We’ve launched a new series over here called Book Shots. It features some of the top mystery writers working today. No one has time to doom scroll endlessly to find a YouTube clip of an interview. We’re giving you quick Book Shots of authors and their newly released books.

Some may be familiar faces, and others–well, you might just find your new favorite author. You may have caught the interview with Bruce Robert Coffin.

So, sit back, relax, and pour yourself the libation of your choice and enjoy Book Shots with Author Daniella Bernett.

Daniella Bernett is a member of the International Thriller Writers and the Mystery Writers of America, where she is president of the New York chapter. She also is a member of the Crime Writers Association. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Journalism from St. John’s University. Lead Me Into Danger, Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave, A Checkered Past, When Blood Runs Cold, Old Sins Never Die, Viper’s Nest of Lies, A Mind To Murder and Betrayed By The Truth are the other books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. Secrets Lie In Wait, the latest installment, was just released. Additionally, she is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure and Silken Reflections. Daniella is working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure. Visit www.daniellabernett.com or follow her on Facebook and Goodreads.

Daniella has just released the tenth book in her Emmeline Kirby & Gregory Longdon Mystery series, Secrets Lie in Wait

Q: Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon are an unusual couple. A journalist and a “reformed” jewel thief. How did you conceive of this pair, and which is your favorite character to write?

I chose a journalist and a jewel thief because I wanted a portrait in contrasts to give a multilayered and nuanced richness to my stories. While a police detective’s job is to hunt down criminals, sometimes the law’s constraints chafe and make the task more difficult. Amateur sleuths are not bound by rules and regulations, nor are they obstructed by petty interagency infighting. They have free reign to investigate. This also yields myriad opportunities for them to become ensnared in a cauldron of mischief and mayhem, which heightens the tension. 

As a journalist, Emmeline’s job is to ask questions to uncover the truth and ensure that justice is served. She tends to see things in black and white. For Gregory, the law is a diverting “guideline” to be followed, if the mood strikes him. However, murder is a wanton offense. A line that should never be crossed. Thus, they are of one mind when it comes to the taking of a human life: the culprit must pay for the crime, otherwise chaos would reign in the world.

Meanwhile, an author should never have favorites. Emmeline and Gregory are a joy to write precisely because of their distinctive characters. Her impetuous streak and temper drive her to find answers and allow me to blind her to looming perils. Gregory is charming and witty. His nemesis is Superintendent Oliver Burnell of Scotland Yard. They have an adversarial, cat-and-mouse relationship. I have tremendous fun writing their verbal duels. Through their banter, I inject a bit of humor into the story to break up the tension. Gregory never misses an opportunity to needle the superintendent. Burnell, for his part, has been thwarted in his many attempts to catch Gregory red-handed. There is an underlying grudging respect, but a thief is a thief and Burnell will never stop trying to put Gregory behind bars. Gregory wouldn’t have it any other way.

Q: With ten books in this series, how are you able to keep the stories fresh and the characters engaging for your readers?

In each book, I provide another nugget of information to peel back the curtain on Emmeline and Gregory while also keeping something tucked away. After all, the human species is full of contradictions that are begging to be explored.

To keep plots fresh, secrets and the desire to cover up long-ago transgressions provide a bottomless well of trouble. Although readers always want happily-ever-after, I find it quite boring. It’s a dead end from an author’s perspective because the story has petered out. On the other hand, revenge and betrayal are motives I can greedily sink my teeth into because they always bring me back to the question: What if? Those are two of the most potent words in an author’s arsenal since the possibilities are infinite. My imagination can indulge its lethal cravings. And then, the real game begins.

Q: Wonderful immersive settings are a hallmark of these books, and Secrets Lie in Wait is no exception. How do you bring locations like Amsterdam and London to life on the page?

Setting is an important character all its own, one that helps to establish the tone and propel the story. Scenes spring to mind when a particular area has made a strong impression on me. That’s why I’m able to give readers a taste of the sights and sounds of these two beautiful cities to make them feel as if they’re walking in my characters’ footsteps. A book is an enchanting journey. If a reader can’t travel in real life, he or she can plunge into an adventure anywhere in the world for a short while. I want to share places that I love with my readers.

Q: Your mysteries are intricately plotted and slowly reveal the important clues for the reader at just the right moment. How do you know when to reveal something important and when to hold it back?

I plan the entire story in my head before I sit down to write. I must know who the murderer is at the outset to be able to plant the clues and red herrings. I revel in creating an intricate puzzle laced with layer upon layer of deception. To tease the readers’ intellect, I like to devise a complex motive, or even better a mix of motives, and then lead them on a merry chase for clues.The clues are like pearls that I strategically drop here and there. It’s the reader’s job to collect and arrange them so that they form a necklace. 

The key is to get the adrenaline rushing through readers’ veins by taking them to the edge of a cliff, leaving them teetering for a few seconds, and then at the last moment veering off in a different direction. Keeping readers off balance intensifies the shock. Red herrings are mydevious test to determine whether the secret sleuth within the reader can detect the truth or is merely swayed by circumstantial evidence. It’s the equivalent of waving a red flag in front of a bull to distract and persuade the reader into pursuing a false path. It adds a dash of spice to keep the story hurtling forward to a dramatic (and I hope satisfying) denouement. The critical element is to ensure that all the twists in the tale lead to the same juncture at the end.

Q: Your heroes are only as strong as their villains. Russian mob boss Kozlov puts them to the test in this story. What was intriguing to you about Kozlov’s character, and how did you make him the perfect challenge to Emmeline and Gregory?

Kozlov is utterly ruthless and mercenary. But he’s also highly intelligent. He conceived and mounted a sophisticated diamond smuggling operation fueled by blackmail. Exploiting a person’s weaknesses and past sins to further his illicit objectives is his favorite pastime. Consequently, Kozlov’s iron grip on every facet of his operation, as well as his deep pockets to grease greedy palms, enabled him to cover his tracks and evade the law. Those who foolishly attempted to stop him paid with their lives. 

Q: Did your background in journalism play a role in your decision to become a mystery writer?

Actually, my desire to become a writer led me to study journalism. That was the natural progression for me. When it comes to mysteries, my mother got my sister and me hooked on them and spy thrillers when we were very little. These books are a siren call to my soul.

I don’t need to know how much blood and guts have been spilled. I want to know why the crime was committed. Therefore, when I sit down to write, I have an irresistible temptation to stray into the sinister to slake a human craving for excitement and to provide an escape from the mundane. 

Q: What was the most difficult part of writing Secrets Lie in Wait?

It took me longer than usual to write this book. I maneuvered myself into a corner at one point and had to rework the story. Also, things in my personal life intruded. 

Q: While I think readers will enjoy diving right into this book, do you recommend they begin with the first in the series, Lead Me Into Danger?

Each book can stand alone. I include enough backstory so that a reader will not be lost. I’m conscious that someone may be discovering me for the first time. Of course, if a reader would like to see how Emmeline and Gregory developed and the dynamic of their relationship changed, then start with Lead Me Into Danger. 

Q: What’s next from you?

I’m working on Book 11. Emmeline and Gregory would die of boredom without a healthy dose of danger, intrigue and murder. They have a penchant for throwing caution to the wind. It takes courage to face the truth because one never knows whether the consequences will be fatal. 

Here’s where you can find your copy–and you should!

Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop.org

Let Daniella know what you think about her latest, or leave a question for her in the comments below.

Hope you enjoyed Book Shots, please keep checking back and give me your recommended mystery authors for a future session. Up next will be Baron Birtcher with his fantastic Ty Dawson series, the most recent of which is, Knife River. And there’s a new book on the horizon.

Book Shots

Illusion of Truth available now!

“Everything you read police stories for is here, and much, much more.” Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)

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