Interview with Daniella Bernett, author of A Mind to Murder
Today it gives the Indie Crime Scene great pleasure to welcome back Daniella Bernett, author of A Mind to Murder, which was our featured new release on September 19.
Thank you for returning to the Indie Crime Scene to talk about the next instalment in the Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mysteries. Your latest book, A Mind to Murder, had its debut on September 17. For those coming fresh to the series, Emmeline is a journalist and her husband Gregory is a jewel thief/insurance investigator. Despite their different backgrounds, they are both a couple and a pair of dedicated crime fighters. What brings them together and how does their relationship develop?
I hate to dash your romantic dreams, but murder is what threw Emmeline and Gregory together. In Lead Me Into Danger, Book 1, she literally runs into him after witnessing two men attempting to kill her colleague in Venice. They then become ensnared in a hunt for a Russian spy in the British Foreign Office.
Emmeline and Gregory are both inquisitive (especially Emmeline) and need to be in the heart of the action, whether it’s hunting down international assassins and spies or trying to recover stolen gems. A journalist and a jewel thief approach situations from different sides of the law. And yet, they abhor murder and share the view that the culprit must pay for the crime. While it is a noble endeavour to dedicate oneself to thwarting evil to maintain humanity’s delicate balance in the world, this often sends Emmeline and Gregory hurtling into perilous predicaments. On the other hand, it would be terribly unfair to deny them this adrenaline rush. A humdrum life would be a death sentence.
Aside from their dedication to justice, what drives Emmeline and Gregory are their love and respect for one another’s intellect and unique capabilities. Both also are fiercely loyal to those for whom they care.
A Mind to Murder finds Emmeline and Gregory at the theatre, when the ceiling collapses in the upper circle. In the chaos, tabloid reporter Verena Penrose is found murdered. What sort of person is the victim? Why does Emmeline feel compelled to solve the crime and how does she set out to unravel the mystery?
Verena is a viper of the highest order. She’s supremely arrogant, manipulative, vicious and greedy. Her specialty is blackmail. Her mercenary heart teems with malicious glee when skewering people who are desperate to keep their transgressions buried. Scattered in her wake is a long trail of enemies and victims. Whenever she crosses paths with Emmeline, a cascade of anti-Semitic venom tumbles off her tongue. The devil could not have found a more suitable companion. If anyone deserved to die, it was Verena.
While an inherent virtuousness compels Emmeline to try to prevent another killing, there is more to it. Alas, there always is. She becomes convinced that Verena’s vitriol cloaked a cryptic plea for help. As readers are well aware, it doesn’t take much to stoke the flames of her curiosity. To find answers, Emmeline is forced to delve into the odious woman’s relationships and the stories she was pursuing. But when the raw, ugly truth is laid bare, its unsavoury repercussions could prove fatal for Emmeline and Gregory.
It seems that Verena has tangled with The Raven, an international assassin and criminal mastermind with links to Russia and ETA, the Basque separatist terrorists. What made you choose that name and who is The Raven?
With their sleek onyx plumage, watchful jet-black eyes and long, sharp beaks, a sinister aura seems to hover around ravens. Their stillness is unnerving. One can almost hear their thoughts thrumming with malevolence. Then, there is the old superstition: “If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.”
Already imbued with menace in my consciousness, the Raven was the ideal name for my criminal. A chameleon with an incisive intellect, who can assume any guise to kill without a shred of remorse. The Raven is callous and cold, lurking in the forbidden shadows of the underworld and yet looming in plain sight at the same time. A perfect nemesis for my protagonists.
The investigation leads Emmeline into deep water when her brother Adam is implicated in the Raven’s schemes to infiltrate the London Diamond Bourse and murder a prominent British official. How do Emmeline and Gregory respond and what happens next?
When Adam unexpectedly leaves London, Emmeline knows that there is a reasonable explanation. However, the only thing that will convince Scotland Yard of his innocence is if she unmasks the Raven’s identity. Clues that Verena has left behind only raise more questions. Therefore, Emmeline turns for help to her friend Philip Acheson. As readers know, Philip ostensibly works at the Foreign Office, but that is merely a cover for his true job at MI5. The diplomat and spy in him are both wary of placing her in harm’s way. Nevertheless, she manages to elicit the fact that MI5 suspects that the Raven is responsible for the deaths of several Russian defectors in the UK. But it’s what Philip has left unsaid that resonates loudest and makes her keep digging. Meanwhile, Gregory discovers that their quarry has a penchant for diamonds, so he takes a risky gamble (without Emmeline’s knowledge) to lure the Raven out of hiding. Ultimately, their combined efforts lead to Madrid, where the Raven is waiting to pounce.
In a previous interview, you mentioned your admiration for Daphne du Maurier and her novel Rebecca. How important is the psychological element of the thriller and how does it manifest itself in A Mind to Murder?
The psychological element is tremendously important in a thriller. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are all consumed by fears and conflicts. In a novel, the characters’ fears must be magnified to heighten the tension and suspense. The characters must confront the danger to take the narrative in a new direction.
In A Mind To Murder, the Raven relishes the cat-and-mouse game. At every turn, this cunning fiend carefully choreographs the ebb and flow of juicy secrets (and sins) to entice Emmeline and Gregory. From the outset, the Raven intends to kill them. But it’s so much more fun to toy with them first.
Is it fair to say that in your stories there’s always more than a single crime at stake?
I plead guilty on this count. I thrive on spinning a complex, nuanced and multi-layered plot to give the story a certain richness and to indulge in a bit of wickedness. Conjuring up trouble is a tantalizing exercise. My philosophy is the more the merrier to provide a pulse-pounding escape for readers.
A web of treachery, espionage and danger unfolds. How difficult is it to write a page-turner and how important are structure and research?
The most difficult aspect is to ensure that all the twists in the tale lead to the same juncture at the end. The reader must have an answer for why the crime was committed. On the other hand, I like to dangle a nugget on the last page to leave readers dying to find out what happens next and to set up the plot for the following book in my mind. Unfair, perhaps. I confess my imagination has devious tendencies. But what’s life without a healthy dose of excitement (at least on the written page)?
Research plays a critical role because it establishes an air of authenticity. For this tale, as all my stories, is a lie. But it has to have the ring of truth to capture readers’ interest. I also believe readers like learning something new with each book.
Despite the contemporary setting, the stories have a classic feel. Is that a fair assessment?
I wholeheartedly agree. The themes (revenge, jealousy, greed, espionage) are timeless. Agatha Christie’s books have had the greatest influence on my writing. Perhaps it's conceit to mention the grande dame in the same breath as my writing? I’ll let my dear readers be the judges. Of course, I admire the other authors of the Golden Age of mystery too. In addition, I grew up watching the wonderful films of the 1930s and 1940s. I know them better than the ones made today. I believe it is this confluence of affinities that comes out in my stories. Although there is always a murder (or two) in my books, I prefer to focus on the puzzle aspect and not a detailed description of the corpse. Nor do I think vulgarity and cursing are necessary. I like my protagonists to use their intellect, rather than technology to solve the crime.
How do Emmeline and Gregory differ from other detective couples such as Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey, or Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence?
The first difference is that my books are not cozy mysteries. Meanwhile, I believe Emmeline and Gregory have a deeper dimension to their characters. I’ve tried to portray their flaws and instances of self-doubt, as well as how their strengths complement each other, to give readers a better understanding of what motivates their actions.
There are many things Emmeline still does not know about his past. This gnaws at her because he could disappear in the dead of night, as he had done once before. For his part, Gregory craves a simple life (with the occasional heist, of course, because it would be a terrible shame to allow his skills for stealing to atrophy). He loves Emmeline more than life itself, but he is well aware that his dark secrets are always trailing him and could destroy everything in a blink of an eye.
Do you intentionally include red herrings in your stories to challenge readers as they try to solve the mystery? Do you have a set number of false clues?
Red herrings are an absolute must in my stories. I feel that the chase is everything. Within every story there are clues that are vitally important to solving the crime. Before I reveal the answers, I like to send the blood racing through readers’ veins by taking them to the edge of a figurative cliff, leaving them breathless for a few suspended seconds, and then at the last moment veering off in a different direction. To accomplish this deviousness, I employ a red herring or two. It’s the equivalent of waving a red flag in front of a bull to distract and force the reader to pursue a twist in the tale. A magician’s sleight of hand to add a smidgen of spice to the story and keep it hurtling forward to a dramatic (and I hope satisfying) denouement. Each story dictates the number of red herrings that will be necessary.
What qualities do you give the murderer?
The murderer must ooze ruthlessness from the marrow of his or her bones. He or she also must be extremely intelligent. I require both qualities to draw a sharp contrast with Emmeline and Gregory, as well as to create a challenge for them.
How do you determine the manner your victims will die?
I first explore the murderer’s psyche to thoroughly understand why he or she came to make the fatal decision. Is he or she an assassin, a spurned lover, a business partner who has been swindled, or an average individual pushed to the brink in an extraordinary situation? Once this character profile has crystallized, the pieces fall into place and my story begins to flow. I must know who the murderer is before I sit down to write the first word. My murderer guides me down the evil path and determines whether the victim expires quickly or suffers a slow, lingering death.
In most cases, murder stems from a rupture in an intimate relationship. This personal animus is likely fueled by emotion and an overwhelming thirst for revenge. Consequently, this means inflicting pain.
On a related note, I’d like to remind you of the old adage: “Never get an author mad because you will end up as the victim in her next book.” The ferocity of the murder is commensurate with the level of anger. It’s merely a little food for thought. Or a warning. Take it as you wish.
Can your readers expect a sequel? How much can you tell us?
Writing is like breathing for me. Therefore, readers will be happy to know that I’m working on Betrayed By The Truth, Book 9 in the series, which will be released in fall 2023. Lean in close and I’ll whisper a hint. An inconvenient alibi and some rare diamonds plunge Emmeline and Gregory into a simmering cauldron of lethal intrigue. In other words, it’s just another typical day.
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