Many of us have dreams we aspire to if reality didn't get in the way. Some may dream of retiring to a sun-kissed island somewhere in the tropics, or the Caribbean perhaps. Others dream of writing a novel. If only! But new author, Douglas Corleone has done just that: he's given up the day job in New York City and taken himself, his wife, and son off to Hawaii. Corleone describes Hawaii as one of the most enticing places on the planet; easy to fall in love with it. What with the sunshine, the crystal clear waters and people who do not take themselves too seriously, it's almost Corleone's idea of paradise. And the other dream? He's done that too; a début novel titled One Man's Paradise.
Corleone's book is about a hotshot New York criminal defence lawyer, Kevin Corvelli, whose direction in life was to win and win big. One day he loses, but so does his client, because he eventually gets killed in jail. Trouble was, for Corvelli, his client was innocent. Corvelli's reputation is shot and his career in free fall, so he takes himself off to Hawaii and tries to keep a low profile handling minor cases.
Corvelli's first case turns out to be a homicide. A young law student is accused of chasing his ex girlfriend to Hawaii and killing her. He is innocent, but this time, Corvelli knows it. The killer knows it too, and has plenty of incentive to ensure that the proof of the young law student's innocence does not go any further than the three of them.
Corleone's novel won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. Here, in One Man's Paradise, he has created a crafty and memorable character, placing him in a suspenseful and layered story. Is Kevin Corvelli the Alter Ego of Douglas Corleone? Both are criminal defence lawyers in New York City. Both move to Hawaii. But the similarity has to stop there, because in the character of Kevin Corvelli, Corleone has a man whose apathy towards his clients ultimately leads to the conviction of an innocent man. He only works in Hawaii to pay off his student loan and allows this apathy to continue, declaring that "I don't like my clients." But his attitude turns round to bite him when he discovers that he actually does give a damn whether the young law student is innocent or guilty.
Corleone has crafted a solid and well-written legal thriller with quite interesting, ethical undercurrents. His character, Kevin Corvelli, begins a journey with a laissez faire attitude and ends that journey in some form of redemption.
I wondered if Corleone is thinking of continuing with Corvelli's transformation in subsequent novels, but he already has a second novel completed, and it isn't about Kevin Corvelli. He does however hope to continue with the legal thriller genre into which he has pitched himself, while still branching out into other areas of the mystery/thriller writing.
Corleone's ambition to be a writer has been with him since he was a child devouring the Hardy Boys series. He won third prize in a poetry competition at the age of six, so it must be in his genes. Although he had plenty of real life experience as a trial lawyer from which to draw his characters and stories, it is no surprise to hear that he wants to broaden his literary horizons.
Winning the 2009 Minotaur Books award for a first crime novel must have been a fantastic experience for Corleone. He told me he was very grateful to St. Martin's Press and MWA for giving him such an outstanding opportunity to showcase his work. No doubt St. Martin's Press will be well pleased that they gave Corleone the opportunity.
In his spare time (do authors have any spare time?), Corleone enjoys swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and sailing. He says that even just standing in the Pacific is an ethereal experience. And like all writers, Corleone is a reader too. He includes among his list of favourite authors such names as Steve Martini, Michael Connelly, James Rollins and Lincoln Child. He also admits to a guilty pleasure; Horror fiction! His fiction hero is Charles Bukowski's alter ego Henry Chinaski.
I asked Corleone that old nutmeg of a question, 'what advice would you give to people who wish to write'? He came back with that old nutmeg of an answer; 'patience, persistence and a thick skin'. He said that above all, writing requires talent and enthusiasm. Without those two elements, sustaining a writing life would prove terribly difficult. And he is not one who believes life should be terribly difficult; that's why he left the law and moved to Hawaii.
Douglas Corleone's book, One Man's Paradise, is published by St. Martin's Minotaur, available in April 2010. You can catch up with Douglas at http://www.douglascorleone.com
Michael Parker was born in Cuckield, UK 1941. He is the author of six novels and has been writing all his adult life. Parker has been married for 49 years and has 4 sons and ten grandchildren. He is a maintenance technician by trade and served in Royal Air Force. Parker lives in Spain with his wife, Pat. His next novel, A COVERT WAR, is due for publication in 2010.
