Interview with William Bernhardt, Author of Final Verdict

by grant

in Author Interviews, Mystery, News, Thriller

19 Jan 2021

What can you tell us about your new release, Final Verdict?

Final Verdict is the sixth and final installment in the Daniel Pike legal thriller series. Pike finally confronts his arch-nemesis, Conrad Sweeney—but not in the way you might expect. Pike takes on the toughest case of his career, while also trying to learn his family’s secrets and why his father died in prison. Meanwhile, Pike and the Central American cartel he has battled throughout this series also have a final showdown.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

I’ve been reading Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. I read it as a kid and loved it, but it has since been republished with an additional 60,000 words that were cut out by request of the original publisher. Now it’s a much longer, richer, all-encompassing experience. After that, I’m going to read The Prime Minister, the final volume in an Anthony Trolloppe series. Trollope is one of my favorites writers—and where I got the idea for writing a six-novel series. Back in the Victorian era, Trollope did it twice!

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Stay the course. Don’t be impatient. If you keep your eyes on your dream and keep working, you will get there.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

I’d play more tabletop games. I love board games, but after work, piano (I’m also a musician), reading, etc., I don’t always have time. A favorite activity for me and my children is sitting around a table challenging ourselves with a good game. It’s a great way to spend time together, face-to-face, having fun.

What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?

I love my children. I love my cat, sisters, parents. Family time is the best. The older I get, the more I appreciate the importance of family.

What scene in Final Verdict was your favorite to write?

Chapter 21! Because that chapter has a guest appearance by Kenzi Rivera, who will be the central character in my next series. It was a blast doing this “crossover event” and allowing the two protagonists to meet. They are very different so, of course, they don’t get along so well. Kenzi’s first novel, Splitsville, comes out in May.