We’re interviewing Author Raemi A Ray this month on the Mystery Review Crew. Raemi A Ray is a new to us murder mystery author who has based her first series in Martha’s Vineyard.
About Raemi A Ray
Raemi A Ray is the author of the Martha’s Vineuard Murders series, publishing in 2024. She takes inspiration from her travels to the island and around the world as well as from local and national headlines. Most of her books are based somewhat on real life. When not writing, working her other boring job, she earns her keep as the personal assistant to the resident house demons, Otto and DolphLundgren. She lives in Boston with her family.
An interview with Raemi A Ray
Martha’s Vineyard is a picturesque yet intriguing setting for this mystery. What drew you to set the story on this island, and how does its unique environment contribute to the unfolding of the plot?
Martha’s Vineyard holds a special place in my heart. I’ve been a frequent visitor for over twenty years and my family has been there since the 70’s. It’s a unique and diverse place not just geologically – it’s a glacial island – but also culturally and socio-economically. In particular, I love the delicate balance of the interests of islanders and the vacationers. I play with that friction a lot in the books.
The partnership between Kyra and Tarek Collins is central to the investigation. How did you approach developing their dynamic, and what makes their collaboration effective in solving the mystery?
My dad loves old movies and I remember watching the Nick and Nora Charles films with him as a kid. I wanted to create a similar dynamic – a man and woman detective and ‘other’ team, each with their own skillsets that complement each other. I began researching duos in crime fiction to see what worked and what didn’t. I drew a bit from Hammett’s ‘The Tin Man,’ the Sherlock Holmes stories, the shows ‘Bones,’ and ‘The Mentalist.’ I think what works with these duos is the differences in how they manifest their innate curiosity.
Kyra is smart and intuitive but impulsive. Tarek is cautious and exacting, but he’s also jaded and critical while Kyra may be a bit more forgiving if untrusting. They approach questions from opposite sides, but they are like-minded in their goals.
What was the first story or piece of writing you remember creating? How has your writing evolved since then?
I have vague memories of an epic fantasy novel on an ancient desktop computer sitting in our den. I couldn’t tell you what it was about, except I’m positive there was a talking unicorn in it. As I’ve gotten older, my stories have gotten darker, and grittier, with more thunderclouds, less rainbows. If I ever attempt tackling fantasy again the talking animal would be a bat.
Are there any specific authors or books that influenced you early in your writing journey?
Yes, in particular, I’ve been heavily influenced by Hammett, Chandler, Daphne Du Maurier, Willkie Collins, and the great Arthur Conan Doyle. Mander Lane Farm is an homage to Manderley, in Rebecca.
Are you a planner or a “pantser” (writing by the seat of your pants)? How do you approach structuring your stories?
I’m a 90% planner. The plot, clues, and character development are all outlined in detail, but the characters’ immediate reactions and responses develop in real time as write the book. I always start with the end and work backwards.
What role does research play in your writing? How do you strike a balance between authenticity and creative freedom?
I do a fair bit of research for each story, enough so I can speak on the topic thoughtfully. This submersion in the topic actually makes it much easier to distill down to its important parts. I’ve found that when I’m overexplaining, it’s because I don’t understand what I’m talking about enough and I go back and learn more.
These are mysteries with the same characters coming back in each book, so I’m able to take a bit of license, as this would never happen to anyone in real life. No one is this unlucky. I also take into account practicality. For example, if my characters had to wait months and months for forensics reports as we do in the real world, the books would be very, very boring.
What sources of inspiration do you draw upon when crafting your stories? Are there particular life experiences that influence your writing?
I draw on real life events. The proposed wind farm in the Vineyard Sound is a real public works project that has caused tons of controversy. Book two was inspired by a real pirate ship, the Whydah Gally discovered off the coast of Cape Cod about 25 years ago. Because many of the events happened, I think it makes it accessible.
How did you decide what your book cover should look like?
I worked with my publisher’s talented art team, but I wanted something that matched the vibes of the series. I wanted something that showcased Martha’s Vineyard in a menacing and frightening manner, different from the norm, an idyllic beach vacation spot. Martha’s Vineyard is still a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. It can be terrifying to be out there. I wanted to capture that feeling of foreboding.
Can you share a memorable interaction or dynamic between two of your characters that you particularly enjoyed writing?
I enjoyed the scene where Tarek sees a silkie chicken for the first time. (Please Google them. You won’t be disappointed.) It’s the first time Kyra and the reader see him fully relaxed and with his guard down. Also, there is no other acceptable response to seeing a silkie chicken than pure delight
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being an author, and how do you navigate those challenges?
Marketing. I’m a terrible self-promoter. Talking about myself is uncomfortable. I can’t imagine why anyone would be interested in me. Hence writing fiction and not memoirs. I do the best I can and remind myself that it’s an important part of the process. I also work closely with people who are much better at it than I am.
Do you prefer coffee or tea? What kinds, or specific ways to enjoy these drinks?
Coffee all day, every day, but sometimes I’ll drink tea in the winter. Coffee is black. Tea with an obscene amount of sugar. Think tea-syrup.
How do your personal interests, hobbies, or experiences influence the stories you choose to tell?
I use myself as a quick and lazy fix.
I gave Kyra my day job, so I wouldn’t have to research a profession for her. I also gave her a cat because I have them and know cat behaviors. She is a runner, as am I. But we’re not really anything alike. The characters all drive cars me or my family have owned over the years, so I didn’t need to research those either.
If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I’d have a burger and a beer with Sam & Dean Winchester, Crowley, too. If you’ve seen the show, you know that nothing is better than Crowley antagonizing Moose and Squirrel.
How has the act of writing itself changed you as a person, if at all?
No one tells you that writing isn’t just the time your fingers run over the keyboard. Writing is all-consuming, all the time. I see the world a little differently now. I’m always mining it for ideas.
What do you hope readers take away from your stories? Is there a particular message or feeling you aim to convey?
I hope when readers close the cover of my books it’s with a smile. I want them to have enjoyed the time they shared with me, enough that maybe they’ll leave their copy for someone else to pick up. These are beach reads and they’re meant to be consumed and shared. I also hope I inspire a few people to visit Martha’s Vineyard.
About Raemi A Ray’s Martha’s Vineyard Murders Series
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Genres: Thriller, Murder Mystery
Book 1: A Chain of Pearls
When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.
She’s not looking for closure. She’s not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.
As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money wealth and privilege.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
Book 2: The Wraith’s Return
Some secrets are safer lost as sea…
London based lawyer Kyra Gibson returns to Martha’s Vineyard and the beach house she inherited for an extended summer holiday. Still reeling from her father’s brutal murder and the role she and the handsome detective, Tarek Collins played in uncovering it, Kyra is hopeful for some peace and quiet. But when a summer squall reveals the wreckage of the pirate ship, Keres, rich with rumored treasure, all hopes of peace are dashed. Conservationists and treasure hunters descend on the exclusive island to lay claim to the ship. When two of the salvagers are killed, Kyra and Tarek’s friend, pub owner and amateur historian, Gully Gould is arrested for murder.
Determined to prove Gully’s innocence, Kyra, Tarek, and reformed playboy Chase Hawthorn team up to clear their friend’s name. But someone wants the treasure for themselves. And with someone willing to kill for it, there is more than just danger lurking along the island’s caves and coves. There is death.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
Book 3: Widow’s Walk
Murder’s on the menu…
Attorney Kyra Gibson has a lot on her mind this Thanksgiving. She’s been working long hours on a multi-billion dollar corporate merger, her family is visiting from London, and her relationship with former police detective Tarek Collins is heating up. When she and her companions are invited by her aristocrat client to attend a formal gala at a historic mansion on Chappaquiddick, Kyra reluctantly agrees.
But Chappy is more than just a playground for the wealthy. It’s a wild, remote place cut off from civilization. When the first body is found, the occupants are worried. Was it an accident or murder? When a second guest is brutally killed and then a third, there’s no doubt and the guests fearfully turn on each other. They are locked in a house with a murderer picking them off one-by-one. Kyra, her best friend Chase Hawthorn, and Tarek must survive the night and find the killer, or one of them could be next.
