KC STAR: In this new mystery, BLUE ICE, Palmer’s Thanksgiving is ruined by a huge fire in The Plaza shopping district. Why did you have The Plaza engulfed in fire?

Larry Rochelle’s Faux Interview with THE KANSAS CITY STAR, Thanksgiving 2005

KC STAR: So, your latest book has been published. What gave you the idea for BLUE ICE?
Larry Rochelle: The idea evolved after I had seen the restoration of THE RIO, an older theater in Overland Park. I had done a video there when “The Theater of Young America” did its plays over there. They were putting on “The Hobbit” and I filmed it, interviewing many of the actors. I knew the layout and was pleased when a group refurbished the theater, making it a great success.
KC STAR: But your mystery, BLUE ICE, is set on Main Street in Kansas City near The Grand Emporium?
Rochelle: Yes, partially. It’s a fictional place near the action of Westport and that famous blues venue. If you’ve followed my KC books, the Emporium is central to much of the action. My protagonist, Palmer Morel, is a blues fanatic as well as being a tennis pro at the fictional Warwick Racquet Club.
KC STAR: In this new mystery, Palmer’s Thanksgiving is ruined by a huge fire in The Plaza shopping district. Why did you have The Plaza engulfed in fire?
Rochelle: With so many people converging on The Plaza for the famous lighting ceremony, it was a natural for a disaster. And, of course, the Classic Cup is one of my favorite restaurants, so some opening scenes are set there as well. I added a huge ice storm to the mix because Kansas City gets one or two big ice storms each year. Fire and ice. A good combination, no?
KC STAR: You often describe your books in movie terms. You just said “scenes.” Do you visualize your books as movies?
Rochelle: In a way, yes. I like to change scenes, keep the pace moving, and have multiple plot lines. And I hope they all mesh at the climactic moment.
KC STAR: BLUE ICE brings back some KC history, especially the mob control of the River Quay area back in the 1970s. Do you feel the KC mob still has a foothold in Kansas City?
Rochelle: Of course. The mob never goes away. It will exist as long as it can do business. It’s secretive, but ask any regular citizen who works in the entertainment or restaurant business. They’ll tell you stories about the extent of mob influence here. You yourself can probably give me quite a bit of evidence too, can’t you? (Reporter nods his head) Of course. And the STAR should be more pro-active in telling its readers where the mob is, which businesses it owns, which politicians it influences. It should be a daily column in your paper. After all, if sex predators are hounded daily, so should the mob.
KC STAR: Are you saying mob photos should be circulated, their home addresses published in the paper and other media?
Rochelle: Of course. The mob controls so much locally. The citizens should be made to pay attention. After the River Quay bombing, the FBI commented that the mob easily influences Kansas City. It’s like they’re an invisible force. I think THE STAR should shed a lot of light on them.