The Fraud by Brad Parks

First Line: It's the hypothetical question every parent considers at some point: Would you give your life for your kid?

There's a rash of carjackings in Newark, but no one considers it newsworthy until one such theft ends in the murder of a wealthy banking executive. When journalist Carter Ross is assigned to cover the story, he wants a different angle; he's tired of writing about victims of crime who happen to be rich and white. To balance out his story, he finds a Nigerian immigrant of more modest means who was also killed during a recent carjacking.

When Ross finds out the two victims knew each other, he digs deeper, uncovering a deadly band of car thieves. It's a discovery that puts his unborn child in harm's way-- and Ross will do anything it takes to protect his child.

Brad Parks' Carter Ross series is no stranger to my annual Best Reads list, and I've been delaying reading the last one because I didn't want my time with the wisecracking journalist to end. Unfortunately, I didn't find The Fraud to be nearly as satisfying as the other books in the series.

I always learn something new about Newark, New Jersey when I pick up a Carter Ross mystery, and this book was no exception, but the whole book had less zip than all the others. I put it down to Ross's impending fatherhood. Every time his phone rings he goes nuts, thinking it's time to make the dash to the hospital. Also, The Fraud is pretty much a solo gig for our intrepid journalist. Everyone from the newsroom makes only token appearances and the villains are mostly offstage as well. It's this interaction with the marvelous cast Parks has created that I really missed.

The one thing I did not miss was an excellent mystery. Every time I thought I had it figured out, it changed directions, and I love that. (It's also something that the author is quite skilled in doing.)

I'll miss having new Carter Ross mysteries to read, but I wish Brad Parks all the best with his domestic thrillers. He is a very talented writer.

The Fraud by Brad Parks

ISBN: 9781250064400

Minotaur Books © 2015

Hardcover, 352 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #6 Carter Ross mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.

 

The Player by Brad Parks

First Lines: During seventy-seven years of scrupulous living, Edna Foster survived whooping cough, encephalitis, breast cancer, one breach pregnancy, and two husbands. She figured she could handle the flu, no problem.

When investigative reporter Carter Ross hears that the residents of a Newark neighborhood are getting sick-- and even dying-- from a mysterious disease, he jumps right into the story, so much so that he gets sick himself.

Tracking down the source of the disease leads him to a construction site, and just when Ross thinks he's getting somewhere, the project's developer is murdered and his mob ties come to light. Ross realizes that his story just became even more dangerous than just an environmental hazard.

But back in the newsroom, he's courting disaster even more deadly than tangling with the mob. He's dating a co-worker while doing a bit of on-the-job training with a new intern-- and his boss (and former girlfriend) has some news that's really going to be electrifying. I won't even mention that his mother is on the warpath over his sister's wedding. Poor Carter Ross may be looking for some shelter before this is all over!

With author Brad Parks now making his name writing domestic thrillers, I've been forcing myself to read his Carter Ross mysteries as slowly as possible because I love them so much. Now that I've read The Player, I've only got one left, and once that's gone, I may go into mourning. This fifth book in the Carter Ross series is fun reading, full of the twists, turns, heart, and humor that I've come to expect from this talented writer.

At the heart of this book is a very real concern: "questioning the wisdom of allowing government to outsource its responsibility to protect the health of its citizens." We live in a world where not only people avoid responsibility for their actions but government, too. And this is all wrapped up in a bit of the history of Newark and its environs and a fast-paced, tightly woven mystery that has a lovely twist at the end. I love being completely bamboozled, especially by Brad Parks.

Since the heart of the mystery is so deadly serious, Parks expertly lightens the mood with his fantastic sense of humor. Neesha (AKA "Pigeon"), the new intern Carter is training, has a tendency to be the comic relief because she's still trying to follow all the rules she learned about journalism in college. Carter tries to tell her that "human beings are too messy for spreadsheets," but it takes Neesha a while to learn the wisdom of that statement.

The one thing that makes this series so entertaining is the fact that Carter Ross is just a normal, red-blooded American smart aleck, a guy who doesn't "know Chanel from chenille." He gets himself into some incredible scrapes, he truly cares about the people he writes about, and when rescuing a litter of kittens from a burning building, all he'd say would be "Aw, shucks." Carter Ross is my kind of guy, and Brad Parks' series is some of my favorite reading. If you haven't, give him a try. The first book in the series is Faces of the Gone.

The Player by Brad Parks

ISBN: 9781250044082

Minotaur Books © 2014

Hardcover, 336 pages

Investigative Journalist, #5 Carter Ross mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet


 

Say Nothing by Brad Parks

First Line: Their first move against us was so small, such an infinitesimal blip against the blaring background noise of life, I didn't register it as anything significant.

Judge Scott Sampson's life is about as close to perfect as it can get... until his six-year-old twins are kidnapped. He and his wife Alison are thrust in the middle of a never-ending nightmare when the phone rings and a man tells Scott to do exactly as he's told in a drug case he's about to rule on. And Scott is to say nothing to anyone or the consequences for his children will be dire.

As Scott races feverishly to prevent a miscarriage of justice and to bring his children home safely, his marriage begins to falter. How on earth is he going to be able to succeed?

Since I am a diehard fan of Parks' Carter Ross series, I had to get my hands on a copy of Say Nothing. Would he be as good as Linwood Barclay at writing a novel of domestic suspense? I just had to find out.

The best parts of the book for me were the scenes involving the two six-year-olds, Sam and Emma. The story just shone whenever they appeared, and the tension wrapped itself around me like taut barbed wire as I read.

The most interesting part of the plot for me was trying to figure out exactly what was going on. When Scott thought he had everything figured out and that he knew what the kidnapper was after, the plot would take a left turn and head off in another direction. I really enjoyed trying to put all the pieces together ahead of Scott. 

In the final analysis-- even though the plot and pacing were first-rate-- Say Nothing fell a bit below Parks' Carter Ross mysteries for me. Why? The characters. Even when some of Alison's behavior was explained, I still didn't care for her, and although I felt for Scott and the impossible situation he was in, I never really warmed to him either. I think it's a case of being spoiled by the author's other cast of characters, and that means I had a more subjective reaction to the book than perhaps I should have. Is this going to prevent me from reading Parks' next books? Of course not! He's a marvelous writer, and I don't want to miss a word.
 

Say Nothing by Brad Parks

ISBN: 9781101985595

Dutton © 2017

Hardcover, 448 pages

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen

Brad Parks at The Poisoned Pen!

When Denis and I walked into The Poisoned Pen bright and early for Brad Parks' event, I knew it was going to be a busy and fun evening because of all the reserved seats. Fortunately, no one reserved the seats I always think of as "ours" (I know-- shame on me), so I took care of that small item, bought my books, and then sat down with Denis to read, people watch, and chat. Time flew by and before I knew it, Brad and host Barbara Peters were with us.

Brad Parks and Barbara Peters... and the back of a blogger's head.

Brad's latest book, Say Nothing, is a standalone thriller-- quite a departure from his Carter Ross series (which I love). In honor of this, Barbara referred to him as "the new Brad Parks," and began to talk about the first book he'd written.

"If you want to get technical," Brad said, "the first book I wrote was when I was seven years old. It was about a bear wandering through the forest with his friends. Only... instead of spelling 'bear' b-e-a-r, I spelled it b-e-e-r. Dad loved that book!" 

When Peters asked about changing to a new publisher, Brad told us, "After writing six books in a series, I'd been wanting to do something different. I hate to say it, but I was growing up a bit. While I was writing Carter, I was newly married, still in the honeymoon phase, with no kids and no real responsibilities.
I have two kids now, and a new trove of stuff I wanted to write about. I wanted to try something more ambitious." 

Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Barbara observed, "Right now people are looking for an escape from what's going on in the real world."

Brad agreed. "I went to lunch with someone who'd just been to his publisher, and his publisher asked him, 'Can you give us anything that's not politics?'

"I owe Steve Hamilton a debt for this book because in 2011 or 2012 he told me, 'You have to write the book that scares you.' I was out jogging one day, and I was thinking about what would scare me the most. That would definitely be something happening to my kids. 

"What could happen to my kids? Being kidnapped and held for ransom? That would mean my main character isn't a writer because writers don't have money! Then it came to me. What if my main character were a federal judge who's hearing an important case, and the only way for the kidnappers to get the verdict they want is to kidnap his children?

"I finished jogging, went back to the house, and immediately started to write. I knew nothing about the case being tried. I didn't know what kind of character the judge was. I didn't know anything, but those first 2,000 words just poured out of me."  

"Are you sure this isn't going to turn into a series?" Barbara asked.

"No, this isn't a series," Brad said. "This guy has nowhere to go at the end of the book. It was fun to write this and be able to say that there is no tomorrow for the characters."

Brad Parks

"Which also means that there's no safety net for the readers," Peters said. "I've noticed that more and more writers are turning to what I call domestic suspense. What does that mean to you?"

Brad immediately said, "Domestic suspense means that the main character is the type of person I could meet in the grocery store. A regular person who's been placed in extraordinary circumstances."

The two hashed through details. No military or ex-military. No police. No investigators. Just an ordinary person who, when placed in an extraordinary situation, must dig deep within themselves to survive. This led to a little discussion of Lee Child's Jack Reacher, which you can find on The Poisoned Pen's Livestream feed of the event.  Both agreed that the character Parks described tended to be more meaningful for readers because readers can identify with him/her.

Brad loves his new editor, Alice, "and Alice knows it." She did something invaluable when editing Say Nothing-- placing asterisks in the manuscript to mark the places where, she said, Parks broke his own tone. "I have a breezy personality. I like to make a lot of jokes, and I don't take myself too seriously," Parks said. "I didn't realize how often I was interjecting my own personality in Say Nothing. That worked for Carter Ross, but it certainly didn't work for my federal judge. Realizing this is part of the growing up that I mentioned earlier." 

Brad Parks

Peters, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of Poisoned Pen Press, was nodding in agreement. What Parks said had reminded her of one of her own authors. "What makes readers like a book is the voice. Hopefully what you've learned with this book will stay with you for future books."

"What I never forget is that the primary reason why I write is for you," Parks said, looking out over his audience. "An author shouldn't forget that he's entertaining an audience. The question I always ask my Beta readers is 'Were you bored anywhere?'" 

Peters said, "I think that's a good question for authors to ask themselves: Who are you writing for? I've read a book or two that made me wonder about the intended audience."

Their conversation then wandered into newspaper editing versus book publishing editing, why the first printing of the first edition of a book is the most valuable, and some other things. Once again, I do encourage you to watch this event on Livestream!

One of his fans asked Parks if he were still writing at Hardee's (a fast-food chain that's known as Carl's Jr. out here in the West). He is. He and his family have moved to Staunton, Virginia, because of the better schools in the area for the children, and Brad is happy to report that-- although it had nothing to do with the move (*cough*)-- Staunton has an even bigger Hardee's. He was able to "write under the radar for about four months." Being a former sportswriter, Parks is used to lots of noise when he writes, and another plus in Hardee's favor is that the restaurant doesn't have wireless internet. No wi-fi and no smartphone mean that Parks can stick to his writing and not get distracted by shark videos.

Available Now!

At his new Hardee's, he quickly learned that a man named Bob had staked out the same table, which was a pain. Bob showed up at 5 AM every morning which meant that Parks had to wait for him to leave before he could commandeer the table and start writing. Not being able to stand it any longer, Brad had a little talk with Bob, learning that Bob had been coming to that particular Hardee's for fifteen years. "Would it offend you if I offered to buy your table?" Brad asked. Bob looked at him, then said, "No, it wouldn't offend me."

So Brad bought Bob's table for $100. Shortly after that, Bob left to spend the winter in Florida, which he does every year. (And he's probably telling all his Florida buddies about the weirdo who bought his table from him for $100!)  

After a fun-filled and informative hour, the evening ended on a bit of a somber note when one fan asked Parks about Carter Ross. "The trouble with Carter is," Brad said, "that newspapers will die before Carter does."

I always have a blast when Brad Parks visits The Poisoned Pen. For any of you who do watch the event on Livestream, the book that Parks holds up several times is the copy of Say Nothing that I bought. Yes, I got my "show and tell" edition autographed, and yes, I'm reading it now!


 

The Good Cop by Brad Parks

First Line: The exchange started with nothing more sinister than an ad on Craigslist.

It's not normal for reporter Carter Ross to be rudely awakened at 8:38 AM by a phone call from his boss. He turns his stories in on deadline, so he's used to strolling into the newsroom at 10 or 11. But his boss learned that a local policeman has been killed, and Carter needs to get the story.

Carter goes to interview the policeman's widow, and he knows he's onto something, but he's barely out the door when the boss calls again. Forget the story; the cop committed suicide. From what he's just learned from the man's widow, suicide simply does not make sense. There is a good story here, and with Carter Ross's patented stubborn devotion, he's going to find out what it is... even if his boss is demanding he finish up a different (snorefest) of an article.

There must be something in the water in New Jersey because a lot of good writers come from there. It's my personal opinion that Brad Parks is at the top of the New Jersey list. Does that mean he drinks more of the water? I don't know. I do know however that I want him to keep writing. Every time I pick up a Carter Ross novel, I know I'm going to learn more about working in a newsroom, I'm going to be presented with a mystery that's tough to figure out, I'm going to want to hug the stuffing out of Carter Ross, I'm going to laugh, and I'm going to cry. 

One of the many things that's so great about Parks' Carter Ross books is his characterization. His characters are so finely drawn that you find yourself talking to them. Carter's immediate boss, Tina? I sincerely hope that woman's biological clock implodes.  She has some serious emotional issues. Then there's the other boss who only speaks in consonants. I'm scared because I can actually understand him without an interpreter. Then there are the interns. Tommy's got experience and Carter knows he can rely on Tommy for help with research... and putdowns about Carter's sense of style. In The Good Cop Carter has his hands full with another couple of interns, especially Ruthie. I like to see how he uses these bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young ones to work the system while giving them badly needed training and (when warranted) encouragement.

Random chapters told from the point of view of the Bad Guy keeps readers wondering how two different story lines are going to converge while Carter's list of underworld contacts just keeps growing (and making readers laugh while it does). Don't be fooled into thinking that Brad Parks plays everything for laughs. He does not. He can write action scenes that will have you mentally ducking and covering, other revelatory scenes that will have you quivering with rage over injustice, and then there are those scenes that will have tears running down your face. Sometimes those tears will be ones of sorrow; other times they will be tears of laughter. Carter Ross has more heart than just about any other character I know. These books are so good that I'm savoring them like fine wine. Yes, I could gulp them down one right after the other, but... I don't want them to end so I'm taking my time. 

If you haven't made the acquaintance of Carter Ross, I highly recommend that you do so. He is one fabulous guy.
  

The Good Cop by Brad Parks

ISBN: 9781250005526

Minotaur Books © 2013

Hardcover, 336 pages

Investigative Journalist, #4 Carter Ross mystery

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap 


 

Eyes of the Innocent by Brad Parks

First Line: The electrician patted his breast pocket for the tenth time and, once again, exhaled noisily: the envelope-- Primo's envelope-- was still there.

The latest tragedy to befall Newark, New Jersey is a fast-moving house fire that claims the lives of two small boys. Investigative journalist Carter Ross (saddled with the paper's newest intern whom everyone calls "Sweet Thang") finds the victims' mother, Akilah Harris, who tells the two of a mortgage rate reset that forced her to leave her boys home alone while she worked two jobs. Ross's story becomes a front-page feature, but when a Newark councilman goes missing and holes start appearing in Harris's story, Ross and Sweet Thang find themselves deep in the unsavory world of urban house flipping and political corruption.

I found Brad Parks' third Carter Ross book, The Girl Next Door, such a wonderful blend of mystery, humor, heart, and character that I went back to the beginning of the series so I wouldn't miss a thing. It's taking me entirely too long to catch up, but I'm enjoying every page that Parks writes.

Interpersed throughout the book are a few short chapters told from the bad guy's point of view, and although they're not entirely necessary, they do show readers just what Ross is up against. We also get a real feel for working in a newsroom, with an editor who's perfected speech without the use of vowels (should I worry that I seem able to understand the man so easily?), and a boss who has a thing about space heaters. The one and only thing about this series that I can do without is the presence of another editor, Tina, whose biological clock has convinced her that Carter is the one-and-only sperm donor for her. Her behavior has gotten very old, very quickly, and I'm secretly hoping her clock implodes.

One of the things I love best about this series is Carter Ross's heart. As he looks at a photograph and into the eyes of two little dead boys, he knows he's going to do whatever it takes to find justice for them-- even if he is armed only with a pair of nail clippers. Carter Ross treats everyone he meets with respect, and that has to have a great deal to do with the stories he manages to root out.

It is so much fun to watch Carter, Sweet Thang, and fellow reporter Tommy piece all the clues to this mystery together. Sweet Thang (perhaps I should call her by her name, Lauren!) isn't the bubble-headed, bodacious bimbo that everyone thinks she is, and she actually shows quite a bit of potential as a reporter. In the midst of heart-warming moments, laugh-out-loud funny lines, and downright scary scenes, we also get to learn quite a bit about corruption in the real estate market. If I didn't already have a house bought and paid for, I'd almost  be tempted to live in a lean-to out in the woods rather than buy a house now....

There must be something in the water in New Jersey because that state has turned out some mighty fine writers with just the right combination of smarts, compassion, and humor that keep me coming back for all their books. You want a name or two?  Chris Grabenstein. Jeff Cohen. Harlan Coben. And never, ever forget Brad Parks. If you don't already, you're going to love Carter Ross as much as I do.
 

Eyes of the Innocent by Brad Parks

ISBN: 9780312574789 

Minotaur Books © 2011

Hardcover, 304 pages

Investigative Journalist/Humorous Mystery, #2 Carter Ross mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet 


 

Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks

First Line: With all the vacant lots in Newark, New Jersey-- and there were thousands of them-- the Director could afford to be picky.

Investigative reporter Carter Ross knows Newark, New Jersey, so when he hears that the police are saying four bodies shot execution-style and left in a vacant lot are revenge for a bar stickup, he knows the story doesn't make sense. It takes a bit of digging, but Carter learns that the four victims do share something in common, and once he knows that, the deeper he searches, the closer he gets to one very serious killer.

I came to Brad Parks' Carter Ross series by reading the third book first. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately got my hands on the first two books and have also purchased books four and five. It just took me way too long to get back to reading this series, which is a perfect blend of humor and deadly seriousness.

That perfect blend begins with Carter Ross himself. He's a man with good instincts for the telling detail. It also doesn't hurt that he's compassionate and a five-star smart aleck. (Insert a different-- four-letter-- "a" word for the aleck.) He's also surrounded by a wonderful supporting cast: Szanto, the boss that only speaks in consonants (much to the befuddlement of us all); Tommy the gay Cuban intern; city editor Tina Thompson, whose biological clock is ticking so loudly it will deafen you. And these three are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the supporting cast.

I knew I was firmly in Carter's corner when he automatically did something that the media and so many others weren't doing: he humanized the deceased. This guy isn't just doing a job; he truly cares. Not only can Brad Parks fascinate you with the inner workings of a newsroom, he can make you laugh out loud with what Carter does to get information from a dangerous gang, and then he goes and tugs on your heartstrings. No wonder Faces of the Gone won multiple awards.

It better not be another three years before I read the second book in this series. I enjoy Parks' writing too much!

Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks

ISBN: 9780312672805

Minotaur Books © 2011

Paperback, 336 pages

Investigative Journalist, #1 Carter Ross mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet 

At The Poisoned Pen with Brad Parks!

It felt like a millennium since I'd been to my favorite bookstore, so I whipped out my calendar to check. Yup. May 21. Over two months-- no wonder I'd been suffering withdrawal! I arrived at The Poisoned Pen with plenty of time to talk books with the staff and do a little browse-buy. I even had time to sit and read a few pages of my book before a fellow Brad Parks fan sat down with me and asked me about my next trip to Scotland. I have a feeling that most of the other regulars think two things when they see me: Scotland and blog. (It could be a lot worse!) In no time at all, the fans had gathered, including two notables-- Chantelle Aimée Osman, creator of The Sirens of Suspense, and author Graham Brown.

When the author walked in, Patrick had some mail order books that needed signing so Brad sat down to do the deed. All the other fans then swarmed the table with their books, and it sounded like Old Home Week listening to them chatting and laughing. This should be good, I thought to myself. It's obvious Brad is an outgoing guy. I'd already thought that based upon reading his books, but it's always good to have confirmation.

Is this Peggy?!?

Poisoned Pen staffer Karen with author Brad Parks

Before sitting down, Brad showed off his pink polo shirt. "My six-year-old daughter has started choosing my wardrobe," he told us. "Her favorite colors are pink and purple."

When I'd first arrived, Karen and I had talked about authors whom we thought should be hugely popular and famous. We both think Brad Parks is on that list. Karen brought this up right at the beginning of the interview. After thanking her, Brad mentioned authors who didn't become famous until after their deaths. "I have a plan for faking my own death," Parks said. "It's going to be a beautifully done demise. Shortly afterwards my wife is going to 'find' a manuscript. Then my mistress is going to 'find' the 'real' manuscript, and there's going to be a war between the two women. I have it all planned out."

Deftly maneuvering through the laughter, Karen voiced the hope that these plans would proceed quickly-- she wanted it all to happen during her lifetime. This brought on even more laughter, and Brad assured her that his plans were indeed fast-moving ones.

"There are many people who believe that the character of Carter Ross is based on me," Parks said. "I don't know how they got that idea!" (Cue more laughter.) "There is one major difference between the two of us: Carter Ross is single, and I am not! I am very aware of the fact that my wife is going to be reading every word that I write. Take for example my description of Tina. I wanted to make sure that my wife wouldn't read that description and start asking, 'Is this Peggy? Is this our neighbor?!?'

"I'm one of those crazy mystery writers who talks to his characters. I ask them questions. I argue with them. One of the things I liked about the relationship between Carter and Tina was that Carter is a guy who wants a committed relationship, but Tina just wants the sex. I love turning that whole dynamic on its head. I began to wonder why Tina behaved the way she did, so I had a conversation with her. That led to having some questions about her answered in The Girl Next Door." 

Evanovich and Coben? I don't see it!

Brad Parks with a fan.

Karen mentioned that Parks is the only writer to have received the Nero and Shamus Awards for the same book (Faces of the Gone)-- among other awards-- and she couldn't understand why he wasn't famous yet. Brad smiled and said, "This is my sixth book. Everyone knows who Lee Child is. You can read the first paragraph of Killing Floor and just be blown away by how good it is. Well, it took Lee Child seven books before he made the New York Times Bestseller List."

He went on to mention other writers who didn't make the list until their eighth or even tenth book before adding, "It only took five books for Michael Connelly, which makes him the idiot savant of mystery writers."

Karen mentioned authors needing more publicity. Parks countered with, "Publishers just don't have that much money to spend on promoting books. They have to use it where they'll get the most bang for their buck. They want an author to have a proven track record before they will invest that money." (Hear that, everybody? Help your favorite authors hit the big time so they can write more of what you want to read!)

One of Brad's fans mentioned Newark, New Jersey, which is the setting for the Carter Ross books. Newark could be considered a character in its own right. "I'm proud of the fact that I've never heard from someone from Newark saying that I got it wrong," Brad said. "Some white people treat going to the inner city like it's a trip to the zoo-- and it's not!" Karen asked how the inner city was created. "In the 1950s and 1960s, agriculture was going through tremendous changes in the South, and thousands of blacks came to Newark looking for work. During that same time frame, Newark lost 20,000 jobs because plants were being closed and the work sent overseas. People were moving there at the wrong time," Parks told us.

Another person brought up the blurb on some of Brad's books that says he's a cross between Janet Evanovich and Harlan Coben. "I don't see it," Brad laughed. "I was complaining about it to my editor, who asked me if I knew how much Evanovich's latest contract was. When I said no, he said, 'Fifty million dollars. That's a lot of books. If that blurb gets some of Evanovich's readers to read you, don't complain!' I don't complain!"

There's not a lot of call for...

Brad Parks enjoys his fans.

"I feel I'm getting better as I go along," Brad said. "When I take a look at my first book, Faces of the Gone, I think 'Wow, I made a lot of mistakes!'"

Fellow author Graham Brown spoke up: "No, no, no! Don't ever make the mistake at looking at your earlier books!"

After the laughter died down, Brad continued. "I like to strive to be better. Besides, I have no job to go back to and two young children to feed. This really helps me to keep wanting to write a better book!"

When Karen asked, Brad confirmed that the reason why he has no job to go back to is due to the impending death rattle of the newspaper industry. (He was a newspaper reporter-- one of the many reasons why people feel his character Carter Ross is autobiographical.) "One day out of curiosity, I logged onto Monster.com," Parks said. "You know, there's not a lot of call for people who've spent the past six years thinking of creative ways to kill people!"

Another question that came up was how he handles the deadlines for his books. "The word 'deadline' comes from the British prison system. It was a line on the ground that, if you crossed it, you were shot dead. Journalism sticks to that definition. Every minute that the paper is late coming off the presses costs the newspaper $15,000. The person who explained that to lowly little intern me looked at me and said, 'And how much do we pay you in a year, young man?' That made it crystal clear that the paper always comes out on time!"

In contrast, Parks told us that the book industry seems more than a bit lackadaisical when it comes to deadlines. With his background in journalism, he finds that very difficult to get used to. Even more bizarre is when he hears other authors laugh about blowing their deadlines. Knowing all about real ones, Brad just doesn't understand this attitude in others.

Parks still has some newspaper ink running through his veins. "When things like the terrible shootings in Charleston happen, I'm used to dealing with those situations by writing about them. I miss that world. I also miss the immediacy of the feedback. I would write something, people would read it and comment on it the very next day."

Waiting for that next book...

Karen then mentioned his writing style-- how there was humor, action, compassion, newspaper reporting, and more-- and it all worked together so well. 

"I was a nerd growing up. Books were always my friends, and they could be smart and silly and funny, and we could talk about the universe, discuss baseball, or tell fart jokes. I think my writing shows all this, and publishers don't always know what to do with that. I have a feeling that they underestimate you readers."

Brad's next book is a standalone featuring a federal judge whose children are kidnapped in order to control the outcome of a high-profile case. Then it will be back to Carter: "As long as I can still hear these characters talking in my head, I'll still write about them!"

Hardee's

When Karen said she'd heard that Brad had had some community theatre experience, he admitted it and then treated us to an a cappella rendition of "Keep Away from Alphabet Sue!" which was a blast. He serenaded Sue Grafton with it at Left Coast Crime one year, and when he'd finished and sat down next to Sue, she leaned toward him and said, "Well, that's never happened before!"

Brad was then asked about Hardee's. "Yes, I still do all my writing at my local Hardee's. I sit back in my corner, and people just leave me alone. I never realized that anyone was paying any attention to me until I'd been gone for a while and a woman came up to me saying, 'Where have you been? Are you all right? I prayed for you! I didn't know your name, but I asked the Lord to watch over the man from Hardee's!'"

Available Now!

Now we all thought that was funny (and touching), but we hadn't heard nuthin' yet....

"You know how I told you that I hear my characters talking in my head and that I talk back to them? Well, that happened to me one day while I was at Hardee's. In fact, I had two characters arguing with me, so I took it out to the parking lot.

"There I was, in the far corner of the lot, walking back and forth, waving my arms around-- probably a bit wildly-- and arguing out loud with those characters in my head. Well, a Virginia State Trooper stopped to get some lunch, watched me out in the lot for a minute, then went inside where he asked one of the employees, 'Do you know you have a deranged man in your parking lot? Do you want me to pick him up for you?' Luckily they vouched for me!"

Someone in the audience commented that Parks should use some of the Hardee's employees in his books. "Oh, I do!" Brad said. "Lots of Hardee's workers are getting killed in my books, and they love it!"

A Writer's Trip to the Grocery Store

Brad also does some ghost writing, and-- when asked-- he would not divulge one tiny bit of information about it. He's had to sign non-disclosure agreements, and one of them stated that the consequences of breaking this agreement would go "far beyond mere money." Brad's always wondered what exactly that meant!

He also gave us a bit of insight into the mind of a mystery writer:

One day he drove his father's huge Cadillac to the grocery store. When he came out of the market, he popped the trunk lid, and as he was raising it, he looked inside and thought, "Now wouldn't it be funny if I found a body in there?"  

Karen asked him what he read. "I definitely read in the mystery genre." He then recommended Lisa Gardner, Linwood Barclay, and Megan Abbott. What's Brad's idea of a vacation? "A bathing suit and seven books in my bag and a beach for a week."

Brad is a self-confessed extrovert-- something that he doesn't really have to confess to. It's obvious that he enjoys being among people. Writing isn't exactly the profession for folks like him because writers spend so much time alone. Brad shook his head and laughed. "When my wife gets home from work, I pity the poor woman. I haven't talked to anyone all day, and there she is!"

His wife is a school psychologist, and when she was in grad school, Brad was (literally) her test dummy. "She had me take a test in which you got a certain score if you finished in a minute, and another score if you finished in two minutes. You didn't receive any score at all if you took longer than two minutes, but you were not told to stop.

"Twenty-six minutes later, I nailed that sucker!"

Not only that-- you nailed this event, Brad! 

I was the only person left who hadn't had her book signed, so I walked right up to the table. While he was signing it, I told him that a group of book bloggers had recently been discussing the worst-ever book pitch that they'd received. "I don't remember the bad ones," I told him. "I only remember the best one, and it was yours for your third book. It was obvious from your email that you'd taken the time to look through my blog-- and you made me laugh. It's a winning combination!"

Another winning combination? Brad Parks and Carter Ross. If you haven't read a book by Brad Parks, please do so!

My latest Poisoned Pen book haul