In Bark Twice for Murder, grieving teen Harry discovers his friend and mentor Stanley has been murdered, and he finds himself solving the crime with Stanley’s talking dog Waffles. Read on to hear from author John Lekich about his writing process and his love of brunch.
What inspired you to write Bark Twice for Murder?
I think everybody who has ever had a pet has wondered, What are they actually thinking? What would they tell me if they could talk or articulate their secret thoughts? I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that pets know a lot more than they’re able to convey. It’s a thought I’ve had ever since seeing those great cartoons of dogs by James Thurber. They always look like they want to say something.
As a kid, I grew up watching a lot of old black-and-white movies on TV. The Thin Man series with William Powell and Myna Loy as detectives Nick and Nora Charles has always been a favorite of mine. Nick and Nora had a little dog named Asta. The dog was very clever and often a part of the action. I always wondered what Asta would say if he could talk. It was almost as if he were smart enough to help solve a murder, if he only had a voice.
I began to think about taking this idea a step further. What if an actual private detective was murdered and then reincarnated as a dog? What if that dog could talk and still had all the training of his former life as a detective? It sounded like a lot of fun to explore in the context of a murder mystery.
The voices of your characters are all so unique and funny! How did you go about creating the characters and their voices?
With Waffles the dog, I wanted to create a humorous contrast between his former life as a private detective—a tough, arrogant investigator named Jake—and his current reincarnation as a little dog who nobody takes all that seriously. Waffles still talks gruffly like Jake and thinks like him. But everyone who doesn’t know his secret insists on treating him like an ordinary mutt. I think that kind of built-in conflict naturally leads to distinct voices and characters.
It’s the same with Harry. He loves to cook. But, because of the loss of his parents, escaping into cooking threatens to become a way of avoiding life. Rudy’s mafia dad wants him to join the family business. But Rudy’s not cut out for it. He’d rather be a baker. So, I always start with some sort of internal conflict. It’s really the basis for all humor and character development.
I should add that I learned a lot about creating unique character voices by reading my favorite writers. All writers start off as readers first. And I think we all naturally absorb the voices of our favorite writers as we develop our own unique voice—kind of like a literary diving board that allows us to jump into the waters of our own voice.
When I was working on Bark Twice for Murder, I kept thinking about the wonderfully funny children’s writer Beverly Cleary, who I loved reading as a kid. She’s been a big influence on all my books for younger readers. I’m also a big fan of the late Donald E. Westlake, who wrote so many hilarious crime novels. It was Westlake who taught me that crime and humor can actually be a great mix. There’s some of Damon Runyon’s influence in the novel as well. In a way, the book is kind of a tip of the hat to all of them. I don’t think I’d be writing fiction if it wasn’t for their inspiration.
What was your favorite part about writing the book? Do you have a favorite chapter or section?
I like to make readers laugh. And I know things are going well when I can make myself laugh while I’m writing. That happened often with this one. But there are a lot of moments in the book that deal with emotional loss. Some of those more poignant moments took me by surprise while I was writing. And I was very grateful for them.
Here’s an example: There’s a moment in the book when Harry—who is feeding the houseless—makes one of his customers a clubhouse sandwich. And the sandwich is so good that it makes the houseless man cry. The taste of the sandwich can’t help but remind the man of a happier time. That’s when Harry begins to fully realize the power of food—a power that’s going to help him face his own personal grief while helping others.
What do you have to pay extra attention to when writing a mystery? Do you have strategies to for keeping track of all the plot threads?
Bark Twice for Murder is my second murder mystery for Orca. I had so much fun writing the first one—Murder at the Hotel Hopeless—that I really wanted to do another one. I learned a great deal about plotting a mystery the first time around. Plot-wise you have to work backwards to a certain extent. You have to have some idea of who the murderer is going to be. And work from there.
Both of my crime novels started with a comprehensive chapter outline. I knew precisely where I was going, especially in terms of planting clues. Even so, I would keep a notebook handy at all times to jot down new lines and additional ideas that would pop into my head seemingly out of nowhere; once the characters come alive on the page, that happens quite a bit. There’s always something funny or surprising that can strike unexpectedly during the actual writing process. So, you have to know where you’re going. But you also have to remain open to those spontaneous inspirations that help energize the story.
Your book is so much fun, but it also deals with serious topics like grief and houselessness. Why was it important for you to include those harder-hitting themes?
I didn’t want the novel to read too much like some sort of literary cartoon. The reader is asked to willingly accept the premise that a dog can talk. And there are more than a few moments that are pure slapstick. So, on another level, I wanted the plot to be firmly anchored in the reality of life. To bring the reader back to the real world and make them feel grounded enough to accept the more eccentric parts of the story.
I felt it was crucial to include moments when the laughter and suspense pause for just a line or two to acknowledge the meaning of true friendship, the isolation of genuine loneliness and grief or the power that comes from the simple act of being kind to someone in need. I’m very proud that those emotional moments are there. They’re just as important as the elements of suspense or humor. We all face difficulties in life no matter how young or old we are.
Jimmy the Fork can’t resist a good meal. Is there a meal that you would have a tough time turning down?
A full-on brunch, with all the trimmings, is my favorite guilty pleasure. In fact, I love waffles for breakfast. It’s one of the reasons I chose to name the dog Waffles. There was only one problem: Every time I typed the name Waffles, I couldn’t help but feel a little hungry.
Waffles has trouble embracing being a dog. What kind of animal do you think you’d be reincarnated as, and what would you miss about being human?
I would definitely be reincarnated as a dog, if I had a choice. Part of the fun of writing the novel was trying to figure out what Waffles would miss from his past life as Jake. So, I just put myself in his place. Like Waffles, I’d really miss my morning coffee. And I think I’d find eating directly from a dog dish just as undignified as he does. I’d definitely miss eating with a knife and fork.
John Lekich is an award-winning journalist, essayist, film critic and author. He has written several critically acclaimed novels for young adult readers, including The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls, Murder at the Hotel Hopeless and The Losers’ Club, which drew on John’s personal experience with cerebral palsy and was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award. His YA fiction has been recognized by organizations including The Young Adult Library Services Association and The Canadian Library Association. John lives in Vancouver.