Exercise can really be murder--that's the nasty little secret that investigative reporter Kate Gallagher discovers in A Killer Workout, the second book in the Fat City Mysteries from Signet/Obsidian. The Big Thrill interviewed author Kathryn Lilley, whose latest story combines a fast-paced murder mystery plot with her signature dash of humor.Diet, exercise and body image--how did you come up with that theme for your murder mystery series?
Most mystery series today must have a unifying theme, as well as a continuing cast of characters who grow (or get offed) in each book as the series progresses. (Adds with evil grin). And since 60 percent of the American public is overweight, I figured that diet and exercise is a theme that might find a large audience.
What's the story behind A Killer Workout?
Think "The Biggest Loser" meets "Workout." Kate goes to an exercise camp to do a little downsizing on her butt, only to wind up sugar crashing it in the middle of a gruesome crime scene.
Yikes! How much of "you" is there in your protagonist, Kate Gallagher?Way more than I like to admit. Kate's challenge in the first book in the series, Dying To Be Thin, is that she must lose a huge amount of weight to get hired on camera as a television reporter. When I graduated from journalism school years ago, I was told by an advisor that I needed to lose weight in order to have a prayer of getting hired. Back then, I weighed well over 200 pounds.
How much weight did you wind up losing, and have you kept it off?
I lost about 90 pounds, and immediately got a job in television. My standard response to your second question is that I have kept off "More than half, and less than whole." And hey, don't you know you should never ask a woman how much she weighs? Men have been killed for less, especially in my books.
Sorry about that. Why is your series set in Durham, North Carolina?
There used to be a sign at the outskirts of the city of Durham that said, "Diet Capital of the World." Durham has long been known as the home of several world-famous residential diet clinics. People travel there from all over the world, simply to lose weight. I've heard Durham referred to as the Mecca for dieters. In the days before gastric bypasses and stomach rings, going to Durham was the solution of last resort for very obese people.
How did you get started down the road to writing mysteries?
I wrote a few books as a contract writer for the Nancy Drew series, writing under their pseudonym. Writing for a YA sleuth series taught me the basic formula for writing mysteries, plus I learned how to write really, really fast. You had very little time to write the books once the story outlines were approved.
Where does your character Kate go from here?
I'm currently working on the third book in the Fat City Mysteries, which is called Makeovers Can Be Murder. I'm really excited about this one because I'm working a thriller element into the book. It must come from hanging out with all you thriller guys at ITW and our blog, The Kill Zone.
Visit Kathryn Lilley's website at http://www.kathrynlilley.com
