Nov 14, 2017

While EASY ERRORS is Steven F. Havill’s 22nd Posadas County mystery, it is also the first in the series --- chronologically speaking. When the opening installment, HEARTSHOT, published in 1991, Bill Gastner was the county Undersheriff. Over time Bill became Sheriff, then retired, and Robert Torrez took over the top spot. But what were Torrez's first days as a rookie officer like? In this interview, Havill explains why he decided to follow up his first prequel, ONE PERFECT SHOT, which told the story of Estelle Reyes-Guzman's first day on the job, with a second one; his fascination with New Mexico, which is the setting for the series and has virtually become a character in his stories; and what led him to delve into the mystery genre after writing four westerns.

Author Talk: Steven Axelrod, author of Nantucket Red Tickets: A Henry Kennis Mystery

Nov 8, 2017

NANTUCKET RED TICKETS is the fourth installment in Steven Axelrod’s mystery series featuring Nantucket Police Chief Henry Kennis. In this interview, Axelrod explains his inspiration for his protagonist, who he describes as “mostly just me --- 20 years younger, much smarter and much better looking.” He also talks about the importance of setting in these books, the kind of research he does for a Henry Kennis novel and his aversion to “info dumps,” his favorite authors, and the best comment he ever received from a reader.

Interview: Linwood Barclay, author of Parting Shot

Nov 1, 2017

Linwood Barclay is the internationally bestselling author of 16 novels, which include his recent Promise Falls trilogy and a four-book mystery series featuring paranoid science fiction writer Zack Walker. His latest work, PARTING SHOT, is a stand-alone thriller set in Promise Falls in which private investigator Cal Weaver finds himself caught up in a cold-blooded revenge plot. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Barclay talks about his inspiration for one of the storylines in his new book, explains the impact that new technology has had on his storytelling, discusses his love of cars and how that factors into the plot of PARTING SHOT, and teases his next novel, A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS, which he proclaims to be one of the best books he has ever written.

Author Talk: Alice Hoffman, author of The Rules of Magic

Oct 12, 2017

Alice Hoffman is the prolific author of more than 30 works of fiction, including THE MARRIAGE OF OPPOSITES, THE MUSEUM OF EXTRAORDINARY THINGS and THE DOVEKEEPERS. Her latest novel, THE RULES OF MAGIC, is a prequel to her 1995 bestseller, PRACTICAL MAGIC, which takes us inside the lives of Frances and Jet Owens before their nieces, Sally and Gillian, came along. In this interview, Hoffman explains what inspired her to return to the Owens family after 22 years, the appearance of a male character in a lineage that has always been composed of female witches, how she chose the book’s setting, and the most important lesson she hopes will resonate with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.