What's the status of the new series, and when will the first book be released?

Jeffrey Cohen: I'm pleased to say that the first of the Double Feature Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime is now on your local bookshelf. It centers on Elliot Freed, who owns a movie theatre in Midland Heights, NJ. In the first book, he's a little peeved when a man is murdered while watching a movie there. It's called Some Like It Hot-Buttered. I'm very excited about this new association with Berkley, and will keep you informed. I'm currently writing the second book in the series, which right now is called It Happened One Knife, and right after that will start the third, which doesn't have a title yet.

Will Aaron Tucker be back after As Dog Is My Witness?
JC: The official answer is: I don't know. Right now, I'm concentrating on the Double Feature series. I know there's interest in Aaron's return, and I have some ideas. I sincerely hope he will be back, and if I have anything to say about it, he will, but I don't know when. Sorry I can't be more specific.

Some Like It Hot-Buttered takes place in Midland Heights, NJ, the same fictional town that serves as the setting for the Aaron Tucker series. Does Aaron show up in the book?

JC: Well, maybe. It's hard to tell. He certainly doesn't play a large role at all, but fans of Police Chief Barry Dutton will be seeing more of him in the Double Feature series. The main character in these books is Elliot Freed, who owns and runs Comedy Tonight, the only all-comedy movie theatre in New Jersey (and possibly anywhere else). He has an ex-wife who pays him alimony, a father who helps him repair his delapidated theatre, and a staff of teenagers who treat him like the Rodney Dangerfield of employers.

How did you dream up Elliot?

JC: I began to wonder what Aaron's life might have been like if he hadn't met Abby and had children. It was always a dream of mine to own a little movie theatre and show only comedies, but of course I can't do it because it would be a financial disaster. But Elliot can.

What happens in Some Like It Hot-Buttered?

JC: The book begins (and you can read the first chapter here) with a dead body in Row S, seat 18. When it's determined that the unfortunate man sitting there had eaten some Comedy Tonight popcorn laced with poison, Elliot takes it personally, and decides to investigate. He runs into, let's say, some opposition.

How can we find out more about the book?

JC: Well, there's plenty of info here on this site, but you can also get some at the site for Berkley Prime Crime (as well as info on their other mystery series), and there's a really good interview that Linda Ellerbee did with me on Mystery Morgue. Or you can email me at: jeffATjeffcohenbooksDOTcom.

Are the characters in the Aaron Tucker novels based on people in your life?
JC: You have to really concentrate on the words "based on" in that question. For example, some people have suggested that Rachel Barlow in Minivan was based on a local political figure. She wasn't. I made her up from scratch. The family members have a certain basis in my family, but even saying that is an overstatement. My wife and children don't do the things Abby, Ethan and Leah do. I'm not Aaron Tucker—sometimes I wish I were.

Well, but in As Dog Is My Witness, there is a character whom you say is a real person, Lori Shery.
JC: That's right. So I have to amend my previous statement. In the new book, there is one real person. Lori Shery is the co-founder and president of ASPEN, Inc., a support group for parents whose children have Asperger Syndrome, as Ethan does in the Aaron Tucker books. Aaron, who usually has to be dragged kicking and screaming into an investigation, is asked by Lori to look into the shooting of a local man, because the young man accused of the crime has AS. It made the writing easier for me to have the character be Lori, and I didn't want to change the name after I'd finished. So I asked Lori if I could use her name, and because she is Lori and always does all she can, she agreed.

Why can't I find the Aaron Tucker books in my local bookstore?
JC: Because your local bookstore hasn't ordered them. If you ask, they will, and if they say they can't, get in touch with us at bruceb@bancroftpress.com and the situation will be resolved quickly. And the books are always available online, through the links on this site, through bancroftpress.com and through such online booksellers as buy.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Check the "buy the books" link on this page for more information.

What's the status of Aaron Tucker on TV or in movies?
JC: The truth is, we don't know. There was an option on the books taken by a production company for TV and film, but it has expired. There may be something in the works, but we're not allowed to say. So if you're a producer and want to make a movie or TV series (or series of educational filmstrips, or anything) based on the Aaron Tucker books, don't hesitate to call. Contact Bruce Bortz at Bancroft Press for more info.

How can I find out more about Asperger Syndrome?
JC: AS is a neurological disorder on the autism spectrum. In the Aaron Tucker books, Ethan Tucker has Asperger Syndrome, which manifests itself mostly in social skills deficiencies. Quite often, people with AS have difficulty making eye contact, understanding idioms ("I'm just pulling your leg") and body language, and reading tone of voice, among other difficulties. To find out more, you might want to see Jeffrey Cohen's non-fiction book The Asperger Parent: How to Raise a Child With Asperger Syndrome and Maintain Your Sense of Humor.

A second book, Guns A' Blazing: How Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum and Schools Can Work Together Without a Shot Being Fired is now available from AAPC, the same publisher as The Asperger Parent. It's about dealing with school systems when you have a child with "special needs" on the autism spectrum.

Or, check out these web sites for more information:
ASPEN, Inc.
O.A.S.I.S.
AAPC Publishing
Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the U.S.

Are your wife's legs as beautiful as Abby's?
JC: Even if I didn't think so, would I be stupid enough to say so in public?

© 2002-07 by Jeffrey Cohen.