We are very excited to sit down and talk with Daniella Bernett. Bernett’s latest novel, Secrets Lie In Wait, is set to publish next month. We recently read an advance copy of her novel, and we had the opportunity to talk to Daniella about her work and writing!
Thriller Magazine: From the start of the series, you paired an investigative journalist and a former jewel thief—two professions that naturally live on opposite sides of truth and deception. What drew you to this unusual partnership for your amateur sleuths, and how has that dynamic allowed you to explore moral gray areas that traditional detectives might not encounter?
I chose a journalist and a jewel thief precisely because I wanted a portrait in contrasts to give a multilayered and nuanced richness to my stories. While a police detective’s job is to hunt down criminals, sometimes the law’s constraints chafe and make the task more difficult. Amateur sleuths are not bound by rules and regulations, nor are they obstructed by petty interagency infighting. They have free rein to investigate. This also yields myriad opportunities for them to become ensnared in a cauldron of mischief and mayhem, which heightens the tension.
As a journalist, Emmeline is inherently curious about many subjects. Her job is to ask questions to uncover the truth and ensure transparency. Naturally, a journalist’s antennae are on the alert when it comes to crime, especially murder. The determination to find answers and see that justice is served are all important.
Although deception and evasion are a thief’s modus operandi, who better than someone with a malleable interpretation of the law to discern the twisted workings of a fellow criminal’s mind. A thief immediately recognizes things that the honest person would never even contemplate. Gregory will never give up stealing jewels. The exhilaration of game is too seductive. However, he has a certain code of honor. Murder is a wanton offense. A line that should never be crossed. Thus, I have two diametrically opposed sleuths who are of one mind when it comes to the taking of a human life: the culprit must pay for the crime, otherwise chaos would reign in the world.
TM: Emmeline and Gregory have now shared ten adventures together. Looking back, how have they evolved not just as individuals but as partners—professionally, romantically, and morally? In what ways has their love story deepened or complicated their pursuit of justice?
Aside from their dedication to justice, what drives Emmeline and Gregory are their deep love and respect for one another’s intellect and unique capabilities. But Gregory’s murky past already forced him to leave her once and he nearly lost her a second time. His secrets, his enemies and his far from salubrious contacts remain a constant threat. For Emmeline, an ongoing source of worry is the fact that he often goes off on clandestine forays and leaves her in the dark. Although she knows that he would give up his life to protect her, she wishes he would trust her completely. It frightens her that he still feels the need to keep secrets.
TM: As a writer, reaching the tenth book in a mystery series is a remarkable milestone. In what ways do you feel your own voice and craft have grown alongside Emmeline and Gregory’s journeys? Are there particular lessons or techniques you’ve learned about sustaining tension, romance, and character development over the long arc of a series?
I wanted to write a series so that I could take time to develop my characters. The slow burn of the journey serves to intensify the curiosity for me as the author and, I hope, for the reader because of the emotional connection made. In each book, I provide another nugget of information to peel back the curtain on Emmeline and Gregory while also holding something back. After all, the human species is full of contradictions that are begging to be explored.
To keep plots fresh, secrets and the desire to cover up long-ago transgressions provide a bottomless well of trouble. Although readers always want happily-ever-after, I find it quite boring. It’s a dead end from an author’s perspective because the story has petered out. On the other hand, revenge and betrayal are motives I can greedily sink my teeth into because they always bring me back to the question: What if? Those are two of the most potent words in an author’s arsenal since the possibilities are infinite. My imagination can indulge its lethal cravings. And then, the real fun begins.
TM: In Secrets Lie In Wait, you open with a chilling prologue that drops readers into a scene of violence and confusion aboard a houseboat—a tone both cinematic and intimate. What inspired this opening, and how did you approach building suspense differently in this installment compared to earlier books?
Beauty beguiles and bewitches and therein lies the danger because evil could lurk just beneath the surface. As I wandered around Amsterdam, with white-gold flecks of sunlight winking off the undulating waters of the canal that lapped against the dozing houseboats, my mind conjured up a murder and kidnapping.
To raise the temperature on suspense from simmering to boiling, Gregory, a man at once cunning and resourceful, is alone and hurt with enemies on both sides of the law out for his blood. And no one at home knows his whereabouts. I flipped the narrative because Emmeline is usually the fuse that sets off the explosion of misadventure.
TM: This novel places Emmeline in a particularly vulnerable position—pregnant, frightened, yet determined to act. What did writing this version of Emmeline allow you to explore about strength, fear, and the balance between personal risk and professional duty?
Emmeline is inherently strong and assertive. Her loyalty to the truth, no matter how inconvenient, is the core fabric of her being. She wields her incisive questions like a sword of honor and does not allow anyone to intimidate her. These admirable traits, combined with her short temper and impatience, also make her reckless and place her in harm’s way. In Secrets Lie In Wait, the instinct to protect her unborn baby has forced her to tamp down her impetuosity, to an extent. However, she cringes when those around her try to wrap her in cotton wool. She’s not an invalid and refuses to allow her pregnancy to interfere with her duty as a journalist to be an advocate for the victims who no longer have a voice. This compels Emmeline to tap an inner reserve of resilience and swallow her fear to help clear Gregory’s name and ensure that the real culprits do not escape justice. She wouldn’t be able to face her child, let alone her conscience, if she didn’t fight for the truth.
TM: Your series has always blended glamour and danger, taking readers from London’s elegant streets to the underworld of jewel theft and espionage. With Secrets Lie In Wait, how did you approach the theme of legacy—both in terms of family secrets and in your own literary legacy, now ten books into the series?
I’ve always been interested in history. To be a well-rounded person, it’s vital to learn about the past to understand why and how things evolved to the way they are today. In the literary arena, it is my responsibility as an author to create complex characters whose pasts shape them and leave an indelible mark. For better or worse. The past may fade, but it can never be erased. That ratchets up the potential for sins to be thrust into the limelight at the least opportune moment. These smoldering embers are what I rely on to ignite a new tale in my litany of intrigue and treachery.
Author Bio:
Daniella Bernett is a member of the International Thriller Writers and the Mystery Writers of America, where she currently serves as a board member of the New York Chapter. She also is a member of the Crime Writers Association. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Journalism from St. John’s University. Lead Me Into Danger, Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave, A Checkered Past, When Blood Runs Cold, Old Sins Never Die, Viper’s Nest of Lies, A Mind To Murder and Betrayed By The Truth are the other books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. Additionally, she is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure and Silken Reflections. Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure. Visit www.daniellabernett.com or follow her on Facebook and Goodreads.