Five Question Interview - Rebecca Yount & Mick Chandra

Hailing from a literary family, Rebecca Yount could say writing is in her blood. Having studied music, worked on a 'Washington career' and had 'a bad marriage, divorce then a good marriage', she found that her love of writing became a reality after taking early retirement.

Her skill at creating mystery, suspense, horror, humor and real characters are seen in her four outstanding books - 'Death in C Minor', 'The Erkling', 'The Ravenhoe Cauldron' and her latest novel 'The Oracle of Baal'. With little doubt, her main character Detective Inspector Mick Chandra is an affable individual who takes his home life just as seriously as his work. Commitment to ridding the world of crime is no easy feat, Chandra makes it seem effortless. And this ease is gained only through the artistry of Yount's writing.

The Interviews

Rebecca...

Author: Rebecca Yount

l.  Who are your top five favorite characters in novels/books? 1. Jane Eyre. 2. Nancy Drew. 3. Spencer (R. B. Parker’s PI) 4. Odysseus. 5. Phillip Marlowe.

2. Which authors (dead or alive) have inspired you?
Here is a partial list:  Jane Austen; Fanny Burney; Joan Didion; Robert B. Parker; Charles Dickens; Alex. Pushkin; Edna St. Vincent Millay; Rita Mae Brown.

3.  What motivates you to write the next book? 
The on-going adventure.

4. You’re hosting a literary dinner party – who would you invite (dead or alive) and why?
Jane Austen – For obvious reasons;
The Bronte Sisters – How did they manage to write those powerful stories stuck up there in N. England? Charles Dickens – But as hostess, I would warn him that he could not use the party as an opportunity to do a dramatic reading from one of his books. Rita Mae Brown – Because she seems like a lot of fun, and I love her writing. William. Shakespeare – Well, did you or did you not write all of those plays? Bruce Chatwin – How much time did you actually spend in Patagonia? Patrick Fermor – What was the best thing about walking from Holland to Turkey? Herman Melville – After the failure of MOBY DICK, what kept you writing? Fanny Burney—How do you feel about being considered the mother of the feminist movement? Harper Lee – Didn't you just want to smack your editor when she demanded so many rewrites of MOCKINGBIRD?

5. Looking back over your career, would you still become an author?

Yes, only sooner.

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Mick...

1. What do you like about being a detective?

This may sound like pure conceit on my part, but I like to think I’m “righting” the wrongs of the world.

2. How do you feel when people see your race rather than a skilled detective?
I've long since convinced myself it’s them, not me. Furthermore, I’m exceedingly proud of my Kerala heritage.

3. Do you have a favorite part of London?
By all means north London, where I live in Stoke Newington.  It’s not the most “posh” part of the city, but it’s a real community, multi-cultural, with wonderful international shopping.  You can walk up the High Street and hear a polyglot of languages being spoken. I love that, and so does my wife, Jess.
             
4. Now that you’re married & have a young family, would you consider giving up your career and being a stay-at-home dad?
I might consider cutting back a bit, but I could never give up my work.  Again, at the expense of sounding too grand, I like to think I’m making the world a safer place for my wife and daughter. Also, I confess I’m somewhat hooked on the adrenalin rush of police work.

5. Of all the investigations, which affected you the most?
I would have to say The Erlking case, in which we broke up a notorious pedophile ring in north London. The morning I saw eight-year-old Josie Stephens’ corpse pulled out of the Grand Union canal, I vowed to bring down her abusers and murderers.  The mantra for that investigation became, “For Josie’s sake.”

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GIVEAWAY

Rebecca has kindly offered three readers of my blog to receive a digital copy of her latest novel - The Oracle of Baal.

Leave a comment or question on this post by October 15 8pm EST to be entered into a drawing to win this book. One person will be chosen randomly using Random.org. Please make sure to leave an e-mail address with your comment. Thank you and Good Luck!

The Oracle of Baal (A Mick Chandra Mystery) - Rebecca Yount

When a prominent stage actress is found dead having apparently committed suicide and having just won a prestigious award, there's only one team that can solve the puzzle.

Detective Inspector Mick Chandra and his partner Elizabeth Chang are the ones to call upon to solve the unsolvable cases. But this time around the case is throwing out a lot of bodies, questions and no answers. How can the suicide of an actress be connected to that of a headmaster in York?

When two more suicides are noted, Chandra spots a similarity. One which is quite odd and out of character - a hat neatly left on a hassock. The people who have died have all been seemingly happy (that is until their untimely death) but another strange fact comes to light. They all talked of enlightenment, the after-life. Could it be they were all part of cult?

After meeting one Dr. Solomon Deal, a revered scholar on the topic of cults, Mick learns so much more and realizes that he has to tread carefully. Upon learning of a young woman that escaped the so called Oracle of Baal, Mick travels to York to visit the emotionally traumatized young girl and discovers a cult that is truly disturbing.

How high up does this cult extend? What are they doing with the significant amounts of money that they have received? With the enigmatic leader Madame Love proclaiming the organization as a self-help group, the inspector will have to call upon the help of his friend Jamie. By infiltrating the suspected cult, can Mick bring the brainwashing to an end and justice for the families left behind?

This is the best Mick Chandra mystery so far. With a captivating subject matter and written so well, it's an absorbing, can't put it down read. Further details are discovered on the main characters adding new dimensions to already rounded figures. Yount's eloquence with handling a fairly sensitive topic is intelligent without glamorizing other well known cults. She manages to give facts and theories without digressing from the plot - a plot that is unpredictable, tense and exciting.  A highly recommended read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author to review. The opinions expressed are my own and I am not required to give a positive critique.