Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Hollywood Ending
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1978
WEBSITE: https://kellyegarrett.com/
CITY:
STATE: NJ
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1978.
EDUCATION:Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL, B.S.; University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Television script writer, magazine editor, novelist. Vibe, assistant magazine editor; Sisters in Crime, publicity liaison and national Board of Directors member.
MEMBER:Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime.
AWARDS:Agatha Award for Best First Novel, 2017, Anthony Award for Best First Novel, 2018, Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel, 2018, and Independent Publisher Award (IPPY) for Best First Book – Fiction, all for Hollywood Homicide.
WRITINGS
Writer of the CBS television show Cold Case.
SIDELIGHTS
A Native of New Jersey, Kellye Garrett is a television scriptwriter who has written for the television show Cold Case, and is mystery writer of the award-winning “Detective by Day” series. With degrees in magazine writing and screenwriting, she is a former magazine editor for Vibe and a communications writer for a leading media company. She also serves on the national Board of Directors of Sisters in Crime as its publicity liaison.
Hollywood Homicide
Garrett’s award-winning Book 1 in the “Detective by Day” series, Hollywood Homicide, features struggling African American actress Dayna “Day” Anderson who decides to answer an ad for a $15,000 reward to solve the murder of college student and up-and-coming actress Haley Joseph. The money will help Day and her parents from foreclosure on her childhood house. Day realizes she may have actually been a witness to the murder when she saw a hit-and-run accident. With the help of her friends Sienna, a reality television star, and Emme, the identical twin of a mega star, Day gets entangled with paparazzi, celebrity houses, and movie premieres. It’s all fun until someone targets her for murder.
“Garrett uses her Cold Case experience to inform her debut, which sets up more than one charming character and isn’t afraid to go cynical on all things LA,” declared a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Writing in Publishers Weekly, a reviewer noted: “Garrett writes with humor and insight about the Hollywood scene.” Online at Criminal Element, Ash K. Alexander remarked: “Garrett handles it all with a deft touch, humor, and realism that kept me glued to the digital page. I laughed, buried my face in a pillow from embarrassment, walked away groaning—and still kept coming back.”
On her Kellye Garrett website, she explained: “I wanted to write a series that combined my love of mystery with the absurdity that can be show business.” Hollywood Homicide won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel making Garrett the first woman of color to win the award since 1997. Speaking on the diversity of mystery writers, Garrett told Jessica Strawser in an interview at Writer’s Digest that Detective Elouise Norton author Rachel Howzell “said meeting a fellow black woman mystery writer was like seeing a unicorn.” Garrett praised her publishing company saying, “Midnight Ink has fully embraced the diversity aspect of Hollywood Homicide. For example, putting my main character front and center on the cover was their idea.”
Hollywood Ending
In the follow-up Book 2, Hollywood Ending, Dayna Anderson is an apprentice private investigator and bounty hunter for the LAPD who needs to get beyond being the face of the Chubby’s Chicken girl in their commercials. She has a new case when celebrity publicist Lyla Davis is murdered during Hollywood award season. Although Lyla’s death looks like an ATM robbery gone wrong, Day believes it was actually a set-up to keep Lyla from revealing celebrity gossip. Day enlists the help of uncharismatic ex-cop Aubrey S. Adams-Parker, childhood friend Omari Grant, and her best friends Sienna, a social media expert, and computer whiz Emme.
Garret “brings a smart insider’s view of contemporary Hollywood to this lighthearted series,” according to a writer in Publishers Weekly who compared Day and Sienna’s delightful antics to those of Lucy and Ethel. A Kirkus Reviews writer said: “Though sometimes there’s so much going on that you lose sight of the high-stakes main event, Garrett continues to build an appealingly quirky crime-solving team.” Mark Baker reported online at Carstairs Considers: “The mystery itself is fantastic. There are some wonderful twists that kept me guessing until the end,” adding, “All of this is wrapped in a delightful sense of humor.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2017, review of Hollywood Homicide; June 15, 2018, review of Hollywood Ending.
Publishers Weekly, June 26, 2017, review of Hollywood Homicide, p. 159; June 25, 2018, review of Hollywood Ending, p. 163.
ONLINE
Carstairs Considers, http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/ (August 9, 2018), Mark Baker, review of Hollywood Ending.
Criminal Element, http://www.criminalelement.com/ (August 8, 2017), Ash K. Alexander, review of Hollywood Homicide.
Kellye Garrett website, https://kellyegarrett.com (November 1, 2018), author profile.
Writer’s Digest, http://www.writersdigest.com/ (March 19, 2018), Jessica Strawser, author interview.
Kellye Garrett
Kellye Garrett spent 8 years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a livingprobably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. A former magazine editor, Kellye holds a B.S. in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USCs famed film school. Having moved back to her native New Jersey, she spends her mornings commuting to Manhattan for her job at a leading media companywhile still happily brainstorming ways to commit murder. Her first novel, Hollywood Homicide, will be released by Midnight Ink in 2017.
New Books
August 2018
(kindle)
Hollywood Ending
(Detective By Day Mystery, book 2)
Series
Detective By Day Mystery
1. Hollywood Homicide (2017)
2. Hollywood Ending (2018)
Kellye Garrett's first novel, Hollywood Homicide, won the Agatha, Lefty and Ippy awards for best first novel. It was also nominated for a Barry award. Hollywood Ending, her second book in the Detective by Day series, will be out on August 8, 2018. In addition to writing, she currently serves on the national Board of Directors of Sisters in Crime as its Publicity Liaison.
Kellye previously spent 8 years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a living--probably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. A former magazine editor, Kellye holds a B.S. in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC's famed film school. Having moved back to her native New Jersey, she spends her mornings commuting to Manhattan for her job at a leading media company--while still happily brainstorming ways to commit murder.
You can find more information about Kellye and the Detective by Day series at KellyeGarrett.com.
From CBS’s Cold Case to Kick-Butt Cozies: Kellye Garrett Discusses Screenwriting and Black Women in the Mystery Genre
By: Jessica Strawser | March 19, 2018
14
Kellye Garrett’s writing experience is varied: She began her career as a magazine editor, spent eight years as a Hollywood screenwriter (with the CBS drama Cold Case among her credits) and is now a communications pro for a Manhattan-based media company. Her debut novel, the cozy mystery Hollywood Homicide, was a Library Journal Debut of the Month in 2017 and was nominated for an Agatha Award. The second book in her Detective by Day series is forthcoming in August. “She is one of the very few black women publishing mystery, not just now but ever,” Fuse Literary’s Michelle Richter gushed to WD. “Being her agent and getting her books into the world is one of the proudest accomplishments of my career.” Garrett’s work can also be seen on the “kick-butt cozies” blog Chicks on the Case, where she is a regular contributor.
You’re very active in the writing community, and are incredibly generous with your time, helping to found the debut author group 17 Scribes, serving on the national Board of Directors for Sisters in Crime, and mentoring aspiring writers through #PitchWars. Why is that outreach so important to you?
From my freshman year of college, I learned the value of having a supportive community of like-minded people. At Florida A&M, it was my fellow journalism students who also worked on the school newspaper and magazine. I’ve been lucky enough to find communities like that ever since, including when I started my publishing journey. I got my agent through Pitch Wars when I was a mentee in 2014. One of my fellow mentees created a mentee Facebook group so we all could support each other. Three years later, that group is still one of my first destinations when I log into Facebook. Their support has been essential to my success and, more importantly, my overall well-being. We alternate acting like cheerleaders, therapists and sounding boards for each other.
When I first got my deal, I was excited but I was also scared because I didn’t know what to expect. I searched out a community of debut Adult and New Adult authors and was surprised when I couldn’t find any groups. That’s why I created 17 Scribes with a few friends who I met through Pitch Wars so we could support each other.
Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel Revised and Expanded By Hallie Ephron
There’s been much talk lately about the treatment of women in Hollywood, but little (yet) about how that extends to the writers’ room. Can you speak to any meaningful differences between your experiences in the screenwriting community versus those in publishing as a novelist?
When I worked in television, I was lucky to work on shows with a good number of women on staff. Of course, there were still things that shocked me. I remember going to a meeting for women writers at the Writer’s Guild of America and essentially being told, “There’s no set maternity leave, so if your showrunner wants to fire you because you’re pregnant, there’s nothing you can do.”
There’s been a concerted effort to have more diversity in TV writing longer than in publishing, which has focused on boosting marginalized voices and stories just in the last few years with the “We Need Diverse Books” movement and other great things like that. There are programs in place in TV to ensure there’s at least one marginalized voice on staff. On the publishing front, young adult is making great strides, whereas mystery is farther behind—which is probably why I’m so vocal about lack of diversity in mystery writing. I’m happy that groups like Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America are addressing the issue.
What has it been like finding your way in a genre that still has such a need for diverse voices?
I know of at least five black mystery writers with their first books either out or coming out with traditional publishers [in the time] since I got my deal in 2016. So I do think it’s getting better. That said, we have a long way to go. When I first met Rachel Howzell Hall [author of the Detective Elouise Norton series], she said meeting a fellow black woman mystery writer was like seeing a unicorn. Sisters in Crime reported that prior to 2016, there were only 69 black mystery writers who were traditionally published—ever. And we have a much higher number than other marginalized groups. Of the five other debut mystery writers I know, none of us are with Big Five publishers.
A high has definitely been the support of my publisher, Midnight Ink. When we got the offer, my editor, Terri Bischoff, noted that she was surprised she couldn’t find a comp title of a cozy with a black main character. (Having loved cozies since I was a preteen, I was not.) Midnight Ink has fully embraced the diversity aspect of Hollywood Homicide. For example, putting my main character front and center on the cover was their idea. They see Dayna in all her #blackgirlmagic as a selling point, which is a dream come true for me.
You’ve received some wonderful starred reviews for Hollywood Homicide and its series launch. Is there one particular take that stands out to you as a favorite?
I’m a first-time author so they all stand out! I was walking in Manhattan when my publicist sent the Publishers Weekly review and I literally cried in the middle of Fifth Avenue when I saw it was starred. Then I cried again when I found out Hollywood Homicide was Library Journal’s August Debut of the Month. (Luckily, I was in my office when I got that email.) If I had to pick one, it would be Book Riot’s Unusual Suspects newsletter. The writer, Jamie Canaves, summed up the book as “Day is hilarious, smart, has a great group of friends—and my favorite part is she puts the amateur in amateur sleuth!” I love it because it captured my goal with the book. I wanted a self-deprecating main character with a group of friends who loved her enough to yell at her for doing dangerous things because that’s definitely what I’d be telling my best friend if she decided to solve a hit-and-run she witnessed. (And I hope my friends would be trying to talk some sense into me as well!) At the same time, Dayna isn’t Veronica Mars. I wanted her to stumble and make a lot of mistakes because—again—that’s likely what would happen if you or I decided to play detective.
Kellye Garrett writes the Detective by Day mysteries for Midnight Ink. The first, Hollywood Homicide, was nominated for Agatha, Lefty and Barry awards. The second, Hollywood Ending, will be out on August 8, 2018. Prior to writing books, Kellye spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a living—probably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. Having moved back to her native New Jersey, she now spends her mornings commuting to Manhattan for her job at a leading media company—while still happily brainstorming ways to commit murder. Learn more at KellyeGarrett.com.
Congratulations to Agatha Award winner, Kellye Garrett!
Apr 30, 2018
This weekend, Kellye Garrett won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel for her book, Hollywood Homicide: A Detective By Day Mystery. She was cheered on by her agent, editor, family, and writer friends. Kellye made a wonderful speech, acknowledging Sujata Massey, who was in attendance and who was the last woman of color to win the award in 1997, as well as her fellow nominees. She encourages us all not to think of mysteries written by people of color as a trend, because trends go away. Kellye has also won a Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery and an Ippy (Independent Publisher Award) for Best First Book, Fiction for Hollywood Homicide.
Interview: Kellye Garrett
Please give a fabulous welcome to Kellye Garret, author of the Detective by Day series! Her first, Hollywood Homicide, has scooped up a boatload of awards. The second, Hollywood Ending, released August 8 from Midnight Ink.
Hollywood Ending Cover FinalIf your latest book were chocolate, what kind would it be and why?
It takes place during awards season, a three-month stretch that kicks off with the Independent Spirit Award nominations in November and culminates with the grand dame of them all—the Oscars—in February. For the story, I created the Silver Sphere Awards, which I claim recently surpassed the Golden Globe Awards when it came to prestige and was nipping at the Oscars for the most coveted honor in Hollywood.
To fit the theme, it would have to be a chocolate replica of the Silver Sphere Award itself. It would look all pretty on the outside but then when you bit into it, the inside would have nothing in it – a perfect metaphor for Hollywood itself.
What made you interested in writing this particular story?
Hollywood Ending was inspired by two of my favorite things about Hollywood: Gossip blogging and awards shows. I was actually a seat filler for the Emmy Awards right after grad school. I basically kept celebrities’ seat warm during the show when they took a bathroom break. If you notice, there’s never an empty seat when you pan to the audience during an awards show. That’s because us seat fillers are doing our job!
Describe your protagonist as a mash-up of three famous people or characters.
Lucy Ricardo because of Day’s (mis)adventures with her best friend Sienna. Publisher’s Weekly even called them Lucy-and-Ethel-like antics.
Miss Marple because Day’s nosy but also turns out to be a pretty good investigator.
Olivia Pope, partly because of looks but I also think Day sometimes envisions herself as being able to “handle” it like Olivia does oh so well.
Would Dayna like you for a friend? Dish the details here.
It would probably be a love/hate friendship. We definitely share the same sense of humor and we’d probably bond as fellow Hollywood survivors. Not to mention that we both love to eat so we’d have some amazing lunch dates. On the flip side, she tends to make rash decisions that can put herself in danger. So, like her friends in the book, I’d probably always be yelling at her about risking her life. And she’d be annoyed at how blunt and bossy I can be.
If you couldn’t write, what would you do?
New York Courtesy Counts AdThis is still writing related but I would love to be the person who creates those cheesy phrases you see on the highway. You know the ones: Click it or Ticket. I’d also love to be whoever creates the New York MTA subway ads. They had an entire “Courtesy Counts” campaign that basically was like “stop being so rude!” I wish I’d written this one in particular: “Poles are for your safety, not for your latest routine.” Anyone who has ridden a New York subway knows that you can see a full on performance complete with acrobatics.
*****
Kellye Garrett Author PhotoKellye Garrett writes the Detective by Day mysteries about a semi-famous, mega-broke black actress who takes on the deadliest role of her life: Homicide Detective. The first, Hollywood Homicide, won the Agatha, Lefty and Independent Publisher “IPPY” awards for best first novel and is nominated for Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards. The second, Hollywood Ending, will be released on August 8, 2018 from Midnight Ink. Prior to writing novels, Kellye spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. She now works for a leading media company and serves on the Board of Directors for Sisters in Crime as the organization’s Publicity Liaison. You can learn more at KellyeGarrett.com and ChicksontheCase.com.
Kellye Garrett (East Orange, NJ) spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. The first book in her Detective by Day Mystery series, Hollywood Homicide, won the Agatha, Lefty and Independent Publisher "IPPY" awards for best first novel. A former magazine editor, she holds a BS in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC's famed film school. She now works for a leading media company and brainstorms ways to commit murder for her novels.
Hello there. I’m a recovering TV writer who spent 8 years working in Hollywood and now writes the Detective by Day mysteries with Midnight Ink. The first, HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE, hit stores on August 8, 2017. It was a Library Journal Debut of the Month and was called a winning first novel and series launch in a Publishers Weekly’s starred review. And it just won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, 2018 Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel and 2018 Independent Publisher Award (IPPY) Gold Medal for Best First Book – Fiction (Eek!). It was also nominated for a Barry Award for Best Paperback Original, a Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel, and Anthony Award for Best First Novel. (Double Eek!!) The second in the series, HOLLYWOOD ENDING, will be out on August 8, 2018.
My time in LA included a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what I did for a living. Probably because I seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people every week. But to me, Hollywood is a place where it’s better to laugh than to cry. And so I wanted to write a series that combined my love of mystery with the absurdity that can be show business.
You can find out more about the Detective by Day series (and me) by visiting the links in the above menu.
I also blog with a group of super-talented, super-funny mystery writers so please visit us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Chicks on the Case.
Thanks!
SHORT BIO:
Kellye Garrett’s first novel, Hollywood Homicide, was released by Midnight Ink in August 2017. In addition to receiving starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, it won the Agatha, Lefty and Independent Publisher “IPPY” awards for best first novel. It was also recently nominated for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel, and Barry award for Best Paperback Original. Hollywood Ending, her second book in the Detective by Day mystery series, will be out on August 8, 2018. In addition to writing, she currently serves on the national Board of Directors of Sisters in Crime as its Publicity Liaison.
Kellye previously spent 8 years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a living—probably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. A former magazine editor, Kellye holds a B.S. in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC’s famed film school. Having moved back to her native New Jersey, she spends her mornings commuting to Manhattan for her job at a leading media company—while still happily brainstorming ways to commit murder. You can learn more at KellyeGarrett.com.
SHORTER BIO:
Kellye Garrett writes the Detective by Day mysteries about a semi-famous, mega-broke black actress who takes on the deadliest role of her life: Homicide Detective. The first, Hollywood Homicide, won the Agatha, Lefty and Independent Publisher “IPPY” awards for best first novel and is nominated for Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards. The second, Hollywood Ending, will be released on August 8, 2018 from Midnight Ink. Prior to writing novels, Kellye spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. She now works for a leading media company and serves on the Board of Directors for Sisters in Crime as the organization’s Publicity Liaison. You can learn more at KellyeGarrett.com and ChicksontheCase.com.
SHORTEST BIO:
Kellye Garrett’s first novel, Hollywood Homicide, about a semi-famous, mega-broke black actress won the Agatha, Lefty and Independent Publisher “IPPY” awards for best first novel. It was also recently nominated for Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards. The second, Hollywood Ending, will be released in August. Prior to writing books, Kellye spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. She now works for a leading media company and serves on the Board of Directors for Sisters in Crime. You can learn more at KellyeGarrett.com and ChicksontheCase.com.
For Website
Photo by Katherine Tyler
LONG BIO:
Kellye Garrett writes the Detective by Day mysteries for Midnight Ink. She was born in New Jersey sometime in the last millennium. She attempted her first novel at five years old, but abandoned it a few days later to focus on decorating a newly purchased Barbie Dream House.
Though she eventually got rid of the Dream House, she kept her love of writing. After graduating with a B.S. in magazine production from Florida A&M University, she had the requisite crappy first job, working as an assistant at a daily newspaper. Thankfully, her next gig was much, much cooler. She became an assistant editor at Vibe magazine.
Her Vibe duties included seeing free movies, bossing around poor freelance writers, and spearheading the magazine’s film and television coverage. But writing about so many amazing people inspired her to do something amazing herself. So she swapped her AP Stylebook for Robert McKee’s Story and spent two years as a graduate screenwriting student at the University of Southern California’s famed School of Cinematic Arts.
Since graduating with her M.F.A. in 2005, Kellye’s participated in NBC’s inaugural “Writers on the Verge” program for new writers and worked as a staff writer on the CBS crime drama Cold Case. Her episode about Japanese internment camps aired in December 2007. She also sold a procedural to Lions Gate Television and developed a cable show with the actor Idris Elba.
A few years ago, Kellye not only returned to her home state, but also to her first love—writing books. Her first novel, Hollywood Homicide, was released by Midnight Ink in August 2017. It introduces semi-famous, mega-broke black actress Dayna Anderson, who takes on the deadliest role of her life: Homicide Detective. Formerly called IOU, it was selected for Brenda Drake’s Pitch Wars contest, which led to Kellye being repped by Michelle Richter at Fuse Literary. In addition to receiving starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, it won the Agatha, Lefty and Independent Publisher “IPPY” awards for best first novel. It was also recently nominated for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel, and Barry award for Best Paperback Original. The second novel in the series, Hollywood Ending, will be out on August 8, 2018.
Currently a communications writer for one of the country’s leading media companies, Kellye considers working for a P.I. firm as her most unusual professional writing gig. When not writing, she can be found sitting on the train blasting early ’90s R&B on her iPod, feeding her candle addiction, and obsessing over any reality TV show with “Wives” in the title.
Kellye is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime, where she serves on the National Board of Directors as the organization’s Publicity Liaison. You can learn more about Kellye at KellyeGarrett.com.
Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett
2 MONTHS AGO by WENDY TYSON 23 0
By Wendy Tyson
Kellye Garrett grabbed the attention of the mystery community when her first novel, Hollywood Homicide, delighted readers and won the 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the 2018 Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel, and the 2018 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Award Gold Medal for Best First Book. Since then, Garrett has been nominated for additional awards, including the Anthony and Macavity awards for best first novel, and her second novel in the Detective by Day mystery series, HOLLYWOOD ENDING, was just released this month.
The Big Thrill recently sat down with Garrett to talk about her exciting first year as a published novelist and her most recent release.
The Detective by Day mysteries are engaging, funny whodunits—not hard-boiled stories like we so often see with crime novels set in Hollywood. What drew you to the traditional mystery genre?
I’ve loved mysteries since I picked up my first Encyclopedia Brown story as a kid. When I was around 12, I discovered Joan Hess and Jill Churchill. I have a very overactive imagination so it’s hard for me to read darker stories, especially ones centering on abuse or twisted serial killers. Traditional mysteries allow me to get my whodunit fix while still being able to sleep at night.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
I consider my book to be a funny beach read, so I hope that they use it to just get away from their problems for a while and be immersed in what it’s like to be a semi-famous, mega-broke, retired-at-27 black actress in Hollywood.
You’re a veteran television writer who has worked on programs such as Cold Case. What led you from writing for television to writing crime fiction? How has your background informed your mysteries?
I always wanted to write a mystery but never had a good idea. It came to me while driving down the street in LA when I was dead broke. I saw a sign offering a reward for info on a murder and thought, “I should try to solve that for the money.”
There are certain elements of TV writing that I still use to write my books. Because you have such a limited air time, every scene has to move the story forward. And you also have Act Outs, where you end each scene before a commercial on a climax or big reveal so people will sit through commercials. So my books tend to be very fast paced and plot based. Plus, I try to end every chapter on a high note so you hopefully want to read “just one more chapter.”
HOLLYWOOD ENDING was named one of Book Riot’s 2018 Mystery & Thrillers to Be Excited For, and its predecessor, Hollywood Homicide, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Reviewers and readers alike love your characters, especially your protagonist, Dayna Anderson. What was your inspiration for Dayna? What elements of her past have made her the woman she is today?
I started the book when I was in a weird transitionary period of my life where I knew I didn’t want to write for TV anymore, but I wasn’t sure what to do next. If you read the first book, you get the sense that Dayna is lost career-wise herself. I definitely took that from my own life. Write what you know, right?
How does this book make a contribution to the genre?
I’m one of literally a handful of black women who write traditional mysteries with black female main characters.
You’ve been an outspoken advocate for more diversity in crime fiction, especially the traditional mystery market. What can we do to increase diversity and provide more opportunities?
The main thing is helping to boost an author of color that you read and loved. And not just in conversations about your favorite diverse authors/books, but in conversations about your favorite books period. If publishers realize that people will buy books with diverse main characters, they’ll publish more books with diverse main characters.
The other thing is that we all need to speak up when we see outdated and prejudiced behavior and attitudes in the mystery community. It can’t just fall on the writers of color to point out when something is hurtful, wrong, or tone deaf.
What authors or books have influenced your own career as a writer, and why?
Janet Evanovich for showing you can take a serious topic and still make people laugh. Valerie Wilson Wesley for showing that black women can be the stars of a mystery. Sue Grafton for showing women period can be the stars of a mystery.
What do you wish you had known before you started on your publishing journey? What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
I wish I realized more that the insecurities I had wouldn’t magically go away just because I finally got a book deal. They’re still there, they’re just different. Instead of worrying about getting published, I’m worried about staying published. Instead of worrying about if an agent likes my book, I worry if a reviewer or reader will. The only thing we can control is the actual writing, so my advice to aspiring authors is to just focus on finishing the manuscript and try to find a group of fellow writers who can serve as your cheerleaders when needed and your psychologist when needed as well.
What does your writing routine look like?
My favorite quote is from Dorothy Parker: “I hate writing. I love having written.” My “routine” is usually to write when there is literally nothing else I can do. Like I should be writing right now and instead I was like, “Let me go ahead and answer these questions.”
Do you have a favorite spot from which to write?
The 53rd Street Library in Manhattan is just gorgeous. It has this beautiful theater-like seating area where they show movie-size photos of New York.
What’s next for you, Kellye? Can readers look forward to a new Detective by Day mystery?
There will be at least one more book in the Detective by Day series. It should be out next year.
*****
Kellye Garrett writes the Detective by Day mysteries about a semi-famous, mega-broke black actress who takes on the deadliest role of her life: Homicide Detective. The first, Hollywood Homicide, was recently nominated for Agatha, Lefty and Barry awards. The second, Hollywood Ending, will be released on August 8, 2018 from Midnight Ink. Prior to writing novels, Kellye spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. She now works for a leading media company and serves on the Board of Directors for Sisters in Crime as the organization’s Publicity Liaison.
Hollywood Ending: A Detective by Day Mystery
Publishers Weekly. 265.26 (June 25, 2018): p163+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Hollywood Ending: A Detective by Day Mystery
Kellye Garrett. Midnight Ink, $15.99 trade paper (312p) ISBN 978-0-7387-5297-6
Agatha-winner Garrett's delightful sequel to 2017's Hollywood Homicide finds former L.A. actress Dayna "Day" Anderson, who was the spokesperson for Chubby's Chicken until a photographer caught her eating something other than one of the fast-food franchise's two-piece combo deals, struggling to launch her career as a private investigator. Day has had some modest success working with a PI who turns out to be unlicensed, but it's not enough to pay her bills. A chance to really prove herself comes along when Hollywood publicist Lyla Davis is fatally shot at an ATM early one morning on La Brea Blvd. Day soon realizes that the apparent botched robbery was a set-up, and she and sidekick Sienna follow the clues to infamous celebrity gossip Anani Miss. The Lucy-and-Ethel-like antics of Day and Sienna provide plenty of laughs, but readers will also enjoy watching Day as she develops her sleuthing skills, including savvy social media tactics. Garrett, who wrote for TV's Cold Case, brings a smart insider's view of contemporary Hollywood to this lighthearted series. Agent: Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hollywood Ending: A Detective by Day Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 25 June 2018, p. 163+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545023396/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5ac0add3. Accessed 21 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A545023396
Garrett, Kellye: HOLLYWOOD ENDING
Kirkus Reviews. (June 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Garrett, Kellye HOLLYWOOD ENDING Midnight Ink/Llewellyn (Adult Fiction) $15.99 8, 8 ISBN: 978-0-7387-5297-6
An oddly assembled crew digs into the depths of Hollywood's elite in an effort to solve crimes for cash.
Still savoring the sweet taste of success from her last case, which netted her $1,000 (Hollywood Homicide, 2018), Dayna Anderson's ready to continue her crime-solving streak. Or, at the very least, her money-earning streak, which is especially welcome since she hasn't worked as an actress since her Chubby's Chicken commercial almost two years ago. Dayna's near-accidental path as an amateur detective and bounty hunter for the LAPD tip line is bolstered by her friendship with uncharismatic, unromantic Aubrey S. Adams-Parker, an ex-cop who backs up Dayna's Hollywood hunches with law and order. The real fun begins when Dayna teams up with her friends as sidekicks. Sienna's determined to make it as an Instagram star; Emme's a computer whiz with maybe too much time on her hands. Dayna's latest case is the fatal shooting of Lyla Davis, a publicist for the Silver Sphere Organization. While Lyla's death looks like collateral damage in an ATM holdup, Dayna's savvy and digging suggest that someone could have wanted to keep a secret Lyla was in on. Dayna knows Hollywood secrets all too well. After all, she's been living one ever since she hooked up with childhood friend Omari Grant, whose publicist doesn't want it getting around that Omari's with some average girl. But Dayna's sleuthing and ad hoc team make her anything but average, and she cuts to the truth around Lyla's death quickly but without thinking about the ramifications that secrets kill.
Though sometimes there's so much going on that you lose sight of the high-stakes main event, Garrett continues to build an appealingly quirky crime-solving team.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Garrett, Kellye: HOLLYWOOD ENDING." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A543008833/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b54a2064. Accessed 21 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A543008833
Hollywood Homicide: A Detective by Day Mystery
Publishers Weekly. 264.26 (June 26, 2017): p159.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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* Hollywood Homicide: A Detective by Day Mystery
Kellye Garrett. Midnight Ink, $14.99 trade paper (312p) ISBN 978-0-7387-5261-7
Hard-up, semiretired actress Dayna "Day" Anderson, the appealing narrator of Garrett's winning first novel and series launch, runs out of gas one day at a stoplight on an L. A. street. While pondering what to do next, she notices a billboard offering a $ 15,000 reward for information on the hit-and-run murder of aspiring actress Haley Joseph. Day, who realizes she passed by the scene of Haley's death some weeks earlier, decides it's time to turn private eye in an effort to work her way out of debt and save her parents' house from foreclosure. She wrangles assistance from her two best friends--flashy Sienna, a reality star in training, and no-nonsense Emme, the identical twin sister of Hollywood's biggest star. In the course of her investigation, Day comes to care more about catching the killer than earning the reward. A former magazine editor who's contributed to TV's Cold Case, Garrett writes with humor and insight about the Hollywood scene. Readers will look forward to Day's further adventures. Agent: Michelle Richter, F use Literary. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hollywood Homicide: A Detective by Day Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 26 June 2017, p. 159. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497444305/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=90f9e342. Accessed 21 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497444305
Garrett, Kellye: HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE
Kirkus Reviews. (June 1, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Garrett, Kellye HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE Midnight Ink/Llewellyn (Adult Fiction) $14.99 8, 8 ISBN: 978-0-7387-5261-7
A stone-broke actress struggles to land the reward for solving a cold case.Since her stint as spokeswoman for Chubby's Chicken, a time when she was identified by the catchphrase "Don't think so, boo," Dayna Anderson has been the perpetual "Don't I know you?" girl, getting asked that same question by everyone from strangers on the LA streets to bros turning her down for barista gigs. Now if only that almost-recognition could somehow be turned into income for Dayna, who can't fill her car with gas, let alone help her folks back home avoid foreclosure on her childhood home. As her hopes of finding a job diminish by the day, Dayna hatches a half-baked scheme to earn the $15,000 reward offered for help solving a murder case, which she sees advertised on her daily constitutional--that is, her walk to get a can of gas to rescue her car. It's not like Dayna's a stranger to the crime. She actually saw it take place, or at least parts of it. She remembers it all too well, because it happened the last night she talked with Omari Grant, a guy she's known since high school and who she's pretty sure was trying to move her out of the friend zone. The deceased is Haley Joseph, a college student whose life doesn't seem too far from Dayna's own until she starts digging around and begins to uncover multiple motives for Haley's murder. With her friend and self-proclaimed future reality star Sienna Hayes at her side, Dayna relies on turning her smarts and resourcefulness into answers and collecting the cash before her parents' house is gone for good. Veteran TV writer Garrett uses her Cold Case experience to inform her debut, which sets up more than one charming character and isn't afraid to go cynical on all things LA.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Garrett, Kellye: HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493329192/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f8df5fa6. Accessed 21 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A493329192
Review: Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett
BY ASH K. ALEXANDER
Hollywood Homicide
Kellye Garrett
Detective By Day Mystery Series
August 8, 2017
Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett is the first book in the Detective by Day Mystery series.
Hollywood Homicide, the first Detective by Day Mystery, tosses you right into Hollywood, a scandalous murder, and one retired actress’s quest for the truth—while she also attempts to keep herself employed and prevent her parent’s from losing their house.
It’s easy to relate to Dayna Anderson. Opening on one of the world’s worst job interviews, Dayna’s dry, self-deprecating tone draws you right into her story. I immediately wanted to know how she was going to manage and when she was going to get a break. Mystery novels often feature amateur detectives bore from people down on their luck, but Dayna’s tale has an immediate flavor of reality. You can feel her irritation at being boiled down to a catch phrase and a dress size. I immediately empathized with her, in spite of this, needing a payday.
Having had fleeting fame, I was not recognizable as much as familiar. The familiarity was courtesy of the Chubby’s Chicken chain. For almost two years, I would somehow end every situation—and commercial—with the catch phrase: “Don’t think so, boo.” If the scene called for me to be really upset, I’d even give a quick little finger jab, a long neck roll, and a sophisticated sucking of my teeth. Rosa Parks would be so proud. Eighteen months ago, Chubby’s had abruptly ended my contract with the all too standard “We are going in a new direction” spiel to my now-former agent. Silly me had been under the impression Chubby’s would be just the beginning, not the end. I knew there was more in my future than just chicken wings. I was wrong and was now officially unofficially retired from acting.
Of course, things only get worse after her misadventure at the coffee shop job interview. When you’re broke and have an unreliable car, the fear of having car trouble at an intersection is all too real. The car stalls. It won’t start up again. You feel embarrassment and anger—and then resignation. But it’s this event that sets Dayna on her path toward mystery.
A billboard near the gas station (Dayna carefully counting out her dollars and cents and praying she can get enough to drive the ten minutes home) attracts her attention as she desperately looks for a distraction from yet another person who vaguely recognizes her from her stint as a chicken spokesperson. A pretty blonde-girl, a plea for information about the hit-and-run that took Haley Joseph’s life, and a reward: $15,000. None of these things go unnoticed, but it’s the date of the hit-and-run that really catches Dayna’s attention: August 18th. A night she remembers all too well.
It was the last night she saw him. Omari, a childhood friend and newly minted rising star in a cop drama—and if the drunken behavior is anything to go by, maybe more. The awkward relationship is a definite highlight; it’s not a huge portion of the book by any means, but its presence is felt throughout and impacts the investigation.
The realism is one of the things that struck me over and over again. It was so relatable. The constant uncertainty over money doesn’t become irritating either; it’s there, it’s present—it’s absolutely necessary.
It turns out three dollars is in fact enough to get you to Beverly Hills.
I’m sure that would come in handy the next time I ran out of gas. Considering my tank was already back on E, it probably would be sooner than later.
While Dayna’s drive to find the person who killed Haley Joseph is first motivated by her monetary needs, it’s quickly evident that’s not the only thing driving her.
I truly enjoyed the definite feel of being in contemporary time, watching characters sort things out as I would probably end up sorting them out. Don’t know something? Well, we have smartphones and Google. Problem solved. The phones were nearly characters of their own, really, which is pretty true to life for many of us.
It’s clear that Dayna has a lot to learn in order to become a successful sleuth, but she’s definitely willing to take on the role. With the best/worst friends ever, Dayna has a strong team on her side. She’s determined to solve a case that has as many twists and turns as a Hollywood blockbuster. Kellye Garrett handle’s it all with a deft touch, humor, and realism that kept me glued to the digital page. I laughed, buried my face in a pillow from embarrassment, walked away groaning—and still kept coming back.
Dayna deserves all of the sweet potato cupcakes she could possibly want, and I look forward to seeing her get them in another installment of the series.
Review: HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE by Kellye Garrett
*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Releases: August 8, 2017
hollywood-homicide
Blurb:
Dayna Anderson doesn’t set out to solve a murder. All the semi-famous, mega-broke black actress wants is to help her parents keep their house. After witnessing a deadly hit-and-run, she figures pursuing the fifteen-grand reward isn’t the craziest thing a Hollywood actress has done for some cash.
But what starts as simply trying to remember a speeding car soon blossoms into a full-on investigation. As Dayna digs deeper into the victim’s life, she wants more than just reward money. She’s determined to find the poor woman’s killer too. When she connects the accident to a notorious Hollywood crime spree, Dayna chases down leads at paparazzi hot spots, celeb homes and movie premieres. She loves every second―until someone tries to kill her.
And there are no second takes in real life.
Review:
I really wanted to adore this book. Instead, I only liked it a lot. (Still keeping my preorder.)
Small dif, right? Maybe.
There is so much to love about this book. The cover is absolutely amazeballs! Seriously, scroll back up and look at that gorgeous cover. In an age when most covers are photo-manipulated, Ms. Garrett’s book merited custom artwork.
Ms. Garrett has voice to worship upon an alter to, really, 3 pages into the book and the MC, Dayna, had me by the throat. It’s that good.
Voice is one of the things I look for, because it can’t be taught. You’re either born with voice or you develop it by reading and trying to write and reading again and then finally throwing up your hands and saying fuck it, I’m going to write what I want. Then (after failing, a lot) thinking about how you write, deciding you don’t know anything and going for it anyway. I’m known as a voice-y writer, I know.
Ms. Garrett has VOICE. (trust me, it’s worth the caps).
and yet…
(^that there^? You caught your breath, maybe a little? Possibly blinked your eyes? You want to know what I have to say next? Voice. Remember, I’m an editor too.)
This book is fantastic, it’s well worth the purchase and the read, I just didn’t connect with the characters as well as I’d hoped.
So here’s why.
I’m not into shopping (like, I have to be forced to shop, and even though I know the names? I wouldn’t buy a pair of Louboutin’s if I had the disposable cash, not that I do, but that’s irrelevant.) Prada shmada. I have 2 designer handbags ’cause my MIL is into fashion and name brand, they’ve been gifts… and? they sit in my closet, unused. Give me a well-made leather pouch big enough for my stuff? I’m happy. Until it disintegrates, leaving minuscule bits of itself everywhere. At which point, I grouse my way into a store to get another one. The character I connected best to in this story is Emme, and there wasn’t enough Emme for me. (That’s a ME thing, not a BOOK thing.)
The heels I love… (the few, the far between, the ones I need help walking in) well, those tend not to be designer either.
So, I couldn’t connect to those parts of the book, and there’s enough of things like it… that ignoring it affected the story. They’re beautifully described and voice-y parts, no doubt. Gorgeous, but… not a ‘me’ thing.
I found it incredibly interesting to get-what feels like-an insider peek into Hollywood or acting. Especially as I’ve only done stage acting. It was real enough that I wondered about the author’s background. (and then I read the author blurb, and no wonder it felt so real!)
I’ve also been an in real life criminal forensic technician. It’s not like you see on TV. I’ve worked with cops, and met a few PIs. (I’ve worked with many FBI special agents in my time, they tend to like to drink… IME.)
so… the retired cop character came off a bit flat and unrealistic for me.
A lot of the parts involving the investigation read to me… with my experience, more like a tv show than the real thing, so it didn’t work as well as it could’ve ‘for ME.’ It’s well written, very, and probably will be an incredibly entertaining read for a lot of people.
The one thing I can say in regards to the investigation? It’s so perfectly in character for Dayna that it’s beautiful. Do you have any idea how hard it is to do that? To separate the ‘what you as the author knows’ from ‘what the character as she’s written CAN know?’ It’s nigh impossible at times, I’ll leave it there because it’s incredibly well done.
This book has one of those really well-fleshed out characters, you know the ones, the ones that make it feel like you’re walking around in their skin.
It’s a fantastic book, just not a *me* book. (I figured it would be, because I love mystery, which is why I asked for it from Netgalley.)
Remember, please. Reading is subjective. I found the writing excellent, the MC interesting, the world believable. I just didn’t connect with this story. Which is not even close to a problem with the story itself.
Scores:
Readability: 4/5 Characters are well-rounded, real and they have relatable flaws! I loved that Dayna gets mouthy when she’s anxious. It’s awesome, cause that’s one of my own flaws. The book is fast paced and well written.
Arcs: 5/5 Dayna’s arc is well defined, I’d love to see more backstory and even shorts regarding her room-mate, love interest, and their friend.
Craft: 3/5 Here, it’s getting a lower score. I hope it’s only because this book is at ARC stage, (or that maybe these mistakes are intentional for piracy tracking purposes, they ARE repetitive, so it’s possible this is the case) but I caught many problems within the text. If the mistakes are formatting mistakes (also possible) I really hope there’s more editing that will happen with this book before it hits shelves or that these mistakes are intentional. (As they ARE repetitive, always in the same place, I’m hazarding they may be either on purpose or formatting) and it’s still getting a good craft score because there aren’t many fillers/filters, the author doesn’t ramble, and it’s all very tightly written.
Would I buy it for a friend? I’m keeping my pre-ordered copy, even though I have an ARC, and yes, I’d buy it for a friend, if they liked shoes.
You can pre-order a copy of this wonderful debut book at
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Book Review: Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett (Detective by Day #2)
Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great mystery, fantastic characters, fun
Cons: None I could find
The Bottom Line:
After party death
Sets Day back in action in
Fantastic sequel
I Didn’t Want Hollywood Ending to End
Sometimes, when I love a debut, I worry a bit about whether I will enjoy the follow up as much. That thought was going through my mind as I picked up Hollywood Ending. I had absolutely nothing to worry about since this book was just as good if not better than the first book.
It’s awards season in Hollywood, and retired actress turned PI Dayna “Day” Anderson is getting into the season since her boyfriend, Omari, has been nominated for a Silver Sphere award. He’s the breakout star of a TV show in its first season, and a win could be a huge boost for his career. Of course, to win, he has to be seen at all the right parties in the weeks leading up to the ceremony.
It’s after one of these parties that publicist Lyla Davis is killed when she stops at an ATM, one that Omari had just been at. When the Silver Sphere organization offers a huge reward for any information leading to Lyla’s killer, Day begins to investigate. She quickly gets a line on the killer. Almost too quickly. Is she making the same mistakes she made before? Or is there something else going on?
It may have been a year since I read the debut, but it was like no time at all had passed when I picked up the book, and I was right back in Day’s world. Her friends are fantastic, and I loved seeing them again. There’s definitely been some growth, at least in some of the characters, and I enjoyed seeing how the relationships have changed as a result.
The mystery itself is fantastic. There are some wonderful twists that kept me guessing until the end, which was absolutely fantastic.
And, once again, there is an insider’s look at the world that is Hollywood. It really is a town like no other, fueled by the entertainment industry. If you love it like I must admit I do, you’ll enjoy this glimpse of what life can really be like behind the scenes.
All of this is wrapped in a delightful sense of humor. I laughed several times, and was smiling and chuckling the entire way through.
Hollywood Ending ended all too soon, and now comes the very long wait until I can visit Day again. If you are looking for a smart and fun mystery series, you need to start the Detective by Day series now.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
My Musing ~ Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett
Aug 5, 2018
Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett is the second book in the “Detective by Day” mystery series. Publisher: Midnight Ink, coming August 8, 2018.
Tinseltown’s awards season is in full swing, and everyone is obsessed with dressing up, scoring free swag, and getting invited to the biggest awards shows of the year. But when popular Silver Sphere Awards publicist Lyla Davis is killed during a botched ATM robbery, the celebratory mood comes to an abrupt halt.
Dayna Anderson—an actress turned apprentice private investigator—uncovers the killer almost immediately. Unfortunately, what starts as an open-and-shut case turns out to be anything but. Lyla’s murder was no robbery-gone-wrong. Someone hired the gunman to kill her. Diving back into the investigation, Dayna gets a backstage look at the worlds of gossip blogging, Hollywood royalty, and one of entertainment’s most respected awards shows—all while trying to avoid her own Hollywood ending.
Purchase Link
There is no sophomore slump in Kellye Garrett’s domain with this delightfully entertaining addition in the “Detective by Day” series.
An exciting fast-paced and well written drama that immediately grabbed my attention from the first page never letting go until the last page was read. I really enjoyed the relationship between Dayna and her friends and how they come to her aid as she goes sleuthing for her latest case. This one seemed clear cut, but the author planted a few tidbits here and there and this case takes off on a different level and Dayna is once again utilizing her resources in the pursuit of justice. The author’s writing style and character development shines throughout this mystery filled with plenty of suspects and strategically placed clues that had me immersed in all aspect of the story being told. The narrative was enhanced with visual descriptions of Hollywood and all its trappings and it was fun watching this backdrop play out with the Hollywood elites and their foray into who was behind the murder and it’s Dayna’s dogged pursuit that when all was said and done, only one person was left standing . . . the killer. This was a fun and enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what new adventures await Dayna and her friends.
**********
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
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