A Mysterious Interview with Chris Hook

The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery is out now and to celebrate this new volume of detective mysteries guaranteed to put your little grey cells to work, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Do you dare peer into their devious minds, where criminal masterminds battle brilliant sleuths, private eyes, and police detectives? Settle down in your favourite armchair and get ready to pit your wits against the finest voices penning mystery puzzles today!

Hi Chris,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

I was on a golden age crime fiction reading jag after writing several contemporary crime thriller short stories as I was keen to do a murder mystery. To set the story in the past was a natural fit for the form, but it seemed to me the 1920s and 30s were overdone, so I thought the Edwardian era might offer different opportunities. For Australia, this was a period of change and optimism – we had become an independent country on January 1, 1901, just a few weeks before Queen Victoria died.

The other advantage, of course, in setting a mystery in the past is that you don’t have to worry about technology and modern policing techniques thwarting the investigation before it has even begun!

My protagonist Frankie came along when I was reading old Sydney newspapers from the early 1900s to get a feel for the era and ended up being drawn in to colourful accounts of charity balls and fashion tips on the “ladies’ pages”. A plucky young society correspondent would be witness to all kinds of shenanigans, and so Frankie arrived.

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?

We are driven to solve puzzles, to find meaning, to make connections – it’s innate and the murder mystery satisfies both these cravings and the human need for competition, as the reader is effectively trying to outdo the detective!

Do you have a favourite fictional detective?

I adore the Jack Irish mysteries by the late great Australian author Peter Temple. But my favourite is Simon Brett’s actor-detective character Charles Paris as he is played by Bill Nighy in the full-cast BBC radio play versions of Brett’s books (you can find them on Spotify and occasionally the BBC Sounds app).

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

It is. "Storm in a Teapot" is very much the origin story for Frankie and her friend JK, but there is more to come.

If you were a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

I’d have a fondness for edibles!

Do you have a writing routine or particular requirements for a writing session?

I fit writing around my work day. I start at 10am so I get up just after 6am and get stuck in for a couple of hours. I try to write every day and at least 500 words a session.

What are you working on now?

A follow-up to "Storm in a Teapot"! This will be a much longer story though, so I can build more of Frankie’s world and create a picture of Sydney in the early 1900s. It unfolds the summer after the events of "Storm in a Teapot" and begins with the murder of a theatre impresario on the opening night of his new variety show.

Where can we find you online?

Facebook: Chris Hook

BlueSky: chrishook.bsky.social
X: @ChrisHookjourno
Instagram: @MrChrisHook

Thanks for playing along!

A Mysterious Interview with Teel James Glenn

The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery is out now and to celebrate this new volume of detective mysteries guaranteed to put your little grey cells to work, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Do you dare peer into their devious minds, where criminal masterminds battle brilliant sleuths, private eyes, and police detectives? Settle down in your favourite armchair and get ready to pit your wits against the finest voices penning mystery puzzles today!

Hi Teel,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

I’ve always thought that Watson was, in many ways, more interesting than Sherlock so the idea of the good doctor using his friend’s methods to solve a seemingly unsolvable, locked-room crime appealed to me.

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?

It’s an interactive ‘game’ between the reader and the writer. Very much like a magic trick, a piece of legerdemain that challenges the audience to ‘figure it out.’ I find that kind of fair-play exciting. The trick is to make it a story about people and not only an exercise of mathematics and logic.

Do you have a favourite fictional detective?

This is a hard one— I like a bunch, but I guess, in literature, Mike Hammer, but on screen Columbo. (talk about contrasts!) 

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

I’ve written Holmes and Watson before, but not a solo tale for the Afghan Campaign vet.

If you were a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

I think I’d be quoting Shakespeare and old films to the point where people would just shoot me outright!

Do you have a writing routine or particular requirements for a writing session?

As I am retired from my stunt and teaching careers, I pretty much wake up, hit my emails, and then get right to work at the laptop. As to requirements—I can write anywhere, even in crowds or parks, but I dislike silence—I prefer the TV playing in the background. I know, seems at odds with creating my own worlds—but it keeps me from getting ‘stuck’ in a story, I can look up and mentally breathe for a moment, then dive back in.

What are you working on now?

I am working on a French and Indian War/fantasy novella, then I owe a mystery tale to a publisher and in a month will begin the third novel for the Paradise Investigations series for Macabre Ink Press… I like to switch genres from tale to tale.

Where can we find you online?

My website is TheUrbanSwashbuckler.com, on Blusky as @TeelGlenn and on Facebook as Teel James Glenn

Thanks for playing along!

A Mysterious Interview with Christina Hoag

The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery is out now and to celebrate this new volume of detective mysteries guaranteed to put your little grey cells to work, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Do you dare peer into their devious minds, where criminal masterminds battle brilliant sleuths, private eyes, and police detectives? Settle down in your favourite armchair and get ready to pit your wits against the finest voices penning mystery puzzles today!

Hi Christina,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

I’ve been fascinated lately with art crime/fraud so I wanted to write something in that world. The motel in the story is based on a real motel where my son worked and the dog is his dog, Zoe, who I often end up looking after. So the elements all weirdly blended together to come up with "Take Care of Zozo For Me".

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?

People love puzzles, and I would also say readers love the suspense in the journey to solve the mystery. At least, that’s why I love to read them.

Do you have a favourite fictional detective?

Arthur Upfield’s D.I. Napoleon Bonaparte. You’re probably scratching your head at that one. Upfield was Australia’s first crime writer in the 1930s-1940s. His “Bony” character is a half Aboriginal policeman in the Queensland Police Force and battles racism as well as solving murders. I also love the “Bangkok” series by John Burdett featuring Thai detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, and the Swedish Kurt Wallender series by Henning Mankell.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

This is a first for these characters. I do have two other “detectives” – one a cop in Los Angeles, the other an amateur sleuth in New York City – who are featured in a couple of short stories each.

If you were a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

My other passion is travel and my home is filled with artwork from all over the world. So I’d say having an exotic souvenir collection or maybe solving mysteries in different places around the globe.

Do you have a writing routine or particular requirements for a writing session?

I’m a morning writer. I like to get going straight after breakfast when I’m freshest. I find my creativity gets sapped as the day progresses and the boring bits of life must be dealt with. I usually peter out at midday.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a thriller screenplay at the moment. I’ve been on a run of short stories as well. I have two novels that I really have to finish once I’m done with the screenplay.

Where can we find you online?

All of the usual social media suspects, as well as my website: christinahoag.com

Thanks for playing along!

Thanks for having me!

A Mysterious Interview with Cameron Trost

The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 18 th of April (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order today at just $0.99 instead of $3.99) and to celebrate this new volume of detective mysteries guaranteed to put your little grey cells to work, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Do you dare peer into their devious minds, where criminal masterminds battle brilliant sleuths, private eyes, and police detectives? Settle down in your favourite armchair and get ready to pit your wits against the finest voices penning mystery puzzles today!

Hi Cameron,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

I've contributed two stories to this volume of the Black Beacon Books of Mystery. The inspiration behind "The Adventure of Woodbury Barrow" is two-fold. This story is connected to a previous Oscar Tremont mystery, "The Problem at Rose Grove". Without giving anything away, I can say that the conclusion of the earlier story found our intrepid protagonist being proposed the opportunity to solve a mystery concerning strange noises coming from within a neolithic burial mound on a country estate in Oxfordshire. Having given myself this challenge at the end of "The Problem at Rose Grove", I effectively forced myself to come up with a great idea for yet another puzzle. Necessity being the mother of invention, and with awen, the Celtic manifestation of inspiration ever guiding me, I soon conjured up what I hope you'll agree is an original and entertaining mystery.  

Do you have a favourite fictional detective?

Sherlock Holmes is the most unoriginal answer to this question, and yet, he really is my favourite. That said, there are plenty of others, and I wonder how many of you, particularly in North America, are familiar with Jonathan Creek, the English magician living in a windmill. A fine TV series with clever mysteries to solve. 

If you were a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

I mean, I'd be Oscar Tremont, wouldn't I? Look carefully at our names. Notice anything? In other words, there would be drinking of whisky, twitching of the moustache, and a cheeky sense of humour. 

Do you have a writing routine or particular requirements for a writing session?

Whisky with a dash of peace and quiet. That's it. 

What are you working on now?

I'm not spending enough time writing. That's always the case. Am I supposed to be working on the first Oscar Tremont novel? Don't answer that!

Where can we find you online?

Everywhere. The easiest way is to check out my website: camerontrost.com

Thanks for playing along!

A Mysterious Interview with Jon Matthew Farber

The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 18 th of April (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order today at just $0.99 instead of $3.99) and to celebrate this new volume of detective mysteries guaranteed to put your little grey cells to work, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Do you dare peer into their devious minds, where criminal masterminds battle brilliant sleuths, private eyes, and police detectives? Settle down in your favourite armchair and get ready to pit your wits against the finest voices penning mystery puzzles today!

Hi Jon,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

I’m an Ellery Queen fan, as will be apparent from further answers, and the idea came to me to use one of his dying message clues (read my story to find out from which novel), with a new interpretation. From there, the physical aspects of the clue meant that I could introduce a second dying message (again, read the story to better understand this comment), and as long as I was going that far, I figured I might as well toss in an impossible crime, and there I was.

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?

It's the puzzle aspect, pure and simple. Whether it’s a crossword, sudoku, or mystery story, there’s an inherent satisfaction in coming up with the solution. Even when I don’t succeed, in a well-crafted tale, there is something aesthetically pleasing to me about all the pieces coming together cohesively. Conversely, much as I enjoy plot twists, I’m greatly annoyed when an author throws in so many twists for their own sake that there are gaping logical holes as a consequence.

Do you have a favourite fictional detective?

Ellery Queen, hands down. I love the pure puzzle aspects of most of his tales, and the books introduced the concepts of the dying message, and Challenge to the Reader. Indeed, in the radio shows, the performance is stopped near the end, and a celebrity guest (and listener at home) has a chance to name the criminal, and why. Except for a few obscure radio plays, I own copies of all his published fiction, and I’ve listened to as many of the radio dramas as I can find.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

Yes and no. I will explain. I originally wrote two stories featuring a Dr. Spock, a professor of mathematics and logic. One, ‘The Cutthroat World of Academia’, was published in Mystery Magazine (October 2022). The other was set at a Star Trek convention, and has not yet found a home; one editor felt it was “too in-jokey.” I felt this was a legitimate complaint, so for the next one, I changed the name to Professor Leonard Simon (which is still a Star Trek Easter egg, by the way). Thus, this is the third mystery Spock has solved, the second to be published, and the first for Simon.

If you were a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

Interesting question. Simon himself has a small quirk, in that he enjoys lecturing to summarize his solution to a case, and often eschews contractions when he does. For me, I would go with a quirk related to books. When visiting someone’s house, I like to study their bookcases, see what they like to read, and also how they organize their books (one person I know arranges them by the colour of their
covers). As a detective, I would do this whether or not I was looking for clues.

Do you have a writing routine or particular requirements for a writing session?

My approach to writing seems to be very different from most authors. With one exception, I only write short stories, around three per year, so I average around 30 words a day. Most of the time, my writing is dormant, until an idea pops into my head. If it seems promising, I play with it a little, and if other ideas follow, I figure I am onto something, and start the story. I do this in my head during quiet times (such as walks) over 2-3 days. Once I am satisfied, I then type up the first draft from memory. This is not as difficult as it sounds, for three reasons. First, it is not a long story. Second, I have gone over it multiple times already, akin to a rehearsal. Third, it’s my own words, so if I misremember bits, it doesn’t matter. After the draft is finished, I then polish it over the next few weeks, then stop writing again until inspiration strikes. One difficulty with this process is that I have to find a place to submit my work when done. I expect I could publish more if I looked for themed anthologies and wrote to the assignment (anthology first, then story, rather than the other way around), but so far that’s not my method. Fortunately, I had a story ready that fit the Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery, so here I am.

What are you working on now?

I’m putting the finishing touches on my first, and probably only, novel, Do Not Resuscitate. I expect to have it ready for sale by the end of April, probably sooner. It is co-written (Ellery Queen echo again) with Daniel Reinharth, and is a mystery with the main plot line revolving around a serial killer in a hospital. Despite this theme, it is actually a traditional fair play whodunit: no gratuitous sex and violence, no protagonist angst, and the amateur detective solves the murders (and some mini-mysteries along the way) by analyzing clues.

Where can we find you online?

It’s not easy. I signed up with Facebook, but don’t post, and only check it once a month. If you really want to find me online, before I retired, I blogged extensively on pediatric issues at allpeds.com/news. I don’t even own a Smartphone; bottom line, I’m a Luddite.

Thanks for playing along!

A Mysterious Interview with Karen Keeley

The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery will be released on the 18 th of April (but the Kindle version is available for pre-order today at just $0.99 instead of $3.99) and to celebrate this new volume of detective mysteries guaranteed to put your little grey cells to work, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Do you dare peer into their devious minds, where criminal masterminds battle brilliant sleuths, private eyes, and police detectives? Settle down in your favourite armchair and get ready to pit your wits against the finest voices penning mystery puzzles today!

Hi Karen,

It’s always tricky interviewing a mystery writer about a particular story because we don’t want to give anything away, but can you tell us (carefully) where the idea for your story came from?

A hearty hello to you too, Cameron. My story popped into my head after binge reading a bunch of Agatha Christie stories. But! There’s always a but, my fellow is definitely not Hercule Poirot. I heard my somewhat distinguished fellow talking in my head (loved his accent) and I simply followed along with the story he was about to share. At first, my secondary character (Tilly) was going to be Genest’s friend, but as the story developed, I realized she was much more (his goddaughter!) I love the tension between the two of them, family dynamics—gotta love it!

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?

I believe readers love to be engaged, and who doesn’t love a mystery! I know I do. I’m always trying to figure it out before I get to the end of the story. The nature of being human, I think, always wondering—why do we do what we do, what secrets are we keeping? What do we want, what’s our motivation? As writers, hopefully, we manipulate and deceive in order to spin a good yarn. Who doesn’t love that?

Do you have a favourite fictional detective?

Yes, the one and only Nero Wolfe. Though it’s really more Archie Goodwin who’s my guy. He’s a man of action, bravado, wit and humour. I love his cheeky attitude, the way he manipulates Wolfe to keep him engaged—a kind of genius in his own right, and two halves do make a whole. Archie’s voice is wonderful as the story’s narrator.

Is this the first mystery your protagonist has solved?

It’s the first on paper. I imagine François Genest has solved lots of mysteries and tackled many a puzzle. If he keeps talking to me, maybe I’ll be able to capture more stories.

If you were a detective, private investigator, or amateur sleuth, what would be your trademark quirk?

Probably the quintessential trench coat and trusty fedora. I’m a fan of the old-time film noir movies from the 30s, 40s and 50s. Drop dead dialogue, compelling plots and larger-than-life characters that keep us wanting more.

Do you have a writing routine or particular requirements for a writing session?

No, I just go when and where the wind blows me, and I listen to the voices in my head. Oh, but I must have coffee! It’s definitely my go-do beverage when I plunk myself down and begin the writing.

What are you working on now?

A novella (of sorts), a crime story roughly at 60,000 words. No murder, but we do have a missing child, a young gal just shy of her 15th birthday, and her parents are frantic. I’m into the editing, and wondering do I add more, or delete? The work begins! I’ve set the story in my home city of Calgary, back in the 1990s. I’m having great fun with it! My guy, Barney Dvorkin, has been with me for years and I’m now trying to tell his story. He’s been waiting for his time in the spotlight for a long time. (Can you see me smiling?)

Yes, we can see that smile! Where can we find you online?

www.karenmkeeley.blogspot.com

Thanks for playing along!