It was in 1985 that I first encountered the work of Gerald Petievich.
It was in London’s Leicester Square watching a matinee of the newly released
film TO
LIVE AND DIE IN LA. It was a movie directed [and co-written] by William Friedkin.
I sat transfixed at the screen throughout the film, and right through to the
closing credits with the pulse pounding 1980s techno-rock score of Wang Chung.
When the curtain came down, I didn’t leave the cinema, but
sat in my seat and watched the film again. On my second viewing I noticed on
the opening credits that TO
LIVE AND DIE IN LA was based on a novel by Gerald Petievich [who also
co-wrote the screenplay], and so began my enthusiasm for the work of this
former US Secret Service agent – turned novelist and screenwriter.
It would prove difficult to track down his novels and to
even learn anything about Gerald Petievich in England. He was as mysterious as
his Secret Service past. I knew no one else who had read his work apart
from award-winning
author, reviewer, literary commentator and Shots Magazine’s columnist Mike Ripley.
In fact Ripley recently commented about his admiration for the work of Petievich
in his latest column -
“I discovered the novels of former U.S. Treasury agent Petievich about
forty years ago, just as I was embarking on my own foray into crime-writing. They
were tough, cleverly plotted and utterly gripping thrillers which I greatly
admired although until a recent conversation with Ali Karim, I had never met
anyone else in this country who had read them.”
I discovered more about the enigmatic Gerald Petievich from
a two-part interview with writer / literary commentator Wallace Stroby -
conducted on May 13, 1988, shortly after the release of his sixth novel, SHAKEDOWN.
Of which Elmore Leonard
commented “Shakedown is a gem. Stopped writing to read it, something I have sworn
I would never do, but couldn’t help it.”
As there is so little written about the work [and life] of Gerald
Petievich, especially as he rarely grants interviews - Stroby’s feature [though
over 35 years old] is enlightening and insightful with some very rare photos –
and can be accessed from the links below -
Earlier this year, I was energised to hear that Gerald Petievich
would be making a rare public appearance at the 2025
Bouchercon in New Orleans. I alerted my very dear friend and editor / publisher
Mike Stotter that we had to meet him. I wanted to shake Petievich’s hand
and tell him how much I had enjoyed his work – which truth be told had enriched
my life, with exciting tales that reeked of authenticity.
But it would be during Otto Penzler’s Mysterious Press Anniversary
Party, held on Bourbon Street that Mike and I finally met with Gerald Petievich.
I transformed into ‘Fan-Boy’ mode, and was excited to hear that he had a new
book out [13 Hillcrest Drive], after a long gap in his publishing history.
So once back in the UK and after writing my New
Orleans Diary for The Rap Sheet – I got to Petievich’s latest novel - so
what were my thoughts regarding the new book, 13 HILLCREST DRIVE?
It’s
an egregious felony that author Gerald Petievich is not more widely read. He
remains a cult crime-fiction author, spoken about in whispers [and the
occasional scream] by readers who seek out the most disturbing hard-boiled
noir. His writing is slippery in that it weaves intricate plots effortlessly
about the greasy lives [and nefarious deeds] of the criminal[s], into the lives
of the men and women who pursue justice and redemption in a very dangerous
world. Petievich’s latest work [not unlike its precursors] provoke deep-thought
as his fiction poses harsh moral and ethical dilemmas for his characters that
the reader unpacks as the narrative unspools to the violent climax.
His
latest police procedural backdrops Hollywood California both the geography, as
well as the darker edges of the film industry.
In
Petievichs’s cynical world-view, “good” and “evil” are not two opposite edges
on a graduated line; but as human nature bends the line - it becomes curved, so
the edges interlock to shape a distorted circle.
The
novel commences with former Military Veteran [from Afghanistan] Detective
Michael ‘Legs’ Casey of the Hollywood Station, Los Angeles Police Department
[LAPD], working the stolen-car beat in penance for a past indiscretion, related
to drinking. He’s nicknamed ‘Legs’ due to his running [to successfully
apprehend a criminal] over three city blocks.
Gerald Petievich agreed to talk to Shots Magazine about his
work for his European [and Worldwide] Readers, in a fascinating exchange -
Ali: Thank you for speaking to your British
Readers.
Gerald:
It’s my pleasure to be speaking with you today.
AK:In the past I had a devil of a job tracking down
your books in England - Money Men, One-Shot Deal and To Die in Beverly Hills were [published by New English Library].
Can you tell us a little about your experience[s] in Publishing, especially in
Europe where I consider you somewhat of a cult writer?
GP: In
the UK my novels, including Earth Angels were published by Chatto & Windus
or New English Library. Chatto released the books in hardcover editions.
Gallimard was my French publisher. In Italy, Sonzogno published The Sentinel
and Mondadori published most of the early novels.Wilhelm Heyne was my publisher in
Germany.In the Netherlands, my novels
were published as ‘Manhattan Special’ crime novels.
AK: …and I see Rare Bird Publishing of Los Angeles are your new publisher, though
I noticed you have the rights back to much of your back catalogue…would you
care to comment on what you consider your favourite novels? And what should a
new reader to Gerald Petievich grab first?
GP: My
preferred work is Earth Angels,
initially conceived as a mainstream novel. Although the narrative ultimately
adopted a darker tone, I believe it conveys my perspective on the desensitizing
impact of policework.For readers
unfamiliar with my work, I suggest reading Shakedown, which reviewers have said
has the best story.
AK: As we’ve provided links [via Wallace Stroby]
to much of your background in Military
Intelligence and
the US
Secret Service in
our introduction, so would you be prepared to tell us a little about Gerald
Petievich before he became a writer?
In
1970, I joined the US Secret Service as a special agent. My initial
responsibilities included investigating counterfeiters in Southern California,
an area affected by counterfeit currency. This assignment required working
undercover, posing as a buyer, and apprehending suspects until eventually
locating and arresting theindividual
responsible for printing counterfeit money. Through this work, I became
familiar with the Los Angeles underworld.
AK:It was the film adaptation of your 1984
novel TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA that
brought your work into the hands of many readers. Can you tell us how the film
rights ended up with William Friedkin?
GP: My
film agent at the time shopped To Live
and Die In LA to some movie producers and one of them, whose name escapes
me now, referred the work to Friedkin. I met with him. He seemed very
interested, and we signed an option agreement for the film rights to the novel.
He planned to make the movie after finishing a pirate movie he was scheduled to
direct. But the pirate movie deal fell through and Friedkin decided to make the
movie as soon as possible.
AK:There were some incongruous insertions such
as the opening scene with the terrorist, as well as the car chase [among
others] by the Director, so could you tell us a little about working with
William Friedkin? As I heard he took sole credit for the original screenplay
but upon release, the screenplay was credited to William Friedkin and Gerald
Petievich [and based on the novel by Gerald Petievich]
GP: The
opening scene with the terrorist was not part of the novel; Friedkin added it
on a whim. His challenging personality made typical collaboration impossible. The
Writers Guild of America ultimately awarded him co-credit.Considering the business that is filmmaking,
I was pleased that the movie ended up remaining fairly close to the novel’s
general storyline.
AK:…and how do you feel about TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA being lauded in
Europe and in the art house circuit, contrasting starkly with its 1980s feel
[complete with synthesiser soundtrack by British Pop Group Wang Chung] with
amorality and blurring of good vs evil?
GP: The
film’s pervasive cynicism and graphic violence were considered innovative for
its era. Its distinct 1980s aesthetic was influenced by the director’s
admiration for the television series Miami
Vice, which enjoyed widespread popularity at the time. The British band Wang Chung provided a memorable musical
motif for the printing scenes, a contribution that has since become iconic
within the film’s legacy. Notably, Wang Chung’s score replaced that of an
earlier group initially commissioned to compose the music.
AK:And what about your other experiences with
Hollywood with Money Men [aka Boiling Point] and The Sentinel as well as any film interest in 13 HILLCREST DRIVE?
GP: My
debut novel, Money Men, was initially optioned for film after actor James Woods
introduced it to producer James B. Harris (The Killing and Paths of Glory) and
expressed interest in playing the lead role. Subsequently, Harris contacted me
and I executed a film option agreement. Reflecting common practices in the film
industry, the option was renewed annually over a ten-year period until 1990,
when Mr. Harris officially acquired the rights and commenced production in
Hollywood. The film’s title was changed to Boiling
Point, with Wesley Snipes cast in the leading role and Dennis Hopper as the
antagonist. Harris undertook both the screenplay adaptation and direction,
marking his directorial debut.
Michael
Douglas
acquired the movie rights to The Sentinel,
a political thriller, while at Paramount Studios. Hiring a screenwriter who
changed the plot significantly, at age 62 Douglas starred in the film as a
youthful White House Detail Secret Service agent involved in a romantic affair
with the attractive First Lady.
Carolco
Pictures acquired the rights to my political thriller Paramour and hired me to write the screenplay. After I was paid and
finished the script, Director Ridley Scott left the project and Carolco was
later sold. The Paramour project is still in turnaround.
So
far, my new novel 13 Hillcrest Drive has earned positive feedback from
Hollywood insiders, although one producers saw risk in funding a film about
celebrities and the underside of the entertainment industry.
AK:Talking about new novel 13 HILLCREST DRIVE which landed earlier this year, with a close to
two decade gap in your publishing history…would you care to tell us what you’ve
been up to during this publishing gap?
GP: My
publishing gap stemmed from many years of sixty-hour weeks and a career that
left little time for personal pursuits. I spent the last few years dabbling in
movie and TV projects becoming a fair tennis player, bullfight aficionado, and
casino craps player. For the first time, I got involved in charity work. Having
checked off my bucket list, I’m now focused solely on crafting novels.
AK:I noticed the great Robert
Crais has
been a champion of your work, and I believe he was involved in urging you to
turn your novel The Sentinel into a
film, would you care to comment?
GP: Years
ago, I happened to have lunch with Robert Crais shortly after I had finished a
novel.During a general discussion of
books, he suggested I wrote a novel about a White House Secret Service agent
who was romantically involved with a first lady. I knew immediately the premise
was enough to make a novel. Taking his advice, I began working on an outline,
suffering with it for months to make it believable, but not tawdry. Before
writing novels, Crais was an accomplished television writer. When it comes to
ideas for novels, the idea can come from anywhere. The idea for my novel
Shakedown, came to me when I was working undercover as a buyer of counterfeit
money.The seller told me he just been
released from prison after serving eight years for extortion. He told me all
about his experience as a member of a successful blackmailing ring. I knew
immediately I could write a novel about it and began making notes as soon as I
got home that night.
AK:I heard you are a voracious reader, so apart
from the works of Bob Crais, who else do you read? And would you care to
mention the writers [and their work] that influenced you to take up the pen?
AK:…and I heard while you were a young bloke
working Europe, you enjoyed the ten novel series by Maj
Sjowall & Per Wahloo,
would you care to tell us a little about what you find special about these
novels?
GP: At
the beginning of my mystery writing career, I admired the distinctive style of Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo, and the
way they created atmosphere. Sjowall and Wahloo were journalists and had a
police reporter's unvarnished, keen view of police investigative work. One
of their mystery novels begins with their hero, Detective Martin Beck, playing
chess with a colleague who is babysitting. Beck doesn't like chess but
continues to play because it's snowing and he doesn't want to go out in the
cold. The authors always managed to create a palpable sense of place while
capturing the political climate and ups and downs of police work.
Their unique and irreverent point of view was always evident, but never
dogmatic. I met Maj Sjowall at a writers conference in Spain in the 1980s and
we talked about her work. Smart and as delightfully irreverent as her novels.
She told me that when writing, she and Per Wahloo never took
their mysteries too seriously.
AK:I adored your latest novel, from its premise
and characters that made the narrative such a dark but engaging read – can you
tell us a little about both the inception and also the execution that became 13
HILLCREST DRIVE?
GP: 13
Hillcrest Drive is my ‘Hollywood novel,’ one I’ve been making notes on for
years. I’ve led an unusual life in that I’ve not only been able to experience
the underworld as a law-enforcement officer an undercover agent, but I’ve also
been a working Hollywood screenwriter, technical advisor and producer. My cop
colleagues who had the same experience, such as Joe Wambaugh, call it learning
about the ‘overworld.’ I can attest to the fact that both the underworld and
the Hollywood ‘overworld’ are broadening. The desperation and anger at the
bottom of both worlds, is different. In the overworld, the desperation stems
from ego. There are lots of poseurs and few and talented actors, directors and
producers. But in the U.S. at least, film is the most powerful art. I found a
vehicle to fashion a novel with this point of view when a well-known Hollywood
private investigator mentioned to me that every celebrity in Hollywood, at one
time or another in their career, is forced to pay blackmail. At that moment, I
knew I had what I needed to create my Hollywood novel. Having written the first
draft, I thought I’d missed the mark. The novel wasn’t ready. It was flat. Then
I recalled a friend telling me about his experience with psychoanalysis.
Re-shaping what he’d told me to fit the novel, I realized I’d written the final
draft.
AK:My editor Mike Stotter and I found one of
the highlights of Bouchercon
New Orleans was
meeting you during Otto Penzler’s Mysterious Press Anniversary Party – so can
you tell us what you got up to in The Big Easy?
GP: There
is nowhere in the world to find more mystery readers gathered together in one
spot than at a
Bouchercon. Nothing is better for the soul of a mystery novelist than
spending time with mystery readers. Attending my first Bouchercon in 1982,
readers confessed to me that they would buy a book at the Bouchercon store and
then take it to their hotel room because they couldn’t wait to read the first
scene. They were as obsessed with story as much as I. The fear that a reader
might begin my book, get bored and put it down, remains palpable. I was a
member of a Bouchercon panel on screenwriting and saw that there is still more
interest in finding some connection to get a producer to screenplay, than in
creating a surefire story.I was very
pleased to meet you and Mike at the Mysterious Press Anniversary party. You two
reminded me of my pals at Scotland Yard who knew the ropes of the business
better than anyone - and weren’t afraid to risk calling back a commercial
airliner in flight.
AK:And finally what’s next for Gerald
Petievich?
GP: I’m
working on another Beverly Hills novel featuring police detectives featuring
the characters I introduced in 13 Hillcrest Drive, Detective
Legs Casey and his partner Katrina Sutherland. This time they’ll be
investigating the murder of a Hollywood movie celebrity that gets complicated
when one of the witnesses is an attractive woman with whom Casey once had an
affair, and a clue points toward the most elusive mobster in L.A. …
AK:Thank you so much for your time, because, Gerald – You, the MAN.
GP: Thanks
to you and Mike, top blokes, and to your loyal readers at Shots Magazine.
If you have not read Gerry Petievich’s work, I’d urge you
to seek out his exciting and truly authentic police thrillers, but a warning –
they are tough character driven narratives and as noir as they get.
Bibliography
13 Hillcrest Drive (2025)
The Sentinel(2003)
Paramour (1991)
Shakedown (1989)
Earth Angels(1989)
Quality of the
Informant (1985)
To Live and Die in L.A.
(1984)
One-Shot Deal (1983)
To Die in Beverly Hills
(1983)
Money Men (1981)
Shots
Magazine would like to thanks Delia Bennett of Los Angeles based “Rare Bird
Publishing” and Emma Petievich for their help in organising this interview –
AND – of course the legendary Gerald Petievich for his time, writing, insight
and for his service in US Law Enforcement and Military Intelligence in Europe.
And Shots Magazine wish
to also thank Connie Perry and Heather Graham and their teams at Bouchercon New
Orleans for organising such a great convention.
….…and an addendum
below….there was an alternative ending shot for William Friedkin’s film version
of Gerald Petievich’s TO LIVE AND DIE IN
LA…..but never used…..and it [with another deleted scene] is available below
–
Mike Stotter and I were
thankful to Publisher / Editor and Literary Raconteur Otto Penzler, for a
specific book he’s just released, and we got the opportunity to thank him
personally while we were at Bouchercon 2025 in New Orleans.
I first heard of this book
during the London Book Fair when I had a meeting with Otto Penzler. As a long
time reader of Lee Child’s
Jack Reacher novels - I quizzed him about this book during last May’s Crimefest
event in Bristol.
The book I am referring to is ‘Reacher: The Stories behind the Stories’
– a book that I was highly anticipating.
So, what are my thoughts once
I had a copy in my hands?
This interesting book will not only appeal to readers of
the Jack Reacher novels, but also to readers [and writers] who wish to uncover
the physical mechanics behind the writing process; the dynamics that powered
one of the world’s best-selling thriller series.
Written in a series of short chapters [which were initially
short introductions to the limited print run special editions of each Jack
Reacher novel solely written by Lee Child] from the first [Killing Floor] to
the twenty fourth [Blue Moon], this book is so very interesting.
It opens - On Monday September 5th, 1994, at home, at the dining
room table, I sat down to write. An hour later, I gave the first chapter to my
wife. I asked, “Should I continue?”
“Yes,” she said. “I like it.”
Child’s self-deprecating, modest and amusing style at times
raising a smile, while at others forcing the reader to pause for thought and
ponder upon the hand of fate. The combination of the author’s work ethic,
built-in self-reliance, positive [and generous] nature - collided many times
with the hand of fate as he watched the cards fall, not always in his favour –
but he always seemed to play the best possible hand. Case in point – the
circumstances of the purchase of his Property in Southern France, as well as
its subsequent sale.
After completing this slim
tome, including the new Jack Reacher short story “A Better Place” which closes this interesting book – I had a few
questions, and thanks to publisher Otto Penzler, who spoke with Lee – I got my
answers, which are presented below for our readers.
I closed my review –
“This is the most informative and entertaining book I’ve
read so far in 2025. Reacher: The Stories behind the Stories helped recall how
much pleasure reading the Lee Child novels had on me, enriching my own life by distracting me
from my own [at times] Bad Luck and Trouble.”
I understand the importance of
literature - good writing – and the power of stories in helping manage the
randomness of life and its challenges.
Stephen King summed this
importance in his book “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”.
“Life isn't a support-system for art. It's
the other way around”
I managed my life through my
love of books and reading, so over to a story teller that helped me overcome
the challenges that life presented me from 1997’s ‘Killing Floor’ to 2019
and ‘Blue Moon’ – Mr. Lee Child.
Ali: I first heard about ‘Reacher: The Stories
behind the Stories’ in March, from Otto Penzler during the London Book Fair.
Would you tell us about the book’s genesis and was it your idea or that of
Penzler’s Mysterious Press?
Lee: Entirely Otto's idea - both originally and
contemporaneously. Otto did very limited
editions of the Reacher books for his collectors, 126 printed per title, and
asked for added-value forewords for each, year by year. I did them as diaries, really - where I was,
what I was thinking, etc, while I was writing each book. Then he wanted to publish them in a single
widely-available volume. Which felt
weird, frankly. I knew collectors rarely
even open the book - they shelve them reverentially and worry about cracking
their spines. So I thought no one would
read this stuff, so I made the intros quite personal and unguarded. Transworld picked it up as a subsidiary deal
for the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
AK: I see there will be an audio release,
will you be narrating / reading it or will Jeff Harding do the honours again?
AND what’s your take on the growth of Audio Books, and the Reacher novels in
particular?
LC: I narrated the
main part of the audio myself, because it feels a bit autobiographical, like a
memoir. That was the first time ever for
me. Jeff Harding did the non-me parts,
including a brand new Reacher short story we put in as bonus content. Audio is getting huge now - inevitably, I
think, because for most of our evolution storytelling has been oral, and we
seem to be hardwired for it. I'm all in favour
- I'm a storyteller rather than a writer, so I'm happy for people to get the
story any way they want.
AK: I enjoyed the Reacher short story “A
Better Place” that closes “Reacher: The Stories behind the Stories”, so after
last year’s collection ‘Safe Enough’ and previously ‘No Middle Name’, will we
be seeing more short fiction from you?
LC: I'm sure I'll do short stories now and then. There's always someone asking. If I'm around long enough, there could be
enough to make another collection.
AK: As a fellow
bibliophile - I was amused when you mentioned about renovating the manor house
in Sussex, including building a library “…for
the first time in my life, I had more shelves than books….though that moment
did not last long…” So tell us about your own book collecting over the
years, and what is the state of your book collection currently?
LC: I'm not a collector per
se - I have probably ten thousand books here and there, but fewer than
twenty are actual valuable volumes. I
have a Kelmscott Chaucer - folio size, hand-printed by William Morris,
illustrated by Edward Burne-Jones, often called the most beautiful book in the
world, and a first edition, first printing of The Catcher in the Rye, and a signed first of The
Silence of the Lambs. Plus a couple of
James Bonds. Stuff like that. But most of my books have little resale
value, except they're much loved by me.
AK: Naturally, there is little mention of the
Amazon series REACHER due to the time frame [Killing Floor to Blue Moon] – so
what can you tell us about Season Four – and is it based on your novel “Gone
Tomorrow”? And what about the spin off series “Neagely”?
LC: Yes, the TV seasons post-date the forewords in the
book. Reacher season four is almost done
- yes, Gone Tomorrow - and the Neagley spin-off is almost through
post-production.
LC: Like the memoir book [Reacher: The Stories behind the
Stories], the archive is another thing I never expected. UEA is very much "the writers'
university", a bit like Iowa State in the U.S., and I know Henry Sutton,
who teaches there. He asked for my
archive. I wasn't sure I had one, as
such - just a bunch of old boxes with all kinds of stuff thrown in. But they have made wonderful sense of it - it
has turned out to be beautifully curated and quite impressive. I started long enough ago that plenty of it
is on physical paper, not just electronic.
LC: I love festivals, and go to as many as I can fit
in. Readers and writers are like my
family, and it's great to see them periodically. I like to meet the new writers - such
passion, energy, and ideas - and such great books! And yes, I'll be there on
November 8th, at 7pm at Whitby in November.
Now I'm back in the UK, I decided to do stuff I had to miss
before. I like Whitby - I had a nice holiday
there once. And it's a new festival, so
I wanted to help launch it.
LC: By an outrageous coincidence, unknown to each other, I
was their fan and they were mine, and eventually we met. Obviously we immediately pledged to make an
album together - I would write the lyrics, they would write
the music. It took us fifteen
years to get it done, but we did it. A
real high point in my life. Total fun,
with two lovely people.
AK: Thank you for your time, and the trip
down memory lane with Reacher: The Stories behind the Stories. Your work has
always been important to so many readers.
LC: My pleasure as ever.
Shots Magazine would like to pass our thanks to Otto
Penzler of The Mysterious Press / Penzler Publishers and Patsy Irwin of
PenguinRandomHouse for helping organise this short interview and of course to
Lee Child for his time.
5 Min video Below: Lee Child
and Andrew Grant at Crimefest May 2025 Bristol UK recorded in Gonzo-Vision.
Book reviewers can tell you
how exciting it is to discover a novel that is ‘different’, that engages the
mind and makes one contemplate, provoke thought. Recently I was persuaded to
pick up a book entitled ‘Ordinary Bear’ by an American Author I’d never heard
of – namely Chris C.B. Bernard.
My friends and colleagues Jeff
Peirce of The Rap Sheet, and George Easter publisher of Deadly Pleasures Mystery
Magazine were extolling the novel’s virtues during Bouchercon in New Orleans,
earlier this Month. George went one step further, he thrust a copy into my
hands and said “…read up to page 38, and
if you don’t like it pass it to someone else….” Anyway, serendipitously I took
a front row seat at a book reviewing panel that George was moderating entitled “Crime
Rave: Mystery Reviewers Talk About Their Favorite Crime Fiction” with renowned
book reviewers / literary commentators Meredith Anthony, Oline Cogdill, Larry
Gandle, and Jeff Pierce. At one point, George Easter held up a copy of Ordinary Bear indicating it was one of
his recent favourite reads. George gestured to a bloke seated next to me and
said “…and the author Chris Bernard has
joined us here at Bouchercon…..” I blinked and grabbed my [gifted] copy of Ordinary Bear, and asked [in a conspiratorial whisper] the author
if he’d be so kind as sign it for me, which he did.
On my return to the UK, Ordinary
Bear was one of my early post-Bouchercon reads.
My thoughts?
This extraordinary novel is sadly
currently not published in Europe, but was released earlier this year in
America. I picked up a copy during the recent New Orleans Bouchercon thanks to
the book receiving a Deadly Pleasures Barry Award, and excellent word of mouth
in America.
I was energised by this novel, an
unexpected treat, full of heart but a very tough and hard hitting literary
thriller. Ordinary Bear provoked deep reflection and contemplation as the pages
turned and the tale was told.
Ostensibly, its theme is redemption but
the narrative is far more than purely a journey for the main character Farley
to find inner-peace. The narrative weaves the former army veteran from working
as an oil-field detective in Nanuqmiut [a small village in Alaska], to the
homeless tented camps in contemporary Portland, Oregon.
I concluded my review with the
following paragraph –
Rarely does one receive such a wonderfully
realised literary thriller, one that is sleek like a ricocheting bullet – but
one that makes the reader contemplate life-and-death, fear-and-love, cause-and-effect
in a world that perplexes us further with each passing day.
Hugely recommended even if one has to
order from America.
One of my top reads of 2025, so far [and I
read a lot of books].
As this novel was deeply
thought provoking, I had a few questions for the author, and Chris Bernard
cheerfully answered my queries with thoughtful [as well insightful] responses – which we present below for our readers – Ali Karim
Ali: Welcome to Great Britain’s Shots
Magazine
Chris: Thank you for inviting me.
AK: It was great to meet you
[albeit briefly] during Bouchercon
New Orleans, so can you tell our readers a little about yourself?
CB: Your reputation precedes you, Ali, so what fun to end
up sitting next to you at a Bouchercon panel.
Readers of my books will notice that place plays a key
role. That’s because it’s so important to me as well. America’s a big country.
I’ve moved back and forth across it six times and lived in nine states, and
something tells me I’m not done yet. For the last six years, I’ve lived on the
Rhode Island coast, in New England, but spent much of my adult life before that
in Alaska and Oregon.
When I’m not writing, reading, or talking about books, I’m
usually on the ocean—I love boats and have even built one—or walking with my dog
and wife.
AK:…you make me blush….anyway… How important are books and reading to you,
and are you a crime fiction reader? And what work did you read that made you
consider penning your own fiction?
CB: I was the weird kid who always knew what he wanted to
be. In my case, a writer—and since it took me a while to succeed at it, I guess
I was that weird adult, too.
Books can change lives, right? As a kid, books were how I
travelled. Books were how I learned. Books kept me company and entertained me. Books
taught me empathy and perspective, and helped me realize that the things I felt
and the things that scared me were not unique to me—that many of them were
universal. And that’s a comforting thing for a kid to learn.
As a lifelong reader, I try to be open to all kinds of
books. I find the concept of genre limiting. Write the best book you can and
I’ll read it. Just don’t bore me. But a survey of my shelves would probably
reveal a disproportionate share of crime fiction, literary fiction (whatever
the hell that is), outdoors and climate writing, and books by Irish novelists.
All of which is to say that no one book made me want
to write; every book made me want to write. Books have given me so much.
I just wanted to give something back. Every novelist wants to be a bestseller,
but I’d settle for having something I wrote connect with even one reader as
intensely as I’ve connected with so many other writers’ books.
AK: …and your favourite writers and why they are your favourites, and their
key work?
CB: This may sound like a dodge, but I think books are like
wine. Different types or varietals suit different occasions, so the answer to your
question would depend on my mood.
That said, some writers are automatic buys for me when
something new of theirs hits the shelves. I’ve read everything by the American
writer Robert Stone, and I’ll
continue to read everything by the Australian writer Tim Winton, the Irish writer Kevin Barry, and English
writer Sarah Hall. There’s a guy from
the American Pacific Northwest called Bruce
Holbert, whose books are difficult to characterize but never disappoint.
His novels Whiskey—about two brothers on the run with a kidnapped bear—and
Lonesome Animals, about a tormented sheriff called out of retirement to
hunt a serial killer, are astonishments.
Winton’s got a book, The Riders, about a guy
searching for his missing wife with his traumatized daughter. Like Ron Hansen’s Atticus, it’s the
kind of book that reframed for me what a mystery can look like or what it can be.
And, of course, you can probably find traces of all of these writers’ DNA in Ordinary Bear.
But maybe you’re asking about crime writers? Man, I’m not
even sure how you would go about making a list, there’s just too many great
ones. I loved Robert Wilson’s Bruce
Medway series set in Africa, as well as anything Denise Mina, Tana French,
or Louise Penny write. I recently
read and loved Urban Waite’s The
Terror of Living, Bill Beverly’s Dodgers,
and Gin Phillips’Fierce
Kingdom. My buddy John Straley writes
excellent detective novels set in Southeast Alaska, which bring the place to
life for me. And I’ve got shelves filled with Chandler, Leonard, and Greene.
How about Paz Pardo’s
The Shamshine Blind, because it’s classic detective noir set in an
inventively wild alternate universe—or Michael
Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union for the same reason?
AK: And was this your first Bouchercon? And can you tell us what you got up to in New Orleans?
CB: Ordinary Bear is
my first crime novel but my third book, so I’ve made the rounds of writers
conferences, book festivals, and literary conventions over the years. But this
was my first Bouchercon, and what a revelation to find such a supportive
community of writers, readers, and industry folks all lifting each other up and
celebrating each other’s work and successes. I spent much of the long weekend
in leisurely conversations about books with people like yourself, one of my favourite
ways to pass time. I also got to meet up with some online friends in person for
the first time, and sat in on some great panel discussions.
The Southern crime writing panel with S.A. Cosby, Ace Atkins, Henry Wise, Scott Blackburn, and Mark Westmoreland fascinated me. My
three books have all been set in Oregon, Alaska, or both, so the south itself
is a mystery to my sensibilities. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to so many
southern writers.
The team behind Deadly Pleasures magazine and Mystery Mike Bursaw were generous enough
to invite me to a dinner with some other writers and readers, where I enjoyed
the company, conversation, and cocktails in equal measure. And I got to spend
some time with your friend Jeff Pierce from The
Rap Sheet, who has been very kind to Ordinary
Bear.
In addition, my wife and I made time to hit some of our
favourite NOLA haunts for oysters and beignets, for drinks at The Hotel Monteleone—which
has a rich literary history—and to listen to live music.
AK: It was winning the Barry
Award 2025 at the National WW2 Museum for Ordinary Bear that brought your
work onto my Radar, so can you tell us a little what it meant to you as a
writer?
CB: It meant the world to me, Ali. Look, I’m pretty
thick-skinned. As a writer, you have to be—the world of publishing can
sometimes feel like a machine engineered to efficiently crush the human soul. I
can take bad reviews and rejections, and I’m going to get up every morning and
write no matter what. But it was a gift to be nominated for Best First Mystery
Novel and an absolute shock to win.
What made it especially meaningful is that, a decade
earlier, my wife and I spent a day at the National WW2 Museum with some close friends,
and I’d been deeply moved by the exhibits. So taking the stage and speaking to
the audience there felt particularly gratifying. Not to mention looking out
into that audience and seeing so many writers whose work I admire.
I’m not going to lie and tell you I don’t read my reviews,
because I do. But I don’t write for critics, I write for readers, and that’s
what made this award such a thrill—it’s a reader vote, and I’m grateful.
AK: Though ostensibly a Crime Novel, Ordinary Bear has a literary air, so can
you tell us a little about its genesis and the writing process as well as
journey to publication.
CB: Blackstone Publishing
gave me a two-book deal when they bought my debut novel, Small Animals
Caught in Traps. Iwrote Ordinary Bear after I turned in that
first manuscript.
Last year, while on a panel at the New Hampshire Book
Festival with Sarah Stewart Taylor,
Margot Douahiy, and Edwin Hill—all
fantastic mystery writers—someone in the audience asked if we knew the endings
of our books when we started writing them. I told them that I didn’t even know
the beginning of Ordinary Bear. It’s such a difficult book to discuss
without giving spoilers, but there’s a scene—you know the one—that came to me
first. Not only did I have to write my way out of that scene, but I also had to
write my way into it.
As you know, the entire book changes after that—tenor,
tone, setting, all of it—so the first 20 pages or so are a bit of a feint. As a
novelist, the challenge then became stitching those two parts of the book
together without leaving a seam high enough for readers to trip over.
I don’t think I sat down to write a mystery so much as to
send Farley, the lead character, on a kind of odyssey. Like in Dante’s Inferno,
but instead of Virgil, a different character guides him through each circle of
the particular hell in which he finds himself, each damned in his or her own
way. As the story began to take shape, I saw the opportunity to mirror a detective
story as Farley sets out to try to save the kidnapped girl, but also to have
some fun with it by putting him through some things along the way.
AK: I felt one of the major strengths of Ordinary Bear was how distinctly
painted were the minor characters like Lady McDeath, like Edge [aka George
Edgeworthy], Wayne and the cross-dressing former Army Veteran – turned
bartender, Dolly, to name just a few. So tell me how you managed to control
such an unusual array of background characters and make them so distinct in the
readers mind?
CB: It wouldn’t make for an interesting story if Farley
only encountered buttoned up accountants and people who have their shit
together, right? Anyone who’s ever spent time in Portland, Oregon, will know
what I mean when I say that it’s a city that punches above its weight in
characters. I don’t know whether Portland draws them like pilgrims to Mecca or if
it manufactures them, but they thrive there. That’s part of why I set the book
there.
Farley is hurting. He’s bereft with grief, crippled by
guilt, physically damaged, and actively trying to punish himself by sleeping on
the streets. When he sets out to find the missing girl, his physical well-being
diminishes as he gets deeper into his odyssey. At the same time, each character
he meets opens his mind a little, awakening his empathy and reminding him that,
as all-consuming as his grief and guilt are, they’re universal human emotions. Everybody’s
hurt in some way, all of us.
The trick with writing characters like that is to highlight
but don’t limit them to their quirks. Show what makes them human and readers
will connect—and if readers connect with characters, they’ll remember them.
AK: You are a big bloke, but perhaps not as hulking as your main character
Farley, so where did this protagonist come from?
CB: I don’t want to give too much away, but an extended metaphor
runs throughout the book, a kind of relationship between Farley and the bear of
the title. Polar bears are marine mammals. They spend most of their lives on
ice. But as climate change melts the ice, they find themselves increasingly, jarringly
out of place on land, mingling with humans. This leads to more negative
interactions.
Not to draw a line in ink that’s too dark here, but
Farley’s a huge bear of a man forced to leave the Arctic village where he lives
for the urban streets of Portland, where he definitely does not belong. And in
the end, when he absolves the bear for the impact it has had on his life
because it was just doing what bears do, he’s absolving himself, in a way.
I liked the idea of kind of flipping a Jack
Reacher story on its head. A giant ex-military type who lives out of a
bag and helps someone in need, except he kindda
sucks at it. Despite his size and obvious proclivity for violence, Farley
makes it as far as he does in his search for the missing girl only because of
all these characters who help him along the way.
AK: I see you have been writing a whiles before Ordinary Bear, can you tell
us a little about your writing?
CB: As I said, Ordinary Bear is my third book and
second novel, but my first crime novel. Small Animals Caught in Traps is
set in a rain-soaked runt of a town in rural Oregon and follows an
ex-boxer-turned-fly-fishing-guide grieving the loss of his wife as he tries
like hell to help his daughter find her way in the world, even as he loses his
own.
Obviously, I tend to skew dark in my fiction, but there’s
always humour. Humour is critical—not just in fiction, but in life. As a
novelist, if you’re going to write dark, you can use humour to give readers
room to breathe. Like a bell between rounds of a fight. You can also use it as
a jab to distract them so they don’t see the haymaker punch coming.
AK: And the backdrops in Alaska and Portland are vividly drawn, so I assume
you are familiar with the Pacific Northwest of America?
CB: In 1999, I moved from Massachusetts to Alaska and fell immediately
in love with the place. Not long after, I caught wind of an ancestor who’d done
the same thing during the Gold Rush a hundred years earlier. Having failed as a
miner, he became an explorer at a time when the Arctic still had a lot of blank
spots on the map and lived a remarkable life, spending two decades exploring,
shipwrecked, or frozen over in the Arctic. My first book, Chasing Alaska: A
Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now, tells the parallel stories of
his exploration and my own to show the Alaska we both knew and loved and how it
changed over the century between us.
After I left Alaska, my wife and I lived in
Oregon—twice—for more than a decade. As I said, place matters to me. The
landscape of the Pacific Northwest resonates at the same frequency as my heart.
But Rhode Island is beautiful, too—woods and waters—and we’ve built a good life
here, for now.
AK: So what’s next for Chris Bernard….as I noticed there could be a
possibility for a sequel, or am I mistaken?
CB: At the moment, I have no plans for a sequel, but never
say “never,” right? My next book veers away from crime fiction because I needed
a change in the months after I turned in Ordinary Bear, and because I
like to challenge myself. But after that one, I plan to get back to it—the
community of crime writers and readers feels too much like home for me not to
want to return.
AK: Thank you for your time
CB: This was a lot of fun. Thanks for the opportunity, Ali,
and thanks for all you do for writers and readers.
Shots Magazine thanks Chris Bernard
for his time and insight – more information about Ordinary Bear and his
work can be found HERE and HERE and in
the video interview below from “Must Read Fiction”
AND for information about next
year’s World Crime and Mystery Convention [Bouchercon] click HERE
