So many great questions coming in on Question Time! (A British parliamentary thing I stole without knowing the slightest thing about it.) And now over to Kenneth Zwick, who writes:
“Question: Most of your Chet & Bernie novels have an underlying socio-political issue that weaves through the mystery.: e.g. the aquifer and water use in America’s arid climates. Does that just arise as you create the story or do you start with the idea that you want the story to concern that issue?”

A great question. At bookstore appearances I sometimes talk about the #crimefiction totem pole. I won’t bore you with that now, but the point is that I like fiction that’s about something. Call that theme. It goes way back. At the same time, theme can get in the way of the story. The story comes first! Other stuff gets folded in unobtrusively, like a dog pill in one of those tasty pocket things. But it’s not so hard. Things are happening socio-politically that stress people. Stress and crime live in the same house. Take CAT ON A HOT TIN WOOF, for example, coming April 14. Thematically it’s about the far-from-totally understood power of social media – here represented by a cat (Miss Kitty) in a story narrated by a dog (Chet). But still.