MK: Your newest release, Murder at the Rocks has quite a bit of intrigue and the makings of
a great murder mystery. What pulled you into this genre?
JP: It’s
probably because I love reading mysteries. There’s nothing better than trying to figure out who did it. Consequently, when I wrote ‘The Celtic
Dagger’ and ‘Murder At The Rocks’, my main aim was to not only to create a page
turner, but one where readers would be carried along until the very end before
realising who did it.
MK: What is your favorite scene in Murder at the Rocks?
JP: I
think my favourite scene would have to be when Laurence Hartford leaves his
office one dark night, to find his nemesis, the man with the limp, waiting for
him in the laneway. It amused me to see
Laurence, an aggressive, loathsome character, squirm.
MK: I’m drawn in just by this book title, but do
you have a favorite character in The
Celtic Dagger? Who and why?
JP: I
have a few favorites in The Celtic Dagger and Tristan Harrow is one of them. He’s not the nicest person on the planet. Rather full of himself. This became obvious as soon as he appeared on
the page. He took over and turned out to
be a snobby, self obsessed, womanizer who inhabited an untidy office. The kind of person one tends to avoid. Having said that, he isn’t vindictive. One could even say he has a bit of an
innocent air about him. My protagonist
James Wearing can’t abide the man, but nevertheless, he did come to Tristan’s aid
in a particularly sticky situation, and this sparked a glimmer of humility in
Tristan.
MK:
Without giving it all away, please tell us a little something about how Detective
Chief Inspector Fitzjohn is going to get through his biggest challenges.
JP: Part
of the old guard of detectives, Fitzjohn’s methodical, painstaking methods are
viewed by some as archaic. Nevertheless,
over the years they have brought him success as well as the respect of all but
one of his colleagues, Superintendent Grieg.
Out to destroy Fitzjohn, Grieg poses one of two challenges. The second is coming to terms with his wife
Edith’s death. In Murder At The Rocks,
Fitzjohn, finding Grieg in an uncompromising position, gives him the edge,
making life that much easier.
MK:
What was your greatest challenge in writing Murder
at the Rocks?
JP: I
don’t write from an outline so my biggest challenge was finding out who killed
Laurence Harford. Being such a contemptible
character there was a long list of people who would have been more than happy
to commit the dirty deed!
MK: Great - now you gone and made us want to read the book! So what is it you enjoy doing most in your beautiful homeland of Australia (when
not writing, of course)? Does living there ever inspire your books?
JP: If
I only have a few days to spare I go to Sydney for dinner and a show. I also shop.
If I have more time to spare, one of my favourite places is Tasmania,
Australia’s island state, 240kms off the mainland. The last time I visited I had the opportunity
to see the region’s remarkable wildlife.
I went on a Bruny Island tour boarding a particularly fast moving boat and
headed southward to where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean (nothing
between us and the Antartic). With sea
eagles and albatross soaring above and a whale off the port side, we came to
The Friars a group of rocks that are home to up to 1,000 fur seals. It’s a truly magnificent place.
MK: How do you unwind after a long writing
session?
JP: I
walk up to an old bench on the hill behind my house where I sit and listen to
the silence. I’m a bit of a bird watch
so I usually have a camera with me. If
it’s early in the morning there are usually a few kangaroos still grazing in
the paddock. They look up and stand like
frozen sentinels staring at me. Probably
wondering what planet I dropped down from.
MK:
What do you have in store next for your readers?
JP: In
my third Fitzjohn mystery, Once Upon A Lie, Fitzjohn is faced with not only a murdered
businessman but also a cold case. And,
once again, there are a string of suspects.
I wonder who did it! At the same
time, Superintendent Grieg continues his hostility toward Fitzjohn, and the
greenhouse, filled to capacity with beautiful orchids, finds itself under siege.
Well Jill, I for one look forward to reading both books and following along with Inspector Fitzjohn.
GIVEAWAY!
Want to read a great book? There
will be 2 winners of 2 books! Each winner will get autographed copy of The Celtic Dagger and Murder at the Rocks! Giveaway ends April 30th!
- Enter below or by commenting on this post with your name and email address only. Winners will be notified via email and they may provide their postal addresses directly to the author.
THE
CELTIC DAGGER
University professor Alex Wearing has been murdered in his
study. The weapon is a valuable museum
artefact. Detective Chief Inspector
Fitzjohn begins his relentless pursuit seeing James, Alex's brother, as a key
suspect in his investigation.
Feeling compelled to clear himself of suspicion, James
starts his own investigation. Ultimately, he uncovers long hidden secrets
about his brother's life before finally coming face to face with Alex's killer.
MURDER
AT THE ROCKS
When
Laurence Harford, a prominent businessman and philanthropist is found murdered
in the historic Rocks area of Sydney, Detective Chief Inspector Fitzjohn is
asked to solve the crime quickly and discreetly. After barely starting his investigation, uncovering
a discarded mistress and disgruntled employees, a second killing occurs.
Meanwhile,
Laurence's nephew, Nicholas Hartford, has his certainties in life shaken when
he becomes a suspect in his uncle's death, and receives a mysterious gold
locket that starts a chain of events unravelling his family's dark truths.
Images provided by guest author.
