We chat with author Jordan Harper about A Violent Masterpiece, which is an epic crime novel that tells a story of Los Angeles power brokers and those at the edge—and a single shattering incident that threatens to bring it all crashing down.
Hi, Jordan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m an author and screenwriter, born in the Ozarks and now living in Los Angeles. I’ve worked as a music journalist, film critic and TV writer. I write about violence and crime and America with an art-pulp style. My newest book, A Violent Masterpiece, is out right now.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I dictated stories to my mom for her to write down before I was literate. I wrote comic books and weird fantasy stories and even crime stories before I was a teenager.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Monster at the End of This Book (I always liked thrillers)
- The one that made you want to become an author: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Blood Merridian by Cormac McCarthy
Your latest novel, A Violent Masterpiece, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Bloody neon art pulp thriller
What can readers expect?
It’s a twisting thriller about three people – a defense attorney, a blackmarket private concierge, and a true-crime livestreamer – who each discover a different thread of a mystery involving a serial killer, billionaire private security forces and missing women. They must come together to solve this crime, no matter the cost. The book is a thriller, a mystery, and a crime drama. And if you’re squeamish, you should take the “Violent” part seriously.
Where did the inspiration for A Violent Masterpiece come from?
It’s my second LA novel, following my previous book Everybody Knows. (You don’t have to read that book first to enjoy this one, but there are some Easter Eggs for those who have). I love Los Angeles, and I’m also very angry about the state of the world right now, and those two feelings are what I’m trying to express with this book.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Jake Deal, the livestreamer, is maybe my favorite character I’ve ever written. He’s a very modern take on the hardbitten private detective who gets drawn into a case and discovers the good part of himself that he has buried. And he is very verbose and full of ideas, which means I get to let him be my mouthpiece and go on rants.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
This book has a lot of moving parts, with three main characters and a conspiracy of many villains at the center of it. And I wanted to make sure that the reader never got lost. Fortunately, I worked in television for a long time and have been well-trained in how to break a mystery, so I was able to lay out the information in a way that was fun and not confusing.
What’s next for you?
I’m writing a very different kind of novel – a sort of Bonnie and Clyde mystery novel set in the 90s called The Wildest Things. I wanted to take a break from Los Angeles for a book, and I wanted to write a love story. A violent, thrilling love story, but a love story nonetheless.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
My partner Megan Mostyn-Brown is publishing her first novel later this year. It’s called The Need, and it is about people who have a genetic disorder that requires them to eat human flesh to stay alive. It’s great, and I’m really proud of her. So that’s my book of the year.
