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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

a strange summer - Snifter of Death (The Bloodstone #2) by Chris Karlsen

"This had everything that I personally find appealing and satisfying in a suspense novel. And, the plot was not your predictable mystery formula, especially when there were several different sub plots going on in the form of multiple cases trying to be solved." Tam, Goodreads


Description:

Published: May 2017

The summer of 1889 was proving to be a strange one for Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner.
They had a sexual pervert loose. The man didn’t actually harm women but threatened them at knife point, fondling them, and ultimately stealing their stockings.

Far more serious were the murders of influential men, which appeared random other than they were all killed by arsenic poison. Never had he and his partner had cases with so little workable evidence.

Also, the rivalry between him and his detective nemesis at London’s other police department was intensifying. That nemesis was the boxing champion of their department and looking to challenge Rudyard, who never trained as a boxer.

Besides Rudyard’s pride being at stake, and the pride of his station, his nemesis also had in his possession a photograph of the woman Rudyard cares very much for. The new lady in Rudyard’s life had captured his heart and he’d fight the devil himself to save her reputation.

MB's INTERVIEW

1. Why did you choose the Victorian period for your The Bloodstone series? 
I love to write in historically different periods. My other series is a historical romance with a time travel element and medieval/contemporary settings. I chose the Victorian Period for the Bloodstone series as I cannot think of a more atmospheric setting for mystery and suspense than Victorian London. It has the fog, the severe class structure, elegant black carriages, the brutality of the East End, twisted and winding streets; the whole dichotomy of the life there presents such a terrific canvas. 

2. As a retired police detective you have vast knowledge about police procedure and scientific methods to solve crimes; how difficult it was to keep them within Victorian limits?
It was a fascinating experience for me, both tortured at times and challenging. Detective Bloodstone and I walk the crime scenes together and I must “work” them the way he did. This is a period before fingerprint usage even. He can only take what he obtains through his senses, witness statements, and combine it with his gut instinct as a detective. It still comes down to the basic elements of a crime: motive, means, and opportunity. What you take from the scene and the investigation is applied to the elements to see how it all fits. 

3. I saw that your image for Rudyard Bloodstone is Karl Urban… please, tell us something about your main character and… why did you choose Karl?
Rudyard is in his middle thirties. I keep his description on the vague side as I have enjoyed seeing how readers picture him. I do describe him a tall and rather lean. Karl Urban fits that and although I don’t go into great detail regarding his hair and eye color, I hint at it being dark. I wanted him clean shaven with well cut hair. He was in the military prior to police work so he has that desire to present a professional image. Again, Karl Urban is how I see him because Urban is a body builder type nor does he generally have a scruffy beard, he’s not inked. 

4. Ruddy has to solve crimes… how are your culprits and how far you will go with their crimes?
I never wanted to write the crazy, slasher killer types. I wanted to make them more complex. Some I’ve ran into over the course of my career have no remorse, some feel they are justified (in their minds they find a way to do this), some blame outside influences on their bad choices and wicked acts. I chose the last two as the killer personalities for books 1 & 2 in the series. The killer in Snifter of Death is hell bent on revenge and will go to any lengths to accomplish what they feel needs to be done. In Silk, book 1 in the series, the killer would’ve gone on until he was caught as he never accepted responsibility for his crimes. 

5. Different sites present this series as a suspense, mystery and thriller. How you would characterize the series and what are its main features?
I call it a historical suspense. It isn’t a mystery as both books start in the killer’s POV. I wanted the reader to move through the story at the same pace as Det. Bloodstone and the killer so they could see the thought process of each. I think the fact that the reader spends so much time with the killer is an important feature. I like that element of seeing how the mind warps. 

6. You write different genres – which are these and what they all have in common?What is your brand as an author?
As I mentioned, I also write a historical romance series with time travel element. Both my series have different time period settings other than contemporary. I love bringing the world of the past to life. My father was a history professor so I grew up with history and employing it in my writing is the main part of my brand. I feel a true connection to the times and lives of the various periods I write. When I am writing those scenes, they are very much alive in my mind.

About the author:
I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.

My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.

I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and five wild and crazy rescue dogs.

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2 comments:

CMash said...

A killer bent on revenge sounds like a book I would love to read. Putting this on my TBR list.

Chris Karlsen said...

I want to thank Mythical Books for the opportunity to discuss Snifter of Death and my Bloodstone series. I look forward to connecting with your followers.
Chris Karlsen