writer. Originally from Washington DC, Kenna lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer, Zelda. When she’s not writing Kenna can be found nerding out in art museums, exploring flea markets, and playing string instruments badly. Her debut novel, What Meets the Eye, was nominated for a Shamus Award for best first PI novel.
Kenna’s new novel is Burn this Night.
Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Kenna's reply:
I just finished No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder, which is an in-depth exploration of domestic violence and familicide in our culture. As a crime fiction writer, I explore themes of good and evil, and how people are affected by tragedy and despicable acts. Right now, I’m working on a project that involves domestic violence, so I’ve been doing my homework.Visit Alex Kenna's website.
This book is incredibly thorough and insightful. When writing about victims, Snyder treats them with the respect they deserve. She delvesinto the profoundly complex emotional and physical landscape that victims and survivors navigate – both before and after abuse. Most importantly, she explains how the question ‘why doesn’t she leave,’ greatly oversimplifies the situation that many women face.
Snyder also interviews and spends time with convicted batterers. Without skirting around or minimizing the horrifying acts they committed, she explores the psychological and sociological factors that can make men violent.
I highly recommend this book, which is extremely heartfelt and informative.
Lately, I was also treated to early previews of work by a couple of talented writers. I just finished reading a draft of the third book in James Queally’s Russell Avery series, which is a banger. It’s not out yet, so there’s plenty of time to catch up on the first two books. I’m also reading a not yet published novella by Terrence McCauley, which is terrific.
Q&A with Alex Kenna.
My Book, The Movie: What Meets the Eye.
--Marshal Zeringue
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