Lies and Spies with Daniella Bernett

RHYS BOWEN:

I met today's guest at the Edgar celebrations a year ago and enjoyed talking with her so we have kept in contact ever since. It's one of the perks of the writing career that we strike up good friendships and meet such interesting people.

As Daniella says in her blog post today, we writers see the world differently. Other people overhear a conversation and probably pay no attention. Someone at the next table says "And if it won't work?" and the reply is "It's got to work."

It's probably arranging a surprise party, a stunt at work, and we think kidnapping, murder, heist. It's how our brains are now wired.

My favorite line I ever overheard?  "Of course the gunbelt weighs you down."  And this was in the swimming pool. It made me swim faster to keep up with the conversation!

So here is Daniella now to give you her thoughts on the writer's mind:

DANIELLA BERNETT

A Diamond, Spies and Poisonous Lies

I would like to thank Rhys Bowen for inviting me to Jungle Reds. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting her in April 2018 at the Mystery Writers of America’s pre-Edgar Awards gathering in New York. I also would like to thank the rest of the Reds, who have graciously shared the spotlight and given me an opportunity to discuss my work ever since my first novel was published. 

I’m delighted to let everyone know that WHEN BLOOD RUNS COLD, the fifth book in my mystery series featuring journalist Emmeline Kirby and jewel thief-cum-insurance investigator Gregory Longdon, was released on September 21 by Black Opal Books. The story is set in contemporary London, where the long tentacles of revenge at last catch up with their quarry. A defector’s treachery is repaid with death, while the auction of a flawless blue diamond stirs up desires that are dangerous as sin.

I believe my fellow writers will agree with me, when I say that we look at the world differently than those around us. We grasp it, turn it upside down, and then round and round. There is no such thing as an ordinary situation. In our minds, a story can always be coaxed to life. I have always enjoyed losing myself in a good mystery or spy thriller, whether it be a book or one of those Golden Age movies. It’s the story that captivates my attention. Therefore, when I sit down to write, I have an irresistible temptation to stray into the sinister to slake an inherent human craving for excitement and to provide an escape from the mundane. I revel in creating an intricate puzzle laced with layer upon layer of deception and obfuscation.

A spy is the embodiment of intrigue. I almost want to whisper the word spy. If I close my eyes, I hear footfalls echoing hollowly on rain-slicked pavements, each step coming closer and closer as a swirling froth of smoky fog folds one into its moist embrace. Spies lurk in the forbidden shadows of the night, where those who ask the wrong questions vanish. For anyone who thinks the Cold War is dead, think again. Putin’s penchant for dispatching traitors and his enemies to the netherworld provided a spark for my tale.  

In WHEN BLOOD RUNS COLD, Emmeline is hunting for answers. So many answers. She recently discovered that her parents were murdered while on assignment when she was five. But is it possible to find a killer who has evaded justice for 25 years? Meanwhile, her probing questions about the suspicious death of Russian national Pavel Melnikov have put her in the crosshairs of those who jealously take their illicit secrets to the grave. Melnikov made the foolish mistake of trying to betray Putin and Russian mafia boss Igor Bronowski. If that wasn’t enough, Putin and Bronowski’s business dealings with ruthless British entrepreneur Alastair Swanbeck stir up another hornet’s nest of trouble.

Dashing Gregory’s sangfroidstarts to thaw a smidgen around the edges at Swanbeck’s most unwelcome resurrection from the land of the dead. Their paths crossed during Gregory’s days as a jewel thief. Swanbeck has vowed to make him pay for his transgressions. Now, he has found the perfect tool to exact his vengeance: Emmeline. 

A journalist is obsessed with finding the truth. But when the raw, ugly truth is laid bare, Emmeline realizes that everything she believed in was a lie. 

Sometimes it’s better not to know. But Emmeline and Gregory have always thrown caution to the wind. It takes courage to face the truth because one never knows whether the consequences will be fatal. 

If When Blood Runs Coldpiques your interest, don’t miss Lead Me Into Danger,Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave and A Checkered Past, the first four books in my series, where Emmeline and Gregory put their lives at risk when they’re thrust into imbroglios involving government intrigue, stolen diamonds, looted art and blackmail.  

Daniella Bernettis a member of the Mystery Writers of America New York Chapter. 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 Graveand A Checkered Pastare the first four books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. She also is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure andSilken Reflections. In her professional life, she is the research manager for a nationally prominent engineering, architectural and construction management firm. Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure. Visit www.daniellabernett.comor follow her on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008802318282or on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4450173.Daniella_Bernett.