by Grace Topping
In recent years, if you have attended Malice Domestic, a gathering of fans and writers of traditional mysteries held each spring in Bethesda, Maryland, you may have met Tammy Barker. An enthusiastic supporter of mystery authors, Tammy attended author panels, wearing her sleuth-like fedora, and handed out treats to the authors she met. After attending Malice for several years, the writing bug bit, and Tammy challenged herself to join the ranks of mystery-writing authors. It took years of hard work learning the craft of fiction writing and developing a mystery novel, but her efforts have finally paid off. Her debut novel, Call In For Murder, was recently released, much to the delight of the authors who have cheered her on at Malice. It is a pleasure to interview Tammy about her first book.
Call In For Murder
Call-in radio host Ashley Compton is Las Vegas’s best friend when it comes to giving relationship tips to strangers. But when a repeat caller is found murdered after exposing her woes on the air and accepting the challenge to put up or shut up, Ashley questions if her homespun advice was the catalyst for the murder.
Afraid of losing her job and destroying her reputation, Ashley heads to the seedy side of Las Vegas to snoop around. There she encounters shady dealings: lies, gambling, adultery, and potential criminal activities. When her two-timing and felonious suspects spout glib excuses to justify their behaviors, she digs deeper and is threatened, injured, and gets what she dishes out: advice she doesn’t always like.
Can Ashley’s sleuthing skills catch the killer, or will she end up just another crime statistic? Can she save her career, or will she be put on the Do-Not-Call list?
Welcome to Writers Who Kill, Tammy. Congratulations on the publication of your debut novel, Call In for Murder.
Thank you very much, Grace. I’m excited to be here with all the murder experts.
Ashley Compton, your main character, works for a call-in radio show giving relationship tips to strangers. Does Ashley need to have any special qualifications to give advice, especially when her advice to one caller could have resulted in her being murdered?
That’s a great question. When I started, I did my research. Many people on the air and in print don’t have the qualifications to give professional advice. Even lawyers and doctors might have that disclaimer “This article/show is for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute professional advice. Consult with a professional who can assess your situation.” As long as Ashley doesn’t say she’s a professional, she should be safe, unless someone wants to take things to a whole ‘nother level. That’s why she’s called Miss LARE, instead of that 90s movie where Dolly Parton was called Doctor Shirlee. Ashley doesn’t want people to know she’s not a professional, because they might not listen to her. But the way she gives advice, she wouldn’t be fooling anyone.
When Ashley begins to track down the caller’s killer, she is remarkably brave—even challenging a casino owner who could possibly be connected to the mob. Are you anything like Ashley?
What inspired you to set your mystery in Las Vegas? From your descriptions of Vegas, it sounds like you know the place well.
I wanted a mystery involving the mob and gambling because of my absurd fascination with it. I originally had the idea of Atlantic City. Did you know AC was originally supposed to be a spa and health resort for the wealthy? But the more I tried to design the story, the more I realized AC wouldn’t fit. And since I have an affinity for the old crooners and Elvis and Manilow, I thought of Las Vegas. I visited it several times, conducted interviews, watched people, took pictures, took odd tours, grabbed maps and books about the history and the parts of Vegas people don’t know. That’s why I have a Las Vegas secret tidbit in my monthly newsletter. I want readers to know Las Vegas like I do.
You write about the older or seedy side of Vegas, which sounds a lot different than the glitzy strip of famous hotels most people think of as being Vegas. Did you visit the older side to do research? Do you recommend visiting that side?
The Strip is glamorous, Downtown is a bit slummier, and off the strip can be sketchy, but there can be danger in every town. Yes, I visited the older parts because I didn’t want a murder set on the Strip. I wanted it to be “locally”, not “touristy.” I researched so I knew where I was going beforehand, and someone always knew where I was. Going to the older parts of town, or at least off the main drags is interesting. That’s where I got the feeling for what the locals were like, because I believe there can be such fakeness on the Strip and Freemont Street. Check the unknown places out if you want, act like you belong there, and don’t go anywhere after dark by yourself. You’ll be fine.
Everyone should be so lucky to have a friend like Nathan. What is it about Nathan that makes him stick to Ashley, even when she doesn’t always heed his advice?
Poor Nathan. He considers Ashley his pet project. He knows her life, even what’s not in the story. They met when she first moved to town, and he was nosy about L.A. He may not understand, but he’s there for her. In his eyes they are “friend soul mates,” if that is a thing, even if she doesn’t always listen to his advice. She is a control freak like me. He got her the radio show job interview because of his connections, and her advice helped him in the past. He feels like he “owes her.” He’s a romantic at heart, so he would never give up on his project.
In an interesting subplot, Ashley’s ex-fiancé Frank relentlessly pursues her, even when she is quite firm that she doesn’t want anything more to do with him. Why won’t Frank take no for an answer, especially since he was unfaithful to her to begin with?
When I created Frank, I was using my past. Someone not as goodlooking as Frank but had the same attitude. Frank thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips. He doesn’t take no for an answer because he dumps women, they don’t dump him. Plus, there are people who think being unfaithful is okay. He’s the kind of person who always wants what he can’t have. He can’t have Ashley, so he must win her back. Will he keep trying? Is he falling for her because she’s elusive? Will I kill him off in a later story? Right now, I have no clue.
You have been attending Malice Domestic for years. What came first, your interest in Malice as a mystery fan, or your desire to write mysteries? Did Malice inspire you to start writing?
I went to Malice for the first time in 2005 when I saw someone walking around with a prior year’s bag and asked about it. I had never even thought about writing anything for real. I’d always liked writing reports in school, but fiction writing was never in my mind. After a couple of years, I started asking myself what if I tried to write a mystery, just to see if I could do it? I messed around with the idea for several years before I started in earnest. Then it took several more years before I became serious. But the short answer is yes, Malice and subsequently Nanowrimo (National November Writing Month) is what got my writing started.
Will you be participating on panels at the next Malice?
I have volunteered to be on a panel in April (as well as any other opportunities they offer self-published authors); it just depends on if they have one that would be a good fit for me. I would love it. Or maybe they will make me a moderator, which will be a lot of homework to do fast so that I do the authors justice. And depending on the panel, will a fedora (my signature look) work?
Absolutely. You wouldn’t be the same without it.
After years of working on your manuscript, you found an agent who was excited about your work. Did her unexpected passing inspire you to take publication of your book into your own hands?
I was very excited when Dawn Doddle offered me representation. She was at the top of my list for boutique agents. We were ready to send the manuscript to publishing houses when she passed. I tried getting another agent, but it wasn’t the same as with Dawn. When my husband got sick last year, I decided to take the bull by the horns and self-publish. Dawn is always on my mind, and I contacted her daughter to ask if Dawn would be disappointed if I self-published. I was given the green light and went for it.
As an accountant, I would imagine that you deal with a lot of structure. Did you bring that structure to your story and know where it was going, or did you write it by the seat of your pants?
Accounting is done by planning because of all the rules. There is a structure, and one must make sure the numbers are understood. The opposite end, the auditing, is like solving a mystery, with clues and/or red herrings to tell an auditor if something looks out of place; what we call “creative bookkeeping.” I never made the correlation in real time before you asked me this question. Accountants are organized, and yes, it does come through in my writing. I create detailed settings, characters dossiers, and a list of necessary and potential scenes before I write a single word. But that doesn’t mean I don’t veer from my plan, which I do often enough. There is a scene in book two that shocked me at the end of writing it, because I had not planned it at all.
What’s next for Ashley?
I am in the process of revising book two in the series, which I plan to release in October 2026. In this one, Ashley’s hit a little closer to home, because she personally knows the main suspect. It’s Nathan being accused of murder. The theme for this book is fashion and keeping your social ranking and appearance in Las Vegas. Ashley has to deal with a secret at work and is asked to help another friend with sleuthing to get a promotion. She’s going to be a busy gal in book two.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned since you started writing?
I learned two important things, if I may. #1 Writing is not a solitary journey, you must network. Yes, writing by yourself is the norm, but the process is not done alone. You need to ask people advice on stuff you know nothing about, use sounding boards for ideas and solving problems, accept encouragement to keep trying, and have professionals do what you can’t (such as editing or cover art). Networking is key.
#2 Finish the book!
Thank you, Tammy. I look forward to reading book two.
Bio: Tammy Barker is a serious, by-the-book Washington, DC government accountant by day and a wildly imaginative fiction writer by night. She writes contemporary traditional amateur sleuth mystery novels and historical pulp fiction short stories. Her other loves include reading anything, restoring or refurbishing vintage items, small home repairs, cooking and baking, classical piano, and wishing she lived during the 1940s and 1950s. You can find her website at tammybarkerwriter.com, where you can learn more about her writing ideas, and get to know Miss LARE a bit better by reading her advice.
Grace Topping is the USA Today bestselling author and Agatha Award finalist of the Laura Bishop Mystery Series.
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