The annual policy conference sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce will be held next week on Mackinac Island. The conference provides the fictional setting for a new murder mystery written by a Michigan-based novelist.
WKAR’s Scott Pohl takes us Inside The Arts with a conversation with Ed McKenna, author of "The Grand Secret."
Interview Highlights
On why he set the story at Mackinac Island
I thought, what is the most probably iconic place here in Michigan or even throughout the Midwest? And I think that's the Grand Hotel. And personally, it holds a lot of meaning to me and my family. I met my wife up on Mackinac Island. Jane Seymour's character in "Somewhere in Time," her last name is McKenna. The Grand Hotel's birth date of July 10 happens to be the same date as my youngest daughter, Jillian, and I've actually served as a tour guide up on Mackinac Island.
On the novel's plot
Vince Walker, who's this preeminent automotive consultant, happens to go up into the Cupola Bar at the top of the Grand Hotel, and he's there by himself, and he witnesses what he finds out later is the CFO, the Chief Financial Officer of Stellantis, being murdered, pummeled by these two sinewy figures, and he eventually becomes framed for that murder.
On choosing to make Roger Penske the fictional governor in his book
He's pulled together the auto racing in downtown Detroit and on Belle Isle. He was instrumental in leading the collaborative effort for putting on the Super Bowl and hosting that here in Detroit. From a race car driver to a team owner, successful, a winning person in every aptitude that he's pursued. This is the type of leader I think that Michigan could be very fortunate to have someone like him step into those shoes.
Interview Transcript
Scott Pohl: The annual policy conference sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce will be held next week on Mackinac Island. The conference provides the fictional setting for a new murder mystery written by a Michigan-based novelist.
This week, we go Inside The Arts with a conversation with author Ed McKenna.
Your book takes place at the annual Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel. Have you ever attended the conference?
Ed McKenna: I was actually up there last year doing a book signing down at the Island Bookstore that day, but I was actually at the Grand Hotel, kind of just sitting in and observing some of the going-ons up there, and it was really interesting with the famous people, you know, meandering around the hotel. So, yeah, a lot of excitement at that time.
Pohl: So, why choose this setting for the book?
McKenna: Number one, I wanted to write about murder for some reason. It's always something that interested me. They always say you should write about what you know, so I want to make it upmost upfront, I'd never murdered anybody, but I also wanted it to be, brand myself as a Michigan writer. And I thought, what is the most probably iconic place here in Michigan or even throughout the Midwest? And I think that's the Grand Hotel.
And personally, it holds a lot of meaning to me and my family. I met my wife up on Mackinac Island. Jane Seymour's character in "Somewhere in Time," her last name is McKenna. The Grand Hotel's birth date of July 10 happens to be the same date as my youngest daughter, Jillian, and I've actually served as a tour guide up on Mackinac Island. So, I thought, this is some place that most people in the state of Michigan could relate to, and so I kind of brought all that together.
Pohl: Can you tell me a little more about the story other than that it's about a murder that occurs at the policy conference?
McKenna: Vince Walker, who's this preeminent automotive consultant, happens to go up into the Cupola Bar at the top of the Grand Hotel, and he's there by himself, and he witnesses what he finds out later is the CFO, the Chief Financial Officer of Stellantis, being murdered, pummeled by these two sinewy figures, and he eventually becomes framed for that murder.
The bad guys are after him because they saw him witness them. And so, him and his wife need to get off the island, find out who did this, why and how to get his life back before either the police get him or the bad guys, and ends up, you know, uncovering some conspiracy things that are going on in a very big, bad way out there.
Pohl: We're talking with the author of "The Grand Secret" Ed McKenna. So, how does the murder impact the conference?
McKenna: Well, it puts a lot of upheaval. It almost freezes everything and everyone at the moment. People are shocked to hear this, especially in this quaint little remote resort island where nothing like that, you know, happens. And so, yeah, it puts people in a state of shock.
Pohl: One thing I'd note about this alternate universe you've created in the book is that the governor of Michigan at the conference is race car team owner Roger Penske.
McKenna: Yeah, everything this gentleman has touched upon has been a major success. You know, he's a visionary leader. He's pulled together the auto racing in downtown Detroit and on Belle Isle. He was instrumental in leading the collaborative effort for putting on the Super Bowl and hosting that here in Detroit.
From a race car driver to a team owner, successful, a winning person in every aptitude that he's pursued. This is the type of leader I think that Michigan could be very fortunate to have someone like him step into those shoes.
Pohl: Alright. I've got a final question for you, and that is for anyone listening to this interview who happens to be planning to go to the conference next week, would reading "The Grand Secret" be inspiring?
Would it maybe put a damper on things? Would it scare you about going? What would people think?
McKenna: I don't think anyone's going to have to think that they are personally in danger. It's not like there's a psychotic serial killer, but I think it's going to bring some awareness of this beautiful state that we have and parts of it that maybe they don't even know about.
And it's going to make them aware that these folks that are up there sitting down in these meetings, that if they put their heads together and set goals and hold themselves accountable, it gives us a great opportunity to better everyone in the state and really bring commerce and, you know, economic windfalls to the people that live here already.
Pohl: Ed McKenna is the author of "The Grand Secret." Ed, thanks for your time.
McKenna: Thank you so much, Scott. I can't thank you enough for the opportunity here.
Pohl: With Inside The Arts, I'm Scott Pohl.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
