NICK PETRIE THE WILD ONE
Mystery Scene|Spring #163, 2020
The idea that led Nick Petrie to create his character Peter Ash, a decorated Marine combat veteran whose PTSD makes him so claustrophobic that he is most comfortable outdoors, came in a basement.
Oline H. Cogdill
NICK PETRIE THE WILD ONE

At the time, Petrie owned a home inspection company that often put him in contact with veterans returning from their military service. The conversation with one veteran who was buying a home especially made an impact. Chatting with the young man in the basement, Petrie said what so many people say to returning soldiers. “I thanked him for his service,” Petrie remembers. “He said he wished people wouldn’t say that but would instead say ‘Welcome home.’ I thought that must be how it feels. The soldiers want to be welcomed back.”

That conversation kicked Petrie “into high gear,” and eventually led to his 2016 debut, The Drifter, which won both the 2017 International Thriller Writers’ Thriller Award and the Barry Award for Best First Novel, and was a finalist for the Edgar, Anthony, and Hammett awards. His third novel, Light It Up, was Apple iBooks’ Thriller of the Year and a finalist for the Barry Award. His recently released fifth novel, The Wild One, already is earning glowing reviews.

Those conversations in basements, attics, and front yards with men and women returning from their tours of duty gave Petrie an insight into their struggles with civilian life, and helped him concoct his characters and plots.

“I’m a curious guy,” says Petrie, who owned his home inspection company for about 15 years. “I always ask questions. I learned so much from these veterans. It blew my mind that so many were young when they decided to sign up. Many signed up after 9/11 because they wanted to go help, they wanted to be part of the solution.”

He continues: “Their experiences [back home] really stuck with me and I began to be a bit more deliberate when I talked to them.”

Denne historien er fra Spring #163, 2020-utgaven av Mystery Scene.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Spring #163, 2020-utgaven av Mystery Scene.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA MYSTERY SCENESe alt
6 New Writers to Watch
Mystery Scene

6 New Writers to Watch

Wiley Cash’s debut, A Land More Kind Than Home, about the bond between two brothers landed on the New York Times Best Sellers List and received the Crime Writers’ Association Debut of the Year.

time-read
10 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
ANN CLEEVES
Mystery Scene

ANN CLEEVES

British author Ann Cleeves has an affinity for remote areas and how these isolated regions affect her characters.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
CARLENE O'CONNOR
Mystery Scene

CARLENE O'CONNOR

“Anyone can play Snow White. It takes real talent to play the Wicked Witch.”

time-read
8 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
Mystery Scene MISCELLANY
Mystery Scene

Mystery Scene MISCELLANY

FIRST USE OF FINGERPRINTS

time-read
3 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
PANIC ATTACK
Mystery Scene

PANIC ATTACK

The newest entry in my Pittsburgh set series of thrillers is called Panic Attack. It’s the sixth book featuring Daniel Rinaldi, a psychologist and trauma expert who consults with the Pittsburgh Police.

time-read
2 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
LAIDLAW'S LEGACY
Mystery Scene

LAIDLAW'S LEGACY

During the pandemic, Ian Rankin stepped away from Rebus and into the shoes of friend and literary hero, the “Godfather of Tartan Noir” William McIlvanney.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
HILARY DAVIDSON
Mystery Scene

HILARY DAVIDSON

Call it The Case of Life Imitating Art.

time-read
7 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
Thomas Walsh - The Unusual Suspect
Mystery Scene

Thomas Walsh - The Unusual Suspect

Any paternity test on the sub-genre of police procedural will identify the DNA of Ed McBain and Lawrence Treat, as well as the 1948 movie The Naked City and the radio and TV series Dragnet…and of course Thomas Walsh.

time-read
6 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
S.A. COSBY
Mystery Scene

S.A. COSBY

In Razorblade Tears, two aging men—one Black, one white, both with criminal pasts—join forces to seek revenge for the murders of their gay sons. The themes of fathers and sons and toxic masculinity will be familar to fans of Cosby’s 2020 breakout Blacktop Wasteland.

time-read
10 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021
VIPER'S NEST OF LIES
Mystery Scene

VIPER'S NEST OF LIES

A slip of the tongue is a dangerous thing. Not only does it expose indiscretions, it also can lead to murder. The latter especially applies to me.

time-read
2 mins  |
Fall #169, 2021