Interview with the Author Patricia Rockwell, "Sounds Of Murder"

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Patricia Rockwell, author of the cozy mystery, "Sounds Of Murder".
1. Patricia, tell me about your cozy mystery "Sounds of Murder".
Hi, Lola. My book is the first in what I hope will become a series of mysteries based on the exploits of my main character. Pamela Barnes is a Psychology professor at a small regional university in the south. Her specialty is the study of sound and she is an expert in the use of acoustic technologies. When one of her colleagues is found murdered in the department’s computer lab, Pamela attempts to find the killer by analyzing a recording of the sounds made during the actual murder.

2. That sounds different from most murder mysteries.

I hope it is. My own background involves acoustic research so I am very familiar with the technology that Pamela uses to solve the crime. Of course, I never solved any murders like Pamela does.

3. Is there anything about your book that might be of particular interest to readers of Lola’s Diner?

Pamela’s husband in the book--Rocky--is a retired Army cook and self-appointed gourmet chef. Much to Pamela’s joy, he spends a great deal of his time trying out new recipes on her. And, of course, she’s too busy solving crimes to do much cooking herself. I’ve even included a number of Rocky’s recipes at the end of the book and several readers have noted that they like this addition. I’m guessing that your “diners” might like Rocky’s recipes too.

4. You say this is a “cozy” mystery. Just what makes this book so “cozy”?

Actually, the term “cozy mystery” refers to the mystery genre of the book. The cozy mystery probably reaches back to some of the works of Agatha Christie, particularly those involving her character Miss Marple. In a cozy, the emphasis is on an amateur sleuth who figures out a crime using intuition, determination, and cleverness. There is very little graphic violence in cozies. Most of the murders, for example, occur “offstage.” Sounds of Murder is much like this. We don’t see the murder take place; Pamela discovers the body after the fact. That’s just one element. Cozies also focus more on the characters and their relationships than in regular adventure/thriller type mysteries. Cozies often have a lot of humor too.

5. It sounds like a fun book to read. How can my followers get a copy?

I think almost anyone would enjoy reading it--but, of course, I’m prejudiced. Print copies are available from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com. Electronic versions are available from Amazon.com’s Kindle store and from Smashwords.com.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2010