Mrs. Publicist: Middle of the month and time for What’s In A Name, where we ask Peter Abrahams aka Spencer Quinn about a character name in one of his novels, sometimes from the Chet and Bernie mystery series, sometimes not. Pete, you’ve mentioned you can’t write the character until you have the name. True?
Pete: Yes, although sometimes I fumble around a bit for a day or two when the character first appears.
Mrs. P: What can you tell us about Mrs. Plansky’s 98-year-old dad?
Pete: Well, he comes – descending quite far in his case – from that tweedy, lofty class you find only in the Northeast and now on its way to extinction. When it comes to naming they have odd little habits, such as using surnames as prenames. McGeorge Bundy is a fine example. Mrs. P’s dad’s name came to me like a single measure of music, or a drum roll: Chandler Wills Banning.
Mrs. P: Three surnames in a row.
Pete: Correct.
Mrs. P: Thanks, Pete. See you next month for more of What’s In A Name. And readers – you can find Chandler Wills Banning in Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge, available in all formats, and Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue, coming July 15 but preorderable. Today, for example.