The home of J. Grant Boyd, writer of novels, screenplays and miscellaneous musings sparked by curiosity.
An excerpt from a conversation with J. Grant Boyd, Author of “Justice: A Hollywood Homicide” (You can read the entire interview at ReaderViews.com
What is “Justice: A Hollywood Homicide” about, and what sparked your inspiration for the story?
The novel is about the murder of a young actress who just a day earlier won the Oscar for Best Actress. The book is essentially a procedural following LAPD detective Lucas Horne and his partner as they work the case. The inspiration was actually the O.J. Simpson case, thirty years ago. I had recently finished my first novel and as the media coverage became so frenzied I took notice not in the murder itself but in verdict, which was completely at odds with the evidence. It seemed outrageous. I wanted to know why it happened and eventually wanted to write a story that explored both the LAPD and the DA. Although “Justice” touches on these themes, the book I wrote thirty years ago is barely recognizable now.
How does the Los Angeles setting, with its blurred lines between reality and fiction in Hollywood, contribute to and enhance your mystery?
I was born only a few miles from where the murder takes place. I spent many days visiting an aunt and uncle who lived in the Palisades, so it was familiar ground. As to the city of Los Angeles, my visits back there have been infrequent in recent years so I depended on Google Maps and Street Views to authenticate my narratives. As for Hollywood, I’m a longtime cinefile who has written three screenplays and feel comfortable with the ins and outs of the movie business and its culture and behaviors. Combining the glamour of Hollywood with the grit of policing is an incredibly rich combination.
Instagram: lucashornerhd
Facebook: jgrantboyd
Contact: grant@curiousbrainwaves.com
Reviews of Justice
"Less than 24 hours after Alyce Justice wins the Academy Award for Best Actress, her housekeeper finds her dead in her Los Angeles home, stabbed multiple times in the chest. Lucas Horne, an LA homicide detective set to retire in a week, is assigned the case with a partner, Mike Norelli, who’s 17 years his junior. As the investigation develops, Boyd introduces new characters to provide more angles on the case... (he) moves quickly from one chapter-ending cliffhanger to the next. As Horne digs deeper, uncovering several surprising twists, he begins to feel the accumulation of years spent investigating senseless killings. This revelation and the connections he draws between Justice and his late wife—a way of providing more backstory in a plot-driven narrative. Still, readers will undoubtedly stay hooked until the very end, because Boyd remains surefooted in planting red herrings and leading readers astray."
Kirkus Reviews (Verdict: Get it)
"Boyd does an excellent job of keeping the narrative interesting and bursting with surprises. The narrative has surprising turns with a cast of fascinating people, including powerful attorneys and reporters. It is easy to lose oneself in the narrative since the investigation is comprehensive and feels authentic.
I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars. There were two major twists in the story that really impressed me and caught me by surprise... I recommend the book to fans of mystery and suspense books."
"Boyd has gifted crime enthusiasts with an engaging novel. The thrilling premise of a murder in an exclusive Palisades compound, home to some of Hollywood’s heavy hitters is delightfully scandalous. Moreover, the author has a talent for sprinkling clues and then putting a wrinkle on readers’ suspicions. Like Horne’s initial hunches, our sleuthing skills are cut down to size by twists and new information. The burning question that kept coming up was: If Bradford was the killer, how could he be in both places at the same time?"
Readerviews.com Stephanie Elizabeth
You can read the first two chapters: and then proceed to a bookstore or Amazon and buy it. If you do, please give it a review, good, bad or indifferent.
Contact: grant@curiousbrainwaves.com