Q & A with Tom Lowe

Q: What makes Sean O'Brien different from other (unofficial) PIs?
I don't know if O'Brien is a lot different from many of them. I think what they all have in common is a sense of doing the right thing and compassion for victims of abuse, crime, etc. O'Brien, however, is a sharp observer of people. He has an uncanny gift to detect when someone is lying. He notices when things are not what they seem to be, and when they are not what they should be.

Q: How did you come up with the character?
I used to be a journalist and I was exposed to a lot of cops and crime. O'Brien reminds me of a detective I once knew.

Q: How much research went in your latest novel?
My latest novel is THE 24TH LETTER.. I consulted with attorneys and cops to give a work of fiction as much accuracy as possible within the fast-paced format.

Q: What's next for you and Sean?
What's next for Sean or me? For Sean, the next novel, THE 24TH LETTER, will be published March 16th. For me, it's one day at a time.

Q: How do you promote your books?
I spend a lot of time going to book signings and events. I think face-to-face meetings with readers is a great connection. I do a newsletter and hit the social media on the Internet as often as possible.

Q: Do you have any favourite Sons of Spade yourself?
Some of the mystery/thriller writers I enjoy include: Dennis Lehane, James Lee Burke, John Connolly and many others.

Q: In the last century we've seen new waves of PI writers, first influenced by Hammett, then Chandler, MacDonald, Parker, later Lehane. Who do you think will influence the coming generation and in what way?
Writers like Michael Connelly and Lee Child are very popular. I believe the hybrid of the mystery/thriller is the kind of work that may fuel the imaginations of the next generation - and whatever content they deliver to e-books.

Q: Joe Lansdale came up with the following question: If your PI could choose to be a comic book superhero, which would he choose and why?
I have no clue. Ironman maybe. Probably because I saw the film recently.

Q: What question should we ask every PI writer we interview and what is your answer?
You might want to ask them why they do this genre of storytelling. For me, it's a great way to entertain people with escapist fiction that can have a subtle theme that resonates with social relevance of today, i.e., the death penalty.