by Matt Lubbers-Moore
This month we are interviewing mystery author Neil S. Plakcy. On behalf of the Kings River Magazine, thank you for giving us a little of your time today, answering questions fans of the genre really want to know.
Q: Where do you live?
Neil: A townhouse in Hollywood, Florida––halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Q: Without getting too personal, can you share a little about your home life?
Neil: My husband and I have two older Golden Retrievers, so a lot of my life revolves around them––boiling eggs for their breakfast and baking sweet potatoes for their dinner, walking them and playing with them. They’re great inspiration for my golden retriever mysteries.
Q: Writers rarely like to toot their own horns; seriously! What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?
Neil: I think I was the first writer to combine the gay mystery with a coming-out novel, in Mahu, which was also my first published novel. I’ve been grateful to win a couple of awards along the way to writing seventy novels. But my greatest accomplishment is probably providing entertainment to readers. It’s very rewarding to hear that people enjoy your books.
Q: What inspires and challenges you most in writing? And can you describe your writing process?
Neil: I’m challenged most by coming up with new reasons why someone would get killed in a small town, in a way that my Golden Retriever hero Rochester can sniff out the clues. Big dogs can’t go everywhere, and I’m desperately trying to avoid “Cabot Cove” syndrome, when a small town is the locus for dozens of murderous crimes.
Q: You’ve probably answered this question a hundred times, but please indulge our readers (and fellow writers): Do you fly by the seat of your pants when writing or plot out your storylines?
Neil: I work with a four-part structure––I start out with an inciting event, like a murder, and a loose idea of what the first plot point will be. As I write, I start to get an idea of what the midpoint will be, and then the second plot point. Lots of things change along the way.
Q: How do you sustain serialized, continuing characters?
Neil: They change and grow in small ways from book to book. In the Mahu Investigations, Kimo has gone through the stages gay men often do—coming out, making gay friends, falling in love, finding a partner, raising children, dealing with elderly parents, and so on. As his life changes so does his character.
Q: Have you ever had to deal with homophobia when it comes to your books, and if so, what form has it taken?
Neil: I was invited to participate in a mystery fan event in Alabama, but I was warned that fans might tell me I would be going to hell for what I wrote. I declined to participate until I was publishing more mainstream-friendly writing.
Q: What got you into reading and writing gay mysteries?
Neil: That’s a two-part question but the two parts are reading mysteries, and writing gay ones. I’ve been reading mysteries since Freddy the Detective and the Hardy Boys. In graduate school I realized I was a better fit for genre fiction than literary work—I want to tell stories that engage readers with plot and character rather than laboring over sentences. It wasn’t until I came out as a gay man that I realized I could use that experience in writing a mystery.
Q: Who have your role models as an author been? And what books are currently on your reading list?
Neil: My literary role models are more about life than writing––Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemingway, and Jimmy Buffett. Longing to live an adventurous life but for the most part writing about adventurous heroes instead. In terms of gay mystery, it’s been Joseph Hansen and John Morgan Wilson.
Q: Last two questions; can you share with us a little about your upcoming current release?
Neil: The 14th Mahu Investigation, Blood Code, releases on June 2. Kimo’s investigation into the death of an AI tech bro collides with his ideas about fatherhood as he and his partner take on full parenting roles. After that, it’s Dog of Deliverance, the next Golden Retriever mystery, in which Steve and his golden retriever Rochester sniff out clues about a murder that takes place during a Purim carnival. (Think Mardi Gras, but Jewish.)
Q: And where can readers buy your books?
Neil: Right now the Golden Retriever mysteries are available widely, but in June will probably go into Kindle Unlimited at least for 90 days. All the other books are available from all e-retailers. Print books available everywhere, including by order from your local independent bookstore.
And on to the books!
Blood Code by Neil Plakcy
Out June 2
When tech entrepreneur Noah Kim is found murdered outside his office in Honolulu, Detective Kimo Kanapa’aka must unravel a complex web of academic rivalries, cultural conflicts, and family secrets. Kim’s startup, Kahola.ai, promised to revolutionize medical care for Pacific Islanders through artificial intelligence, but his death exposes the dark side of mixing traditional knowledge with modern technology. As Kimo investigates, his own family life is upended when his partner Mike is injured in a fire investigation. Suddenly juggling full-time parenting of their twelve-year-old twins with his police work, Kimo finds uncomfortable parallels between the case and his own understanding of what makes someone a father. The trail leads him from the tech startup world to fertility clinics, from sacred Hawaiian traditions to the raw wilderness of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. (Editor’s Note: You can win one of Neils other books in KRL’s 15th birthday mystery book giveaway!)
Always Murder by Gregory Ashe
Out June 2, Hodgkin & Blount
It’s Christmastime, and Dashiell Dawson Dane (just Dash) is looking forward to a quiet holiday season—no unexpected visitors, no relationship drama, and absolutely no murders. But when his friend Millie asks for help, Dash says yes. Because that’s what friends do. Millie’s brother, he learns, has been accused of stealing packages from his job as a delivery driver. Worse, he’s been fired. So, Millie’s request is simple: clear her brother’s name—and, in the process, save Christmas. No small task, it turns out, as Dash faces a suspiciously hostile warehouse manager, stumbles onto a family of porch pirates, and somehow gets roped into the Nought Family Nativity Pageant. And when Millie’s brother disappears, Dash fears the worst. In Dash’s (growing) experience, that can only mean one thing … Because it’s always murder.
Marigolds and Murder by A. K. Ikezoe
Out June 3, Starmist Press LLC
Philadelphia, 1950. Nobody suspects that private detective Katsumi Okazaki uses prophecy magic to solve her cases. But her uncanny “intuition” at finding the truth can’t help her prove that her new client’s wife was murdered. Not when everyone else is convinced the death was accidental. To make matters more complicated, Kat’s new client is an Exalter––afflicted with unpredictable magical abilities as collateral damage from the war––and her story stirs up Kat’s own painful memories of displacement and the love she lost. Luckily, Kat has plenty of practice burying her personal problems under a mountain of work. She sets out with her ethically questionable but trustworthy assistant to find evidence and catch the killer. But dread creeps in when she realizes she’s being tailed. Is someone trying to thwart her investigation, or does the government still not trust her? Either way, Kat can’t let her client down. And if what her magic tells her is real, then catching the killer might not be enough … not if she’s going to be able to live with herself when it’s done.
A Marvelous Murder by David S. Pederson
Out June 10, Bold Strokes BooksWhen film director Orland Orcott is found dead in his locked study, police rule it a suicide. However, movie star Victor Marvel believes otherwise and sets out to investigate, aided by his handsome boyfriend, Griffin, and Eve Spellman, Victor’s smart, young costar. (Editor’s Note: You can win one of David’s other books in KRL’s 15th birthday mystery book giveaway!)
Fanboys, Foul Play, and Fashion by Shane Morton
Out June 16
Cory has written a play version of Vicki’s novel, Murder in the Front Row, and has talked Vicki into starring in it for the new community theatre in town. Everyone is excited to see her stage debut, but before the curtain rises, it’s clear that the show is cursed. Ripped from the pages of her novel, things begin to happen that follow the plot of her very scary book. Can Vicki, Cory, Jensen, and Sheriff Hottie solve the mystery before the final act? Or has the culprit finally outwitted them with a new plot of their own?
Assault with a Deadly Lie by Lev Raphael
Out June 17
(Rerelease) Successful professor Nick Hoffman finds his secure, happy, college-town life changed forever after a nightmarish encounter with police. But even when that horrible night is over, life doesn’t return to normal. Someone is clearly out to destroy him. Nick and his partner Stefan Borowski face an escalating series of threats that lead to a brutal and stunning confrontation. A novel of suspense set in the academic world, Assault with a Deadly Lie probes the disturbing psychological impact of slander, harassment, stalking, police brutality, and the loss of personal safety. What will Nick do when his world threatens to collapse? How can he reestablish order in a suddenly chaotic life?
Crossing Jordan by Jack Dickson
Out June 17
(Rerelease) Two teens are caught up in the 1990s Glasgow criminal underworld. Abused tearaway Kel involves his middle-class friend Danny in a drugs deal which leads to an accidental killing. A series of misunderstandings and downright lies means that the boys make an enemy of Jordan, a charismatic criminal who at once attracts and repels them. The two teens flee Glasgow and retribution for the horror of London King’s Cross and a life of dodging the looming shadow of Jordan bent on revenge.
Reckless Endangerment by Crystal D. Budy
Out June 20, Wicked Dreamer Press
Kip Morales has sworn off dating. He’s had two back-to-back relationships that ended in disaster, and it’s not only impacted his life, but his grades. He’s bound and determined to make it through the semester without so much as looking at a man. That is until he walks into his first class and runs into the tall, brooding deliciousness that is Baxter Griffin. Still dealing with the aftermath of a rough breakup, Detective Baxter Griffin is not thrilled to be undercover as a professor at Elmbrook Community College. He’s even less thrilled that Uber Brat Kip Morales is in his class, flirting with him at every turn. When the faculty member Griffin is investigating is murdered right in front of Kip and then Kip starts being stalked and threatened, Griffin quickly runs out of excuses to ignore him. As Kip insinuates himself into Griffin’s investigation and life, Griffin isn’t sure whether he wants to kiss him or spank him. Lucky for Griffin, Kip is up for either.
The Only Way is Burglary by Lou Collins
Out June 28, Boldface Press Ltd
Just as Chloe Essex thought Speckled Hill was finally returning to its peaceful ways, a gallivanting goat and a rash of baffling burglaries disrupt village life. When one of her gang becomes the latest victim, Chloe embarks on an unusual quest to unveil the truth. With her ragtag team, she follows a trail of wacky clues, from the local pub to the parish church. As they inch toward unmasking the burglar, the once-idyllic village’s future hangs in the balance.
Other Releases:
The Paternity Puzzle by Aimee Nicole Walker out June 1, 2025
Heat of Justice by Natalie Debranandere out June 1, 2025
Unconditionally by N. Slater out June 2, 2025
Alibi for Murder by Edale Lane out June 3, 2025
Maecenas by Estelle Ryan out June 10, 2025
24601 by E. M. Cummings out June 12, 2025
Eclipse Born by Grayson Vale out June 18, 2025
Paternal Instincts by Vicky James out June 24, 2025
Inside the Sun by Eden West out June 27, 2025
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.
Click on this link to take you to Mysterious Galaxy’s website where you can purchase many of these books & a portion will go to help support KRL:
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.
0 Comments