Interview with Hardy Durkin, star of Black Forest Reckoning by Bluette Matthey

Bluette Matthey is a third generation Swiss American and an avid lover of European cultures. She has decades of travel and writing experience. She is a keen reader of mysteries, especially those that immerse the reader in the history, inhabitants, culture, and cuisine of new places. Her passion for travel, except airports (where she keeps a mystery with her to pass the time), is shared by her husband, who owned a tour outfitter business in Europe. Bluette particularly loves to explore regions that are not on the “15 days in Europe” itineraries. She also enjoys little-known discoveries, such as the London Walks, in well-known areas. She firmly believes that walking and hiking bring her closer to the real life of any locale. Bluette maintains a list of hikes and pilgrimages throughout Europe for future exploration. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, faithful dog, and band of loving cats. 

You can visit Bluette’s website at www.bluettematthey.com 

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Thank you so for this interview, Hardy Durkin.  Now that the book has been written, do you feel you were fairly portrayed or would you like to set anything straight with your readers?

I think Bluette Matthey has been spot on with how she writes me in her travel mysteries.  I’m every bit as good-looking as she says, and clever, too.

What do you believe is your strongest trait?

I’m not a flashy kinda guy, but strong, steady, and get the job done.  I have a nose for intrigue, but don’t go out of my way for trouble.

Worst trait?

Do I have one?  No, seriously … well, I can tend to get a little full of myself.  For whatever reason, cats don’t like me, though I really like them.

Do you have a love interest in the book?

Obliquely.  I get a phone call from Honey, a love interest from time spent in Abruzzo, Italy in my second Hardy Durkin travel Mystery, Abruzzo Intrigue.  Honey was working at the B&B where I stayed with my tour group and we hit it off and have been seeing one another back in the States.  I’ve been tasked with buying her an authentic Black Forest cuckoo clock while on my trek in the area.

At what point of the book did you start getting nervous about the way it was going to turn out?

I had a bit of a hiccup when I was knocked out in the dungeon of Schloss Haeflin and awoke to being manacled to a kneewall in the castle, along with a missing co-ed.  I prayed to God my flashlight batteries would last.

If you could trade places with one of the other characters in the book, which character would you really not want to be and why?

Would not want to be Heinrich the gardner … a really nasty psychopath with vile proclivities.  It doesn’t end well for Heinrich.

How do you feel about the ending of the book without giving too much away?

I walked away thinking, “Yeah, I can live with that.”

What words of wisdom would you give your author if she decided to write another book with you in it?

I’m not James Bond and am not in favor of gratuitous sex, but I definitely a healthy, American guy.

Thank you for this interview.  Will we be seeing more of you in the future?

Oh, yes.  Bluette is writing her way through the alphabet with the book titles.  So far, she has completed ‘A’, Abruzzo Intrigue, ‘B’, Black Forest Reckoning, ‘C’, Corsican Justice, and she has just finished ‘D’, Dalmatian Traffick.  I think she’s begun research for her ‘E’ book, which will be set in the Engadine Valley, Switzerland as she continues to follow me on my various treks and adventures.

Title: Black Forest Reckoning
Author: Bluette Matthey
Publisher: Blue Shutter Publishing
Pages: 299
Genre: Travel Mystery

Outfitter Hardy Durkin and company are visiting the Black Forest area of Germany, staying in the guest wing of a local castle, Schloss Haeflin. In the midst of hiking the Black Forest, enjoying all things Swabian, and spending a day in Baden-Baden, the hikers find themselves at ground zero for coeds disappearing from the nearby University of Freiburg and foul play is suspected. Unresolved personal issues of several members of the group threaten the tour’s cohesion, and Hardy discovers the Baron, who owns the schloss, has stolen someone’s identity as well as his fortune. Ever the sleuth, Hardy untangles the web of deceit, madness, and murder in ‘The Black Forest Reckoning’.