Jeff Markowitz is the author of the darkly comic mystery, Death and White Diamonds, as well as three books in the Cassie O'Malley mystery series. Jeff is a proud member and supporter of the International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, and is always open to discussions about the craft of writing, wherever he may be. He can often be found at conferences, readings, and other writers' events. Jeff was happy to answer a few questions for us.
Let's talk for a minute about your most recent novel Death and White Diamonds, which won a Lovey Award and a David Award. It's a departure from your Cassie O'Malley books. What sparked you to step away from that series?
I have tremendous respect for authors who write series and keep their stories fresh and smart. But my preference as a writer and as a reader is for stand-alones. I love starting a new story with no preconceived notion of what kind of story it's supposed to be (other than good, and perhaps funny, and hopefully publishable). So, when I came up with the idea for Death and White Diamonds—a man who isn't certain whether he killed his girlfriend—I knew it was a story that I needed to write.
Did you ever have one of those days? You know the kind, when nothing seems to go right? Richie's girlfriend suggests a romantic getaway, promising him a weekend he will never forget. So why can't he remember what happened when he finds her lifeless body on the beach? Richie is fairly certain he didn't kill his girlfriend, but his memory is hazy. One thing is clear. When Lorraine's body is found, he's going to be the prime suspect in a murder investigation. If her body is found. Disposing of the body turns out to be harder than Richie could have imagined. Losing it, however, is easy. Did you ever have one of those day? And we haven't even gotten to the bad part yet.
Your first novel, Who is Killing Doah's Deer, the first in your Cassie O'Malley Mystery series, was published in 2004. You retired in 2018. How did you find time to write before you retired?