Hessman’s Necklace is a gritty noir thriller set in 1950s America, where a reckless fixer hunts a legendary necklace through a smoky maze of lust, lies, and moral ruin. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I was reading a lot of crime stories from the period when I first began Hessman’s Necklace, adhering to the conventions of noir. I focused on seedy settings, grim circumstances, and deeply flawed characters with dubious pasts and unsavory motivations. The very first scene I penned was a visceral torture sequence, featuring Ray wielding a blade while the Reverend, bound to a harsh wooden chair, pleaded for his life, fervently asserting his innocence. Initially conceived as a short story, it was rejected by a magazine due to its graphic and violent nature. Through numerous revisions, I softened the scene to make it more palatable. Eventually, I expanded it from a short story into a novelette, and then into a full-fledged novel, yet that pivotal scene continued to serve as the heart of the book. It encapsulates a moment where the central character, Ray, is pushed to the brink of barbarity as pressure and ambition drive him further into darkness.

The prose in Hessman’s Necklace is bold and stylized. How did you develop that voice?

I drew inspiration from the works of writers such as Dashiell Hammett, John D. MacDonald, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Hammett, in particular, possessed a remarkable talent for crafting memorable characters, each defined by their actions, appearance, and dialogue. In Hessman’s Necklace, my intention was to honor this style by bringing my characters to life through their distinct voices and the authenticity of their interactions. Like Hammett’s dialogue, which flows organically, I aimed to make my characters’ exchanges engaging and meaningful, propelling the narrative forward while revealing their complexities and motivations. John D. MacDonald’s mastery of detail and sensory richness played a crucial role in shaping my narrative choices. I carefully wove my characters into gritty environments, ensuring that readers could not only follow the unfolding drama but also feel the weight of their surroundings. I embraced sharp, raw language to convey tension and captured the visceral sensations of key moments. At the same time, I drew from Fitzgerald’s lyrical prose, employing vivid imagery and striking metaphors to enhance the depth of the narrative.

The book leans into noir tropes but still feels fresh. How did you strike that balance between homage and originality?

I’ve always had a fondness for the 1950s noir and crime fiction paperback originals from publishers like Gold Medal Books, as well as others such as Signet, Dell, Lion, and Ace. While many of these works adhere closely to established formulas, the sheer demand and profitability urged writers to produce quickly. It’s impressive how prolific authors like Erle Stanley Gardner maintained quality while churning out massive quantities; he produced twenty-eight novels in a single decade. Gil Brewer could wrap up an entire novel in mere days: So Rich, So Dead was completed in just five days, while Flight to Darkness took only three. I aimed to create a 1950s-style noir with a more deliberate approach and a creative twist on conventions. I challenged myself to tell the story from Ray’s perspective, ensuring he was present in every scene, and sought to add a literary flair that elevated the prose without slipping into artificiality or pretentiousness. Underrated crime writer John Flagg, whose novel The Persian Cat was the inaugural release from Gold Medal, excels at high drama—his stories are typically enriched by thrilling scenes, well-imagined locations, and engaging characters. His lush descriptions and sharply sarcastic personas inspired me to keep Hessman’s Necklace both fast-paced and suspenseful while emphasizing wit. I incorporated factual historical details, references to topical news, literature, and art world trivia to capture the essence of that period, all while addressing modern themes that echoed those times. Alas, unlike Gardner and Brewer, it took me years rather than days to finally consider the story complete.

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

I’ve started and paused half a dozen novels since finishing Hessman’s Necklace. There’s always a deadline looming that sidelines my creative writing projects, making it a real challenge to find the motivation to complete one before moving on to the next. But I’m determined to get there. Currently, I’m polishing the final chapters of a family drama set in Rhode Island. It leans more towards a beach novel than a crime story, infused with plenty of humor, tension, and personal struggles. Once that’s wrapped up, I plan to revisit the office-based mystery I began last year, and with any luck, both of these novels will finally be ready for publication by early next year.

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