Vincent Panettiere Author Interview

The Scopas Factor follows Mike Hegan as he finds himself in the middle of a double homicide and a kidnapping which sets him frantically searching for answers. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?

I can’t point to any one source for inspiration. There were many and I’m pleased they all managed to combine for The Scopas Factor. I’ve always been interested in art theft and forgery and I’ve been aware of the conflict in Laos as well as the looting of antiquities. I’d also read about Hmong women in the Minneapolis area creating story cloths. I bought one and framed it. Perhaps that moved me forward because when I saw the Mud Woman in my head all started to come together. I added Hegan from my first Hegan book A Woman to Blame*, started asking myself “what if?” questions, etc. The Gadsden flag, which in 1775 was the early motto flag of the Continental Marines, came into the story as a symbol of evil.

*A Woman to Blame has been re-edited and I expect it to be re-issued later this year.

Mike Hegan is an interesting and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind his character?

I’m pleased you’ve found Hegan to be “interesting and well developed”. Wish I could tell you how well I planned to make him interesting and well developed. But there was no master plan. However he has evolved as a smart ass, and isn’t too keen on being told what to do (who is?). Since being incapacitated in WTB and regarded as expendable, he gravitates toward
the underdog.

I enjoyed the well thought out and intricate mystery that unfolds throughout the novel. Was this planned before writing or did it develop organically?

While there are many brilliant and successful writers who swear by them, I’ve never liked writing outlines. Each book I’ve written including TSF evolved organically. Lots of “what ifs” until it came together.

What is the next novel that you are working on and when will it be available?

I have lots of threads for another Hegan novel, but no story as yet. I hope to have a book by the end of the year.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website

A Hmong “story cloth,” a Revolutionary War battle flag, forged Picassos and a Russian drug dealer—finding the link between these disparate elements is the challenge Mike Hegan faces in The Scopas Factor, the latest mystery from Vincent Panettiere.

After his last investigation ends tragically, Detective Mike Hegan returns to Chicago from St. Kitts, hoping to put everything behind him. But his girlfriend, Diana, has other plans, and although he has no interest in the job opportunity she presents him—in a small northern California town, no less—he wants to please her. Upon his arrival in Weedley, he’s caught up in a kidnapping and two murders. A visit to Diana’s family in San Francisco only serves to deepen the mystery, as her father might be the link to a gang of antiquities thieves that might have something to do with the crimes in Weedley. And when Diana’s father disappears, Hegan takes off for Antibes in southern France, where he discovers that the mystery has only just begun.