"Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue"

Spencer Quinn is the pen name of Peter Abrahams, the Edgar-award winning author of many novels, including the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Chet and Bernie mystery series, Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge, The Right Side, and Oblivion, as well as the New York Times bestselling Bowser and Birdie series for younger readers. He lives on Cape Cod with his wife Diana―and Dottie, a loyal and energetic member of the four-pawed nation within.

Quinn applied the Page 69 Test to his new novel, Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue, and shared the following:

Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue is a crime novel built on three interrelated mysteries concerning an explosion, a possibly missing person, and a secret buried long ago. None of that has a damn thing to do with page 69, which is taken up entirely by a conversation between Mrs. Plansky, a retired 71-year-old widow in Florida, and Lucrecia, “the home health aide who came to Mrs. Plansky’s place for four hours every weekday to … well, to basically entertain Mrs. Plansky’s dad—who despite being 98 had no apparent health problems, although he himself in toto was just about unfailingly problematic.” That quote is taken from earlier in the book. Lucrecia’s mother—who lives with her and her husband Joe, a firefighter who figures in the explosion scene—is also unfailingly problematic. Clara’s her name and she’s around the same age as Mrs. Plansky’s dad. She came from an aristocratic Cuban background, fled the revolution, and arrived in Florida with nothing but a now useless pedigree. One more little fact: She and Mrs. Plansky’s dad are having an affair. On page 69 Lucrecia is broaching an idea:

“I’ve been thinking,” Lucrecia said. “About the assisted living problem.”

“You have my attention.”

“My mom’s not against it, not the way she can get when she’s deep down against.”

“Oh,” said Mrs. Plansky. “I thought you were talking about my dad.”

“I am, partly.” Lucrecia took some cheerfully colored brochures from her purse. “There’s a few assisted livings that take couples. In the same quarters, I mean, a kind of suite. My mom would be okay with that.”

“With him, you mean?”

“Si.”

“Do you think he’d do it?”

“We’d leave that in her … in her hands.”

They both thought about that for a few moments.

“Just one catch,” Lucrecia said.

“What’s that?”

“They’d have to be married. That’s the rule.”

“An assisted living company rule?”

Lucrecia shook her head. “Her rule.”

“But they’re having—they’re together now.”

“Not living together, under the same roof.” Lucrecia glanced at Mrs. Plansky over the rim of her mug. “My rule too, actually.”

Mrs. Plansky nodded, her instincts possibly in agreement even if her rational mind was not. “But will he do it? Get married?”

“Again, that will be up to her.”

“Meaning she’ll pop the question?”

“Clara Dominguez de Soto y Camondo—and those aren’t even all of her names—pop the question? Nunca en el vida. She will persuade him to pop the question.”

“What if he says no?”

“Is he the type to say no?”

“Lucrecia! It’s his go-to.”

“Ha!” said Lucrecia. “Not to worry.”

So, nothing to do with those three plot points. But the canny reader will suspect that this is one of those stories that might end in a wedding, and who’s against that? Also, just as important as the plot—at least in the mysteries I write—are the characters, especially the central one, in this case Mrs. Plansky. An amateur sleuth, yes, but with inner resources. As you can tell, I hope from the above passage. And therefore, in the end, page 69 represents the whole rather well.

Visit Spencer Quinn's website.

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--Marshal Zeringue