Interview with V.S. Kemanis, author of the Dana Hargrove Legal Mysteries



The Indie Crime Scene is pleased to interview V.S. Kemanis, author of the Dana Hargrove Legal Mysteries. This interview was conducted by Dennis Chekalov.



1.       You are an experienced lawyer, writing legal dramas. Why did you choose a legal career?

I applied to law school because a college roommate I greatly admired was going to apply—not a very impressive reason! But, as it turned out, my career choice was the right one. I love the intellectual challenge, and a law degree opens many avenues. I initially thought I’d want to be a criminal defense attorney, but my direction changed in law school after I had a scary interview with a public defender. As a result, I ran to the district attorney’s office, where I spent the first part of my career.

2.       You have worked for the prosecution and defense. What would you say is the difference? Your main character is a prosecutor, not a judge or a defense lawyer. Why?

Your questions bring back that interview I just mentioned! The interviewer posed a graphic hypothetical—a gruesome murder—and asked what my objective would be in representing the murderer. “I’d make sure he got a fair trial,” I said. “Nope,” the public defender replied. “Your objective is to walk him. Get him back on the street.” Well…really? Could I do that? A defense lawyer represents the client’s interests, which usually involve a desire to beat the rap regardless of guilt or innocence. By contrast, a prosecutor represents “The People” and is ethically bound to do justice, not simply to “win” at all costs. I spent most of my years in criminal justice as a prosecutor, so it came naturally to write about a female assistant district attorney in my novels. But, at other points in my career, I represented criminal defendants on appeal and worked for judges, so I understand the viewpoints of all participants in the system.

3.       When did you start writing? How did it happen?

I first experimented with writing short fiction in the early eighties, after graduating from law school, moving to New York City, and starting my career at the D.A.’s office. Life in the big city and my courtroom experiences were giving me ideas and inspiration for fiction.

4.       What are the books that changed your life and why?

This is a very tough question because there are so many writers I admire. The books that resonate are those by authors who have the ability to tap deep psychological wells. Among the classics, these are writers like Kafka and Dostoyevsky. Among contemporary authors, Ian McEwan is an absolute master at understanding and depicting his characters’ subconscious motivations. My favorite short story writers are Katherine Mansfield and Alice Munro.


5.       Please introduce your main character, Dana Hargrove. Who is she?

Dana Hargrove is a strong and smart woman with a conscience. She always strives to do the right thing in every case, but the path to justice is never easy. Interesting roadblocks and ethical dilemmas always seem to get in the way! She’s also not without her vulnerabilities. She feels conflicted when personal loyalties interfere with her professional goals. The biggest challenge in my own life was juggling the demands of career and home.

6.       How true-to-life should a legal drama be? How do you keep the balance between the mundane legal routine and storytelling?

Jurors, and even judges, can be caught napping in court. If my novels included every detail of the case, I’d put you to sleep too! The main technique to make the law flow is to cut out a lot of filler. The dramatic bits are highlighted: a brutal cross-examination, the surprise testimony, the jury’s verdict in a close case. This doesn’t make the narrative inaccurate or unrealistic—just condensed. Another way to make the story come alive is to focus on the consequences of a prosecutor’s decision, instead of the technical rules underlying it. If Dana does X, she could be disbarred. If Dana does Y, the killer could go free.

7.       How do your characters deal with legal and moral dilemmas?

I love to throw Dana into the fire! All of my novels feature a few mind-bending dilemmas. For Dana, they usually involve conflicts between professional ethics and her loyalties to family and friends. In Thursday’s List, for example, she stumbles upon ambiguous evidence that could point to a good friend’s involvement in a crime. Should she tell her boss, or simply remain quiet about it and beg off the case? Should she keep her friend in the dark while she investigates, or ask her friend to explain? Dana does a lot of soul searching and mentally debates her options. She also reaches out to mentors and respected colleagues. In the later novels, her main go-to person is her husband Evan, who’s also a sharp lawyer with excellent judgment.


8.       What are your creative plans? Will you continue the series about Dana Hargrove?

I’ve written four Dana Hargrove novels and plan to write two more. This series is unique because I’m covering Dana’s entire professional career from 1988 through 2022! Of course, there are big time gaps between each story. The latest book is Deep Zero, which takes place in 2009. Each novel is a standalone, finding Dana at a unique stage of her professional experience and family life.

9.       Your short fiction was published in various journals and magazines, including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Please tell us about these stories.

My stories cover a wide range of characters and styles. Most of them are included in my four published collections. Three collections are loosely categorized as tales of women, tales of family, and tales of misdemeanor. Dana Hargrove was introduced to the world in “A Simple Case,” included in my collection Malocclusion, Tales of Misdemeanor. Two stories of psychological suspense that were originally published in Ellery Queen are included in my latest collection, Love and Crime: Stories.


10.   What’s more difficult for you — writing short stories or novels? Why?

Each format presents its own challenges. In the short form, every word counts, and I struggle to attain the intended mood or message with well-drawn characters. Completing a short story is more satisfying, however, because it’s compact and the process takes less time. On balance, a novel is more difficult because of the long-term effort and focus, which requires revisiting the earlier chapters to maintain consistency. Unlike some writers, I’m not able to jump back and forth between the two forms. I write my short stories during the break between finishing a novel and starting a new novel.



11.   What role in your life does dancing play?

Dance is a very big part of my life. My early training was in ballet, later in modern jazz, still later in contemporary forms of dance. I’ve performed, taught, and choreographed at various times in my life. Now, I take about four dance classes a week for the fun and exercise, and I still perform occasionally.

12.   What’s in your opinion an ideal novel?

I love realistic novels with well-drawn, relatable characters embroiled in the big issues of their lives. These basics of a good story transcend genre. Plot alone doesn’t do it. The writing has to make me feel what the characters are feeling. My test: If you have to yell my name more than three times while my nose is in a book, I must be reading the ideal novel.


About the Dana Hargrove Legal Mysteries:


 

About V.S. Kemanis:


V.S. Kemanis has had an exciting and varied career in the law and the arts. As an attorney, she has been a criminal prosecutor for county and state agencies, argued criminal appeals for the prosecution and defense, conducted complex civil litigation, and worked for appellate judges and courts, most recently as a supervising editor of appellate decisions. Ms. Kemanis is also an accomplished dancer and has performed, taught and choreographed in California, Colorado, and New York.

Short fiction by Ms. Kemanis has been widely published in literary journals and magazines, including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, The Crooked Road Volume 3 anthology, The William & Mary Review, and Thema, among others. Her stories are currently available in four award-winning collections. She is the author of the Dana Hargrove legal mystery novels, which draw on her personal experience juggling family life with a high-powered professional career in criminal law. Ms. Kemanis is a member of the Mystery Writers of America.

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