Authors Interviewing Their Characters: Tracy Clark

June 7, 2019 | By Tracy Clark | Reply More

Tracy Clark writes the Cass Raines PI series, which is set in Chicago. Her series debut, BROKEN PLACES, made Library Journal’s list of the Best Crime Fiction of 2018 and was short listed in the mystery category on the American Library Association’s 2019 Reading List. CrimeReads also named Cass Raines Best New PI of 2018. The novel also received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, a rave from Kirkus Review, was selected as a TOP PICK by Romantic Times, was nominated for a Lefty Award for Best Debut Novel for 2018, and the 2019 Anthony Award for Best First Novel. Book two in the series, BORROWED TIME released in May 2019.

We asked Tracy if she could interview Cass Raines for us. We were delighted when she said yes!

TC: Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?

CR: My name’s Cassandra Raines. I work and live in Chicago. I’m a private investigator, the owner of Raines Investigations and its sole operator. Before that, I was a homicide detective with the Chicago Police Department. I run a full-service operation, but I don’t take every case that waltzes through my door. For instance, I don’t take domestic cases. If you think your significant other is stepping out on you and you want someone to skulk through the bushes with a camera, that’s not me. Anything else, we can talk about.

TC: So, you transitioned from upholding the law with a badge to often butting heads with law enforcement in service to your clients. I refer to your recent cases where you sort of trespassed on folks’ property and skirted the law just a wee bit, nothing serious, just not exactly on the up and up.

CR: Whoa. Who told you that?

TC: What do you mean who told me that? I know what you do. Are you forgetting the picklocks you took off that burglar? Quite literally no door is closed to you. I mean, you are operating, ultimately, for the greater good, but still…

CR: I’m selective in my use of the picklocks. Go back. Check the books. I’m not nicking the family silver.

TC: Is there anything you won’t do?

CR: Absolutely.

TC: Want to explain?

CR: No.

TC: You’re an African-American woman.

CR: You noticed, huh?

TC: Um. Has that created any special challenges for you in your profession?

CR: The job’s the job. Clients come in, I take the case, I get the case done. Sometimes I run into idiots who want to make a big deal about me being a black woman. I ignore them. The world is made up of all kinds of people doing all kinds of jobs.

TC: Why Chicago?

CR: I was born here, I live here, I work here. I love Chicago, every inch of it.

TC: Could you see yourself moving someplace else?

CR: Like where?

TC: I don’t know, say Albuquerque?

CR: Albuquerque? What the heck would I do in Albuquerque? It’s like ten thousand degrees of dry heat there. I’m a city girl and this is my town. Give me rain, autumn leaves and snow up to my elbows. But you never considered moving me to Albuquerque. You love Chicago just as much as I do.

TC: You’re not big on sharing your feelings. I’d categorize you as the strong silent type. Not saying anything’s wrong with that.

CR: Is there a question in there somewhere?

TC: You know you’re a little prickly today. What gives?

CR: You know that old saying about not suffering fools gladly?

TC: Moving on. I’d like to ask about your icy stare. What is that? Is it an intimidation tactic? I describe it as being intense enough to send a shiver down a person’s spine. So, intimidation, or some ocular problem?

CR: You tell me.

TC: Well, as your creator, I…

CR: Whoa, what?

TC: As the creator of the Cass Raines books, which feature you, Cass Raines… There’s that stare again. You do acknowledge that I created you, right? I mean you didn’t just pop up on the page fully formed like some magical fairy.

CR: You sit down at that janky laptop of yours and stare off into the distance for hours. I hardly call that creating. I took pity on you and showed up. You really don’t think those books are all you, do you? They’re three-fourths me, the other fourth is you and the finger-tapping. Have you ever wondered what you’d write about if I’d decided to show up at David Baldacci’s house instead?

TC: Okay. I think we’ve strayed off the path here. Let’s get back to you. You don’t play well with others, as evidenced by this interview, which I imagined going a very different way. But whatever. I admire your independent spirit. Where’d it come from? Can you talk about that?

CR: I learned to rely on myself early on. You can’t wait around for someone else to solve your problems for you. That’s it. And going back to your last question. I know how to work perfectly well with others, as long as they’re not idiots.

TC: Like me, you mean?

CR: I didn’t say that.

TC: But you meant it. You were looking right at me when you said idiot.

CR: Who else am I going to look at, you’re sitting right in front of me.

TC: *Sigh* Tell me about the people you love and the ones who love you. You’ve managed to cobble together quite the family unit—Whip, Sister Barb, Mrs. Vincent, your ex-partner Ben Mickerson, Muna, the waitress at your favorite diner. They’re your support system, but also your soft spot.

CR: Everybody protects family. I don’t think I’m special in that regard.

TC: Speaking of special people, you’ve started seeing Detective Eli Weber. Let’s talk about that.

CR: Nope.

TC: What do you mean nope? I’m supposed to be interviewing you for the readers.

CR: I’d rather not talk about my private life.

TC: I CREATED YOUR PRIVATE LIFE!

CR: Nu-uh. I showed up. Remember the pity? But you’ve been pushing to get into my business since day one and, quite frankly, I resent the intrusion.

TC: Resent the intrusion…

CR: Here’s what I want to say, and then I’ve got to bounce. I’m a private detective, a woman, which doesn’t account for a hill of beans in the final analysis. I take the case. I do the job. I don’t stand around waiting for a man to show up and help me out with it. I’ve got a particular set of skills…

TC: Oh, you are not going to recite that macho crap from “Taken,” are you?

CR: Don’t interrupt me. Go type something. I’m good at what I do. My goal as a cop, my goal now, is to get some of the bad off the streets. I don’t like those who prey on the defenseless. I do not like bullies or thugs or those without regard for the least among us. That’s it. And I need to tell you this last bit, because you pry–cut back on the internal dialog. I don’t like you in my head. I think we’re done.

TC: Yeah, we’re done, and I don’t pry.

CR: Yeah, you do.

TC: I’m shutting this down.

—

Visit Tracy on Facebook, follow her on Twitter at tracypc6161, or check out her author website at tracyclarkbooks.com.

BORROWED TIME

In Tracy Clark’s electrifying new mystery featuring Cassandra Raines, the former Chicago cop turned private investigator looks into a suspicious death as a favor to a friend—and makes some powerful enemies . . .

Sitting in cold cars for hours, serving lowlifes with summonses . . . being a P.I. means riding out a lot of slow patches. But sometimes the most familiar paths can lead straight to danger—like at Cass’s go-to diner, where new delivery guy Jung Byson wants to enlist her expertise. Jung’s friend, Tim Ayers, scion of a wealthy Chicago family, has been found dead, floating in Lake Michigan near his luxury boat. And Jung is convinced there’s a murderer on the loose . . .

Cass reluctantly begins digging only to discover that Jung neglected to mention one crucial fact: Tim Ayers was terminally ill. Given the large quantities of alcohol and drugs found in his body, Ayers’ death appears to be either an accident or suicide. Yet as much as Cass would like to dismiss Jung’s suspicions, there are too many unanswered questions and unexplained coincidences.

Why would anyone kill a dying man? Working her connections on both sides of the law, Cass tries to point the police in the right direction. But violence is escalating around her, and Cass’s persistence has already attracted unwanted attention, uncovering sinister secrets that Cass may end up taking to her grave.

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