This
book has created a buzz because it’s an untouchable topic
What is this? Is it a hate crime? Domestic abuse,
honor killing, or what? A car arson fire claims the life of a beautiful young
girl, a rich Muslim student at Santa Monica College. Detective Dave Mason of
the Santa Monica Police Department must break through the family’s silent
conspiracy surrounding her vicious murder. He is handicapped by fact that the
eleven members of her family who share the mansion in the high-end real estate
section of Santa Monica do not speak English. Or so they say.
The city is in turmoil, accusing the department of
racism and worse. Mason makes a promise to a girl he never met that he will
bring her justice; yet, he is drawn away from the turbulent investigation with
a promise to the love of his life. Can he keep his promises to both of them
when political blow back and an escalating demand for answers threaten every
step he takes?
Detective
Dave Mason is outraged to have to fight his own department
- A car arson fire ignites a firestorm of controversy
- The community rises up against the police department
- Even his skeptical girlfriend thinks he’s wrong
- Mason knows where the answer lies
- But he's stymied
˃˃˃ And
the clock is ticking
Police procedural, Dave Mason, Santa Monica, honor
killing, Kurds, Turks, Santa Monica College, car arson, thriller, police, Los
Angeles, hate crime, domestic abuse, Hollywood.
Book Readers Review
On
Behalf of the Family is a story of police procedure and a vicious crime set in
Santa Monica, California. The plot
begins with the murder of and the mystery surrounding a
young Kurdish girl. Detective Mason
is called out to a car arson death at the College. The victim is a teenage, rich
Turkish girl, Yasemin Safak. Yasemin
lives with her large family in the high-end real estate part of Santa
Monica. Her family is rigid in
maintaining their ancestral traditions which leads to many kinds of
complications in the investigation. The Police are trying to do it ‘by the book’
to solve the crime. Mason is up against
cultural differences, beset by the media, and under pressure to solve this crime
in a hurry without political blow back.
The
characters come alive in this story with the addition of interesting personal
asides into their lives. Mar Preston has
crafted the characters and subject matter with good research and background. Detective Dave Mason, the main character is
likeable and keeps the reader pulling for him. His love Ginger, has a small
part in the story but you cannot help wondering if the romance will bloom. There are many of characters to keep track
of, but Mar’s ability to bring to life with great description helps the reader
keep track. Mar's writing is captivating and free of clichés.
Make
sure you have lots of time to read. This
book is a fast read and you will not want to put it down for another day. I highly recommend ‘On Behalf of the Family’
and give a big five star rating. I will
definitely search for more books by Mar Preston for my reading review
list. Thank you Mar for the opportunity.
About Author
Payback,
the debut of a second series, features a Kern County Sheriff’s Detective and
takes place in a village somewhat like where she lives. She is a co-founder of the local SPCA,
a network of low-power radio stations, and picks up road kill for her wildlife
rehab buddies to feed the big raptors.
Interview
Welcome to my blog Mar. Please tell me and my readers about you new book and work?
|
Q:
|
Tell us about your latest
work—title, genre, etc. — and why you wrote it?
|
|
A:
|
It’s my attempt to understand
honor killings. It’s a mysterious element of a foreign—to me—culture. I truly
think that people are the same everywhere at heart. But I just couldn’t
understand how it could happen. I understand a little better now. Not every
Muslim man is a black-hearted villain by any means.
|
|
Q:
|
What draws you to your genre(s)?
Why is this type of story compelling to you?
|
|
A:
|
I read about the investigative
problems of honor killings in America, and yes, they happen here too. We call
them hate crimes or even domestic abuse. Again, it’s my attempt to burrow
into an unimaginable happening and ravel it backwards. I learned not to think
of it as evil. Evil does fascinate me, I must admit. My books are not
especially dark. People says there’s a lot of things in them that make them
laugh.
|
|
Q:
|
What is your writing process like?
Do you map the whole thing out or do you just let it unfold?
|
|
A:
|
I’m a little of both. Sometimes
the idea is so urgent I just race into it headlong. After 5 crime novels I’m
more patient, so I outline first and write pages and pages of character
description. This way you avoid blind alleys and running face first into
walls.
|
|
Q:
|
What kind of research was
involved?
|
|
A:
|
I read middle-eastern newspapers
in English for years first, account after account of honor killings. Some
were Indonesian, Pakistani, British, and Scandinavian. I read until I came up
with a story and a family that represented all the elements. And then I put
it in a setting that I know so well, upscale, glitzy Santa Monica. How could
such a terrible thing happen there?
|
|
Q:
|
How much of YOU makes it into your
characters?
|
|
A:
|
After five novels Detective Dave
Mason is me in some ways. Somehow I manage to get him interested in things
that interest me, like animal rescue and dancing the tango. But I’ve never
had daydreams about being an actual homicide detective. Eeeuw. All that blood
and gore.
|
|
Q:
|
How do you balance the need to
have time to write with the needs of family, society, etc.?
|
|
A:
|
Being a childless, parentless,
sibling-less old widow certainly helps. I do have a helium-filled right hand
that floats up in the air at every good cause volunteer opportunity however.
|
|
Q:
|
Have there been any authors in
particular, that inspired your writing?
|
|
A:
|
John Sanford, Ian Rankin, J.A.
Jance. Someone told me I looked like her.
|
|
Q:
|
Is there a story you want to tell
behind or about your work(s)?
|
|
A:
|
My husband died four days after we
retired from Santa Monica and moved to our dream home in a mountain village
in Central California. I had to find a way to fill long, empty hours p.d.q.
Writing and researching police procedurals propelled me into a new life and
into new worlds I had never imagined.
|
|
Q:
|
What other projects are you
currently working on or about to start?
|
|
A:
|
Just started the second book of a
mystery series set in the village where I now live. I assure you though that
only nice people live here. Just yesterday I sent a new manuscript to my
editor titled “A Very Private High School.”
|
|
Q:
|
Could you share some of your
marketing strategies? Which ones are the most effective in your
opinion?
|
|
A:
|
I just don’t know. I think one is
better than another and suddenly it stops working. I’m on Facebook a lot
because I spend so much time alone and I enjoy it. Does social media sell
books? Maybe. You must steel yourself to paying for “marketing.”
|
|
Q:
|
What would be the top five, (or 3
or 1 or however many) things you would tell aspiring authors?
|
|
A:
|
Apply seat of pants to chair for
long periods of time. Don’t be in a rush to publish. Hire the best editor and
proofreader(s) you can afford.
|
Mar
Preston
Author
of No Dice, Rip-Off, Payback & On Behalf of the Family
YesMarPreston
Twitter
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/mar.preston
Excerpt
It was so little to ask of him. And Dave
Mason knew it.
He
and Ginger had been arguing about the dancing lessons ever since he got to her
place. She didn’t want to do extremist hikes, hockey games, or dirt bike
riding. Ginger insisted they had to plan some fun.
Pacing
around her small, rent-controlled apartment, in desperation Dave suggested they
do LA walking tours or wine tastings. No. Ginger continued unloading the
dishwasher, smashing mugs and plates up on the shelves, her back to him.
She turned
to face him. He saw her mind made up. She squared her shoulders, and pushed her
fists deeper into the pockets of the black skinny jeans she wore with a red
camisole top. He saw ultimatum in her indigo blue eyes. Gone were the after
effects of fear that had dogged her after being attacked and nearly killed. She
was back to herself now and she knew who she was and that she had a lot to
offer.
His
phone rang and he leaped to answer it. He stood a moment listening and then
faced her.
Her arms
crossed, Ginger blocked the doorway as he threw on his suit jacket, grabbed his
cellphone, and prepared to leave. “Dammit, Dave.”
“I
have to go,” he said, thundering down the stairs. He caught sight of himself in
the mirrored lobby as he fled out onto the street, a tall guy in his thirties
with a guilty look on his face.
He crossed
the street and got into his Jeep, glancing into the back seat to make sure he
had his murder kit. He looked up to see her standing in the window, the
honey-blonde do-gooder he loved helplessly. She saw him watching her and gave
him a shrug.
His
excuse this time was a homicide at Santa Monica College.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your valued comments