Contemporary Thrillers THE SALVATION OF HENRY MAXWELL with Lee Lindauer

Now eighty-five-years old, former mega-horror film star Henry Maxwell is suffering from severe depression and thoughts of suicide. Unforeseen obstacles add to his mental torture while he contemplates the mysterious death of his beloved wife, Lillian, some forty-plus years earlier. Shadowed by attorney Jessica Barrow serving as court appointed conservator and Professor David Grovene, an expert on celluloid films from the B-movie era, Henry now believes Lillian is calling for him from the grave. Obsessed with her ghostly presence, he must replay the unfinished final scene from his last movie that was never released, believing it holds the key that will unite him and Lillian together in eternal bliss.

Lee Lindauer recently sat down with The Big Thrill to discuss his latest contemporary thriller, THE SALVATION OF HENRY MAXWELL.

Lee Lindauer

Can you pinpoint a moment or incident that sparked the idea for this book?

I was a fan of those movies in the sixties. One day, Vincent Price popped into my head and without much consternation and drudgery, a plot was born bringing scenes from those movies into a contemporary world.

A novel is such a major undertaking; there’s the writing of it, of course, then you’re spending months and months revising, polishing, and then promoting it. How did you know this was the book you wanted to spend the next couple of years on?

I felt taking a different path away from the first two novels would be a change of pace and provide me with a little bit more enthusiasm. For now, I am very happy with the end product and hope to continue along this path that Henry Maxwell has allowed me to take.

Were there any particular books, movies, or songs that were knocking around in your head while you were writing this one?

Edgar Allan Poe short stories and poems and of course, Vincent Price movies.

When you first created your protagonist for this book, did you see an empty space in crime lit that you wanted to fill? What can you share about the inspiration for that character?

Vincent Price was the impetus. Like Vincent, Henry was evil on the screen, but in true life, a pussycat.

In addition to a great read, what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

Love for Henry Maxwell. His character arc travels a crooked path migrating from a curmudgeon and nasty character to one who rediscovers love and empathy.

What can you share about what you’re working on next?

I am working (albeit, slowly) on a novel about a disgraced resident magician in Las Vegas who falls from grace and takes a path out of despair to find his new world is one where there is a fine line between stage magic (misdirection), real magic, or supernatural driven (is religion a believe is something that is not seen?). And of course, through this journey love and fine-tuned plot twists keep the thriller aspect alive.