Hazardous Duty
Squeaky Clean Mysteries, No. 1
by Christy Barritt
List Price: $11.99
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780825420160
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Christy Barritt is the author of several books, including Suspicious Minds. She’s also a frequent speaker and freelance writer whose byline has appeared on hundreds of articles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and psychology from Cincinnati Christian University and now lives with her husband and son in Virginia.
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Q: What inspired you to write this book? Is any of it true to life?
A: The idea to write this book came to me when I was doing an article for another publication that profiled people in different careers. One of the careers they were interested in was that of a crime scene cleaner. I had no idea crime scene cleaners even existed, but I knew that would be a perfect job for the protagonist in a mystery novel. Hazardous Duty was birthed soon after. I interviewed an actual crime scene cleaner before writing the book and tried to stay as true to life as possible --- but without the gore.
Q: What role does faith play in your book? How did your own faith influence your writing in Hazardous Duty?
A: Faith is a vital topic in Hazardous Duty. My protagonist, Gabby St. Claire, was studying to be a scientist in college, with hopes of becoming a crime scene investigator one day. A family emergency caused her to drop out of school early and she turned to crime scene cleaning instead. She’s very much into science and in “proving” things are real. Believing in God isn’t something she’s going to easily jump into. That topic is explored in Hazardous Duty.
Q: Who are your favorite authors and how have they influenced your writing?
A: I think Linda Hall is a brilliant writer. She always manages to surprise me, which is unusual. I also really enjoy Siri Mitchell --- she’s got a great writing voice. I know those are two opposite genres --- mystery/suspense and chick-lit, but my books are really, in many ways, a mix of those two genres.
Q: What is the one message you want readers to get from your book?
A: I want to encourage readers to think for themselves. I don’t mean they should think for themselves in terms of justifying things in their life that aren’t glorifying to God. But I want to encourage people to really dig into the Bible and study God’s Word themselves instead of believing anything blindly. Examine your life and your walk with Christ through God’s word instead of simply following the people around you.
© Copyright 2009 by Christy Barritt. Reprinted with permission by Kregel Publications. All rights reserved.
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