Interview with Neil Turner, Author of Swamp Justice

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Swamp Justice?

I continually search for ways to add new twists to the series and its character arcs, which helps me to (hopefully!) keep each story original and surprising for my readers. It also helps keep me fresh and better engaged as a writer. I’d been thinking for some time that it might be fun to write a story with a prosecutor as the lead character, but I hadn’t come up with a compelling protagonist to anchor the story. The obvious solution was to fit Tony for a pair of prosecutor shoes. But how? That set off a search for jurisdictions where I might be able to do that, preferably in a milieu the series hadn’t yet explored, which ultimately led to Mississippi (one of several options). But what in Heaven’s name would motivate Tony to cross to the dark side (in defense attorney parlance) and tackle a case so far from home? It would need to be on behalf of someone who mattered a great deal to him, and given that I was feeling somewhat kind-hearted for a writer of murder and mayhem, I decided to spare the main and secondary characters who populate the series (one just barely!). By my logic, that meant it had to be a person who mattered a great deal to someone in Tony’s inner circle. Poor Clay Fish!

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Swamp Justice, what would they be?

I’ve often felt that Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” perfectly sums up the core of Tony’s character, but how many times can I say so? In a somewhat darker way, the Lucinda Williams track “Everything But the Truth” comes at the same idea from a different perspective: Everything’s gonna change, everything but the truth. After we strip away whatever fictions and rationalizations we can gin up in an effort to skirt it, the bottom line is that the truth is the truth—it’s unyielding, permanent bedrock. Tony, for better or worse, generally lives by this creed.

Harper: “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, for the exhortation to look outside oneself and the conventions we’re shackled to; to question what we see all around us; and not to look away from what is wrong. Ultimately, it’s a call to take a stand and do what is right.

“Sweet Home Alabama” seems to suit Wyatt Gareau and Ty Baudry in terms of striking a defiant tone in defense of a particular way of life and history that evokes a measure of disdain elsewhere. It’s either steadfast support of you and yours, or a pigheaded determination to remain ensconced in the past at any cost.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I can’t say that I have a favorite genre to read. I read very widely between fiction and non-fiction. My favorite fiction is character-based, leaning into the thriller space, I suppose, but certainly not limited to it. I simply want to read good stories that are well told. Sometimes that means books that are considered “literary”, but there’s a great deal of commercial and other fiction that is equally well done. Being a bit of a history buff, I devour good historical fiction and have a secret fantasy of writing a really good historical thriller one of these days. We’ll see. Simply put, I just love to read, and I suspect most writers are devoted readers. As for writing, thrillers are fun to write, and what’s better than having a little fun?

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I have a surprisingly modest TBR pile at the moment, which is at least partially the result of having just finished writing Swamp Justice. That said, I have Queen Esther by John Irving loaded into my Kobo and ready to go. I’m a huge fan of Mr. Irving. The Horse by Willy Vlautin is also on tap. Vlautin is a new writer to me, but the book is highly recommended by the writer Ann Patchett, which intrigues me because I’m a devoted fan of her work. Will I also be in sync with her reading? Who knows, but I’m about to find out!

Speaking of Ann Patchett, she has a new book coming out this summer. Hurray!

When I finish a lengthy tome called The History of Britain, my next read will be Guess Again by Charlie Donlea, who always writes a good thriller.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

This is always a tough question! In this case, I think I’m going to go with a scene that was simply fun to write, which is when Mick Martin hires a private plane and a pilot to do an aerial reconnaissance. The pilot and plane turn out to be elderly and eccentric, and Tony’s fear of flying surfaces yet again.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

As much as I’d like to tell you that I write while wearing a tweed jacket with a pocket watch, whilst puffing on a pipe to give myself a veil of mystery (pretentiousness?), the truth is that I simply park my butt at the computer and peck away until the story is done. I do have a few favorite writing items scattered about, such as a little Snoopy at his typewriter, a Writer’s Clock, and a mug full of highlighters and different colored pens for editing. Perhaps that’s the answer: I always edit my first draft on paper, and it produces a cornucopia of assorted colours that non-editors might consider festive. I know what all the squiggles and scribbling mean, but please don’t ask me to explain my “process.”

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I’ve never wavered from: Live and Let Live.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Not to hold on to our preconceptions and prejudices for places and people we don’t know and/or understand. Don’t allow the words/beliefs/ignorance of others to become your own without personal examination and experience.

Neil Turner is the author of the new book Swamp Justice

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