SinCNE member and former Portland detective sergeant Bruce Robert Coffin answers our questions about his newest Detective Byron mystery, WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT.
What excited you most about writing this story?
I think the most exciting thing about writing this novel was that the ongoing success of the series allowed me to tell John Byron’s story beyond book three. When I started writing the Detective Byron Mysteries the contract was for three novels. As I wrote the first book, AMONG THE SHADOWS, I knew where I wanted to take John by the end of the third novel, and that’s precisely where I took him. Writing book four, WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT, allowed me to explore more of John’s story. It also provided me an opportunity to show the reader how much John has developed both as a person and as a detective, and where he goes from here.
Which of your skill sets were useful constructing the plot?
I imagine the answer to this would be my working knowledge of major investigations. When plotting a mystery I draw from those same procedures I followed as a detective sergeant. In the world of fiction, writers introduce red herrings into the story to mislead or misdirect the reader. In real life many people may have the means and the motive to commit murder. Multiple people will lie to cover up misdeeds, often having nothing to do with the murder. Knowing these things, and having experienced them firsthand, makes plotting a fictional story far less complicated.
What meal and drink do you think would pair well with your book?
The same meal that pairs well with every book. Guinness and shepherd’s pie, of course.
What is the hardest part of writing a book?
As most writers can attest, the answer varies on any given day. But if I had to pick only one I would say concentration. Writing a fiction novel, assuming you’re not crazy enough to be working on more than one at a time, takes an incredible amount of sustained concentration. Think about it, every single day, for at least a year, you will be straddling your real life and the fictional life of your characters. Trying to navigate both of these worlds simultaneously can be a struggle. I suspect this is why so many authors sneak away to writer retreats to finish their novels. There are times when separating ourselves from everyday responsibilities and connections is the only way to devote our complete attention to the world on the page.
Were there indispensable people without whom you couldn’t have written the book?
I, like most writers, rely upon a literal crowd of people to help me navigate the book writing process from start to finish. My editor, my agent, my writerly friends, my fans, each of whom plays a valuable role in helping me keep my nose to the grindstone — or page as it were. But the most important person continues to be my wife. Karen keeps me grounded and she’s wired into my every mood. She can tell when the writing is going well, and when it isn’t. Sometimes, when things aren’t going particularly well, and I feel as if the book will never get written, she reminds me that I was at the exact same emotional place when writing the previous book, and the one before that. I often forget feeling this way, but she has a system whereby she knows how I’m feeling based on the word count of the manuscript.
Bruce is the bestselling author of the Detective Byron mystery series. A former detective sergeant with more than twenty-seven years in law enforcement, he supervised all homicide and violent crime investigations for Maine's largest city. Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Bruce spent four years investigating counter-terrorism cases for the FBI, earning the Director's Award, the highest award a non-agent can receive.
His most previous novel, Beyond the Truth, winner of Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion Award for Best Procedural, was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel and a finalist for the Maine Literary Award for Best Crime Fiction. His short fiction appears in several anthologies, including Best American Mystery Stories 2016. http://www.brucerobertcoffin.com