Taste of Fear — Jadran Hawke

Paris, France - the city of love.

French banker Liliane Genet has been looking for a man just like him for a long time. Smart, witty, well-built and successful, her new lover looks too good to be true. Maybe because he actually is...

When detective John Montclair is called to investigate on her death, he quickly realizes that the killer knows what he's doing. He's a maniac but he's a pro. The victim was brutally murdered in the middle of sexual games yet the crime scene is perfectly clean. How did he manage to do that?

Because there is one thing for sure: Liliane Genet was not the first one to fall for the dangerous sexual predator. And she won't be the last...

Note Taste of Fear is a novella (approx 30K words or about 100pages) and the first installment in the John Montclair series of mystery and suspense thrillers.

Q: Why John Montclair? Who is he?
A: I've always been a fan of mystery thrillers and detective mysteries. Writing in the mystery and suspense genre was the most natural and obvious choice for me. John Montclair is a man a lot of people can relate to: he's dedicated at work, tries to do his best, is not always appreciated and understood, has bills to pay, a daughter he loves and sometimes, he encounters great challenges. That's when it gets interesting.

Q: What has been your inspiration?
A: I read a lot and like most writers, I use my imagination. But I also observe people around me and I reflect on my personal experiences. So basically, I get inspired by fiction and real life.

Q: Real life? What happened?
A: I've been in dangerous and scary situations a couple of times. I've had an automatic pistol pointed at my forehead once, for example. The guy was bigger than me and drunk.

Q: What did you do? Did you kick his butt?
A: I wish! That's what John would do. Unfortunately, things aren't that simple in real life. A trigger is very easy to pull. I took my chance and I ran away. I was very lucky he didn't shoot me in the back, but I think I did the smart thing. I wasn't going to be a hero. I'm not a hero, but John is. He's the man I wish I could be.

Q: You said a couple of times; what else happened to you?
A: I used to have a part time job as a waiter. One day, a client with obvious mental issues showed up and he pulled a knife. We've called the police and I helped them to handle the guy. I've also witnessed serious street fights where baseball bats and thick beer bottles were involved. That's very scary, believe me.

Q: How did it influence your writing?
A: I'm trying to be as realistic as possible based on my own experience. Sometimes, you have to do what's necessary and it's not always pretty. People make mistakes, it's life. When we have limited resources and very little time to think, something has to happen. However, I write to entertain my readers so imagination is my main tool.

Q: Is it true that you had to deal with the Mafia?
A: I'm not sure, this is always a gray area. But it was in Asia, in the financial industry, and death threats and intimidation had been used. So I let you judge…

Thank you for reading.