Mark Stevens
Author Interview - Mark Stevens
Author of Two Truths And A Lie
In a taut, haunting follow-up to No Lie Lasts Forever, reporter Flynn Martin gets ensnared in a copycat killer’s game where winning means solving a crime―and losing could cost her everything.
Lambasted for a tragedy caught live on camera, then lauded for her help capturing the elusive PDQ, a serial killer, Flynn Martin’s career has reached new heights. But now, the TV journalist and mother has much further to fall. And someone wants to push her over the edge.
PDQ is behind bars, for life and then some, but someone on the outside has picked up the killer’s mantle. Flynn is neck-deep in an investigation when the copycat emerges, targeting her sources and delivering cryptic messages. It’s clear that Flynn’s stories are getting deadlier. This one proves no exception.
A family of four has gone missing, leaving behind ties to New Hope Church more tangled than they appear. The dangerous web rivals the threat in Flynn’s personal life. And it’s up to her to unravel each knot.
Scandal. Conspiracy. Murder. Flynn hardly knows where to begin―and if her stalker has their way, she might not live to see the end.
Author Interview - Mark Stevens
Author I draw inspiration from:
Patricia Highsmith. A very high standard, in my humble opinion, because of how well she makes the reader feel her characters. Head to toe. Inside/outside. "The Talented Mr. Ripley." "Suspension of Mercy." "The Blunderer." "This Sweet Sickness." "Those Who Walk Away."
Author Interview - Mark Stevens | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On a train or airplane.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Lew Griffin - maybe from "Black Hornet" period. Written by James Sallis. The elevator better stay stuck for days because it's going to take that long to discuss what it means to be a human being and talk about all the books Lew has read and all the musicians he loves.
Author Interview - Mark Stevens | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
No specific moment, but maybe early on when a few friends read a draft of an early novel and they seemed entertained. Somewhat entertained, at least.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Print books (hard or paper) and audio. I don't read ebooks. At least, to date.
The last book I read:
"Murder the Truth" by David Enrich. Non-fiction, but I learned so much about libel law and how the rich & powerful would like to make it easier to sue newspapers and electronic media. Great book.
Author Interview - Mark Stevens | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Laptop. Was once pen & paper, for a long time. By that I mean, for decades. Then came tighter deadlines and the need to pick up the pace. Still, 500 words is a good day for me. I write every morning before the sun comes up.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I'll go back to Lew Griffin. Never in a rush. Always wary. Loves a good bar with music. Loves the blues. Yes, he's a detective. Of sorts. He's more interested in pondering life and what it all means.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Bass player in a touring rock band.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I got nothing here. Total blank. I do watch Project Runway but I got nothing here.
Place I’d most like to travel:
New Zealand. It just looks raw, rugged, and beautiful.
My signature drink:
Tequila, splash of grapefruit juice, squeeze of lime, few drops of triple sec.
Favorite artist:
So many. Right now deeply re-appreciating everything Velvet Underground & Lou Reed.
Number one on my bucket list:
I don't keep a bucket list. I really don't.
Find more from the author:
Twitter/X: @writerstevens
Facebook: www.facebook.com/writermarkstevens/
Instagram: @mark54stevens
Tik Tok: @mark54stevens
About Mark Stevens:
Mark Stevens
Mark Stevens is the author of The Flynn Martin Thriller series including No Lie Lasts Forever (June 2025) and Two Truths and A Lie (April 2026), both from Thomas & Mercer; The Fireballer (Lake Union, 2023), and The Allison Coil Mystery Series including Antler Dust, Buried by the Roan, Trapline, Lake of Fire, and The Melancholy Howl.
Buried by the Roan, Trapline, and Lake of Fire were all finalists for the Colorado Book Award. Trapline won.
Stevens has published short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and Denver Noir (Akashic Books, 2022). Denver Noir went on to win the Colorado Book Award for Best Anthology in 2023.
