A.J. Devlin's mystery series stars a former pro wrestler who is now a detective
A.J. Devlin is a Vancouver-raised crime and mystery novelist. He spent six years in Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from Chapman University and a Master of Fine Arts in screenwriting from The American Film Institute.
He has since moved back to British Columbia and now lives in Port Moody with his wife and two children. His debut novel, Cobra Clutch, was released in 2018. It is the first in the "Hammerhead" Jed Mystery series and it won the 2019 Arthur Ellis Award for best first novel.
Devlin spoke with The Next Chapter about writing Rolling Thunder, the second book in the series.
A mystery buff
"I've been a huge mystery buff for years, but when I was living in Los Angeles and I was going to school for screenwriting, my late professor turned me on to a terrific subgenre of mystery novels. It's what I've unofficially dubbed the 'hybrid athlete detective.'
"I've read books about boxer detectives, surfer detectives, hockey player detectives and sports agent detectives. But nobody had ever done a wrestler detective before.
I've read books about boxer detectives, surfer detectives, hockey player detectives and sports agent detectives. But nobody had ever done a wrestler detective before.
"Professional wrestling is unique, in the sense that it has over-the-top theatrics inside the ring. But outside of the ring, there's a lot of darkness. There's tragic stories of overdoses and people with troubles and addictions.
"It seemed like an interesting world to enter and to mine."
On the case
"Rolling Thunder is about a former pro wrestler, Hammerhead Jed Ounstead, who is contacted by an old acquaintance from the independent wrestling world who was known as Stormy Daze. She is now with a women's roller derby team and their coach has gone missing, just before playoffs.
"After filing a police report, the team decided to pool their money and hire a private investigator. Hammerhead Jed meets with them and is introduced to the world of women's roller derby — and takes the case."
A.J. Devlin's comments have been edited for length and clarity.
