Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press (May 15, 2023)
Category: Mystery/Suspense
Tour Dates June 26-July 27, 2023
ISBN: 978-1509248971
Available in Print and ebook, 298 pages

Description Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

Award-winning novelist Verlin Darrow delivers a standout thrill ride in his newest mystery, Murder for Liar, an engaging, enlightening, and entertaining novel of psychological suspense.

About Murder for Liar:  Private investigator-turned-psychotherapist Tom Dashiel doesn’t know it yet, but he’s hurtling towards discovering where his threshold lies—the point of no return for his sanity.  So begins a surreal spiral when George Arundel enters Tom’s Santa Cruz office on a Tuesday afternoon in April.

To say George Arundel is a puzzle is an understatement:  the local psychiatrist who referred Arundel to Tom described him—rather astutely—as “a substantial challenge.”  Working to treat the enigmatic Arundel, Tom soon realizes he has been tasked to treat a client unlike any he’s ever encountered.

But how is George Arundel related to the uncanny coincidences Tom begins to encounter?  Are these mere coincidences…or something else?  Could a young woman named Zig-Zag really be an angel?  How could a dog—a rather cute one at that—reveal one of the most important clues? What’s the deal with that alluring, albeit mercurial, woman named Dizzy?  And what’s Arundel’s connection to the escalating spate of unsolved murders plaguing the typically calm but always colorful Santa Cruz community?

Swept up in a perilous world where nothing is as it seems, Tom struggles to make sense of the decidedly dangerous, downright deadly scheme in which he has somehow unwittingly become a key player. Tom is about to discover that in this treacherous reality, the truth is far, far stranger than fiction…but the real danger is not knowing which is which.

Verlin Darrow has crafted an exhilarating, briskly paced page turner with a to-die-for plot in his latest novel. An extraordinary read that is alternately dark and lighthearted, tragic and comic, wildly entertaining and highly enlightening, Murder for Liar is one of those books destined to stay with readers after the final page is turned.  Meticulously plotted, populated with a charismatic cast of unforgettable characters and bustling with twists and turns, Murder for Liar is a true standout.

Praise for Verlin Darrow

“The story has great pace, fun characters who you care about, plenty of twists, and narrative ‘personality’, especially with all of the psychology and spiritual references. Many good zingers, taut scenes, and punchy, believable dialogue.
The mixture of a hard-boiled story line with a soft-boiled private investigator works well and the psychology–spiritualism element grabbed and held my interest.”-C.I. Dennis, author of the Vince Tanzi series. For Blood and Wisdom

“Verlin Darrow has a sense of plot and style that carries the reader forward into that special place of anxious expectation, the place where putting the book down is unthinkable.

Verlin gets us into the minds of people you wouldn’t want to invite for dinner. Fascinating.”-Richard House MD, author of Between Now and When. For Blood and Wisdom

“A kooky spiritual version of the Da Vinci Code. A good laugh with bad guys and good guys searching for Buddha’s reincarnation. There is a whooper of a surprise ending!”- Lee Kaiser, author of Towers of the Hungry Ghosts. For Coattail Karma

Interview with Verlin Darrow, Author of Murder For Liar

Teddy: Please tell us something about Murder For Liar  that is not in the summary.  (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)

Verlin: I tried to create the the same sort of experience for readers that Tom—the psychologist protagonist—endures, without the murders themselves, of course. In other words, as Tom is confounded and forced to rethink his sense of possibility in light of extraordinary events, readers are, too. When Tom is clueless, they are. When he figures something out, they’re along for the ride, experiencing similar satisfaction, however momentary it might turn out to be. To maintain suspense, the book has no easy answers or clarity to rest on. As answers emerge, new questions emerge to replace them. I hesitate to get into specifics since there are numerous twists and turns that need to be surprises.

I found it challenging to write a story that stands on its own, and has the added element of providing a fun, intense roller coaster ride for my readers. Based on the reviews my book has been getting, I seem to have succeeded. It’s hard to know about things like this without objective third party feedback.

Teddy: I always enjoy looking at the names that authors choose to give their characters. Where do you derive the names of your characters?  Are they based on real people you knew or now know in real life? How do you create names for your characters?

Verlin: Actually, names are a significant plot point in Murder For Liar. In two different circumstances, a commonality between characters’ names are significant and provides clues about the mystery threading through the book.

I picked “Tom” because it only has three letters and I find those three easy to locate on my keyboard (great reason, huh?). Zig-zag and Dizzy are two other names I use to set them apart from ordinary folks. And the sweet border collie conspirator is named Sadie, which is what I would name a border collie if I had one.

I think names are important. I pick them intuitively and then sometimes change them in later drafts as I find out more about my characters. In one book, Ivy turned into Aria. In another, Pan turned into Sid.

Teddy: Where did you get the inspiration for your cover?

Verlin: With my previous three novels, I directed the concept of the covers and then my publisher’s artist realized them in ways that I approved. Sounds good, right? It turns out that readers didn’t like them at all. So, this time, I just picked the cover artist, listed the elements in the book, the tone, a few symbols that might relate to the plot, and then left it to the professionals. I like the end result. Sometimes my head feels like the guy on the cover. I can relate.

Verlin: Which actors would you like to see play Tom Dashiel and George Arundel, if the book were to become a movie, play, or mini series.  (you are welcome to choose actors for other characters as well)

Verlin: I’ve thought about this. I’d pick a fortyish Nick Nolte for Tom, mostly for his looks. The film would need a really good actor for George (if you read the book, you’ll see why)—maybe Anthony Hopkins or Jack Nicholson. For waiflike Zig-zag, I think a twentyish Natalie Portman would work. And for Dizzy, the African-American temptress, perhaps Lupita Nyong’o.

I guess we’re way over budget already with this cast. It’s lucky I write books instead of casting actors.

Teddy: What kind of messages do you try to instill in your writing?

Verlin: This is an integral part of my work. As a therapist and a Buddhist, I try to infuse my plots with ideas and perspectives that open doors for readers—that expand the way they think about life. That sounds like a lofty, pretentious goal, but done skillfully, I think it simply adds layers of meaning beyond the fun of reading a psychological thriller. We sometimes forget about basic realities that we all face, such as: everything changes, we’re all in this together, and in my case, and perhaps yours sometimes, thoughts are like science fiction stories written by drunk monkeys. My books remind the reader of s things we need to accept in order to be content.

Teddy: What draws you to this genre? 

Verlin: It’s what I like to read, for one thing, so I’ve read a lot of suspense and mystery novels, which helps when I set out to write one. Also, my strengths—and what falls out of me naturally—are plot and dialogue. I think these are especially important in this genre.

My subconscious loves to construct plots with me tagging along. I might write that a car is yellow for no earthly reason I know of. Seventy pages later, it turns out to be important. So, with mysteries and the like, I get to find out along with everyone else what ‘s going to happen, which makes the process of writing more fun. In one book, I honestly didn’t know who the killer was until I got to the second to last chapter.

Teddy: Will Tom have more to tell readers in the future?

Verlin: Beats me. I guess it depends on how popular my book ends up being. I’ve got another non-Tom mystery coming out next year and a couple of rough drafts of other books in the works. I’d definitely put them to the side if billions of readers clamored for more Tom.

On the other hand, he starts out one way and then transforms quite a bit to cope with what he encounters. By the end of the book, he’s a guy who doesn’t need to go through anything traumatic anymore to change. So, what would happen to someone like that? More murders? I dunno.

Teddy: Do you have any writing projects that you are currently working on?

Verlin: As I mentioned (before I read this question and then was too lazy to go back and change my last answer), The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth will be published by Wild Rose Press next year. In it, a former Buddhist nun solves murders in northern California while enduring her dysfunctional family. It’s more of a traditional mystery—lighter reading, less harrowing.

About Verlin Darrow

Award-winning novelist, Verlin Darrow is a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near the Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary.

Verlin is a former professional volleyball player (in Italy), unsuccessful country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign spiritual organization.

Website:  https://www.verlindarrow.com/

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