with Linda Y. Atkins
We are delighted to welcome author Linda Y. Atkins to Omnimystery News today.
Linda's fourth legal thriller in her series featuring attorney Hilary Adams is Deadline for Murder (Turquoise Morning Press; October 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the chance to catch up with her to talk a little more about it.
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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to Hilary Adams? What is it about her that appeals to you as a writer?
Photo provided courtesy of
Linda Y. Atkins
Linda Y. Atkins: Hilary Adams is a very tough, very smart criminal defense attorney whose specialty is representing those accused of the most heinous of crimes — murder. Though she doesn't suffer fools easily, there's a vulnerability about her (but don't tell her that) especially when she deals with the very complex problems presented by her errant clients. Throughout, however, no matter how difficult those problems are, she unfailingly remains their champion even though evidence may indicate her clients are as guilty as the cops and the prosecutors contend they are. But for Hilary, that's the challenge and one she willingly accepts.
As a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, I can certainly relate to Hilary's challenges, struggles, triumphs, and defeats, and how difficult it is to preserve some semblance of balance between the demands placed upon a lawyer both professionally and personally.
OMN: Have you found writing a series featuring this character challenging?
LYA: Writing a series with the main character and two other collateral characters being reprised in each novel was my biggest challenge. I was always concerned, as were my editors, that each of the books in the Hilary Adams Mystery Series should stand independent of each other so that the reader could read them out of sequence without confusion. That was a tall order because, on the one hand, I had to keep Hilary fresh and interesting, so that with each sequel my readers couldn't wait to join her in her next adventure. But yet, I had to provide enough historical background in her life (both professionally and personally) to preserve the continuity of events and to explain the development of characters who had successive roles in the series.
OMN: Into which fiction genre (or subgenre) would you place the books in this series?
LYA: I would characterize my novels as being legal thrillers, but I don't find labeling them as such to be a disadvantage. After all, readers have a right to know exactly what type of book they're buying. Though my books are works of fiction, as an attorney, I naturally draw upon my experiences in the courtroom and my knowledge of the law to bring authenticity to my novels. That's what my readers demand and, hopefully, that's what I deliver. At least, that's always been my objective.
OMN: Tell us something about Deadline for Murder that isn't mentioned in the synopsis.
LYA: I can tell you that there is a big surprise at the very end of the book — a surprise that, for Hilary Adams fans, is well-worth waiting for. So don't peek!
OMN: OK, then, tell us what you can.
LYA: Hilary accepts a new position as head of the criminal litigation department of a very posh, very highbrow law firm. She soon realizes, however, that the position comes with a hefty price tag — she has to take on every case the managing partner throws her way, including the representation of his old college chum, journalist Blake Hunter, a happily married man who can't seem to remember how he ended up in the wee hours of the morning in a seedy motel room with a very dead young woman. Then, in quick succession, another murder victim turns up. Blake's new boss is found brutally beaten and stabbed in exactly the same manner as the young woman. Evidence, including DNA left at each of the crime scenes, points to only one person as being the culprit in both killings — Hilary's client, Blake Hunter.
OMN: Describe your writing process.
LYA: Surprisingly, I always start with a title, and then sketch out in my mind, a very spartan concept for a plot. I've always been very fortunate to be able to write anytime I can find thirty uninterrupted minutes in front of a computer and let my imagination take over. Once the basics of the storyline are in place, then I go back and painstakingly revise and revise and revise some more. Sometimes, in writing a four hundred page mystery suspense novel, where the plot is intricate with lots of twists and turns, it's hard to remember what a character did, or said, or knew in chapter five and keep it consistent with the character's behavior and motivations fifty-five chapters later. So revising and finding those inconsistencies is critical to my writing process.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories?
LYA: As indicated by the acknowledgments found in each book, I always consult with experts if I have questions about an issue that I don't feel I have the requisite knowledge to write about. For example, in Deadline for Murder, the controlled substance, Rohypnol, became pivotal to the storyline. Feeling that I needed to pick the brain of someone who had first-hand knowledge on the subject, I turned to a former homicide detective, now with DEA, who really helped me understand how quickly the drug worked and how its toxic effects could be used in the book. As another example — in Politics Can Be Murder, I asked for guidance from two very experienced detectives regarding police procedure and accident scene reconstruction so that I could preserve what is most important to me as a writer — accuracy and realism.
OMN: How true are you to the settings of your books?
LYA: Although I was raised in Pittsburgh, I've lived in Louisville, Kentucky, for almost 38 years and have practiced law in Kentucky for thirty-two of those years. I now think of Louisville as my home. Because I wanted my novels to resonate authenticity, I write legal thrillers that only involve Louisville and the Kentucky court system. As a fledgling writer, the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil greatly influenced me — so much so that when I thought about the setting for my own novels — without question — there was only one place I wanted to write about — my adopted hometown of Louisville. I hope that I've managed, in some small measure, to capture our city's unique southern charm and hospitality much like John Berendt was so successful in doing for the city of Savannah.
OMN: What is the best advice you've received as an author?
LYA: The best advice I ever received as I began my writing career was, "Write about what you know, not what you think you know. If you try and pretend you know more than you do, your readers may buy your first book, but they won't be standing in line to buy your second, third, or fourth."
OMN: What kinds of feedback have you received from readers?
LYA: I love to hear how much readers like Hilary. As one reader put it, "She's what lawyers are supposed to be — knowledgeable and caring." I also love to hear feedback from readers who say they can't wait to visit Louisville and see all the sites and experience all the events that are referenced in the book, especially The Kentucky Derby. As you can imagine, both comments are music to my ears.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were young?
LYA: I've always loved mysteries, beginning with the Nancy Drew novels that, as a young girl, I, time and again, borrowed from my neighborhood library and begged for my own copies as Christmas and birthday presents. Coupling that first love of the mystery genre with my background as a former prosecutor and then as a criminal defense attorney, it wasn't too much of a stretch to try my hand at writing a series in which the main character is a lawyer who solves mysteries. But, with one very big difference — the four novels in the Hilary Adams Mystery Series are very grown-up versions of what the Nancy Drew mysteries were all about.
OMN: And what do you read now for pleasure?
LYA: I look for the "usual suspects" — great dialogue, unforgettable characters and complicated plot lines. I'm a great fan of Robert Ludlum's novels with their complicated plots and sub-plots. It makes for hard to put down reading. I also love John Grisham's novels, especially The Litigators. It was quirky, humorous, and I think I saw at least four lawyers I knew in his well-drawn characters.
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Linda Y. Atkins has practiced law in Louisville, Kentucky since 1982. She began her career as a prosecutor in the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, working her way up through the ranks to become the Director and Chief Prosecutor of the County's first domestic violence unit. Married with two children (and three cats) she now practices law with her husband, concentrating in medical and legal malpractice claims. And of course, she uses her extensive knowledge of the law to write the Hilary Adams mystery series.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at LindaAtkinsAuthor.com, or find her on Facebook.
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Deadline for Murder
Linda Y. Atkins
A Hilary Adams Mystery
Defending a crime reporter accused of a double-homicide puts Hilary Adams to the test once more. Can she meet the deadline for murder?
Attorney Hilary Adams makes the difficult decision not to run for another term as Louisville's top prosecutor. She's determined to return to the defense side of the justice system. The only hitch is that her newfound resolve isn't resonating too well with her husband Peter Elliott, Louisville's police chief.
On the first day after her incumbency has ended, Hilary receives an unexpected and very hard to resist offer from Winfield Bennett, the managing partner of Louisville's biggest white-shoe law firm. He wants her to head up a newly formed criminal litigation division. Unable to turn down such a prestigious position and the obscene salary package that accompanies it, Hilary accepts. She soon realizes, however, that the job comes with a hefty price tag — take on every case Win throws her way, including the representation of his old college chum, journalist Blake Hunter, a happily married man who can't seem to remember how he woke up that morning in a seedy motel room with a very dead young woman.
Then, in quick succession, another murder victim turns up. Blake's new boss is found brutally beaten and stabbed in exactly the same manner as the young woman. Evidence, including DNA left at each of the crime scenes, points to only one person as being the culprit in both slayings — Hilary's errant client, Blake Hunter.
As always, Hilary has her work cut out for her. Once again, she's up to the challenge.
