THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Death by Dreidel
Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Death by Dreidel, book six of the Holly Swimsuit Mystery series, by Susie Black!
***Synopsis***
Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik attends a swimwear industry Hanukkah party to honor Rapido Swimwear CEO Leni Waxman as the Mount Cedars Hospital Woman of the Year. The guest of honor collapses and dies in the middle of the event. An autopsy confirms that Leni expired as a result of poisoning by coming in contact with a purposely contaminated dreidel. There is no shortage of suspects—Leni had no problem destroying anyone who threatened her top-dog swimwear industry position. When Holly’s business partner is wrongly arrested for Leni’s murder, the irreverent sales exec can’t mind her own beeswax. The wise-cracking snoop sticks her nose everywhere it doesn’t belong to flesh out the real killer. But the trail has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and nothing turns out how Holly thinks it will as she takes on a ruthless killer hellbent on revenge.
Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series short synopsis: Death by Dreidel is the 6th mystery in the Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series. The books in the series are related by locale and by a cast of continuing characters. All the books in the series so far take place in the Los Angeles garment center. Holly Schlivnik, the protagonist, and the Yentas, her group of colleagues, appear in every book, as does Doctor Sophie Cutler, Holly’s lifelong friend and a Los Angeles County Assistant Coroner.
What is the sub-genre and trope?
The sub-genre is a humorous cozy mystery. The trope is the stories all take place in the LA garment district. The main characters meet every morning for coffee at the same place and time. Garment jargon is in every story.
Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
No, the characters did not lead me to this genre. It was decided before the story began.
Are you more character or plot-driven?
As a career ladies’ apparel sales exec, I am by nature a people person, so I am naturally more character than plot-driven.
With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind? Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?
All of my characters except medical and law enforcement are based on real people I know or knew, so it is easy for me to keep them separated in my mind. So, no, I do not need a story/vision board above my workspace to keep the characters straight.
I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own. Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?
Are you kidding? With my cast of annoyingly pushy characters, ALL of them were determined to take their own direction instead of where I initially wanted them to go! LOL.
The cast of continuing characters and I have worked out a compromise: I write the beginning and ending of the story and the characters take the plot from the middle to the end of the story. BUT…I have the last word. They know that they MUST get to my ending, not one of theirs.
Generally, they behave, because if they don’t and I get really upset, they know I can write them out of the story…or kill them off. Nothing as lasting as a relationship based on fear…
In this particular story, there are two ghosts, and one of them is extremely pushy as to what she wants the protagonist to do and is relentless in trying to get her way. If I say so myself, she is hilarious.
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
Yes. Except for the LAPD Captain and the homicide detective, all of the male POVs are based on someone I know.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
Yes. Except for the Assistant LA County Coroner, all of the female POVs are based on someone I know.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
Yes. The scene at the swimwear industry Hanukkah party was pivotal and harder to write than any other one.
I had to explain to readers in some detail the history and significance of Hanukkah, how the holiday is celebrated, and make it interesting and not confusing to readers who are not Jewish.
I also had to create a tie-in of the holiday with a huge revelation that the protagonist discovers about one of her love interests that has a major impact on their relationship going forward.
What is your favorite book in the series?
My heart will always be with Death by Sample Size, the series debut novel. But as the series has grown, Death by Jelly Beans, book number 5 in the series has pushed its way into my favorite book.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
Hands down, Holly Schlivnik is my favorite character because she is based on me. Holly is the me I always wanted to be and more.
Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
My favorite couple is: Jack Tyne and Carrie Le Beau in Death by Surfboard. I decided on their dynamic as the couple you love to hate because they are two selfish, conniving people who deserve one another.
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
Since these two characters are based on real people I knew and worked with, it was quite easy to get into their heads and find their perfect HEA as I imagined it to be. Of course, their perfect HEA was perfect for me… for them… not so much.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you?
There is a scene where the protagonist and one of the two men in her life are together on her houseboat after she is released from the hospital following a near-death experience that sticks out the most for me.
Why?
This one sticks out the most to me because while the protagonist and this man have a long history together, it is the first time they acknowledge how much they mean to one another, and gives the readers a hint of what may happen in their relationship down the road.
Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?
Yes. This one was harder to write than some of the others because I had to figure out a way to make the dreidel the murder weapon.
I had to research what poison to use. Once I identified the poison, I had to figure out how the killer would apply it to the dreidel and then how the poison would get from the dreidel to the murder victim.
This question is if you write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs in a book. It’s not just the hero and heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this series. I feel that it gives the story further depth. Do you think you will write another book or series following this multiple-POV outline?
I write all my stories in the first person from the POV of the protagonist, so multiple POVs are not part of my writing scheme.
How long did it take you to write this book/series?
This was the first book I wrote after recovering from hip replacement surgery in 2024. It took about a month longer than my standard three months to write a complete first draft and do two rounds of edits before submitting the manuscript to my editor.
How did you come up with the title for your book and series?
All of my book titles give the reader a clue about the plot and how the murder victim is killed. So, all the titles begin with “Death by…” In this instance, Death by Dreidel gives the reader a hint that the story is about a victim who meets their death during Hanukkah and comes in contact with a purposely contaminated dreidel.
In coming up with the series title, I wanted to give the reader an idea of what all the stories in the series were about. The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series tells the reader who the continuing protagonist is, a hint as to her profession, and that the series is in the murder mystery genre.
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
Since I did meet in real life the real people that these characters are based on, the answer is quite simple:
Some of them are absolutely yes, we would get along fine. Some of them would be just colleagues and others close friends.
But there are others-definitely NOT. We would buck heads most of the time as I did with the real people they were based on.
Series question – Did you know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the characters in book one demand their own story?
I knew in advance that I was going to write this as a series, and yes, the protagonist did demand that every story feature her as the star.
If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?
Sarah Silverman- Holly Schlivnik
Katherine Heigel-Queenie
Melissa McCarthy-Joan
Elizabeth Banks-Sonia
Rebel Wilson-Hope
Sophie-Kristen Wiig
Anna Kendrick- Janie
Sakura Ando-AJ
Juliette Rylance-Harriet Cowan, Edgar Ramirez or William Levy-Miguel
Paul Rudd-Uncle Barry
Edward Norton-Buddy
Kate Mckinnon-Sharon
Mayim Bialik-Hadassah Waxman
Leni Waxman-Charlotte Rae
Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect next? Whether a new book and series or a sequel to an existing series? Can you share a small tease?
Yes. I have been quite busy writing away!
Latest Publication: Death by Jelly Beans was released in the fall of 2024. Here is a blurb and tagline to whet your appetite:
Blurb: Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen of Mean didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge. Tag Line: “Brings a whole new meaning to the rabbit died.”
I am currently writing the first draft of Death by Coconut, the seventh book in the Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series. This is the first time that the protagonist and her Yenta colleagues are on the road in Miami to attend the swimwear trade show.
I have two new series in the works: The Case of the Croaked Coach is the debut book of the Hannah White Mystery Series that features the series protagonist as a high school newspaper reporter and amateur sleuth. This book is slated for release in 2025.
The second new series is The Sunny Night Mystery Series. The Forecast is…Murder! has been queried and fingers crossed, the first book of the series will be out sometime in late 2025. Here is a blurb to tweak your curiosity:
The United Television Network exiles disgraced investigative reporter Sunny Knight to a small, remote California desert affiliate. Sunny is informed by the station owner that since nothing goes on in the middle of nowhere to investigate, the station does not need an investigative reporter and she is now the weather reporter. After they have a vicious altercation, the station owner’s bridge partner is discovered dead and Sunny’s boss is arrested for the murder. Despite her differences with her boss, Sunny is convinced the station owner didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. As she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge, nothing turns out how Sunny thinks it will.
Last but not least, I am writing a humorous cozy paranormal mystery with an author colleague that will feature both sets of our respective protagonists and continuing characters. No completion date has been set yet. Stay tuned.
She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.
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After Mermaid sales exec Holly Schlivnik finds colleague Queenie Levine standing over Oldham’s battered corpse nailed to a fabric cutting table with a pair of cutting shears plunged deep into his chest, the cops soon recover Queenie’s hidden blood-soaked sweater, discover her stormy relationship with the victim, and her public threats to make Butch pay for destroying Mermaid by stealing it blind.
When Queenie is arrested for Butch’s murder, Holly jumps into action to flesh out the real killer. But the trail has more twists and turns than a slinky, and nothing turns out the way the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent for revenge.
When Holly’s business partner is wrongly arrested for Leni’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent snoop sticks her nose everywhere it doesn’t belong to flesh out the real killer. But the trail has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she takes on a ruthless killer hellbent on revenge.
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