Synopsis (from Amazon):
When two
murders strain the police force of a remote Alaskan fishing port, veterinarian
Maureen McMurtry is tapped by Dutch Harbor’s police chief for forensic
assistance. The doctor’s got a past she’d rather not discuss, a gun in her
closet, and a retired police dog that hasn’t lost her chops. All come in handy
as she deciphers the cause and time of death of a local drug addict washed
ashore with dead sea lions and an environmentalist found in a crab pot hauled
from the sea in the net of a fishing vessel.
When her romantic relationship with a boat captain is swamped by mounting evidence that he’s the prime suspect in one of the murders, McMurtry struggles with her own doubts to prove his innocence. But can she? McMurtry’s pals, a manager of the Bering Sea crab fishery and another who tends Alaska’s most dangerous bar assist in unraveling the sinister truth.
Excerpt from DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR
D.
MacNeill Parker
Eric took the blanket he’d laid on the ice
bench and draped it over the guy’s shoulders; just a kid, really. He folded the
kid's hands so they lay on his lap and packed ice at his sides so he would
remain secure for the rough ride back to port. Reaching into the chest pocket
of his own jacket, he removed a pack of cigarettes. His hand shook as he lit
two.
“We smoke the same brand,” he said,
bending to wedge one in Guy’s gray
lips. He smoked the other cigarette, all the while talking to the kid as if his
spirit lingered nearby. “What a bummer,” he said, “dying so young.” He told the
kid he would be missed by someone and promised to get him home. Hearing his
voice crack, Eric turned away as if he didn’t want Guy to see him that way.
Then he closed the freezer door.
Guy sat in the bait locker, the cigarette
still hanging from his lips. The freezing temperature caused the saltwater on
his eyelashes and beard to crystallize. He looked as if he were climbing Mt.
Everest instead of sitting propped-up, dead in a fishing boat bait locker
headed to Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Q&A
D. MacNeill Parker
DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR
How did
you research your book?
Research was not required. Write what you know,
right? As a longtime participant in the Alaska fishing industry, I couldn’t
pass up the opportunity to use my experience as the backdrop to this book. What
could be more intriguing than creating a world where commercial fishing and
murder meet? However, I knew nothing about police dogs and so made an inquiry
with the Seattle Police K9 Unit. They invited me to their training site. I was
so appreciative, I named the dog in the book after the K9 Unit shepherd, CoCo.
Which was
the hardest character to write?
The arch villain. It was difficult for me to
navigate how to leave clues without giving away the identity of the culprit.
The protagonist was a bit of a struggle, a learning experience really. Because
the book is written in third person, I wrote many revisions trying out ways to
best express what was inside her head.
Which was
the easiest?
The police chief was the easiest character to
write. I have no idea why.
Where do
you get inspiration for your stories?
Aside from my own experience at sea as a fisherman that included surviving a boat that sank off the coast of Kodiak, I’ve heard many sea stories, most
far more interesting than my own. There’s something about living on the edge of
civilization where your life is at the mercy of Mother Nature and your survival
may depend on the skill of your crew mates that is made for drama.
There are
many crime mystery books out there. What makes yours different?
As a former fisherman married to a fishing boat
captain, and with a career as a journalist, fisheries specialist for the State
of Alaska and a seafood company executive, I’ve got the credentials to pull off
authenticity. And along the way, the reader will learn a lot about Alaska and
commercial fishing.
What
advice would you give budding writers?
Just do it! Take creative writing courses on
story structure and join a writing group so that it becomes a hands-on learning
project. It’s fun, so you’ve got nothing to lose.
Your book
is set in Alaska. Have you ever been there?
Our family lived in Alaska for many years and
still participates in the Alaska fishing industry. One of our sons is at sea
now. More specifically, I have been to Dutch Harbor, Alaska where the story
unfolds. Dutch Harbor is a real place, now famous to fans of the television
show, Deadliest Catch. It’s the nation's
busiest fishing port even though it’s located in the remote Aleutian Islands,
halfway to Russia because that’s where the fish swim. I’ve experienced its
famous white knuckler airplane landings and drank my share of beer at a
well-known saloon there famed as Alaska’s most dangerous bar.
Do you
ever get writer’s block?
No, never. Isn’t that terrific? I’m sure my
former career as a journalist helps launch me into my task without much
trepidation. But it’s not unusual for me to go back after writing a scene and delete the first
few paragraphs as if they were just a warm-up
exercise.
What’s
your next project?
I’m currently writing the second book of the
series. So if you like the characters that inhabit DEATH IN DUTCH HARBOR, you
can revisit them.
What is
the last great book you read?
I could not put down the book, HORSE, by
Geraldine Brooks. Its historical fiction, based on a real racehorse that was trained by a slave. The mystery
unravels through the point of view of different characters, some in the present
and some in the past. It tackles racism in a unique and poignant manner.
What is a
favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
A few friends have called me in the morning
after staying up all night reading the book. They’d been unable to put it down
and their voices still transmitted excitement. It doesn’t get much better than
that.
How are
you similar or different from your lead character?
Well, I’m not a veterinarian, my hair is not
red, and I don’t engage in sleuthing about in dark places. But I was about the
doc’s age when I moved to Alaska, so the wonder of beholding the last frontier
for the first time was something I purposely injected into the character.
If your
book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?
Now that’s a fun question! The book is very
visual and would make a great movie so please be sure to send any interested
producers my way. Off the top of my head, Emma Stone comes to mind. It’s not
because her hair is red like Doctor Mo’s, it’s because they seem to share a
sassy intrepidness, smarts and sense of humor. George Clooney as One-Eye Ben.
That’s an inside joke which you’ll get when you read the book.
In one
sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
Because I am a debut author, it was like stumbling
around in a hailstorm, knocking on the doors of strangers in hopes of finding
shelter.
What
authors inspired you to write?
There were many authors that inspired me to
write like Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, Craig Johnson, Michael Connelly, John Grisham,
Martin Cruz Smith, Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie and Dashell Hammett but
the book that lit a writing fire under me as a teenager was John Barth’s book,
The Sot-Weed Factor. It’s a wild ride of historical fiction that showed me
there was no limit to using your imagination when crafting a yarn.
What is
something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?
There was a scene between Dr. Mo and her pal,
Patsy, in a restaurant that was painful to cut. Patsy, one of my favorite characters,
used salt and pepper shakers, hot sauce and catsup bottles and a fork to make a
point about the doc’s messed-up personal life. It was near the end of the book
where the pace had escalated. The scene slowed things down and, gulp, had to
go. I hope to find a place for it in the second book!
Where do
you write?
I have a writing studio in the backyard. It was a shed that my amazing husband upgraded for me,
including installation of a large window at my desk where I can watch the ducks
swim by in the creek. I am a lucky woman.
What is
your writing schedule?
I find that writing in the morning suits me best. I think it’s because I’m still connected to my subconscious at that time of day. As a Pantser, I write by the seat of my pants, so it’s important to keep my head plugged into my imagination rather than cluttered with the banal practicalities of the real world.
Author
Bio:
D. MacNeill Parker and her family are long time participants in the Alaska fishing industry. In addition to fishing for halibut, salmon, crab, and cod, she’s been a journalist, a fisheries specialist for the State of Alaska, and a seafood company executive. She’s travelled to most ports in Alaska, trekked mountains in the Chugach range, rafted the Chulitna River, worked in hunting camps, and survived a boat that went down off the coast of Kodiak. Parker’s been to Dutch Harbor many times experiencing her share of white knuckler airplane landings and beer at the Elbow Room, famed as Alaska’s most dangerous bar. While the characters in this book leapt from her imagination, they thrive in this authentic setting. She loves Alaska, the sea, a good yarn and her amazing family.
Website: https://www.dmparkerauthor.com/
Author
Marketing Experts:
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Amazon: http://amzn.to/46fPtGv
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198615907-death-in-dutch-harbor
Praise:
“From the first scene, she evokes the real Dutch Harbor and the dynamic people who call it home. It’s a roaring mystery that braids together oil rigs, fishing, sea lions and the kind of Russians we love to hate. Death in Dutch Harbor is a must read for anyone who wants to vicariously experience a rugged world on the edge of an unforgiving sea”
— Lori Swanson, Former Director Marine
Conservation Alliance, Federal Fishery Observer
“Any fan of the Deadliest Catch television show should reach for this book!”
—Captain
Sig Hansen, FV Northwestern and a star of the Deadliest Catch TV series
“Death in Dutch Harbor grabbed me at the outset and did not let go. Right away you can tell Ms. Parker knows the issues facing the fishing industry in the Bering Sea. She weaves them into the tale and uses her characters to draw the reader deeper into the murder mystery.”
— Frank
Kelty, Former Mayor of Dutch Harbor/Unalaska
“What a banging beginning for this author. Parker successfully tied together the multiple themes with strong characters, especially the women, with a believable and exciting plot. I recommend this book and look forward to Parker’s next novel.”
— Men
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