Crucifying Angel, Book One of the Future Imperfect Series by P.I. Barrington

Fans of sci-fi detective thrillers, this one's for you. Madame Perry's Salon is delighted to introduce you to author P.I. Barrington, here to discuss her book Crucifying Angel.

Perry: How did you choose the location and year for the setting of the Future Imperfect series?

Barrington: I wanted someplace that easily lent itself to dystopia and Las Vegas pretty much filled the bill. Under all that façade of glitz and glamour Vegas.

Perry: That sounds right on target. The themes that propel the plot – cults, crucifixes, interpretations of the Holy Bible – though not new will remain in literature because they are ripe with danger, hope, fear, love, lust, power, and just about every other human emotion, strength or frailty. Did you feel it could also be treacherous terrain to plant the crux of the story’s conflict there?

Barrington: Actually, it wasn't that deep an interpretation. I did want to explore guilt in all its myriad facets, especially with Gavin and Payce and their huge baggage but with the killer, Ralphie Teon , I just wanted to give him a crusade; some motive in his mind that evolved out of a twisted childhood that he could use to justify his killings and that could be manipulated by someone real outside  Ralphie's mind, using that crusade to eliminate people.

Perry: Sorry, P.I., but I had to hit the blackout button over the killer’s name for the folks who haven’t read or haven’t completed Crucifying Angel. I sense a bit of the author in Sgt. Payce Halligan. If that is true, or not, please tell me what handsome Brit you see in the role of Detective Gavin McAllister?

Barrington: In fact Payce is not really like me at all. She's little and cute and sweet, not snarky like me. She might come up with a smartass remark but that's rare for her whereas I can't stop doing it, lol! She takes her job as a cop seriously, it defines her.

As for Gavin, I've been looking for him since day one! I know in my mind what he looks like but it's been almost a year since Crucifying Angel came out and I still haven't found any man that looks like him to me—and I've looked at a lot of gorgeous men Brit or otherwise! All I can tell you about Gavin in terms of physicality is that he speaks a lot like John Nettles—doesn't look like him—but speaks like him.

Perry: Ooh, love John Nettles. Actors? Check out Patrick Ryecart or Martin Kemp. Yes, Martin, wait. where was I? Because this is set in the near future, what type of research did you do to project the conditions of the earth and its atmosphere? And of course, you created several items of forensic methods and tools, as well as police equipment. Did you consult with experts in those fields, or was the work all yours?

P. I. Barrington

Barrington: I did some research at the beginning of CA. I researched the pollution sources from the mines and looked up some of the effects of that pollution on local wildlife, things like that. The terrible thing is that when I set up The New Creation compound and this is honest to God true: I thought Area 51 was in New Mexico and after I'd written the book I realized I'd set the location very near to where Area 51 sits!

About the tools and weapons, you know it's amazing but last week someone who'd read the book emailed and attached a news article about spray-on clothes that have just been unveiled by scientists, no kidding. And one aspect the article mentioned is that part of the reason for the spray-on clothing is for germicidal protection which is why I came up with the spray-on surgical gloves. I wanted something that could be safe and easily disposed of for use in the later books. Again, I swear I never heard of spray-on clothes before I came up with the gloves, lol! What I try to do is look at what technology we have and try to think of ways I'd like to deal with situations that are unique and new but also a logical progression of technology.

I've said before, I'm no scientist but I like to give verisimilitude to my technology. For the police related procedures I did have LAPD and other police departments' contacts but in the end I realized that I was creating this dystopia and so I could dispense with normal police procedures. Gavin being hired so quickly is the example of that. Las Vegas, 2032, is just too financially pressed to bother with background checks or go through the hoops. LVPD needs bodies not regulations and because things are rapidly deteriorating, they shove any legality aside.

Perry: You leave us with a bit of a cliff-hanger for the next book of the series – Miraculous Deception. How many titles do you have slated for the Future Imperfect series?

Barrington: As we speak I have literally delivered the complete manuscript for Book Three: Final Deceit to my editor. Book Three will be the final book in the Future Imperfect series.

Perry: As John Nettles might say in his Barnaby character, “Well done, you!” So glad to have you visit us here. And here I'll tell people they can follow your work, read excerpts and order from The Word Mistresses.