Cold Record follows a skilled lawyer who unravels a high-profile murder case, uncovering layers of deceit and moral ambiguity in a world where justice and integrity are at odds. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

There was no direct real-world inspiration – I didn’t want the story to have anything to with a real case or a real defendant – and it took a long time to fully take shape. But the general idea of a realistic legal story in an out-of-the-way setting was partly inspired by my early years as a prosecutor, when I worked at the rural fringe of my large county, and the basic elements of the murder came to me early on. Going further, I’ve come to appreciate in my own career how there really isn’t any such thing as a routine case – there are always factual layers to peel away and human stories in the background, sometimes deep and mysterious ones. So I wanted the truth of the crime to be complicated, and it ultimately seemed to me the best way to achieve that would be through the character of the defendant.

I was also motivated, I think, to do something a little different within the legal genre. Not that I’m in a position to be a critic, but I’ve found most legal novels – including many bestsellers – superficial and manipulative, over-full of dark conspiracies, wild plot twists and villains on all sides. That’s a far cry from the legal world I’ve experienced myself, and in truth, less interesting. So I set out aspiring to tell a compelling story through characters who almost all behave with integrity and good intentions, and respect the quest for justice even as they see its imperfections. I hoped that if the characters shone through well enough, the innate conflict and complexity of the legal system, the trial of a terrible crime and the human scars would be story enough.

What inspired you to create the character of John Patrick Howland, and how did you develop his unique traits and complexities?

No surprise, I’m sure – the book is first-person, so more than anything he’s a window into my own personality. I’m an observer, like he is at heart, I also tend to see the gray shades in everything, and I also never thought of myself as a particularly natural and talented trial lawyer – when the opportunity came, I happily left everyday courtroom work for a more arcane branch of prosecution, and it’s always suited me well. But there are major differences, and the story is his, not mine – unlike him, I got married quite early to a very patient wife, and meandered for years before getting the inspiration for law school, whereas he was much more methodical, got his career going in his 20s, and never seems to have minded all the alone time.

Then it was interesting to imagine him rising to the occasion in a time of crisis. Ready or not, he’s thrust into the middle of this momentous case, and then its long aftermath, years after the fact, when his memories have started to fade but the transcript brings him back. Ultimately, though, the choices he makes are filtered through my own general sense of moral reasoning – I was never tempted to make him think or act in a way that’s alien to my own nature.

What challenges did you face in maintaining the suspense and pacing of the story, especially with the intricate plot twists and character developments?

Many! It’s a relatively quiet, real-world story, less purely conflict-driven than many legal books, and I knew all along I’d have to ask a little patience of readers. But I got some very helpful early criticism about pacing from a close friend, and it caused me to swallow hard and spent the next half-decade doing everything I could to pare down and organize the narrative.

And the biggest part of that was making the story more linear – while there’s some jumping-around in the last hundred pages, the story through trial is more or less in chronological order, and by this time pretty carefully focused. There are still a number of asides in the book, but I worked hard to limit them, whittle down length and ensure they have a purpose to the story. Along the way, I also learned to take regular breaks in the action. And for the events of the final section, sequencing and editing were the critical tasks. More than anything, it just took me time.

What is the next book you are working on and when is it available?

A great unknown! Thanks to more kind feedback than I ever expected, I feel much encouraged to go back to the well, and it could be another story with the characters from Contenta County. But it’s still completely theoretical at this point. If and when a followup does take form, I’ll be thrilled to share the word. And until then, thanks very much to Literary Titan for what you’ve done to help the book.