by Claire A Murray

This week we have a review of Up Jumped the Devil by Martha Reed along with an interesting interview with Martha. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a signed copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Up Jumped the Devil by Martha Reed
Reviewed by Claire A Murray

Meet Jane Byrne, newly-hired Chief Security Officer for New Orleans’ historic St. Louis Cemetery #1. The job title might sound important, but for former Nantucket police detective Jane Byrne, it’s a letdown—although it is a step up from her most recent job. And working the graveyard shift to catch the graffiti vandals targeting the notable tombs is hardly the same as investigating and solving real crimes on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

Jane must contend with learning NOLA’s language and ways, her bad knee, and periodic bouts of PTSD. She’s assisted in all of it by Gigi Pascoe, a transgender pole dancer who wants to start up an investigation agency with Jane; Gigi’s father Ken and his wife Leslie; and Leslie’s aunt, Aunt Babette, a N’Awlins Voodoo Queen.

Capturing the graffiti vandals proves more difficult for Jane than expected. She knows doing so is a ticket to upward mobility for her boss, Mose, but he is unwilling to spend any money to improve security at the cemetery. While investigating the vandals and searching for an empty facility to hold an off-the-radar party, she and Gigi track down a pair of homeless youth, Cleo and her younger brother Rex. Their distrust of any authority and unwillingness to go into foster placement for fear of being separated present more challenges to Jane and Gigi, who both want to help them.

The two sleuths uncover what appears to be a kidnapping ring that preys on homeless youth. Against Cleo’s wishes, Jane contacts a police detective who then involves children’s services and, later, the FBI. However, their interest wanes or is supplanted by other cases and more high-profile crimes, leaving Jane and Gigi to figure it out.

Meanwhile, Gigi has contacted Ken Pascoe’s former record producer from Ken’s days in the rock band, The Warbirds. She hopes their reconnection will result in the production of an album of recently uncovered Warbirds songs and help Ken and Leslie out of a financial bind. All looks good until a previously unknow relative shows up to claim they belong to him as the surviving brother of Gigi’s mother.

Amidst Mardi Gras preparations and celebrations, Jane and Gigi work together to solve both cases, cementing their desire to start an investigation agency. Joining them is Aunt Babette, who believes her skills will be invaluable. Looks as if there will be a third installment in this series.

Up Jumped The Devil has language and situations that may be uncomfortable for some readers. However, if you’re not put off by the F-bomb and stories involving child endangerment, this is a strong read with characters who remain in your memory after you’ve closed the book. Not having read the first book in the series, I figured out some terms and local phrases on my own and wish they were explained earlier in the book. Otherwise, it’s a swift read with strong, likable characters, and real situations that bring us closer to them. I would read the next installment and even go back to read the first.

Claire A Murray writes crime, mystery, fantasy, and sci-fi short stories and novels. She also writes reviews, hosts Zoom write-ins for aspiring and experienced authors, and is completing a suspense fantasy novel so she can return to her trilogy and two other novels awaiting revision. Play the Hand You’re Dealt is her crime and mystery short story collection. Find her at cam-writes.com.

Interview with Martha Reed:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Martha: I was born knowing I wanted to be a writer. I remember sitting on the porch one evening with my great-aunts and great-uncles when I was twelve. One great aunt asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said, ‘A writer.’ Everyone politely laughed except for my grandfather. He was nodding. Pop-Pop knew I meant it, and he approved.

Martha Reed

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Martha: The Nature of the Grave was my first Nantucket Mystery Series novel, published in 2004. It introduced John and Sarah Jarad, my sleuths. It won an Independent Publisher “IPPY” Book Award for Mid-Atlantic Best Regional Fiction. The fascinating fact about this one was that after I wrote it, I realized I had started the Nantucket Mystery Series too late in the series storyline. Rookie mistake. It was my first book. So, I went back and wrote The Choking Game as a prequel and then hop-skipped to No Rest for the Wicked, Book Three. The rest, as they say, is history.

KRL: Have you always written mysteries/suspense and if not, what else have you written?

Martha: Mystery/Suspense is my genre because I love solving puzzles. Mysteries keep my brain and my attention engaged. I love trying to guess ‘what’s next?’ in books and in movies. It’s my favorite vibe.

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Martha: After I finished the three-book Nantucket Mystery series, I went looking for a fresh setting where my characters could get into real trouble. At first, I considered using Las Vegas. Then I attended the 2016 Bouchercon Convention in New Orleans.

When I saw the melting pot of cultures, the amazing history and the food, and the NOLA voodoo, I thought, “Aha! This is it.” I’m having great fun setting my new Crescent City NOLA Mystery Series there. Love Power came out in 2020. It won a 2021 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. Up Jumped the Devil, my new NOLA Mystery is releasing this month.

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Martha: I love researching new places and I want my readers to enjoy going on that journey with me. Pick up a book, and let’s go!

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Martha: I don’t have a fixed schedule, but I write for at least four hours every day. The published writers I know follow something similar. I do it because I love it, and I’ve structured my life around this sacred writing time. If I worked whenever I could, it wouldn’t get done.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Martha: My energy level is best in the mornings, right after I’ve had my coffee. That’s when I prefer to do my creative writing. If I’m editing, I can wait until later in the day since editing takes a different focus.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Martha: I don’t outline but I do track the progress of my plot which helps me avoid any rabbit holes or distractions that might slow me down on my first draft. It’s old school, but I use a big sheet of poster board and index cards. I divide the poster board into rows of empty chapter blocks. I write interesting research facts individually on each index card. I use the first row of empty chapter blocks to introduce my characters and the initial mystery set-up in a likeable way to hook my readers. This is also where I sneak in my theme.

The two middle rows of empty blocks are used for the escalating problems, the hurdles, any threats the characters need to overcome, and character insight and growth. This is also where I weave everything together to support the “middle muddle.” The final row of empty blocks is the tipping point where the plot comes together with the twists and surprises that solve the mystery and defeat the bad guys. By the time I reach the last row, every index card should be used. Occasionally, I’ll save an index card idea for the next book. Every writer develops their own toolbox. This is what works best for me.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Martha: I’m a hybrid author. I’ve independently published my own novels from the beginning because I have a print background. Indie made the most sense to me. My short stories seem to find eager homes in the traditionally published marketplace. In conversation with other authors, the hybrid publishing model seems to be gaining traction. Every writer needs to make their own choices and develop a publishing path they can live with.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

Martha: Pearl magazine accepted Table for One, my first short fiction in 1999. That was back in the day when acceptance (and rejection) letters came by USPS snail mail. The envelope was thin, so I assumed it was another rejection. When I opened it and read: “Congratulations…” I screamed. Jumping off the porch, I did the happy boogie dance in my backyard. My neighbor Rebecca popped her kitchen door open and yelled: “Everything okay?” I’ll say it was. That acceptance validated my writing dream and my effort. I never looked back.

KRL: Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

Martha: My favorite signings have been held at The Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, PA. One was to launch Lucky Charms: 12 Crime Tales, an anthology produced by the Mary Roberts Rinehart chapter of Sisters in Crime. The contributing authors were in attendance. I’ve never seen so many smiling faces. The place was packed. It looked like the party scene from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The second was a co-author event with the amazingly talented and multi-award-winning author Lori Rader Day. I mentioned my Nantucket Mystery Series and that I was drafting No Rest for the Wicked, Book Three. At the event, and with her great wit, she called it “Invisible Book Three.” That’s when I knew I needed to buckle down and write the damn thing.

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Martha: Great question. I’m going to rent a NOLA/French Quarter apartment for a month in January/February 2024 and do a deep dive on some voodoo research for my NOLA Mystery Book Three. I also have an unrelated novella idea in the back of my mind that’s bubbling up and demanding some attention. I’ve already written it, but I realized that it’s being told from the POV of the wrong narrator. Craft hint: it happens. That’s why we invented re-writes and editing.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Martha: I admire everyone who completes a book-length piece of fiction. Only someone who has done it knows what it takes and how complex it is. It’s amazing to me that writers voluntarily choose to go back and do it again. I assume that like me, it’s a compulsion and a challenge to create something personal and new. Creative writing is my outlet and my joy. It’s not easy, but when a story is done and it can stand on its own, “I did this” is the best feeling in the world.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Martha: I love tumbling down rabbit holes. The internet is a great tool, but there’s nothing better than putting your boots on the ground and talking to the real people who either live in your setting or have experienced a plot point. The devil is in the details. When I get it right, my readers appreciate it. It’s a two-edged sword. When I get it wrong, I get an email. LOL

KRL: Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Martha: Attend every workshop, conference, retreat, or convention that you can. You never know what you’ll learn and add to your writerly toolbox. The learning process never ends. Join Sisters in Crime and their online Guppies chapter to meet fellow newbies for encouragement and support. Trust yourself, and don’t be afraid to explore new ideas, especially if they scare you. That’s where the fun is.

Ask other writers for help and advice. We’re a welcoming and non-judgmental community. Buy Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, and Rene Rilke Letters to a Young Poet. Read these three books until they fall apart in your hands and then buy fresh copies and read them again. Most importantly: Never give up. Never surrender!

KRL: Where can people find you on the internet?

Martha: Website: reedmenow.com
Facebook: Martha Reed
Instagram: @merdog36

To enter to win a signed copy of Up Jumped the Devil, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “devil” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen on December 16, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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. A new episode goes up next week.

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