The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 8th of July (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99, and you can add it to your Goodreads list today) and to celebrate this new volume of short mysteries bound to get armchair detectives the world over donning their deerstalkers, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Are you ready to glimpse the inner workings of these criminally clever minds? Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy the following interview—on second thoughts, don’t drink that!
Hi Maggie,
The tale of the legendary Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to the poor has long intrigued me. Add a dollop or two of deception (more intrigue!) and the result is Keep Your Friends Close. Over lattes in a Richmond, Virginia coffee shop, two women join forces to solve the mystery of who killed their friend. As they consider various suspects, motives, and opportunities, what at first seems to be a simple discussion turns into a tangle of secrets, scandals, and betrayals.
There are several sub-genres of mystery fiction, but the stories in this anthology are traditional fair-play mysteries in which the reader can try to solve the puzzle before all is revealed. What makes this kind of mystery so timeless?
Mystery readers have a strong sense of justice and expect the killer, or killers, to be hunted down and punished. Solving the crime along with the detective lets the reader be part of the action—but without leaving the safety of a comfy armchair.
Give us one classic mystery writer you admire and one new talent (not from this anthology) readers ought to discover.
There are so many from both categories. James M. Cain comes immediately to mind for the classic writer. He penned great stories (The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce) that became great movies.
While not a new talent, Marcia Muller is contemporary. I’ve been reading her Sharon McCone series for several years.
Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?
Yes, it is. I can’t elaborate, as revealing anything about the protagonist at this point would give too much away.
If you were a detective, private investigator, investigative journalist, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?
My signature fashion item would be a hat. As a busy detective I wouldn’t have time to worry about bad hair days. I could eavesdrop and do surveillance work behind a wide-brimmed hat. For undercover work at special occasions (like coronations), I’d show up with one of those oversized, elegant hats the British women wear.
Have you ever solved a real-life mystery?
Not one that involved a murder! I’m not brave off the page. I keep my real-life mystery-solving to finding keys, phones, glasses, and the like. Recently, I’ve became adept at hunting down left-behind water bottles.
How important is setting to you in your writing? Have you lived or visited where your story is set?
The importance of setting depends on the story. The location for Keep Your Friends Close could be anywhere, at any time of year. Still, readers want a sense of the immediate surroundings in a story, so I described the decor of Zorro’s coffee shop in Richmond, Virginia’s Fan District. Clothing styles and wilting plants hint of a hot and steamy July day in Virginia. Zorro’s is fictional, but it’s based on a real place in the area that, unfortunately, is no longer in business.
What do you aim to give your readers?
Entertainment, challenge, and a surprise ending!
What are you working on now?
#4 in my Hazel Rose Book Group series.
Where can we find you online?
Website: http://www.maggieking.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaggieKingAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormaggieking/
Thanks for playing along. Enjoy the tea!
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