An Interview with Rex Burns
Just before the official October 7th release date of Burns' newest novel, Crude Carrier, The Big Thrill interviewed the
author about his life and work. In the interview, Burns touches on his method, his advice for aspiring writers, and the movie adaptation of his novel, The Avenging Angel. Most importantly, though, he talks at length about his newest series, which follows The Touchstone Agency, a father and daughter detective duo:
James and Julie—father and daughter—are still recovering from the death of James’ wife (Julie’s mother). Both are bright and, without having to preach about it, dedicated to helping people in trouble.... As principals of Touchstone Associates, they are observant, logical, detail oriented, and persistent. But they are not jaded about human iniquity and are still able to be shocked by what people can do to each other.
As for the setting of the new novel, which takes place in between London and an international oil tanker, Burns has this to say:
I wanted a setting and case that would be somewhat unusual for Raiford and his daughter ... But also, I like ships and deep-water cruises—even on troop ships. And since I’d found fascinating information about the merchant marine in my research, I hoped to share that subject with readers. As for the London setting, well, it was a pleasure to re-visit some of my favorite corners of a city with so many literary echoes.
You can check out the full interview over at thebigthrill.org. Check out Burn's author page here.
