Raffi Yessayan's second novel in the Conrad Darget series, 2 in the Hat, follows 8 in the Box, a fast-paced read that phenom author Robert B. Parker proclaimed "A powerful story gracefully told by one who knows." There are more twists and turns than a plate of rotini pasta. Hold on to your hat for this thriller ride. Yessayan draws on his eleven years as prosecutor for the Suffolk County District Attorney's office in Boston, four of those as chief of the Gang Unit, now a criminal defense attorney. He graciously shared information about his writing and legal careers, as well as 2 in the Hat. The Big Thrill adjudicated his second novel to be a success but sentenced the author/attorney to an interview, for ITW readers.
A thumbnail sketch of the novel is that off-duty Boston cop Angel Alves comes across two students dressed to the nines, in tux and gown, both positioned in death identically to victims of the unsolved Prom Night Killer cold case. Alves and his former sergeant Wayne Mooney collaborate to rule out a copycat killer. Assistant DA Conrad "Connie" Darget backs Alves and Mooney, who set out to stop grim history from repeating itself. But matching wits with a twisted mind is a dangerous game, especially when there are no rules--and your allies may really be your enemies.
Yessayan added: "The novel is ostensibly about catching an old nemesis; ultimately it explores the aberrant mind of a killer and the toll that search takes on the pursuers. However, real-life emotions, fears, experiences shape invented characters."
Which scenes make the novel most compelling?
Since much of the violence takes place "off stage," the ante has been upped by creating scenes that explore the psychology of fear. One such scene I think is successful on this level involves a young gangbanger who knows he's going to die. Book club members have told me about not reading the novel when they were alone because of the stalking scenes.
Have any true-life cases been the bases of your plots or for future ones?
The characters and their dilemmas, for example, the mothers of kids shot to death on the streets of Boston, all that is real. The way a homicide investigation is conducted is real. But the killer and his work are pure fiction.
How much research, both forensics and legal, do you encounter with writing thrillers?
I research and double-check everything. When I was Chief of the Gang Unit in Boston, I worked with forensic and firearms experts. I have a Boston police sergeant on speed dial. A lot of research goes into a realistic thriller.
Yessayan succeeds in not making his novel a grueling transcript of real cases, with whimsical creativity. As a prosecutor, he justified writing about fictional serial killers with a bit of a struggle by explaining.
I did not want to write anything that would perpetuate violence against anyone, especially those who are most often the victims of these types of crimes. I believe that I have achieved my goal in this regard.
How difficult was it for you to jump that moral hurdle?
It's a true ethical dilemma--trying to deliver a compelling, realistic book and not exploiting the pain and loss of real people. I was a philosophy major in college--the dilemma is a real one.
Your wife, who is a writer, encouraged you to write thriller fiction. How did that come about?
I used to come home and tell amusing and sometimes incredible stories about my days in court. She is a writing teacher and said, "You should write a book." One morning I was in the shower, I got the idea for book one, I told my wife, and she said, "Start writing."
What is her name and where can we read some of her works?
Her name is Candice Rowe. She has short stories, poems and essays published in literary journals and anthologies. She won a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant for her fiction. She also had a play produced Off-Off Broadway. My wife taught me how to write. My schooling went something like this: I would write. She would trash what I wrote. I would write it again. This process was repeated a seemingly endless number of times until I got an agent. Then the agent took my wife's place.
Which authors were you reading when you were a prosecutor that spurred your interest in writing?
First I read Thomas Harris. He is the master. Then I read James Patterson and said, "I think I can do this." My wife read barely one chapter and said, "You can do this."
Which authors do you now feel are at the top of their league?
Dennis Lehane--great guy. Andrew Gross--another great guy.
What advice can you give aspiring writers?
Give some thought to coming up with a unique idea. If you saw something like it last week on Law and Order, forget it. Then start plotting out your novel. Read all you can in the genre. Map out the rhetorical strategies of other thriller writers. You don't want a predictable "pattern," but some good ideas about what works and what doesn't work.
Did the story change along the way or did it roll as you conceived it?
I have to confess that the first ending to 8 in the Box was hokey and cartoonish. I did a lot of rethinking and revising. The final version was quite different from the original.
What is your outline process?
I have to work with an outline. Poe knew the endings of his stories first. Otherwise, how do you know how you'll get to the ending? How do you know what you're working toward? Then just leave a little wiggle room for creativity. My initial drafts are rougher than rough. When I first started writing, I wasted too much time polishing sentences, searching for that one right word. All that has to come later. Just get the rough outline of the story down, see what works, what doesn't. Polishing should come much later.
You always go back and develop--whether it's a description or a character trait, a little note on the setting. All those flourishes come later.
What has helped you most along the way with your writing career, and what would you suggest to aspiring writers?
Join a writer's group. Get feedback from other writers. Read everything you can. Check out the writers' magazines for articles on craft.
Your first novel's title is the legalese term "eight in the box." What does that mean?
In Massachusetts misdemeanor court, defendants have a right to a jury trial with six jurors and two alternates. When I was a young prosecutor, if a defendant refused a plea deal we prosecutors would say, "Okay, put eight in the box, swear them in and let's give him his day in court.
Nevada Barr's recent thriller bore the numeric title "13½". From the novel, a character explained in a courtroom setting that it meant "One judge, twelve jurors, half a chance." With your second novel, you again chose a numeric slant. Is "two in the hat" a legal term?
It's an old mob term for putting two bullets in someone's head. The second one is the insurance policy. It means the same thing as chrome in the dome. Two shots to the head.
James Patterson's "Women's Murder Club" thriller series has sequentially numeric titles. Do you feel that nonsequentially numbered titles may cause confusion for your readers?
Oddly enough, the choice of numbers in my titles was sort of a random thing. Things just worked out that way. No plans for "One for the Road" or "Six of One, Half Dozen of Another." Subsequent thrillers probably will not have numeric titles.
What title can your readers look forward to and when?
There is definitely a Conrad Darget, Book Three, but there is also a legal thriller in the works. And ten years from now, watch for my Greek Tragedy.
L. Dean Murphy predicted SCRUPLES to be the #1 bestseller for 1977. A spinal injury ended his medical research paralegal career, which allowed him to return to his love of reviewing. The MWA member now reviews for Bookreporter.com. His first novel, THE ART OF MURDER (an Evan Goode mystery), is in its third trimester. TWO BODIES and TRIFECTA are embryonic. His slogan is "When there's nothing left, write." www.DeanMurphy.net is under construction.
