Authors Interviewing Characters: Mary Kendall

The Redux of Sam Murdoch

Sam Murdoch fractured his life into bits and is in dire need of a redux.

While stuck in a midlife meltdown with a broken marriage, angry offspring and a crumbling career, Sam stumbles upon a long-buried family secret: the grandfather he idolized once shot a man. Desperate for an escape (and some answers), he hits the open road in a beat-up Volvo station wagon with his eccentric college buddy, Godfrey, on a quest for truth.

After some meandering through a throwback America of old-time general stores, small-town square dances, vintage diners and quirky characters, the journey takes an unexpected and dark turn in a town called Middlevale. Thrown into a face-off with superstitious and maybe unhinged townsfolk, Sam’s little adventure to solve riddles about his family history has shifted to something else altogether. 

Amid Middlevale’s corn shocks and scythes, Sam must fight to find his path forward.

Mary Kendall’s upcoming release, The Redux of Sam Murdoch (Artemesia Publishing, August 2026), a contemporary gothic suspense novel blended with dark humor, starts off as a road trip that quickly spins out into a folk horror nightmare. 

Rooted in the author’s familiarity with genealogical pursuits, she uses that as a wonky framework for her protagonist, Sam, to try to get back on track after getting lost in middle age angst. It works…but in ways totally unexpected.

Let’s check in with Sam Murdoch.

Sam…how did you screw up so spectacularly?

Do we really need to get into all that? Let’s just leave it that life, well…life gets in the way at times.

Alright, introduce me to your sidekick/travel buddy, Byron Godfrey, instead. I hear he’s quite a character. 

Godfrey. Yeah, he’s a quirky guy. Picture this: sloppy preppy with khakis, golf shirts and even an ascot on the outside and one-of-a-kind wild card on the inside. Think Zach Galifianakis weird.

But, at the end of the day, Godfrey helped me see things through another prism. It was a prism that got me through to the other side.

What’s this family mystery you dug up? 

It was an old newspaper clipping I found in a box that had been laying around my attic for years. I never knew it but my grandpappy shot a man. And it turns out the man was the childhood sweetheart of my grandma.  

Whoa…so, how did the road trip fit into all this?

Well, Godfrey convinced me that hitting the open road could lead to boots-on-the-ground research and might provide me answers to my questions about this family mystery. 

So, the road trip was going okay…until it wasn’t? Where did things go off course?

In a town called Middlevale. A town that’s more than a little left off center. They hold a festival there every year called Lammas Fest. It…um…really took a twisted turn, downright horrifying. We got out of there, but it was touch and go. 

Okay, then what? Did you end up solving the mystery?

Sorta. I guess you should read the book to find out. (Wink).

How about any good road trip food and drink to tell us about?

Let’s see…oh yeah, in the drink department, Godfrey and I got into some trouble with poteen they served up at a VFD dance one night. We didn’t know poteen is actually moonshine but it is. The better choice was the sasparilla beer they had on offer. We should have stuck with that. 

For food… some really good cheeseburgers, a neon yellow turkey and gravy sandwich and plenty of diner breakfasts. I highly recommend hitting up blue highways and American small towns if you want the real deal for food and drink. 

Favorite new place from your road trip?

Not Middlevale. Maybe the Blue Gardenia Bar in Richmond. Mainly for its name.

You seem to be doing okay now. Did you end up sorting out your life?

Sam smiles a toothy grin. Yeah, life is good. I follow my bartender’s philosophy now: stay in the present moment. 

Thanks for chatting, Sam. Happy to hear you are on the upswing now.

PREORDER HERE

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Mary Kendall is first a reader of books across genres and, second, a writer of fiction. She brings her background in history-related fields mixed with Celtic story-telling genes to her writing. Fueled by black coffee and a possible sprinkling of fairy dust, she finds inspiration in odd places, sometimes while kneading bread dough. Her published novels include The Spinster’s Fortune, Campbell’s Boy, Bottled Secrets of Rosewood and The Accidental Heiress. Her upcoming 2026 release is The Redux of Sam Murdoch. Additionally, she has short stories published in dark fiction magazines.

Website: https://www.marykendallauthor.com/

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/mary.kendall.author/

https://www.facebook.com/mary.kendall.3152

https://twitter.com/MaryLavin49

 

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Category: Interviews, On Writing