The city of Los Angeles is currently preparing to host the 2028 Olympics.
So what does longtime L.A. resident Bob Brill do? He writes a noir mystery novel about hackers planning to steal billions from the Olympics.
Good town spirit, Bob…
I’m kidding, of course; everyone in L.A. is trying to figure out how to rob the Olympics. Breakfast burritos ain’t free.
As for Bob, you can learn more about his novel, :05-Seconds To Die (Kindle) in the following email interview.
Just don’t get any ideas.
To begin, what is :05-Seconds To Die about, and when and where does it take place?
Simply put, the story is about an attempt to hack the 2028 Olympic Games by a cartel of criminal gangs to the tune of $82 billion.
The story begins when an aging actress, who was the girlfriend of the mastermind of the plot, leaves him, and brings what she knows about the plot to P.I. Casey Order. The whole thing centers around a stolen flash drive and an international chase takes place.
$82 billion is a nice chunk of change…
If you think $82 Billion is a lot, think of it this way; who goes to the Olympics? Everyone and kings, defense ministers, presidents. Anyone with a nuclear code can be hacked. The sum of $82 billion in today’s world may be too little.
Where did you get the idea for :05-Seconds To Die, and how different is the finished story from what you originally conceived?
The idea just came to me one day. I live in Los Angeles, so the 2028 games are a topic heard often enough. It seemed like a good starting point, and criminal hacking is constantly on everyone’s mind no matter where you live. I had an ending in mind when I started, which I usually do, so it was basically the same minus the details. Plus, the fact the world is filled with criminal gangs and new ones are popping up all the time, it seemed like a natural fit.
So, is there a reason you set this in Hollywood, and with Ginger being a former movie star, as opposed to, say, in Manhattan or London, and with Ginger being a former stage actress? Or, for that matter, in Vegas, and with Ginger being a former showgirl?
I live in the heart of the film world. And I’ve lived here most of my life, so I usually, if I can, pick places I know when it comes to my books. It’s easier to get into the story if you know the lay of the land.
Now, :05-Seconds To Die is clearly a noir mystery novel. But how mysterious is it?
You know the story from the get-go. This is an international chase, not a mystery as a mystery is perceived. I wrote this with a movie in mind, so there are car chases and motorcycle chases. Sex scenes, all the stuff a Hollywood movie should have today. It’s a fun read, and one of those books you want to keep reading about what’s next for the characters, who are likable.
:05-Seconds To Die is not your first novel. Are there any authors, or specific stories, that had a big influence on :05-Seconds but not on anything else you’ve written?
I can’t say for sure. I have too many ideas floating around in my own head to concentrate on other authors. Screenwriters and producers, I love Sorkin and Ridley Scott. Authors, I have to admit I don’t read other authors too often. I guess at some point I look at it as, if I don’t read them, I can’t steal from them, and as an author, screenwriter, and producer myself, I try not to steal. I know the adage “good writers write, great writers steal,” but it seems so “not right” to me.
How about such non-literary influences as movies, TV shows, or games? Was :05-Seconds To Die influenced by any of those things? You mentioned screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Ridley Scott already.
Movies, yes, the rest no. I see this as a film, and for the first time I actually wrote a book with a film script in mind. I’m not sure I’d want to write the script but would have to consider it if asked.
You’ve said you wrote this novel with a movie in mind. Given that, who would you want them to cast as Casey and Ginger?
Casey might be Ben Affleck [The Town] or even Channing Tatum [The Hateful Eight]. I really would like to see a younger version of George Clooney [Ocean’s 11].
As for Ginger, I’d definitely see a younger version of Michelle Pfeiffer [The Fabulous Baker Boys]. As for today’s current actresses, there are so many to choose from, but someone like Pfeiffer. When you read the book, you will notice there are a lot of film references. That’s my style.
Finally, if someone enjoys :05-Seconds To Die, which of your other novels would you suggest they check out next?
The Tattoo Murder which is also a crime story and has many twists and turns and is much deeper than :05-Seconds, and not for the weak of heart. It’s a serious novel and crime, the underworld and punishment. And some surprises.
