Book One of the Maison de Danse Quartet
Suspense
Date Published: 01-01-2022
Publisher: Épouvantail Books
The hunt is on. Pierce Danser is desperately searching for his grandson, Kazu, a twelve year old who's carving a murderous trail as he tries to escape his past. Labeled by the Mexican federales as Jappy the Assassin, the boy has fought his way to the states, being chased by his double-crossed employer and the law. When Pierce picks up his trail, he starts his desperate journey from a simple life in Michigan to the Midwest, using all of his wits and contacts to rescue the boy before the Mexican hitmen and the authorities get their claws into him.
As the trail leads Pierce to Florida, he is also targeted and attacked. Battered and frightened, he refuses to give up, doing all he can to get to Kazu before the boy is caught and disappeared and worse. Because of his trickery and escape, nothin less than Kazu's head on a spike will do.
Pierce is in the fight of his life.
The clock is ticking.
Can he save the boy from his deadly pursuers?
Interview with Greg Jolley
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Hello Nancy and thank you for asking. I appreciate your time and the interview. For “Where’s Kazu?” I was delighted to be working with Pierce and Kazu Danser again as well as explore the lives of pre-teen street kids. Sometimes, I want a break from adult concerns and, while Pierce is a grown man, he’s most often a kid at heart.
The theme of risking all to survive was a natural choice. It allowed me to explore the choices my characters made and the effects that they would have to somehow live with.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I wanted to describe the lives of street kids, who have a healthy disdain for the adult world. I also wanted to show the power of love, as Pierce Danser goes through hell and back to rescue Kazu. As always, I’m curious if readers and reviewers believe I achieved the goals. Their feedback and insights are very important to me.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
For “Where’s Kazu?” it was the first round of edits with my private editor. There are always a number of punctuation issues that she corrects because of the way I often break the rules in favor of pace and energy. I love working with a professional editor before the book goes to my publisher, as it’s a chance to improve the reader’s experience of the story.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
When I stopped plotting and scheming and turned the reins of the story over to Pierce and Kazu Danser. After months of research and sketching, it’s a great experience to look at the first blank page and dive in without hesitation.
Where there alternate endings you considered?
Always. With “Where’s Kazu?” I was fairly certain I knew where it was headed, but just like the prior Danser novels, the cast took control and told the story their way, including the final ending.
Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I had worked with Pierce and Kazu on a few books, so this was a chance to further explore their minds and hearts.
A lot of the kids that I cast for “Where’s Kazu?” were Ponce Inlet and Flagler Beach surfers, some of the finest small lunatics in North Florida. Being around them every day, in and out of the water, I watched and listened and learned so much about the magical and strange pre-teen world.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
Almost a hundred percent non-fiction, for research, most dealing with current and historical true crimes. These days, I only read select fiction, primarily Elmore Leonard and Stephen King, and I do so with a fine tipped pen. I love the ways these two writers experiment with structure and that’s where I learn so much. I often have no clue what their stories are about: it’s the ways they build them that I’m inspired by.
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