When a prominent Sacramento businessman is killed and his wife injured in a brutal home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are called to investigate. At first glance, it seems like a crime of opportunity gone horribly wrong, but Emily soon finds there might be more to both the crime and the dead man.
The high-stakes investigation also comes at a time when Emily is caring for her mother who has early-onset Alzheimer’s, and Emily struggles to balance her job with her personal life. The city’s political elite want the case solved quickly, but darker forces want it buried.
Could there have been a motive behind the attack, making it more than a random home invasion? Emily uncovers clues that cause her to reconsider her understanding of the crime. A deadly game of greed and deception pulls Emily deeper into the shadowy world of gang violence and retribution. She has to walk the razor’s edge to identify the killer—without becoming the next victim.
Author Interview - James L’Etoile
1. James, After two decades of work in the criminal justice system, Have you been
able to incorporate your previous experience in your job in your writing? And
how?
When people hear I worked in the California prison system for nearly thirty years, they expect that I’ll write noir-flavored prison books. I really don’t. But many of the characters and situations I encountered over the years do find their way into the story or inspire a new plot. Face of Greed for example was based on one of the first murder cases I worked.
The real-life situation was a home invasion which took a deadly turn. A real estate broker was shot in front of his family by three gang members. After they were arrested, the gang members claimed the victim was a drug dealer who had been holding out on them. One claimed the killing was self-defense because the victim pulled a handgun from a floor safe. Their story quickly fell apart, and the gangsters turned on one another for better plea deal. The truth was the home was targeted because the homeowner was believed to keep large sums of cash in his safe. The jury saw through their fiction and quickly convicted all three.
The case stayed with me after all these years and when I thought about a novel with an opening scene featuring a home invasion, I thought—what if there was something more going on in that house?
2. Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more from experience?
I’ve become more of an outliner. My first novels were written more organically with the seed of an idea and then I’d make it up as I went along. It works and lots of authors I know use a similar process, but I found myself spending too much time rewriting scenes and characters because of a change I “came up with” in chapter 30.
I’ve found that I write best, and more efficiently, with an outline, or really, a road map of where the story is going to go. After I figure out the basic story issue and the characters who’ll be coming to life on the pages, I like to have a signpost pointing to the true path to keep we away from writing myself into a corner. I give myself permission to venture off the path to explore a subplot, but I know where I’m supposed to be going. That’s not to say as I’m writing that a new plot point might not appear and make the journey to that ending a little richer.
3. Tell us what you enjoy most about writing crime?
There is something about crime fiction that we can all identify with. Many of us have experienced crime firsthand or know someone who has. Good crime fiction has a way of getting into the reader and lighting a spark—what if this happened to me?
4. Do you identify with your main character, or did you create a character that is your
opposite?
I don’t necessarily identify with my main characters. Instead, I hope to tell a story through that character. I want that character to be someone readers can connect with. In Face of Greed, we have Emily Hunter. She’s a smart, sarcastic detective who’s had to sacrifice her personal life to earn the position she holds. In a male dominated para-military organization like a police department, she’s put up with her share of harassment and people underestimating her because she’s a woman. Emily is a fun character to write because she’s not always following the official policy to get the job done—but she does get her cases closed.
5. Describe the [book/series] in 20 words or less for people who are just learning about
it.
Emily investigates a crime of opportunity gone horribly wrong but finds there’s more to the crime and the dead man.
6. Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
There are a couple of points that come out of Face of Greed. I’m kind of a believer in karma and I like to see the people who prey on others and take advantage of the vulnerable get what they deserve. It sometimes doesn’t happen in real life, but it feels somehow satisfying when they get what’s coming. Also, Emily is the kind of person who doesn’t like to ask for help, even when she needs it most. During the story she finds she can’t manage caring for a parent with dementia by herself. She needs to learn asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness.
As the title implies, there are those among us who never have enough. They never give up trying to gain more influence and power—no matter the cost. The destruction they leave in their wake is underestimated.
7. What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has
been the best compliment?
I’m probably my own toughest critic. When I’m in the middle of a novel (some call it the muddle in the middle) the self-critical voice comes out of its dark little cave of loathing and starts chattering in my ear. “This is the worst thing ever.” “What were you even thinking?” “Just throw it all away and start over.” I try to ignore those voices and plow on—I’ve done this before, and I can do it again.
As for compliments—I’ve been very fortunate and a recent starred review from Booklist has to be way up there on the list. But recently an interviewer commented my writing reminded him of Elmore Leonard. That was a huge compliment. If I had just a piece of that man’s talent and storytelling chops, I’d be I high cotton. But I’ll definitely take the compliment.
8. Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your
younger self?
The publishing world moves at a slower pace than you’d expect. Be prepared for a marathon. It all comes down to sticking with it and not giving up. There is rejection looming at every corner and it’s hard not to take it personally. It’s a business decision and all it meant was your work wasn’t the best fit for that publisher at that time. If you’re fortunate to get additional comments about what didn’t work, or what they would have preferred to see—that’s golden.
9. What is your favorite line from your book?
That’s a hard one. I like the opening line because right from the beginning, Emily is of balance and unsure.
“Emily Hunter learned to be wary of open doorways when she rolled up to a call. In the five years of her assignment to the detective bureau of the Sacramento Police Department, she knew bad things often lurked in the dark behind partially open doors.
When it was the front door of your own home, at seven in the evening, the anxiety bit deep.”
10. Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite?
In Face of Greed, I have to say that Emily has been the most fun to write. She’s got a strong moral compass and underneath a sarcastic front, she’s got a big heart. She’ll bend over backward to help someone in need. But if you cross her, look out. We learn right up front that Emily’s mother is suffering from dementia and caregiving responsibilities have fallen onto her. It’s difficult to balance her demanding job and providing the care her mother needs.
Thanks for the interview and a look into the Face of Greed.
Author Bio:
James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novel, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. Black Label earned the Silver Falchion for Best Book by an Attending Author at Killer Nashville and he was nominated for The Bill Crider Award for short fiction. Dead Drop garnered a Lefty and Anthony Award nomination, and a Silver Falchion Award, and a PSWA win for best novel.
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