Jo Perry

Jo Perry earned a Ph.D. in English, taught college literature and writing, produced and wrote episodic television, and has published articles, book reviews, and poetry. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, novelist Thomas Perry. They have two adult children. Their three cats and two dogs are rescues.

Perry is the author of the novels  Dead Is Better and Dead is Best.

From her Q & A with Sarah Hardy:

Hi Jo and many thanks for joining me on my blog today. The Charlie & Rose Investigate series, where did the idea come from?

Hi to you, Sarah. It’s a pleasure to be with you today.

As for the source of Charlie and Rose, I wish I knew what it was. When I began the first book, Dead Is Better, I heard Charlie’s voice in my head, had a strong feeling for Rose and an intuition of where the plot would go. I had been thinking about death, about cruelty, had found a dog who changed me, and then after a long period of subconscious percolating, I felt compelled to write and the novel took shape.

You start each chapter with a quote about death, where did you find all the quotes and how long did you spend choosing and finding them?

There are two reasons for the quotations that open each chapter: First, to enlarge the mediation on death beyond Charlie. Second, they give the reader a break from Charlie’s voice and his point of view. A first-person narrative can become claustrophobic and I don’t want that. As for finding them, often they find me or I do searches and save the ones I think are pertinent, clever, wise, sardonic, or provocative or are from writers I admire. If anyone has a favourite death quote...[read on]

Visit Jo Perry's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Jo Perry & Lola and Lucy.

My Book, The Movie: Dead is Better.

The Page 69 Test: Dead is Better.

My Book, The Movie: Dead is Best.

--Marshal Zeringue