Featured Interview With Raymond Parish
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a lifelong Midwesterner; born close to Lake Erie, in Ohio, then migrating to Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. I finally settled in eastern Missouri. A Midwestern setting is essential to the suspense, pacing, and key relationships in my Hank Anderson mystery series. Hank was raised in rural Iowa before moving to Des Moines, the most urban of the state’s cities. This blend of rural and urban, farm fields and city streets, grew from my own experiences with small town and big city life. The comfort and clash of the two is, in a way, another character.
These days, I live in a big city, and still go to the country. I live with my remarkable wife, my bicycle, and my guitar. Our three wonderful children have launched. I travel often. I retreat to my home to write and watch at the birds.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My dad introduced me to the Hardy Boys mysteries in grade school. I was further drawn to Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Raymond Chandler, and Dashiell Hammett. Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and O. Henry took me in another direction, with a pull toward psychology and spirituality coming in adolescence and continuing to the present. To this day I read mysteries and historical fiction. I also read every book on rock music and music trivia I can get my hands on.
I had an amazing creative writing teacher in high school, but was primarily a nonfiction writer through college and early adulthood. I often say I learned to write well in my chosen profession of mental health, via reports and letters. My first book was published in the early 1990s. After four nonfiction books and numerous articles, I found my more creative voice through Hank Anderson, publishing Overnight Delivery in 2020, The Mighty Shall Fall in 2022, and The Last Step in 2024. My fourth Hank book, Fool’s Highway is underway.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am a big fan of, and have been inspired by, other mystery authors who write about the Midwest and highlight rural locales: David Houseright, John Sandford, and C.J. Box. As far as old school, I love Stuart Kaminsky, George Chesbro’s horror/thriller series, James Lee Burke, and Sara Paretsky. A more recent discovery is Sara E. Johnson’s Alexa Glock Forensic Mysteries, which are set in New Zealand. Beyond mysteries, I believe Barbara Kingsolver may be the greatest novelist of our times; she inhabits her main characters at a stunning level. In nonfiction, my hero Victor Frankl’s legendary Man’s Search for Meaning and Angela Ashes by Frank McCourt stand out as seminal works.
One feature of the fiction writers that I am drawn to is the humor found within the tension. A favorite compliment of my work, that came from a person who knew me in my life away from writing, was: “I didn’t know you were so funny.”
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The creation of a Hank Anderson novel is a 2-3 year experience for me, from the first word to editing to publication. I am not a detailed planner. I start each book with the familiar characters and relationships that have grown with me over these years, a premise based on one or more intriguing villains, and off I go. The characters lead my stories. I get to experience the surprises that I hope will capture my readers.
My latest mystery, The Last Step, is best described by the cover summary:
Dennis Greenberg is the voice of reason that often rings in psychotherapist Hank Anderson’s ears, a counterpoint to Hank’s moth-to-the-flame attraction to complex, potentially lethal human puzzles. That is, until Hank’s business partner and mentor disappears—without a word.
When Dennis resurfaces as the alleged perpetrator in a far-reaching financial crime, Hank and his inner circle are thrust into a mind-bending jumble of anonymous threats, the city’s moneyed elite, outlaw bikers, and the mysterious brother whose appearance awakens demons from Dennis’ past.
Hank knows that Detective Phil Evan must dig through the morass and find the truth, whatever the cost to the friendships he treasures. But, Hank will not stand by as Dennis is crushed under the weight of these accusations. Using his singular talents for seeing and hearing what others miss, he thrusts himself into the investigation, with one purpose in mind. To prove his friend’s innocence.
Then, the bodies start piling up…
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