7.23.15 - 7 Minutes With... Sean Chercover

Sean is one of my all-time favorites, and not only because he used to let me sneak off and smoke with him. Killer Year brought us together, he won a slew of awards for his work, and here we are, nearly a decade later, celebrating his new thriller, THE DEVIL'S GAME. Awesome cover, don't you think? Sean is rushing up the charts his new series, which isn't a surprise. He's an amazing crime fiction writer, and has really spread his wings with The Game Trilogy. The books are thick with prophecy and miracles and mysteries, and sharp, evocative writing. You're going to LOVE them. Welcome, Sean!

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 I was lucky enough to chat with SEAN in New York last week at Thrillerfest!

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Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

“She’s Gone,” by Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers.

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

Right now, this interview. Then I’ll dive back in on the final book of the Game Trilogy.

What’s your latest book about?

Intrigue, adventure, romance . . . also deceit, betrayal, and villainy (all the good things in life). In my previous thriller, THE TRINITY GAME, [my protagonist] Daniel Byrne was searching for a miracle, but found much more than he was looking for. Perhaps the real miracle he found was the healing of his relationship with his uncle and childhood guardian, the Reverend Tim Trinity, televangelist-grifter-turned-maybe-prophet. In THE DEVIL’S GAME, Daniel is no longer searching for a miracle—now he’s searching for the truth.

And the truth is, Trinity was not the only person strangely afflicted with an apparent gift of prophecy. While the world only knows about Trinity, what’s come to be known as the Trinity Phenomenon has actually manifested in thousands of people, and it’s spreading like a contagion. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that the universe is trying to tell us something. So Daniel hooks up with some shady rich dudes and goes running off to try and solve the thing. And then everybody starts shooting at each other.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I rent an office in the same building as my apartment, which makes for an easy commute. Tools? I write my first drafts in a notebook, using Blackwing 602 pencils, then move to my MacBook Air. And I write at a standing desk, which is a life saver.

What was your favorite book as a child?          

THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE, by Beverly Cleary.

What’s your secret talent?

I can move my consciousness back and forth between parallel universes.

What book are you reading now?

WAYS TO DIE IN GLASGOW, by Jay Stringer. Loving it.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew for sure by the 3rd grade. But I kept it a secret for a long time.

Who is your writing idol? Have you met him/her? If so, did you completely nerd out or keep your cool?

Oh, gawd. I’ve nerded out more times than I can count. Which is odd, because I don’t really think of artists I admire as “idols.” I used to work in television, where I met a ton of famous actors and musicians, and I never nerded out over them (Well, once. I totally nerded out when I met Bob Dylan, but I think I can be forgiven that). So I thought I was immune to the syndrome. But for some reason, when I first joined the crime fiction community, I acted like a tongue-tied teenybopper when I met authors I admire. Thankfully, they were very gracious, and I’m long over that phase. Still, I reserve the right to nerd out if I ever meet Beverly Cleary.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Just write the book that you want to read.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

Hate myself. Then write anyway.

Are you creatively satisfied?

No. But there’s joy to be had in the journey, and moments of great elation along the way. As Peter Tosh said, “Peace is the diploma you get in the cemetery.”

What would you like to be remembered for?

I don’t presume that I’ll be remembered, except by the people who share my life. I hope that the people I love will find my presence in their lives preferable to my absence.

Alright, now for the really important questions:

Beach or mountains? Beach!

Coffee or tea? Coffee (although I drink a lot of green tea).

Skydive or bungee jump? Skydive (but only if the plane is going down).

Chocolate or vanilla? Are you crazy? Chocolate. Dark, bitter chocolate.

Winter or summer? Summer.

Cake or pie? I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth, but I like a good piece of pie.

Cats or dogs? I have both, love both. But if you put a gun to my head, I’ll take dogs (sorry, Fiona).

Pens or pencils? Pencils.

Truth or dare? Truth with friends, dare with acquaintances.

Print or ebook? Both. Audiobook too, when my eyes are required elsewhere.

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Sean Chercover is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller THE TRINITY GAME, and the newly released thriller THE DEVIL’S GAME. He’s won a bunch of awards and stuff, and he lives in Toronto with his wife and son and dog and cat. To learn more, please visit www.chercover.com.

7.16.15 - 7 Minutes With... Kerry Madden

How fitting it is that we have Kerry Madden here today. With the wild incredible outpouring of opinion about this week's new Harper Lee release, GO SET A WATCHMAN, who better to have on the blog than the woman who wrote HARPER LEE (UP CLOSE), the definitive biography of the woman and the author?

I met Kerry high atop a mountain in northern Georgia during a writers weekend. Engaging and funny and generous, she taught me how to make oatmeal from scratch (something I've utilized pretty much every day since), made me laugh with her zany stories, intrigued the hell out of my literary mind with the concept for the novel she's talking about below, and turned me on to Brenda Ueland. Earned her keep, wouldn't you say?

Welcome aboard, Kerry!

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Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

I’m playing Pandora and George Jones’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” just started playing. And since I have a glass of wine now that’s the end of the day, it seems appropriate.

 Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

I’m working on several things, but the one I just finished is a picture book called GEORGIA IVY AND THE OLD PUMP ORGAN. The one I intend to finish very soon is a novel called HOP THE POND.

What’s your latest book about?

GEORGIA IVY AND THE OLD PUMP, a picture book, is about an incorrigible child who plays the pump organ to get out of doing chores. HOP THE POND, a novel, is a kind of MY FAIR LADY meets TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL meets WUTHERING HEIGHTS and is told in the voices of three generations of women with some flash fiction voices from the men in their lives. George, formerly Shelly Grace, is an exchange student at Manchester University in England and is thrilled to be out of East Tennessee for the first time in her life and gets adopted by a group of British Drama students who educate her into becoming a proper person. She changes her name from Shelly Grace to George because she adores both George Eliot and Boy George. Her mother can’t imagine why anyone would want to hoof it off to England for an entire year and leave Maryville, Tennessee, but the grandmother, Maime, suddenly realizes she wants to see something pretty before she dies, and she’s always loved the Brontës and Lawrence Olivier and the Catholic Church. I finished a draft, finally, and although I'm still fine-tuning it's gone out to trusted readers for edits.

 Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I used Microsoft Word, but I have downloaded Scrivener, and so it awaits me. I also write longhand sometimes.

 What was your favorite book as a child?

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith.

 What book are you reading now?

THE NIGHT OF THE GUN by David Carr and I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Alexander (They even each other out – Memoir and YA) but I just finished them so next on the stack is REFUND by Karen E. Bender. I am also listening MY BRILLIANT FRIEND (Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante) on Audible, which is pure escape into an Italian girlhood.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

"The imagination needs moodling—long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling, and puttering. People who are always briskly doing something and are as busy as waltzing mice, they have little, sharp, staccato ideas . . . but they have no slow, big ideas." – Brenda Ueland

And also this by Brenda Ueland:

“Be Careless, Reckless! Be a Lion, Be a Pirate, When You Write.”

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

I take a walk—a long walk and try to think. Sometimes I go to the movies, but the movies are more of a reward. Sometimes, I open a file/chapter and just start reading it without any objective and begin to play with the words already on the page, and before I know it, I’m writing again.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered for kindness and that I wrote some good stories and that I loved my children and husband very much. 

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Kerry Madden is the author of the Maggie Valley Trilogy for children, which includes GENTLE’S HOLLER (2005), LOUISIANA’S SONG (2007) and JESSIE’S MOUNTAIN (2008), set in the heart of the Smokies and published by Viking. Her first novel, OFFSIDES, (William Morrow) was a New York Public Library Pick for the Teen Age in 1997 and has been released on Kindle by Foreverland Press in a revised and updated edition. Her American Girl book WRITING SMARTS is full of story sparks for young writers. UP CLOSE HARPER LEE made Booklist’s Ten Top Biographies of 2009 for Youth and was also a Kirkus Pick for 2009. Her first picture book, NOTHING FANCY ABOUT KATHRYN AND CHARLIE, was illustrated by her daughter, Lucy Madden-Lunsford, and published by Mockingbird Publishers in the spring of 2013 about the friendship of storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham and folk artist Charlie Lucas. Her newest book, GEORGIA IVY AND THE OLD PUMP ORGAN, is currently being submitted to editors. She is at work on two new novels, one for children and one for adults, and a memoir. She has published stories in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Five Points, Shenandoah, Salon, Redux, and the Washington Post. She appeared for in her first indie film, LITTLE FEET, as a bag lady in Echo Park, directed by Alex Rockwell and premiered at the IFC in New York this past December.  Kerry is an associate professor of creative writing at the University of Alabama Birmingham and the editor of PoemMemoirStory at UAB. She also mentors in the MFA low-residency program at Antioch University in Los Angeles. She divides her time between Birmingham and Los Angeles. Learn more about Kerry at www.kerrymadden.com.

*And here's a little more about Kerry's book HARPER LEE (UP CLOSE), which you should totally pick up as a companion book as you read GO SET A WATCHMAN!

Nelle Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD was published in 1960 and became an instant bestseller. Two years later it was an Academy Award–winning film. Today, it remains standard—and beloved—reading in English classes. But Lee never wanted “the book” to define who she was, which explains her aversion to any kind of publicity. Kerry Madden conducted extensive research for this Up Close biography, which reveals Lee to be a down-to-earth Southern woman who enjoys baseball games and playing golf—and whose one and only published book (until now!) happened to win the Pulitzer Prize.

7.2.15 - 7 Minutes With... Carla Norton

Carla and I met on a warm April day at the Southern Kentucky Bookfest, where we served together on the thriller panel. But I already knew of her from her stellar fiction debut, THE EDGE OF NORMAL, which was one of best books I read in 2014. The writing was excellent, but it was her main character, Reeve LeClaire, who was so striking. I couldn’t wait to read more about her, and this year, Carla is releasing the sequel, WHAT DOESN’T KILL HER, which walks a fascinating line between straight-out thriller and really creepy stalker story. Carla’s got a very cool background, too, so let’s get to it. I will say this, if you’re new to Carla’s work, I can’t wait to hear what you think. Welcome, Carla!

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Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Ah, it’s a nice piece by acoustic guitarist Eric Hansen, called “String Theory.”

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

This morning I’m working on my novel-in-progress, which I can’t talk about until it’s close to finished. (I’m a bit superstitious about that.) Later today, I need to work on handouts for a writing workshop I’m teaching.

What’s your latest book about?

WHAT DOESN’T KILL HER is a crime novel about a 23-year-old survivor of kidnapping and captivity named Reeve who is just getting her life back on track when her abductor escapes from a mental lock-up facility. His escape is Reeve’s worst nightmare, and as he evades capture—baffling authorities and leaving a bloody trail through the forests of Washington State—she realizes that she knows him better than anyone, and must risk everything to try to stop him.

It’s the second in my series—the sequel to THE EDGE OF NORMAL—but I’m getting great responses from first-time readers, so I’m hugely relieved that it works as a stand-alone.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

For me, the first hours of the day are for carrying the dream state onto the page, so I mostly write in bed in the morning, then migrate to my office in the afternoon. But I’ll carry my laptop all over the house, and I keep notepads everywhere—even by the shower—so that I can always jot down ideas.

What was your favorite book as a child?        

I read Nancy Drew, but she was already driving, which made her hard to relate to, so I preferred the Trixie Belden series, because a 13-year-old tomboy who solved crimes while riding a bike was more to my taste. The next book that springs to mind is HENDERSON THE RAIN KING, which I read it in high school. Before that, I saw literature as a dusty stack of books by dead guys from which teachers pulled reading assignments, but Saul Bellow’s writing was so vibrant, he rocked my world.  

What’s your secret talent?

Ha! That’s a good one. I can’t sing, tap dance, or juggle. Does speaking Japanese count?

What book are you reading now?         

I’m reading a lot of nonfiction, which is research for my next book, so I can’t talk about it. But I recently read ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, which was absolutely terrific. No wonder it won the Pulitzer Prize.

Who is your writing idol? Have you met him/her? If so, did you completely nerd out or keep your cool?

I’d love to be cool, but unfortunately, I either freeze or nerd out. For instance, my stomach was doing flips when I first spotted Stephen King at the Edgar Awards. He looked extremely handsome and quite imposing in his tux, and it took several glasses of wine before I rallied the courage to speak to him. Then I grinned and babbled while pumping his hand. To his credit, he was thoroughly gracious.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

My all-time favorite quote about writing is from Walter Mosley: “Plot is the structure of revelation.” I love that. But there’s a more down-to-earth quote from my grandfather that also resonates with me. He used to say, “I don’t give a damn about it unless it breathes,” and that applies to writing as well as to life. Forget the pontification. Don’t try to dazzle everyone with long, lyrical passages and esoteric vocabulary. Readers want to be moved, so it’s our job to slip inside the skins of our characters and breathe life into them.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

When I’m stuck, I’ll go for a walk on the beach, where I can draw in the sand and talk to myself like a crazy lady without frightening anyone. Then I might approach a scene from another character’s point of view, or I might set that scene aside and move on to the next one. Recently, I was struggling to find drama in a section that needed to be cut out of the action and relegated to backstory.

Are you creatively satisfied?

Oh, for brief, glorious moments I’m lifted by a kind of literary glee. But then I’ll write something leaden, which brings me back down to earth.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I’ve never even considered that question. Let’s see… World peace?

Alright, now for the really important questions:

• Beach or mountains? Beach, please, though I love to ski when given the chance.
• Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning, and tea in the afternoon. Writing requires frequent doses of caffeine.
• Skydive or bungee jump? Neither, thank you very much. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground.
• Chocolate or vanilla? CHOCOLATE! It’s brain food, right? So there’s no guilt in having some dark chocolate, especially with almonds, or orange, or chili.
• Winter or summer? Summer. I love the long days.
• Cake or pie?  Peach pie with ice cream. Yum.
• Cats or dogs? That’s a tough one. Dogs are brave, empathetic creatures, and I’m a secretly in love with Cesar Milan, but dogs are also a lot of work. The truth is, I prefer cats because they’re wonderfully independent and I’m just plain lazy.
• Pens or pencils? Pens.
• Truth or dare? Truth.
• Print or ebook? I read ebooks when I travel, but I prefer to have physical books—especially the ones I love most—close at hand, on the bookshelf, where I can fondle them at will.

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Carla Norton is a novelist, journalist, and true crime writer. Her debut fiction, THE EDGE OF NORMAL, was a Thriller Award finalist in 2014. The sequel, WHAT DOESN'T KILL HER, is coming in June. Carla’s true crime books include PERFECT VICTIM, which was put on the reading list for the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit and became a #1 New York Times bestseller. She also writes monthly for AlgonquinRedux.com. To learn more, visit CarlaNorton.com, or find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

And you can catch Carla at some of her book tour stops below!
Tues. July 7: Book Culture,  450 Columbus Ave., NYC, 7:00 p.m.

July 8-11: Various events, ThrillerFest, NYC

Wed. Aug. 5: Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA, 7:00 p.m.

6.25.15 - 7 Minutes With... Patti Callahan Henry

I met Patti Callahan Henry last year over margaritas and queso dip (which is truly the only civilized way for any author to meet another.) We’ve circled each other for years, having many friends in common, but had never met face-to-face. I couldn’t wait to meet her, though, and I wasn’t disappointed. She’s a lovely, intelligent and fun woman. And when I heard her speak at Parnassus later that evening, I knew she was the whole package as an author, too. Smart and sassy, but poignant at the same time, Patti wraps her readers, and audiences, in a warm embrace of words. I am so thrilled to have her join us today. Welcome, Patti!

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Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

"Every Little Thing" by Eric Clapton and "Brave" by Sara Barielles 

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

My speech for book tour!

What’s your latest book about?

It’s about a failing screenwriter out to steal a love story when he finally meets his match—a woman who is giving him the perfect love story. Or is it?

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I mostly write in my attic longhand at first and then on the computer.

What was your favorite book as a child?

CHARLOTTE’S WEB or Narnia, depending on what childhood age you catch me.

What’s your secret talent?

Poker (well, it’s not really a talent, but I love playing when someone will let me. I usually lose, so not sure it’s a talent). The other secret talent—sleeping in on Saturday. I am almost a professional.

What book are you reading now?

AT THE WATER’S EDGE by Sara Gruen

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was too young to even know what “being a writer” meant. But it wasn’t until I was 35 years old that I admitted it to myself and set out to find out how to do such a thing.

Who is your writing idol?

Anne Rivers Siddons

Have you met him/her?

Yes!

If so, did you completely nerd out or keep your cool?

I absolutely did not keep my cool. It was before I even started my first novel. I waited in an hour-long line,and then babbled until her husband asked me to move on.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

Aim for the heart.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

Walk. Walk outside in nature and try to let go of my expectations and just “be.” Which sounds easy but isn’t!

Are you creatively satisfied?

Sometimes. In the best times.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Touching a reader’s heart.

Alright, now for the really important questions:

• Beach or mountains? Both
• Coffee or tea? Coffee
• Skydive or bungee jump? Neither. Ever.
• Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
• Winter or summer? Summer
• Cake or pie? Pie
• Cats or dogs? Dog
• Pens or pencils? Pens
• Truth or dare? Dare
• Print or ebook? Print

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New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry has published ten novels, including her latest, THE IDEA OF LOVE, which will be released by St. Martin’s Press in June 2015. Hailed as a fresh new voice in Southern fiction, Henry has been shortlisted for the Townsend Prize for Fiction, and nominated four different times for the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Novel of the Year. Her work is published in five languages and in audiobook by Brilliance Audio.

5.14.15 - 7 Minutes With... Tracy Grant

Meeting the lovely Tracy Grant was another benefit to my relationship with Catherine Coulter. We got to know one another at one of CC’s lunches a couple of years ago, and I’ve been entranced with her work ever since. She’s a very interesting woman – I mean, come on, how many people do you know who studied fifteenth-century British history at Stanford, co-wrote with their mom, and love opera? Tracy is now writing in the fascinating vein of fellow favorites of mine, Deanna Raybourn and Lauren Willig, whose work come alive on the page as history mixed with a dash of romance and a lot of suspense. I can’t recommend her enough both as a person, and a writer. She’s the bomb.  

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Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

"Children will Listen" from Into the Woods. The original Broadway cast, though I also listen to the movie version.

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

A scene set at the London docks involving a runaway child. It’s from my as yet untitled WIP, the next book in my Malcolm & Suzanne Rannoch Regency/Napoleonic historical mystery series.

What’s your latest book about?

THE MAYFAIR AFFAIR, which comes out tomorrow (May 15) begins with Malcolm and Suzanne woken in the middle of the night by a friend who is a Bow Street Runner. The powerful Duke of Trenchard has been murdered in his St. James's Square house. And Laura Dudley, governess to the Rannoch children, was found standing over the dying duke. Laura has been a minor character in the series. It was fun exploring her story - and her secrets. 

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

At home curled up in an armchair. In Peet’s Coffee & Tea with a latte or a cup of Earl Grey. Or in the play park or Pottery Barn Kids while my daughter plays. I write on a MacBook Air using Scrivener, but sometimes I take notes by hand. I’m very attached to my Cross pen.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Different books at different ages, but THE GRAND SOPHY by Georgette Heyer was a favorite from about 10 on.

What’s your secret talent?

I'm good at seating arrangements. Would come in handy if I found myself in one of my novels.

What book are you reading now?

WHO BURIES THE DEAD by C.S. Harris. Love this series!

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I actually can't remember not wanting to be a writer, but the first I remember consciously thinking about it was in 3rd grade when we were assigned a story in school and characters and scenes poured out of me. From then on I was always writing something.

Who is your writing idol? Have you met him/her? If so, did you completely nerd out or keep your cool?

Jane Austen and Tom Stoppard. I suppose it's conceivable I could meet Tom Stoppard someday. I think I'd be starstruck to the point of incoherence.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

"Don't get it right, just get it written." My mom, Joan Grant, with whom I wrote 8 books, had it taped to her computer.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

Tell myself I just have to write 100 words and then I can take a mini-break, check email, look at Facebook or Twitter, read a few pages. Then another 100 after the mini-break. I can nearly always come up with 100 words (and usually when I read them over they aren't as bad as I fear).

Are you creatively satisfied?

Yes very. As long as I'm working on a book!

What would you like to be remembered for?

My writing. And, by my daughter, for being a good mom and inspiring her to be creative.

Alright, now for the really important questions:

Beach or mountains? Beach.

Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning. Lattes or Earl Grey tea while I'm working.

Skydive or bungee jump? I like to create adventures for my characters rather than have them myself, but if I had to pick probably bungee jump.

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate. Though I love vanilla lattes!

Winter or summer? Winter. Good writing weather.

Cake or pie? I have to pick? Cake.

Cats or dogs? Both, though right now we have 3 cats.

Pens or pencils? Pens.

Truth or dare? Probably truth. Of course I might change my mind if I heard the question...

Print or ebook? Both. I still love print books and buy them. But I got an iPad to read out-of-print research books and found I love reading on it, so that's actually how I do most of my reading now.

_________

photo credit: Raphael Coffey Photography

Tracy Grant studied British history at Stanford University and received the Firestone Award for Excellence in Research for her honors thesis on shifting conceptions of honor in late-fifteenth-century England. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her young daughter and three cats. In addition to writing, Tracy works for the Merola Opera Program, a professional training program for opera singers, pianists, and stage directors. Her real life heroine is her daughter Mélanie, who is very cooperative about Mummy's writing time. She is currently at work on her next book chronicling the adventures of Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch. Visit her on the Web at www.tracygrant.org. 

And here's a little more about THE MAYFAIR AFFAIR, in stores everywhere tomorrow!

In the elegant environs of Mayfair, Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch live a seemingly charmed life. Malcolm, a former diplomatic attaché and intelligence agent, is a rising Member of Parliament. Suzanne is fast becoming one of London’s most sought hostesses. But even their closest friends don’t know that the Rannoch’s marriage is still reeling from the revelation that Suzanne was a French spy when she met British agent Malcolm and that she married him to gather information on British plans. Malcolm and Suzanne are hoping for private time to repair their marriage. But their peace is shattered by a late night visit from a Bow Street runner. The powerful Duke of Trenchard has been found murdered in the study of his St. James’s Square house. And Laura Dudley, governess to the Rannoch children, was standing over the dying duke.

Malcolm and Suzanne are convinced the woman they trusted with their children is not a killer. To prove Laura’s innocence, they are drawn into an investigation that will test their wits and the fragile truce between them. But whether or not she murdered the Duke of Trenchard, Laura Dudley is certainly not what she seemed. Revelations about her identity cut dangerously close to Suzanne’s own past. Malcolm and Suzanne realize more is at stake than Laura’s life and liberty. The investigation into the Duke of Trenchard’s murder will either prove the resilience of their bond–or snap it in two.