Interview of Brian Silverman

Well, it's triple the fun this time! This week I'm sharing an interview with mystery author Brian Silverman and next week reviews of - not one - but TWO of his books: Freedom Drop and Calypso Blue. This series weaves the Len Buonfiglio's lives in New York and the Caribbean with murder. With summer upon us, don't you think a book that immerses you in the Caribbean is the perfect choice?

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Jodi: You’ve had great success with short stories in the mystery genre. Congratulations on being included in Best American Mystery Short Stories in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Any words of advice on creating an intriguing mystery?

Brian: To make a mystery intriguing, I feel you need intriguing characters. They don’t have to be likeable or perfect or heroic, but they do have to be compelling in some way. That keeps the reader's interest in whatever the machinations of the plot.

Jodi: Did you find it difficult to make the leap from short stories to novel with Freedom Drop

in 2021?

Brian: My process to make the jump from short stories to novels easier was to first write short stories with the characters and setting I would use in the novel. It was my plan from the beginning. I wanted to learn about the characters and islands. To develop them and familiarize myself with them before I took on the longer commitment of a novel. For me, the St. Pierre short stories were stepping stones to Freedom Drop and now Calypso Blue.

Jodi: Smart plan. But your writing didn't begin with short stories, you started out as a sports writer and wrote a sports book with your father, the late Al Silverman. Do you have a favorite sport?

Brian: I would say my favorite sport is baseball, though I admit football is right there with baseball. The home run book was Going Going Gone and I edited it, hiring a number of the best sports writers of the 20th Century to chime in on different aspects of the home run. I enjoyed collaborating with them. The experience of collaborating with my father on The 20th Century Treasury of Sports was a life blessing.

Jodi: It must have been a great experience. Now you have me thinking about my dad - he's not a sports fanatic - I guess our book would have to be The 20th Century Treasury of Westerns. He loves a good Western movie! But back to you. From sports you branched out to travel writing focused on New York City and the Caribbean. Can you share one spot everyone should visit in either New York City or the Caribbean?

Brian: To focus on one spot in New York City is almost an impossibility. I guess at this moment in time, the one spot everyone should visit and understand its significance for the city and country is the Statue of Liberty, followed by Ellis Island. As for the Caribbean, my favorite islands to visit and return to are, in no particular order, Grenada, St. Lucia, Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. Each has their own charms and beauty.

Jodi: I noticed you also enjoy food writing and several of your mystery short stories have

“food” titles. So tell us, what’s your favorite meal?

Brian: Growing up with an Italian grandmother, my favorite meal as a child and still, as an adult, is Sunday pasta which includes a slow-cooked, meat-added (sausage, meatballs, pork neckbones) tomato sauce served over usually rigatoni.

Jodi: Delicious! So what’s up next? More Caribbean adventures?

Brian: Partly, yes, but the next Len Buonfiglio/Caribbean mystery will also feature a return to New York for Len.

Jodi: Thanks for sharing a little about your life and writing. Next week, reviews of the first two books in the Len Buonfiglio/St. Pierre Mystery series.

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