He applied the Page 69 Test to the new novel and reported the following:Page 69 in The Art of Murder finds Jericho Sands at a crossroads. He’s returned home to find his best friend murdered, his ex-girlfriend engaged and a new killer stalking the streets of Peoria. Jericho has already made one decision he’ll never be able to take back. Now, he’s faced with the option of making another. In this scene, Jericho is speaking with Eddie Torrez, a detective for the Peoria Police Department who is currently on disciplinary leave and facing the very real possibility of loosing his badge. Being discussed is the task of finding the latest killer who has come to town. Neither Jericho nor Torrez trust the pair of detectives known ironically as ‘The Hall of Famers’ to solve the murder of their friend. Grasping at straws to come up with a plan, the page kicks off with the line:Learn more about The Art of Murder, and follow Casey Doran on Twitter.“How do you feel about breaking into police headquarters?”Torrez offers Jericho an opportunity to gain valuable information into the murder investigation and hopefully find the next link to the killer. But it comes with a risk to them both.“How about the alarm codes?” I asked.The page ends with the two men preparing to break into headquarters and steal information so they can track down a killer. I feel that this section is very representative of the book. I try to make the conflicts and dangers that arise through the story affect the characters on emotionally and moral levels, as well as just physically. At it’s core, The Art of Murder is about people crossing lines that will forever change them. This scene sets up one of those moments.
“Let’s hope they haven’t changed them.”
“And if they have?”
“Then we run like hell.”
My Book, The Movie: The Art of Murder.
--Marshal Zeringue
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