Raemi A. Ray’s Tule debut, A Chain of Pearls, is set to publish on April 9—the origin story for the investigative journey lawyer Kyra Gibson is about to embark on at Martha’s Vineyard to clean up after the death of her estranged father.
So we sat down with Raemi to get her origin story, too. Which of these “facts” isn’t true?
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Her pen name is actually her pet’s name, too.
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She finds inspiration for her mysteries by pulling from news headlines and adding in a murder.
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She has a side gig reviewing book covers on social media.
Raemi set her series in Martha’s Vineyard because she started popping over to the island for summer holidays with friends while she was at university in Boston. Eventually, she started hanging out there for weekends and more throughout the year, too. It became her escape from city life. “It’s such a unique place, being quintessential New England but having its own identity so different from Nantucket and Cape Cod,” she says.
To experience her Martha’s Vineyard, take an umbrella and find a spot on South or State Beach in the summer to enjoy the ocean, or take a drive to Aquinnah or a boat ride around Chappy. If you’re there in August, she recommends the lantern festival and end-of-season fireworks. In the spring and fall, she often explores the trails near Felix Neck or shops and eats her way through OB and Edgartown.
At night? She could be scouring newspapers for interesting news. Or you could find her with her computer, reviewing book covers. A Chain of Pearls, of course, gets a 5-star rating. “Part of the book takes place in the real-life fishing village of Menemsha during a nor’easter. Nor’easters are these New England storms sort of like winter hurricanes with lashing rains and high winds,” she explains. “They often hit the islands. I think the cover embodies the feel of a deserted seaside town during such a storm. It’s foreboding and dark but not unrealistic.”
Home is where her heart is, as her idea of a perfect way to celebrate this debut would be to curl up with a glass of wine, a book, and her house demon, DolphLundgren—her reading buddy-slash-heating blanket. In this respect, she’s very much like her character, Detective Tarek Collins, who is quiet and reserved, more likely to observe the world around them.
“But I’m sure someone will drag me out to celebrate!” she adds. Perhaps that will include her childhood friends, the ones who nicknamed her Raemi Ray.
A Chain of Pearls was a 2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist. Pre-order your copy today!!
About the Author.
Raemi Amanda Ray is the author of A Chain of Pearls, her debut and the first book in a Martha’s Vineyard Murders series set on Martha’s Vineyard. Her travels to the island and around the world inspire her stories. She lives in Boston.
