Suzanne Kingsmill's "Forever Dead"

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Suzanne Kingsmill is the author of Forever Dead, a fast paced murder mystery featuring zoology professor Cordi O'Callaghan who discovers a bear ravaged body in the wilderness and has her life turned upside down because of it.

Here she shares her idea of a dream cast, director, and producer for a film adaptation of the novel:

I had no actors in mind when I wrote my murder mystery Forever Dead. However, while watching TV my characters have sometimes jumped out at me after their creation. I saw Cordi O'Callaghan, my lead character and a university zoology professor, in Julia Roberts as she grappled with The Pelican Brief. Cordi is continually faced with obstacles and life threatening situations and handles them as Julia Roberts's character does - with smarts.

Martha Bathgate, Cordi's overweight and humourous lab technician and best friend leapt out at me as Lesley Boone from the TV show Ed where she played the fun loving, goofy best friend to one of the lead characters - just as Martha does with Cordi.

Duncan McPherson, a pathologist and Cordi's mentor, was more difficult as he has a trademark enormous nose, but when I discounted that from the equation Anthony Hopkins came to mind for his role in The World's Fastest Indian. Smart and likable and highly focussed. But Duncan lacks the naivete of Anthony Hopkins's character.

Patrick White, Cordi's love interest, matches Nick (George Eads) in CSI as a strong, sensitive good looking scientist. Jerry Bruckheimer could produce it if he wanted and Norman Jewison (Thomas Crown Affair) could direct it.

Listen to the Prologue from Forever Dead and learn more about the book at Suzanne Kingsmill's website.

The Page 69 Test: Forever Dead.

--Marshal Zeringue