Mystery, LGBTQ
Date Published: August 3, 2021
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Emory Rome is back in A Light to Kill By, the third book in the Mourning Dove Mysteries series – a follow-up to the international bestsellers Murder on the Lake of Fire and Death Opens a Window.
Moments after construction tycoon Blair Geister’s death, a mysterious wandering light kills someone else on her Southern estate. Is the avenging spirit of the millionairess on a killing spree, or are other forces threatening those in her inner circle? As the will is read, suspicion and jealousy arise, and fingers point to the heirs of her fortune. Private investigator Emory Rome and his Mourning Dove partners accept an invitation to stay at Geisterhaus and unravel its secrets before more lives are lost.
As he struggles with the consequences of his last case, Emory must unravel the inexplicable death of a federal employee in a Knoxville high-rise. But while the reticent investigator is mired in a deep pool of suspects – from an old mountain witch to the powerful Tennessee Valley Authority – he misses a greater danger creeping from the shadows. The man in the ski mask returns to reveal himself, and the shocking crime of someone close is unearthed.
Interview with Mikel J. Wilson
I’m Mikel J. Wilson, author of the Mourning Dove Mysteries, which include Murder on the Lake of Fire, Death Opens a Window and A Light to Kill By.
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?
Most murder mysteries are a search for truth, and that’s especially the case for this latest entry in my Mourning Dove Mysteries. A Light to Kill By deals not only with uncovering the truth about the book’s murders – who committed them, how and why – but two of the PIs are also seeking the truth from each other. In all three books, Jeff Woodard has been asking Emory Rome about his past but has received only hints of a life-altering tragedy. In Death Opens a Window, the TBI director handed Emory a file on his partner, presumably containing the reason behind his inclusion on the government’s no-fly list, and the book ended with a cliffhanger secret about Jeff.
Regarding the search for truth in murder mysteries, the best place to start is Agatha Christie. As far as unraveling the secrets in my books, you should start with Murder on the Lake of Fire. I seeded quite a few clues in that first mystery novel that will come to fruition in Book 4.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I’ve always loved mysteries, starting with Nancy Drew and The Three Investigators before devouring the complete works of Agatha Christie. The first book I ever wrote was a tragic adventure story of a 15-year-old boy in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. I never did anything with that book, but a few years ago, I began wondering what that boy would be up to as an adult. I decided after all he had been through, he would go into law enforcement, and that was the impetus for the Mourning Dove Mysteries.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My goal with A Light to Kill By was to write an engaging mystery that also builds on the first two books in the series to progress the story of the Mourning Dove PIs, and I believe I succeeded. Of course, that’s ultimately up to readers to decide. I do think the murder is unique, and the path to the truth is fun and twisty. In regards to moving the PI story forward, I needed to give them a place to work while their office building was being renovated, satisfy the cliffhanger at the end of Death Opens a Window and continue filling in Emory’s backstory – leading up to the complete reveal of all secrets from his past in Book 4.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I definitely appreciate my readers, and I thank them for their tremendous support of the Mourning Dove Mysteries. I would I’d like them to know I respond to anyone who reaches out to me through my website (MikelJWilson.com), and I’d ask everyone to please review the books they read.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I really enjoy plotting and character development, but probably my favorite part of writing is creating snappy dialogue. I think the dialogue between Emory Rome and Jeff Woodard crackles when they argue because a growing love underlies it, and their conversations are exciting when they seem to be on parallel or diverging paths but come together at the end. The way they talk to each other reminds me of the fast-paced dialogue between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd’s characters in the Moonlighting TV series.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I’m currently working on the fourth novel in the series, scheduled for release at the end of next year. It will answer all questions about Emory Rome’s past, tying up the running subplot from the first three books. I’m also writing the sequel to my contemporary fantasy/science fiction novel Sedona: The Lost Vortex, anticipating a 2023 release.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, starting with poems and short stories when I was a kid. I started writing screenplays in college, and 10 years ago I turned one of my screenplays into my first published novel. I’ve been writing books ever since.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Light to Kill By?
The three private investigators from Mourning Dove Investigations are former TBI special agent Emory Rome, morally ambiguous Jeff Woodard and former U.S. Marine Virginia Kennon. Emory is an introvert with a mind for science and a traumatic past, which has been hinted at but won’t be fully explored until Book 4. Jeff is a gregarious jack-of-all-trades with enviable physical prowess and secrets of his own, which we discovered at the end of Death Opens a Window. Virginia is a beautiful soul and people person with an affinity for research and hidden talents that will come to light in future books.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from A Light to Kill By, who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
I would typically pick one of the Mourning Dove PIs or other recurring characters, but I’m going with someone specifically from this book. I’d like to spend the day with Zyus Drake, the mysterious, disfigured man who was bequeathed the puzzling Pangram Box by Blair Geister. Although the book delves into his psyche and drastically different life pre- and post-tragedy, there’s still much more I want to know about him – so much so, I’m considering revisiting the character in a future book. In respect for his aversion to public places, we’d spend the day at Geisterhaus, drinking wine from the cellar, watching a movie in the private theatre and hanging out on the banks of the river.
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