Meeting Evil

By Katy Munger

There are very few writers in this world who don’t eventually get around to inviting evil into their books. But few revel in the exploration of pure, unadulterated evil as much as we crime writers. It is an irresistible lure — to examine the age-old question of whether people are inherently good or inherently bad, to ponder whether the way we have evolved has helped us conquer evil or simply helped us find new ways to celebrate it.

As a writer, I started my career depicting evil as the inevitable by-product of good people gone bad, misguided souls who had somehow taken a wrong turn and stumbled onto the dark side. By the time I was in the middle of my Casey Jones series, I had acknowledged that there are people who walk among us who embrace evil, who think of no one but themselves and who have turned their backs on the better impulses we humans share because their sole motivation is to have what they want. But it is only with my latest series, the Dead Detective, that I have come to believe in — and to write about  — evil as a force independent from the existence of humans. Evil now finds its way into my books about life and death, infiltrating the characters that inhabit my books, and surviving even when those characters are gone. But what may be surprising to some of you is that I do not write about evil in this way to add suspense to my books or to scare readers. I do not even write about evil as a symbol of human behavior.  I write about it and its manifestations because I truly believe that, while good lives in each of us and binds us together, evil is a tangible force that roams our world, searching from person to person, seeking entry in envy, deprivation, shame, anger, resentment and more — all those emotions that spread over us like fissures in the shell of an egg, cracking ourselves open and inviting evil to enter.

I did not evolve into acknowledging evil lightly. It is not the culmination of some sort of New Age beliefs nor is it born of any sort of religious fervor. I believe in evil because, many years after the fact, I have at last come to terms with the reality that I once met it. I am going to tell you about that night now.

Movies About Writers

I finally saw Midnight in Paris.  The fiancée and her parents were clichés, though the kind one meets too often in Paris, but that minor flaw is easily forgiven because of the look of the film, the clever plotting, a perfect Hemingway, and the Surrealists.  Magic!  Writers are often the protagonists in Woody Allen’s films, which got me thinking about all the movies I’ve seen about my profession.

Writers spend most of their time in their bathrobes in tiny rooms, working, so they seem unlikely heroes and heroines for the screen.  Probably, their prominence in film is due to the fact that movies are written by, duh, writers, and we tend to solipsism.

I’m in a U.K. state of mind

I find myself in a UK frame of mind these days – suffused with goodwill toward that grand kingdom and wishing I could hop on a plane and walk her streets and shores again. Not only do I have a new British publisher, Severn House, but they are lifting my books out of paperback original obscurity and bringing out the new Dead Detective in hardback. It has been a long time since I had the joy of holding one of my books in my hands and slowly thudding myself over the head with it, enjoying its substance. On top of that, I get to have an editor named James Nightingale, which sounds very posh to me, and the UK includes Ireland, where I left my heart a decade ago and hope to find again, in person, one day.

More than that, as a Southerner, I remain deeply grateful to the UK for recognizing southern culture for its richness and originality. The truth is that they do a far better job of appreciating the American South than the rest of America does. Recently, I had the fun of watching my first Casey Jones book, Legwork, rise in the ranks of Kindle books in the UK, a first for that series as it was never distributed separately on the other side of the pond. I am delighted that people there — who appreciated Elvis and rock-and-roll and Muddy Waters and Muscle Shoals soul long before we in America could ­— are going to meet Casey. I know they will understand that a sense of place is oh-so-important both to her and to the books.

Living with split personalities….

I wear many hats in life: writer, mom, advocate for political change, friend and more. I cope by compartmentalizing. It is rare when one of my lives crosses over into the other. All of which makes it supremely ironic that when it comes to my writing, I am constantly crossing sub-genres and leaving fans and critics at a loss as to how to describe my writing: “cozies with an edge,” “humorous hardboiled,” “paranormal procedurals” and more. I’m not sure if it’s cost me readers, but I do know it has made marketing my books a nightmare for my publishers. And it has spawned some of the strangest covers in the history of crime fiction. The original Casey Jones covers jumped from Nevada Barr-like art to Evanovich cartoons to a couple incomprehensible melds of both and finally settled down on the fourth try to something actually resembling the tone of the book. Invariably, in a quest to guide readers, the staff of marketing always chose to weigh in with cover art on the lighter side of the equation, leaving me always having to answer readers who wrote to say they were upset by one section of my book or another that led the book into an unexpected dark corner.

Lise McClendon: TPAC Author

I’ve got two great series, including an historical one set in Kansas City and one set in modern-day Wyoming, for you to read — plus two new original titles with unique settings and plots to entertain and move you. Check out my author page for more on my books. It’s great to be here in the company of so many other hardworking writers. Hope you’ll give us all a try!

Sparkle Hayter: TPAC Author

My books are quirky, comic mysteries with unconventional plots. The detective is a cynical, off-the-wall redhead with opinions on everything. The mysteries take her into the worlds of the media, S&M, mobsters, moguls and rabid animal rights activists. Learn more about my books here.

Kate Flora: TPAC Author

In case you missed them originally, I’ve got some great stand-alones and series I think you’ll enjoy. I’m excited they’re available in e-book format and will be bringing out even more  titles soon. Check out my author page for more.

Taffy Cannon: TPAC Author

I’m excited about e-books as a new medium for my books. Four titles are already available for Kindle, and I’m working my way through my backlist to get more ready.  I’m a Chicago native who landed happily in Southern California a long time ago. Take a look at some of the titles I’ll be bringing out in e-book format and make room in your To Be Read pile for me.

Sarah Shaber: TPAC Author

I put a lot of research and care into every one of my books. Years of research help me create by-gone eras and realistic settings for my unique characters. Try my series about a Raleigh, NC-based professor solving long-forgotten mysteries or learn more about my new historical on my author page.

Gary Phillips: TPAC Author

I’m always trying new mediums and new ways to tell my stories. You’ll find links to my novels, short stories, graphic novels and more here. Most of my work is set in L.A. and Orange County — but it’s not the Orange County you’ll see on The O.C. Learn more about my work here.