Interview with DK Coutant, Author of Elegance and Evil

Author DK Coutant is joining me today for an interview. Her latest novel, Elegance and Evil, is an edgy cozy mystery. When a murder upends her sabbatical, Cleo must put on her sleuthing hat.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Title: Elegance and Evil

Author: DK Coutant

Genre: Edgy-Cozy mystery

BLURB:

Cleo left ocean-dipping weekends, as a psychology professor in Hawaii to sample life in the high desert of Santa Fe for her sabbatical. With her romantic relationship on the rocks in Hawaii, Cleo falls for Luc, a charming international expert in her field, and is tempted to make the change permanent. She enjoys the people, the work, and the sparkling conversations, even if they come with a bite.

But, when a wealthy backer of her project is killed, the snarky scientists, artists, and a Saudi ex-pat, that Cleo thought were her new friends find themselves at the top of a suspect list. And with a killer on the loose, Cleo finds her life, and her love, in danger.

INTERVIEW:

Welcome! It is my pleasure to feature your novel.

Do ideas for plot or characters appear first?

For my first book, Evil Alice and the Borzoi, it was the plot. I read about a case in the newspaper while traveling (not in Hawaii, thankfully, we had low crime there). But I plopped my mystery in Hawaii, where I was living. For my second book, Elegance and Evil, the characters came first. A couple of them came vividly to life, and I had to figure out how to plot around them.

Have you ever traveled when researching information for a book?

Definitely! I love to travel the world. So writing a book, set in one of my favorite places, gives me an excuse to return. Not to mention, exotic, unfamiliar places inspire me with story ideas. I recently visited a lovely village in Europe that had bakeries, wineries, hotels, restaurants, parks… everything you could ask for. Except… no church and no cemetery. I’m itching to write a cozy vampire story set there. What do you think?

What does literary success mean to you?

Wow, that’s an excellent question, thanks for asking. In reality, it’s a moving target. In the beginning, I just wanted to write, and complete, a book that I would enjoy reading. Yay! Done! Then I moved the goalposts and wanted to get it published. That took a couple of years, but I accomplished that in 2023. Now, my goals (and sense of success) are to complete and publish the third book in the trilogy. Honestly, I also hope to hit the 50 review mark for each of my books. That depends on other people, so I hope for that, but I won’t tie my sense of success to other people’s actions.

Which authors inspire you?

There are several for different reasons:

Julie Mulhern, her light-hearted, sometimes edgy-cozy mysteries, are just a lot of fun to read. I also like that her books often have a real-world issues at the heart of the capers, like spouse-abuse, elder-abuse, or human trafficking. That is a tough balance that I strive for, but I believe she reaches.

Other favorites for the sheer luscious, beauty of their writing include Amor Towles and Ann Patchett. Towles’ The Gentleman from Moscow is probably my all-time favorite book. I re-read it again every couple of years, to remind myself of what is possible to create on the page, when I feel like my writing is getting stale. And Patchett’s Bel Canto is another of my favorites. Now that I think about it, both of those books revolve around protagonists trapped in a building. Hmmm, I probably should explore that. LOL.

What project are you currently working on?

“Working” is a multi-meaning word for a writer. I’m crazy busy with the promotion of Elegance and Evil, the second Cleo Cooper mystery that will be released June 4. But I’m deep into writing the third book in the series. It will be set in a chateau in Europe with some familiar characters from previous books, as well as a couple of new ones. And yes, another dog will appear in Cleo’s life, much to her delight.

Upcoming books, events, appearances, giveaways:

To celebrate the release of my new book next week (June 4), I’m doing a giveaway! I’ll send a cloth tote with my book covers printed on it to one lucky participant. It’s a large, washable, cotton bag, suitable for groceries, books, or a day at the beach! To enter for a chance to win, check my posts on Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, or Twitter for instructions on June 4, 2025!

AUTHOR BIO:

DK Coutant graduated from Davidson College with a Psychology degree and initially applied her behavioral training to animals at Sea World, working with dolphins and whales. After a couple of years, she realized that scrubbing fish buckets might get old, and went back to Graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in Psychology, specializing in Cross-Cultural Issues. She began her academic career in Maine. A few years later, she made the jump to Hawaii and worked at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, rising to Department Chair of the Psychology Department. After many happy years in Hawaii, her love for travel led her to make the move out of academics. She accepted positions as a professional geopolitical forecaster with GJ Inc. and Rand Forecasting Initiative. She splits her time between Olympia, WA, Santa Fe, NM, and France, with her husband and an Old English Sheepdog named Beasley. Evil Alice and Borzoi was released by the Wild Rose Press in 2023. Elegance and Evil is the second in the Cleo Cooper Mysteries.