Title: The Pursuit of Justice
Author: Ben Matthews
Publisher: Rushton Press
Genre: Legal Thriller
Format: Kindle/Paperback
“A satisfying, well plotted mystery that should please the court.” — Kirkus Reviews
Attorney Raymond Jackson is troubled by ethics charges, his failing practice, and memories of his still missing sister. When he agrees to resolve the ethics charges by taking on a case from the public defender, he gets saddled with a client nobody wants. The client is charged with the murder of his former girlfriend, an exotic dancer who was pregnant at the time of the crime. Investigating the State’s key witness, Ray discovers several similar unsolved murders from the past few years. Needing help, Ray must turn to the man he trusts the least. Ray also becomes involved in a money laundering investigation with his old girlfriend. As the bodies pile up, Ray finds himself framed for murder on the eve of trial. When the investigations collide, the cases become personal and Ray must choose between justice for his client or himself.
“Matthews…keeps the pages turning.”—Kirkus Reviews
To Purchase The Pursuit of Justice
Blended Family Bliss, a nonfiction work.
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What are you
most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
Tough
question. We just graduated the 4th
of 5 children from college. I am very
proud of all 5 of them. I have had two
successful law practices. And Kirkus
Reviews called The Pursuit of Justice “an auspicious debut…”
How has your
upbringing influenced your writing?
I write about
what I know. The Pursuit of Justice is
set in Myrtle Beach, SC where I learned to fish, shrimp, crab, and water
ski. It is a legal mystery and I’m a
lawyer.
When and why
did you begin writing?
I was an
English major at Presbyterian College (Class of 1978), so I had to write. And I enjoyed it when I did. I particularly enjoyed writing sonnets. I never considered writing a novel until my wife
suggested it. I really wasn’t confident
that I would finish it if I got it started.
Do you recall
how your interest in writing originated?
It began with
required writing but I found it to be fun and dabbled in it from time to time.
When did you
first know you could be a writer?
I didn’t know
that I had a chance to be a decent writer until the Kirkus Review.
What inspires
you to write and why?
I truly enjoy
it. It’s still a hobby for me but I
never thought that I would find something as entertaining and consuming as
reading. For years and years, I listed
reading as my favorite hobby but it now has to share the spot with writing.
What genre are
you most comfortable writing?
Legal
mystery. I’m a lawyer and I have always
loved reading this genre.
What inspired
you to write your first book?
My wife was
tired of my complaints about the novels I was reading. She told to write my own and I did.
Who or what
influenced your writing once you began?
I joined a
local writing group. I read a lot of
books about writing novels. I struggled
through a few workbooks and went to seminars.
I found the book Self Editing For Writers. One of the authors has a business called the
Editorial Department and I worked with Jane Ryder, R.J. Cavanaugh and Mark Febbo. The Pursuit of Justice isn’t here without all
the help of all of these people and the constant support of my wife.
What do you
consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in
general?
The most
challenging part of writing are the days when it doesn’t feel right. The days when every word or phrase is off a
little and I spend a lot of time searching for the correct adjective or verb
and still don’t feel like I get it right.
Sometimes I force it and sometimes I go to something else or just leave
it until the next day or time. But I am
fortunate on those days (and on the other days too) in that I often have an
hour long commute that’s pretty easy to drive.
I am able to spend that time thinking about what I’m writing and
recording notes in my phone.
Did writing
this book teach you anything and what was it?
Other than
what I learned about writing, I developed better discipline as a writer and I
became a better observer of people.
Do you intend
to make writing a career?
Right now it’s
a hobby but it would be great to develop into a second/retirement career.
Have you
developed a specific writing style?
My high school
teachers and college professors complained about my sparse style. I graduated from both in the 1970’s. And it’s still that way. I have to work hard to provide detailed
setting. My editors constantly urged me
to add more adjectives.
But, I think
this can be a strength too. Particularly
when it comes to who or what my characters look like. The book is set in South Carolina but I tried
not to use racial identifiers with most of them. Some are clearly of one race or the other but
I have already had readers describe a few characters as a member of different
races. I think that lets the reader
identify with the story better because they have helped pick the characters.
What is your greatest strength as a
writer?
I seem to be
able to write dialogue pretty well but I think that stems from my enjoyment of
it.
What is your
favorite quality about yourself?
I don’t have a
favorite quality because like all people, I’m not the same all the time. I try to foster the qualities of
steadfastness, trustworthiness and reliability.
I can be thoughtful, considerate and funny. Sometimes I’m a very good listener.
What is your
least favorite quality about yourself?
Probably, that
I don’t display my passions enough.
What is your
favorite quote, by whom, and why?
There are a lot to choose to
from. But let me give you two that
spring to mind.
One is about people and I don’t know
the author but it comes from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Captain Sparrow says that “you can always
trust a dishonest man but you can’t trust an honest man.” He explains that what you can trust is that a
dishonest man will be dishonest but you know that an honest man will sometimes
be dishonest.
The second quote is from Thomas Alva
Edison. “Genius is 1% inspiration and
99% perspiration.”
Thank you so much for choosing to include The Pursuit of
Justice in your blog. Please let me know
if you have any more questions.
Ben Matthews
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