Big Thrill correspondent Karen Harper talks with Lisa Black about the sequel to her first novel.
Tell us what Evidence of Murder is about.
Still dealing with the fallout from the bank robbery gone bad in Takeover, Theresa MacLean is unable to summon much interest when beautiful escort Jillian goes missing--but when the woman turns up dead, Theresa is moved not only by guilt but empathy for Jillian's infant daughter, Cara. She suspects Jillian's new husband, wunderkind video game designer Evan Kovacic, but with no trace of foul play on Jillian's body Theresa cannot prove that Jillian has even been murdered, much less by whom. No one can help her. Homicide detective Frank Patrick thinks Theresa is letting her grief deflect her from a more likely suspect, Jillian's obsessive ex-boyfriend Drew. And with other bodies turning up, Theresa's boss believes a serial killer is at work. Theresa is forced to face the master gamer on her own, but can she find her way through this maze in time to save Cara?
How much of your own life experiences (and personality) appear in your protagonist, Theresa MacLean? Can you tell us a bit about her?
Theresa is just like me only stronger, faster, smarter and divorced. She has the same background as me: close family, likes science and figuring out whodunit, has had a comfortable life but hardly affluent. She has few if any prejudices, but can judge pretty sternly in her heart of hearts. She has much more patience with her child than I probably would.
Your author bio begins with this fascinating fact: "I spent the happiest five years of my life in a morgue." Can you explain? Do you mean besides the fact it set you up beautifully to write this series?
It's hard to explain. It was dirty, smelly, stressful and my boss was difficult to work for, and I've never felt like I belonged somewhere like I did there. I was doind something that mattered beyond drawing a paycheck. And for the first time, when I went to a party, people wanted to talk to me. That had never happened before.
Publishers Weekly says of Evicence of Murder, "This fast-paced thriller features a lot of detailed forensics with a rip-roaring ending." Can you give other writers and readers a bit of advice on how you achieve a page-turning pace in your books?
Keep going. Leave out anything that isn't strictly necessary. And keep going.
Can Takeover and Evicence of Murder act as stand-alone reads or do your main characters and story arcs benefit from reading the books in order?
You can read either by itself but it would be better to read them in order.
Your very interesting website (www.lisa-black.com) lists books you've been reading. What strengths do you admire in other fiction which you feel you also have in your novels?
I hope someday to attain Jeffrey Deaver and PD James' attention to detail, and I try to keep the forensics realistic. I've always liked Dorothy L Sayers' belief that a mystery was 50% deduction, 25% character and 25% whatever the writer knows best. I try to always have an interersting topic for my characters to learn as they're solving the crime.
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Karen Harper has been published for 25 years. She is the winner of the 2006 Mary Higgins Clark Award. A former college and high school English instructor, Harper currently writes contemporary suspense for Mira Books and historical novels for Putnam. She and her husband divide their time between Columbus, Ohio and Naples, Florida.
