Felicia Carparelli is a widely acclaimed Chicago based writer with pieces published in Nit and Wit, Rockford Review, Mediphors, Cybergrrl, Feminsta!, Red Booth Review, Chicago Sun Times, Library Journal, American Libraries and others.

We caught up with Felicia ahead of the publication of ‘Murder In The Library’ this month to find out more about her and the book.

What prompted you to base your thriller in a library?

My first real job was as a library page when I was 14 years old at the Evergreen Park Public Library.  I worked as a library assistant when I attended the University of Illinois.  I received my degree in library science when I was 22 and have been working in a variety of libraries my whole life, including the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Schools.  Libraries have a lot of light and shadows, nooks and crannies and can be very silent, foreboding and mysterious.  Library staff and patrons can also be very colorful.

Why the connection with Sherlock Holmes?

When I was a child, my mother, Christine, introduced me to great classics on film and in books, like Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Miss Marple, and anything by Poe with Vincent Price.  I love Holmes, I love his brilliance and his fits of boredom, the way he lives life on his own terms.   I wish I could have been him in another life.

Who are your favorite Sherlocks on film?

I think my absolute favorite is Jeremy Brett, but I love Basil Rathbone and am absolutely smitten with the new Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman Holmes and Watson. Sherlock in the 21st century- it works!

Your love of Chicago comes out in the book, how long have you lived there?

I was born and raised on the south side and ended up living on the north side now for many years.  Chicago is a great city and there is a wealth of unique places to write about.

Who or what was your inspiration for your characters Violetta and Mick?

I love sparring couples-  I suppose I was aiming for a combo of Scarlett and Rhett, Nick and Nora, Lord Peter and Harriet and Abbott and Costello.

Who will enjoy the book the most, the gals or the guys?

Of course, I have to say Murder in the Library has something for everybody!  Romance, dead bodies, dudes and dandies, the opera and nods to Zorba the Greek, Sherlock and Watson and southern belles.

How long have you been writing fiction?

I have been writing for almost 30 years. I have written young adult books, two plays, short fiction and a couple of romance novels.  Murder in the Library is my first mystery.

Any plans for future books?

This year I am going to start work on my second mystery, Murder at the Opera.
More Sherlockian plots and temperamental tenors.


Murder In The Library is available from all good bookstores (including Amazon), and in all electronic formats including Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and others.