BooksChatter: ℚ The Last Sin: Detective Cancini Mysteries [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author K.L. Murphy to talk about The Last Sin (14 March 2017, 2017-03-14, 400 pages), a police procedural mystery, book three of the Detective Cancini Mysteries series.

A GUILTY MIND, the first novel in the series has been a Top 100 Kindle Crime Mystery, Top 100 Kindle Hard-Boiled Mystery, and continues to expand on its international fan base.

“Part psychological thriller, part mystery, and totally seductive, A Guilty Mind sucks you in from the first page.” – Mary M.

“And I thought I had a screwy family…You won’t be able to figure out this WHO DONE IT until the very end. Lots of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.” – David W. Harless

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to K.L. Murphy; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for The Last Sin?

"The inspiration for THE LAST SIN came from a very unexpected place. I heard a story many years ago about an older, very distinguished priest. He was well-liked and popular in his parish. He was so popular it seemed that one of his lady parishioners became infatuated with him. She found reasons to be in the church office, wrote him notes, and ultimately resorted to what might kindly be described as low-level stalking.

While THE LAST SIN in no way resembles that true story (no one died!), it did stick in my mind and the idea grew from there. What if the priest was young and handsome and ambitious? What if he’d grown up in a rough neighborhood and had some qualities that weren’t very priest-like? What if?

Obviously, the characters and plot are nothing like that original story, but one thing is the same—Priests are human. My priest, Father Holland, is not without sin. Does that make him less of a “good” man or more of one? Ultimately, of course, that is for the readers to decide."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"While it would be untrue to say there is nothing of me in my books, I believe it’s very little. You might find a tiny bit of me in a line or in the way a character interprets an event. I don’t model any characters after me or even people I know. Like most writers though, I do cherry-pick traits and personality quirks from people I’ve met or observed. That makes the characters closer to me and I understand them."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for The Last Sin - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I love the cover of THE LAST SIN. Witness Impulse, my publisher, designed a set of covers for the Detective Cancini Mystery series which all feature an eerie setting related to the story inside. Each also features some muted light—the light in the boathouse in A GUILTY MIND, the streetlight on campus in STAY OF EXECUTION, and the light at the altar in THE LAST SIN. I think this works perfectly to set the mood for the reader!"

Why should we read The Last Sin and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your series unique?

"What I love about writing this series and I think sets it apart is that each protagonist is flawed in a way that isn’t crazy or clichéd.

Cancini is far from perfect. He’s often grumpy, somewhat of a loner, and difficult. However, he is not the classic, drunk detective. He’s a man who married badly and lost his wife to his captain. He’s a man who lost his faith in the church, but his best friend is a priest. He’s a man who experienced violence at a young age and still feels that pain as an adult.

In THE LAST SIN, Father Holland is hardly a stereotypical priest. He’s a man who wants to do good, but may cross the line to do that good.

George in A GUILTY MIND is a beaten man, but he doesn’t want to be. Still, he can’t find his way out from under the weight of his lies and secrets.

I am extremely fond of all of my characters and with only a handful of exceptions, can find something redeeming about all of them."

Can you tell us something quirky about The Last Sin, its story and characters?

"There isn’t a character but the restaurant chain owned by Carlos Vega, Chicken del Rey, was inspired by a tasty and popular local chicken franchise, Chicken Fiesta. This just seemed like a perfect fit although other than both restaurants featuring rotisserie chicken, the two have nothing in common. Also, I loved the name – Chicken del Rey!"

Who would you recommend The Last Sin to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book to anyone who likes crime fiction, mystery, suspense, or police procedurals.

While the second in the series, STAY OF EXECUTION, is a little grittier, this novel features the murder scene in a straight-forward manner. There is some description but overall, the scene is restrained.

There is some limited language in this book, but mostly typical of a “street” character."

If you could / wished to turn The Last Sin and the Detective Cancini Mysteries series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"This is always a funny question to me and one I get from a lot of book clubs. I don’t personally have a dream team, but I can tell you that many readers have suggested Andy Garcia for Cancini and Amy Adams for Julia. I’m good with both of those!

Readers of STAY OF EXECUTION have also suggested Leonardo di Caprio for Leo Spradlin. I’ve been wondering recently if maybe Ed Asner would make a good Father Joe and if I had to pick an actor to play Father Holland from THE LAST SIN, it might be someone like Bradley Cooper or Ryan Gosling. Who wouldn’t love that?"

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I love to write mystery/suspense/crime/thriller. I haven’t yet explored other genres, but haven’t ruled it out.

I do read mysteries and thrillers quite a bit for pure enjoyment as well as simply because I think writers are readers at heart and I appreciate a good story. I do read other genres though because there are just so many good books (and good writers) out there! "

What is your writing process?

"I wish I could say I had a specific process, but it’s actually kind of a loose affair. In addition to fiction, I take on some local non-fiction projects that force my fiction process to be fluid. Because I write both, I am extremely driven by deadlines. I work very hard to meet them whether they are for my fiction writing or my freelance work.

That being said, in a perfect world, I prefer to write mid-morning to mid-afternoon. I know a lot of authors who set word count goals, but mine are either around a deadline or with fiction, more chapter or editing goals.

I like morning writing best though since I think this is when I’m the most productive and the ideas are flowing. I prefer to take care of administrative or marketing tasks later in the day."

What is in store next?

"I actually have a few fiction projects brewing and I’m in the end stages of a large nonfiction project.

Of course, there is a fourth Cancini novel in the works, but I’ve also started a new series that features a female private eye who didn’t quite cut it as a cop.

Finally, I’m tentatively working with someone on a collaborative novel. This is only in the talking stages now but next year could develop into something."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have two wonderful, large, hairy dogs. We have a ten-year-old German Shepherd who might be the smartest dog I’ve ever known and guards our house like a champ. We also have a puppy who is half-lab and half-beagle. He is a welcome addition as we lost our other dog last summer to cancer. Can’t imagine life without our crazy dogs!"

Ziggy and Terra

Hello Ziggy and Terra! You are big beautiful furballs - lots of cuddles to both of you from all of us at BooksChatter!

Thank you for sharing your fur babies and so much about the Detective Cancini Mystery series with us, Kellie!