Mystery author Rob Osler is in the hot seat today to chat with me about his new LGBTQ+ amateur sleuth novel, Devil’s Chew Toy.
Bio:
With his debut novel Devil’s Chew Toy, Rob Osler coined the term “Quozy Mystery,” giving a unique label to a colorful sub-genre of mysteries featuring LGBTQ+ main characters.
His short story, ANALOGUE, published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (EQMM), won the 2022 MWA ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD for best short story by a debut author.
Rob lives in San Francisco with his long-time partner and a tall, gray cat.
Welcome, Rob. Please tell us about your current release.
Seattle teacher and part-time blogger Hayden McCall wakes up in a stranger’s bed alone, half-naked and sporting one hell of a shiner. Then the police come knocking on the door.
It seems that Latino dancer Camilo Rodriguez has gone missing, and they suspect foul play. What happened the night before? And where is Camilo?
Determined to find answers, Hayden seeks out two of Camilo’s friends—Hollister and Burley—both lesbians and both fiercely devoted to their friend. From them, Hayden learns that Camilo is a “Dreamer” whose parents had been deported years earlier, and whose sister, Daniela, is presumed to have returned to Venezuela with them. Convinced that the cops won’t take a brown boy’s disappearance seriously, the girls join Hayden’s hunt for Camilo.
The first clues turn up at Barkingham Palace, a pet store where Camilo had taken a part-time job. The store’s owner, Della Rupert, claims ignorance, but Hayden knows something is up. And then there’s Camilo’s ex-boyfriend, Ryan, who’s suddenly grown inexplicably wealthy. When Hayden and Hollister follow Ryan to a secure airport warehouse, they make a shocking connection between him and Della—and uncover the twisted scheme that’s made both of them rich.
The trail of clues leads them to the grounds of a magnificent estate on an island in Puget Sound, where they’ll finally learn the truth about Camilo’s disappearance—and the fate of his family.
What inspired you to write this book?
Quite frankly, I wrote the book I’d like to read. I love mysteries written in the Agatha Christie whodunnit tradition. I read them as a child and enjoyed the game of guessing the villain’s identity. So that explains why I chose the traditional mystery genre. I am also a huge fan of Armistead Maupin’s TALES OF THE CITY series, which features unexpected friendships. As for featuring gay and lesbian characters, I think it’s important to feature LGBTQ+ characters as fully realized main characters, whose sexual orientation is not the one thing that defines them or proves most influential to their role in the book.
Excerpt from Devil’s Chew Toy:
Half opening my good eye, I squinted up at the fluorescent tube dangling from the stained popcorn ceiling. The club’s manager had suggested the storeroom as a place for me to chill until my nose stopped bleeding. I appreciated the gesture. The idea was a win-win. It saved me from the pointing and whispers of the crowd, and getting me off the dance floor restored the party atmosphere typical of a weekend night at Hunters.
Despite the damage done to my face, the worst of the experience had been me being the center of attention for all the wrong reasons — embarrassing for most, excruciating for yours truly. Everyone who knew me would say I was quiet and reserved — perhaps to a fault. My latest ex had joked that my tolerance for thrill-seeking maxed out on the teacups ride at Disneyland. I’d brushed off the comment with a laugh, but in truth, the remark had stung. Being five foot four (rounding up) and weighing 125 (again, rounding up) makes one sensitive to such jabs. Add in the fact that I’m freckled and possess a shock of red-orange hair that that same ex had pegged as being the color of a Cheetos bag, and you understand why I might take offense.
“Damn, dude, you’re going to have a nasty shiner. Does it hurt?”
The voice startled me. I hadn’t heard anyone enter the storeroom.
“Yeah, a bit. Though it probably looks worse than it feels,” I replied, trying to come off as tougher than I was.
The guy stepped closer to my impromptu bed of liquor crates. It was the dancer. The dancer who had accidentally kicked me in the face. He leaned over me, momentarily blocking the harsh light, made a soft whistle.
“Ugly.”
“You really know how to flatter a guy,” I said, propping myself up on my elbows.
He laughed, reached down a hand with the letters X.O.X.O. inked across the knuckles. “I’m Camilo.”
“Hayden. Good to meet you, Camilo.”
I had only ever seen Camilo up on stage. Now at ground level, he appeared to be taller than me by a good eight inches. I’d say he was about six feet.
“Be back in a minute,” he said. “Just need to tell Hank I’m headed out for the night.”
Camilo’s sneakers thumped across the concrete floor. Earlier, I’d noticed his shoes had no laces; the tongues of his shiny red high-tops had flapped wildly as he’d bounced across the plywood-covered pool table. Tonight wouldn’t be the first night I went home alone feeling sorry for myself. Though I had elevated my game considerably: I’d be returning to my apartment bruised and bloodied. Still, I could use the evening’s main event as material for a new post for Mates on Dates, where I took on topics related to the perplexing and often disheartening world of gay dating. I’d been toying with the notion of a humorous piece, and if I couldn’t squeeze a laugh out of this, then I should hang up my blog. Suddenly a moment of inspiration struck with the title “Go-go Boy Misfire.”
***
Excerpt from Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler. Copyright © 2022 by Rob Osler.
Reproduced with permission from Rob Osler. All rights reserved.
What exciting story are you working on next?
My next short story, MISS DIRECTION, featuring Perry Winkle, will appear sometime next year in ELLERY QUEEN’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE. Perry Winkle is many things: karaoke MC, nosey neighbor, non-binary cross-dresser, and amateur sleuth. When a dead body is found in the Yucca Palms community club room, Perry throws himself at the case. But unmasking the killer will require Perry to first uncover the true identity of the mysterious dead woman who went by the name Miss Direction.
Also, I have a new historical mystery novel, titled Murder at the Nat, that my agent will soon be submitting to publishers for consideration. The year is 1908. To save her brother from the gallows, detective Harriet Morrow—who does an occasional bit of detecting as Harry—travels from Chicago to a distant state capital, where she discovers a corrupt police force, an orphanage with children missing, and a chilling mystery that begins and ends at the celebrated Natatorium.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I have always enjoyed telling stories. As a child, I spent much time on my own and imagined myself on adventures in exotic and faraway places. It wasn’t until after graduation from college, and I was trying to find a job, that a friend said, “You like to write, what about a job that lets you write a lot?” That revelation led to a career as a copywriter and then as a marketing strategist. About ten years ago, I started writing my first novel and discovered how fiction perfectly taps into my imagination while demanding good writing to convey the story.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I write part-time, either in the morning or afternoon. The other day-part is consumed with other routine daily activities and a bit of marketing consulting work.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Writing quirky characters! Just like anyone else who cracks open a book, I am looking to be
entertained. That said, it is a careful balance to bring each character to life memorably and distinctively without turning them into a caricature. Some of my cast may be slightly over the top,
but it’s crucial that they not lose their humanity. A reader must find something about them relatable—not always or necessarily likable. And it’s vital that, at least by the story’s conclusion, we understand their motivations. I can only hope I’ve been successful doing this.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An actor.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
In the novel, soon after Hayden meets Hollister for the first time, he says that he likes big personalities as they balance out his own. I am a somewhat reserved person, and like Hayden, I enjoy someone who naturally takes the role of instigator and conversation driver. Also, some of my longest and dearest friendships are with women. I wanted to celebrate that dynamic and explore it on the page as Hayden and Hollister grow to trust one another and develop a friendship that, in the end, has them put their lives on the line for each other.
Links:
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Thanks for being here today, Rob!