Q&A: W. M. Akers, Author of ‘To Kill A Cook’

We chat with author W. M. Akers about To Kill A Cook, which is a hilarious, fast-paced mystery about a feisty food critic in 1970s NY who finds her chef friend murdered and realizes she might be the only one to find the killer.

Hi, W.M.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hiya! I’m a mystery novelist and game designer who lives in Philadelphia. I’ve written mystery novels like Westside and Critical Hit, created tabletop dice games like Deadball: Baseball With Dice, and I also run the history newsletter Strange Times. My newest book is To Kill a Cook, the first in a series of mysteries starring Bernice Black, a fast-talking food critic who scours the food world of 1970s Manhattan for great restaurants, memorable meals, and the occasional murderer.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

As a teenager, I was on a class trip to a library when I was bitten by a radioactive writer! I soon developed authorial superpowers, including permanently ink-stained fingers, an insatiable thirst for black tea, an unstoppable urge to teach people about three act structure, and a superhuman tolerance for cardigans. I am…Writer-Man!

Wait, no, that’s silly. I fell in love for writing the same way most writers do: I was a bookworm. When I was a kid I was happiest with a book in my hand, from Goosebumps and Choose Your Own Adventures to Charlotte’s Web and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I loved the way that writing could entertain, surprise, terrify and I wanted to learn how to use language to do the same thing.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Stuart Little, by E.B. White
• The one that made you want to become an author: Redwall, by Brian Jacques
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I just read Witchcraft For Wayward Girls, by Grady Hendrix and it was spectacular.

Your latest novel, To Kill A Cook, is out February 3^rd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Who removed the chef’s head?

What can readers expect?

A rollicking 1970s murder mystery set in the glittering world of Manhattan fine dining, starring a foul-mouthed food critic who’s trying to save her job by finding out who decapitated the city’s finest French chef. It’s got the structure of a classic mystery and the hard edge of gritty old New York—think Finlay Donovan set in the fanciest kitchens 1972 has to offer.

Where did the inspiration for To Kill A Cook come from?

I love to eat, man. I spent my 20s and early 30s living in New York City, where I wrote a food blog called Lunch Matters that chronicled my exploration of all the hole in the wall delis and takeout places that made it possible to live in the most expensive city in the country without going hungry. This book is a celebration of all the wonderful stuff that comes with food.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Bernice, the hero, was an absolute joy to write. As a New Yorker and a journalist, she’s impatient, sarcastic, brimming with emotion, and just about fearless. As a writer, there’s nothing better than a character who talks fast, thinks faster, and knows how to cut through the noise.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

It wasn’t a challenge, exactly, but doing the research for this book was a huge undertaking. I spent weeks working at the Philly central library, reading old cookbooks and fashion magazines, digging through the archives of New York and the New York Times, and immersing myself in the extremely earth toned vibe of the early ‘70s. It was all a pleasure—what could be more fun than spending all day reading old stuff?—and I hope my love for the period comes through in the book.

Lastly, what’s next for you?

Bernice Black book two! Tentatively titled Dead as Dirt, I’m rewriting it this year and I believe it’s coming your way next summer. Besides that, I’m just gonna keep plugging away at Deadball and Strange Times and everything else I’m working on. I do calligraphy in my spare time and I’m hoping this year to improve my Roman caps. They look simple but man oh man, they are hard.

Will you be picking up To Kill A Cook? Tell us in the comments below!