Spotlight & Giveaway: Panic in the Panhandle by J.C. Kenney

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author J.C. Kenney to HJ!

Hi J.C. Kenney and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Panic in the Panhandle!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Elmo Simpson is an animal removal specialist trying to live a stress-free life. That goal
gets turned upside down when his friend Rambo is accused of using one of his alligators
to murder the town’s chief gossip. Elmo can’t refuse Rambo’s request for help, so he
starts looking for clues, using his day job as a cover to eavesdrop on conversations and
poke around unnoticed. With a group of suspects including someone who may be a
vampire to a famous chef more intimidating than Gordon Ramsey, Elmo has his work cut
out for him. But with the dogged determination perfected through years of crawling
through tight spots to corral wayward animals, and some timely help from his friends,
Elmo manages to crack the case before the murderer can make a rather spectacular
getaway.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

This is an exchange between Elmo and the Chief of Police, Susan Eikenberry early in the
case. I think it gives some insight into the live and let live attitude so prevalent in
Paradise Springs.
“Welcome to my humble abode.” I tipped my cap as I used my foot to push a chair in her
direction. “Get you a beer? You look like you could use one.”
“Don’t be a wise guy, Simpson. You know full well I’m still on duty.” She blew out a
long breath as she dropped into the chair.
“Then I’ll put it in a cup.”
A moment later, I was back from the kitchen with a plastic stadium cup imprinted with
the logo of the Ball State Cardinals, my alma mater.
“I really shouldn’t.” She tossed her sunglasses on the table.
I poured the ale with a dramatic flair that would make an advertising exec proud. My
years tending bar in college hadn’t gone to waste.
“If there’s one thing I know, Chief, it’s that life is too short to say things like I really
shouldn’t.”

What inspired this book?

Absolutely! The sugar sand beaches of the Florida Panhandle, the music of Jimmy
Buffett, and the storytelling of Carl Hiaasen. My wife and I were vacationing in Panama
City Beach in February of 2020 when I got the idea to write a book set in the area. I
absolutely love the area and it’s not hard to get to from my home in Indianapolis. I’ve
been a fan of Jimmy’s music for most of my life. His stories of life in the tropics, people
looking for answers, and how to have a good time spurred me to inject as much fun as
possible into the story. Of course, I couldn’t do a book set in Florida justice without the
influence of the legendary Hiaasen’s outrageously entertaining stories.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

My protagonist, Elmo Simpson, is a man with a past in the tech world he’d rather forget.
He’s very laid back and would prefer to live a life with as few complications as possible.
Initially, he was quite content to spend his days removing wild critters from homes and
businesses and releasing them into the wild. He loves barbecue, hanging out on his
trailer’s patio with his cat Oscar, and Irish whiskey on the rocks. As I got to know Elmo,
it was fascinating to learn how his present-day actions are informed by his past life. Even
though his career in software design almost destroyed his life, he still thinks like a
programmer. As he sets off in search of clues to unravel the mystery of who murdered the
town gossip, Fran Cohen, Elmo finds the discipline and attention to detail needed in the
coding world translates seamlessly into the sleuthing world. We’re all products of our
experiences, I believe, and Elmo’s no exception.

What was your favorite scene to write?

There’s a scene late in the story where Elmo and Nic destroy an important clue, but in
doing so, they save a lot of people from all kinds of distress and embarrassment. There’s
something about the scene that just felt right. What they do won’t affect legal
proceedings against the murderer and will protect many folks in the community. It’s a
real win-win scenario that shows how much Elmo and Nic care about others.
We tossed the documents one by one onto the grill. First, the pages, and the awful
information recorded on them, curled at the edges, then they caught fire. They burned
until they were nothing more than piles of harmless ash.
As the smoke rose from the grill, a weight slipped from my shoulders.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The sequence where Rambo has to say goodbye to the alligator that was used to commit
the murder. We see how much it hurts because he knows what’s going to happen. It is
very much like a pet owner saying goodbye to their fur baby before it’s put to sleep.

“That’s my code for Butkus. Not that I had any doubt about it.” Rambo chewed
on his upper lip as he turned toward his reptilian companion. “They’re going to send you
to the next adventure, buddy. I want you to know they’re the monsters, not you.”

“I’m sorry, man.” I really was. I’d read too many stories to count about some
clueless dude bro getting himself into some place he shouldn’t be. Then a predator came
along, followed its instincts, and went after the idiot human. Inevitably, the dude bro got
rescued and a huge Instagram following while the animal got a death sentence.
“Thanks, Simpson. I don’t care what they say about you. I think you’re okay.”

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

Panic in the Panhandle is my tenth cozy mystery, so even though it’s the first book in a
new series, it’s still part of the genre I love to read and write. It’s a departure from my
previous books in a couple of ways. First, this is my first whodunnit that’s not set in my
home state of Indiana. Writing a book with a Florida setting takes continual research. Of
course, visiting the Florida Panhandle for “research” isn’t a bad way to spend some time.
The other departure is that along with writing a good story, I had a goal to take as many
scenes in the story and turn the absurdity level up to eleven without making a mockery of
the overall story. So, I did a lot of little things to reach that goal. Elmo’s cat is named
Oscar. One of the suspects might be a vampire. Another suspect is a celebrity chef who’s
more frightening than Gordon Ramsey. A third suspect is Elmo’s friend Rambo, who is
an alligator rancher. There’s a police officer who looks like a young Leonard Nimoy of
Star Trek fame, so everyone calls him Spock. The police chief is a retired swimsuit
model who practices yoga with swords. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I hope readers enjoy following along with Elmo as he tries to unravel the mystery of
whodunnit. I also hope they find themselves laughing from time to time, too. As for an
overall theme? I think Panic in the Panhandle is about honor, being a person of your
word. Elmo didn’t particularly want to get involved with a murder investigation, but he
made a promise. Living up to promises is important to him. I think that’s something we
should try to do.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

Book two in The Elmo Simpson Mysteries, Murder Under the Marquee, arrives in early
2025! Elmo jumps on the case when his girlfriend is accused of murdering a former co-
worker. I’m currently working on the third story in the series. For now, it’s called
Dispatched in the Ditch and should be published in the Fall of 2025.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook copy of PANIC IN THE PANHANDLE + one additional Tule ebook of the winner’s choice

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Elmo comes in close contact with some rather large alligators in Panic in the Panhandle. Have you ever seen a gator or crocodile live and in person? Maybe at a zoo or in the wild? Tell me about the experience.

 
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Excerpt from Panic in the Panhandle:

“The second I saw the arm protruding from the mouth of the alligator, I knew it was going to be one of those days.
“We need to get out of here. Now!” I used my arm to shield Minerva from the gruesome sight. Despite her protests about being manhandled, we made a hurried retreat from the condominium.
Once we were outside and safe from the fearsome alpha predator, I dug out my phone.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Minerva Longet, who wasn’t accustomed to being told what to do unless it was coming from a director, put her fists on her hips and fixed me with a death stare. “Elmo Simpson, I demand to know—”
I put my index finger to my lips, shushing the woman. When the 911 operator asked me what the emergency was, I bit back a panicky laugh. Sometimes life in Paradise Springs, Florida, was stranger than fiction.
“I need to report an accident, or a murder, or something, at the Sea Breeze Resort.”
“Can you be more specific, sir?” The operator’s tone was a combination of cross and bored. Paradise Springs was a community filled with oddballs and a head-scratching history, so I was going to have to be 100 percent honest. Honesty, among some folks, is a rare commodity in these parts.
“Um, yeah.” I stole a glance at Minerva, who was patting her hair to make sure every silver strand was in place, and swallowed. There was no way she was prepared for what I was about to say. “I think Fran Cohen’s been eaten by an alligator.”
As I told the operator the address, there was a whoosh of air followed by a whump like a sack of potatoes had fallen to the floor. A quick glance in the semiretired actor’s direction confirmed she’d fainted.
Yep, definitely one of those days.
A few minutes later, a navy-blue Paradise Springs police cruiser barreled into the parking lot like a scene straight out of an old Starsky and Hutch episode. It skidded to a halt mere inches from my feet.
An officer practically leapt from the vehicle. Then almost tripped over himself as he tried to get his gun out of its holster while he marched toward me. “What’s this about a gator and someone in danger, Simpson?”
“Morning, Officer Nimoy.” I tipped my ball cap to him “I think it’s a little too late for the someone in danger part.”
“What do you mean?” The cop pointed at Minerva, who was resting on a blanket I’d fetched from my truck while we waited for his arrival. “This woman clearly needs help.” Thomas Nimoy had been on the Paradise Springs Police Force for almost three years. In that time, he’d gone from a rookie who was scared of his own shadow to a semicompetent cop, on most days. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, though. That led to a noticeable lack of respect many folks in the community showed him.
It didn’t help that his pale skin, short black hair, and hawklike nose conspired with his last name to give him a look that reminded people of a certain pointy-eared alien from a classic science fiction franchise. While nobody called him “Spock” to his face, whenever the name was uttered in Paradise Springs, everyone knew it was in reference to the officer standing in front of me.
“I think it’d be best if you see for yourself.”
After confirming the still-unconscious Minerva wasn’t experiencing any breathing problems, I led the way inside. Nobody else seemed to be around, so she’d be okay for a minute.
Using as much stealth as my cat, Oscar, had, which wasn’t a lot, I led Spock back through the condo. An unnerving clicking sound emanated from the bedroom. It sent shivers down my spine. I knew the sounds that trapped small animals made.
This clicking was different. It wasn’t coming from a frightened rodent. This creature wasn’t frightened at all.
Unsure if the sound was coming from the gator’s claws or teeth, I tiptoed to the bedroom door and opened it a sliver.
From over my shoulder, Thomas took a look. An intake of breath followed by the rapid thump, thump, thump of work boots fading away made me shake my head. The cop had run away. So much for overcoming his own shadow.
A second look at the gator calmed me. From a professional perspective only. Despite the horrific scene, the reptile seemed content. It was situated next to the bed, its eyes were closed, and it was still. An apparently full belly didn’t make the animal any less dangerous. It would make it a little easier to wrangle once the police gave me the go-ahead. Thank goodness for small favors.
“Fran, what did you get yourself into this time?” With a heavy heart, I closed the door and speed-walked out of there, relieved I’d brought my tranquilizer gun with me.
When I stepped back outside, Thomas was attending to Minerva. She was seated upright and was breathing normally between sips of water from a plastic bottle. That was good. She was one of my most reliable customers. And made amazing orange scones. I wouldn’t want someone like that to get hurt.
Spock flipped open a little notebook with a one-handed flair that could only have come from hours of practice in front of a mirror. “Explain.”
“I can’t possibly…” Minerva fanned herself with her hand and closed her eyes. I couldn’t help thinking that she was taking advantage of the situation to add some acting drama to the mix.”

Excerpt From
Panic in the Panhandle
J.C. Kenney
This material may be protected by copyright.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

This is no ordinary wild animal removal call…

In the sleepy panhandle of Florida, Benjamin “Elmo” Simpson has carved out a comfortable niche as the go-to wild animal removal specialist. Life is sweet until a peculiar service request takes him to a local condo and an unexpected scene. Retired lawyer Fran Cohen is missing and in his apartment is a well-fed alligator that appears to have enjoyed a nice breakfast with…or rather, of…Fran.

All evidence points toward murder, and local alligator farmer, Waldo “Rambo” Quigley has the motive and the means. When Rambo pleads for help to clear his name, old debts and a history of friendship leave Elmo no choice but to investigate. With his girlfriend, Nicola, by his side, and Rambo’s freedom on the line, Elmo’s on the hunt for the real killer, but don’t panic…Elmo’s got a plan…sort of. Maybe.

Reptilian clues lead to unexpected allies, and the call of danger is addictive. Can Elmo uncover the identity of Fran’s killer before becoming the next victim, removed from the scene like an unwanted pest?

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Meet the Author:

J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries, The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, and The Elmo Simpson Mysteries. He’s also the co-host of The Bookish Hour webcast. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat.
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