What inspired you to write this book? This question (or its relative, “Why did you write this book?”) is one of your best opportunities to sell your book. It has been a long and colorful journey for me. Growing up I have lived in Kuwait, Qatar, Japan, Singapore, India, Canada and the US. My experiences have shaped my unique multicultural perspective of how I see the world. Given the diversity of my background, I could have shaped my first novel on some of the more challenging experiences in my life. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I realized the importance of humor in our everyday life. And with my favorite genre being mystery, I decided to work on a humorous mystery novel.
Crime and mystery novels are interesting and exciting, but they make you witness the darker side of human nature. And sometimes you come out of that experience seeing the world as a grim place. And while we know that evil exists in this world, I wanted my book to bring joy and happiness to people’s lives. There will be moments in my novel when readers will get emotional, but by and large, I want them to smile and enjoy the reading experience. Also, as I was thinking of my story, I realized that there were not as many female leads in the mystery genre and hardly any fictional detectives who were women of color. In that respect, I never found a detective or amateur sleuth I could relate to. That’s where the inspiration for Ruby Roy, a plus-size, mixed-race academic, came about. She is loosely based on me, but I would say a more funny, exciting, and exaggerated version of me.
Can you tell me about the book? This open-ended question is a wonderful gift that offers you an easy opportunity to enthrall your audience. Don’t squander it by reciting the copy on the back of your book jacket—infuse your answer with life by describing not only the “what” of your book, but the “why” that places it into a larger context. If Miss Marple were younger, plus-size, clumsier, risk-averse and a woman of color, she would be Dr. Ruby Roy, the reluctant detective of my debut comedy mystery novel Ruby Roy and the Murder in the Falls and the first book in the Ruby Roy Mystery series.
Ruby is intelligent, kind, and cheerful, yet goofy, absent-minded, and cowardly, and often finds herself in hilarious situations quite accidentally. Her life turns upside down when she stumbles upon a murderous spree happening at her own university. She is forced to turn amateur sleuth, bolstered by her love for Poirot, Marple, Father Brown, and Sherlock Holmes, and her impending dread of becoming the next target in the killer’s list. With the help of her husband, Cleo, her very own Watson, Ruby attempts to foil and discover the identity of the killer before it is too late.
I believe this mystery series will appeal to a wide demographic as it is not just contemporary, set in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also relatable to most individuals who dream of being an armchair detective from the comfort of their homes but often fear the dangers associated with the actual job.
Ruby Roy is also appealing to minorities and women at large. She represents an imperfect individual, an educated, young adult of mixed race, struggling with her weight and anxieties, her doubts and fears, as she struggles with her own weaknesses while trying to do the right thing.
It is worth noting that over the years, there have been very few fictional female detectives—especially women of color—in the mystery genre who have been celebrated and given as much love as a Holmes or a Poirot.
It is also rare to find a female sleuth who makes you laugh, not because she lacks the mental prowess to solve cases akin to a Clouseau, but due to the odd and humorous situations, she finds herself in. CLICK TO PURCHASE ON AMAZON
What did you learn when writing the book? One thing I learnt in this journey is that while writing can be a solitary process, you definitely need to have a solid team with respect to having a good editor to help you polish your work. I also learnt that writing is an iterative process. You may think you have a wonderful manuscript ready for publication, but you definitely need constructive feedback to improve on your drafts before it’s ready to go out into the world.
What surprised you the most? It surprised me to realize that once you have published a book it takes on a life of its own. Now that Ruby Roy, my protagonist, is out in the world, I feel she has her own identity and destiny. The book no longer belongs to me. And when I read praise about the book or her character, I definitely feel like an outsider, a fly on the wall, listening to someone talking about a distinct individual. Sometimes you forget that this is your own creation. I remember Agatha Christie, my favorite mystery author, saying something similar—she had discussed how Poirot had his own personality and needs. At the time, I found that odd but now I can somewhat relate.
What does the title mean? Some titles are self-explanatory. The title of my book “Ruby Roy and the Murder in the Falls” is pretty simple and straightforward. It’s about Ruby Roy, who is an assistant professor at a university, and the murder she discovers. By “Falls” we are referring to the majestic Niagara Falls as Ruby’s university is located a few miles from the Falls.
Was the character inspired by a real person? If so, who? The protagonist, Dr. Ruby Roy, is loosely based on my life as an assistant professor. My dad is a diplomat like Ruby’s. I’m married to a French-Canadian man like Cleo in the novel. And just like Ruby, I have two beautiful cats, Million and Nobel.
What do you think happened to the characters after the book ended? Well, Ruby and Cleo are heading to Hawaii where they are going to land up in their next mystery adventure. Detective Chris Jones got a promotion and a raise for successfully solving the case, thanks to Ruby. The case is resolved, so I can’t reveal what happed to the killer, but safe to say that most of the other characters are doing okay and living their best life. Dr. Dennis Williams is still the dean at Baron University and some of the faculty (I can’t name them without giving away spoilers) have stayed behind despite the murders.
Do you miss the characters? I’ll miss Detective Chris Jones, who is Chris Evans’ doppelganger. He might make a cameo in the next book. But we will have a brand-new detective assisting Ruby in the next one and I think people will like him a lot.
Learn More about Rima Ray on her website www.rima-ray.com
