Clea Simon: May 2010 Archives

 When I used to write about radio for The Boston Globe we always talked about radio as the ubiquitous medium. You could listen while driving from work; you could tune n while cooking dinner. And if you're an on-air shrink, that means you have access to a huge range of people, both victims and murderers. Such is the premise of Mary Kennedy's Talk Radio Mysteries, which feature Maggie Walsh. Like Kennedy, Maggie is a clinical psychologist - but unlike her creator, Maggie has taken her talents to the airwaves of WYME, with wild results. Obsidian launched Kennedy's series in Jan., 2010, with Dead Air. We spoke with Mary on the eve of her second Talk Radio Mystery, REEL MURDER (You can also read more about Mary and Maggie at http://www.marykennedy.net)

Why does a talk radio psychologist make a natural detective?

Maggie has a tremendous advantage in solving crimes, because she comes in contact with a broad spectrum of people as a radio talk show host. Cypress Grove is a little south Florida town and everyone knows everyone else. And everyone listens to Maggie's show, so she has contacts everywhere. With the police department, the newspaper, all the advertisers and listeners. And of course, as a psychologist, she has an edge in solving crimes-she always focuses on getting inside people's heads and figuring out their motivations when she's going through her list of suspects. I used to work as a forensic psychologist, and like Maggie, I've "seen it all."  
 
What is your own talk radio background, and how did it prepare you for writing mysteries?

I was a radio copywriter for WKDA, a terrific rock radio station in Nashville Tennessee. It was a fabulous, crazy-making job and I had 90 accounts to write for. But it was great training for novel-writing--I learned to write fast, to focus and to make deadlines. Plus it was a really fun environment.