An Eye for an Eye: The Mallet Murders follows a police force in Nova Scotia who would rather do anything other than solve the mystery surrounding a serial killer terrorizing the town. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I lived in Nova Scotia for seven years and was a police officer/investigator. The small town I lived in had many quirky and inspirational characters that I could use in the story. Moreover, a few of my police officer colleagues were so terrible at their jobs that they became rousing characters in the book. I like to use absurdist humour, and the serial killer Saul, a cat-loving psychopath, became a perfect antagonist for me.

How did you come up with the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?

I knew a guy who had (what seemed like) a million cats in his home, whom he called “cat.” My daughters encouraged me to write about a cat-loving killer, as they were convinced that the guy was a tad “odd.” He was a nice guy in real life; however, writing a character into the story was easy based on his idiosyncrasies.

I found this novel to be a cutting piece of satire. What is one thing that you hope readers take away from your novel?

I am a storyteller at heart. Give me a topic, and I’ll make up a silly or slapstick story in the blink of an eye. I have held a few very serious jobs in my life, like policing and child protection—dark humour has helped me to maintain my sanity. Joseph Heller inspired me (Catch-22 and Something Happened!). I loved how he drew me into his narratives and colourful characters, making me laugh out loud. Few authors have been able to do this. Carl Hiaasen is one, and David Sedaris is another. The Monty Python team and their work NEVER get old for me, and laughter has been a considerable medicine in my life. In fact, satirical books saved my life in my teens. I wrote about this in my memoir, The Hate Game: Screaming in the Silence (by Gary Trew). Literary Titan also reviewed the memoir. I hope readers enjoy the story’s absurdity, knowing that the location, scenarios, and some of the characters were a very real part of my life experience.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

I wear two hats (or sombreros). I write humorous crime fiction and nonfiction (memoirs and other challenging topics like generational trauma). I want to write a sequel to The Man with the Pink Sombrero AND An Eye for an Eye. Two very different books—both absurdist fiction, yet with a commonality of humour. In An Eye for an Eye (the mallet murders), I have a sequel as the end of the story leaves the reader with many questions about the antagonist. Saul and his paramour escape the prison, obviously) and relocate. This time, his “partner” finds herself in a situation where she and the antagonist find joy and justification in their new “venture,” leading to more killings. The sequel may be called “Hello, Mr Pillow.” Enough said.

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