For nearly five decades, David Secular has worked in the US legal system, all of which has fed into the inspiration behind his debut crime novel, A Hate Crime in Brooklyn. Readers are already full of praise, not just for its authenticity and insights into how America’s courts operate, but because of the story and emotion at the heart of this novel.
The story begins with a collision between two people, which is innocent enough. But when Albanian immigrant Sofia Hushemi finds that her precious ring is missing, it’s assumed that Sylvester Stanley, who is a black man, took it. And when the Albanian mafia attack Sylvester, Sofia ends up facing a murder charge. The crime splits and ensuing criminal case split the city, in a story that begins with explorations of how people make presumptions based on race and ethnicity, but goes far deeper than that.
David is still a practicing criminal defence attorney in Brooklyn, at the coalface representing clients in state courts and some of the people he’s met inspired his first legal thriller. We decided to ask him more about how he developed the story, his characters, courtroom drama and combatting racism in America.
Why did you want to write a crime novel and how did A Hate Crime in Brooklyn come to be?
I always wondered about writing a creative novel as many colleagues always complimented me on my legal writing. Of course, as a criminal defense attorney, the stories created in my mind, were almost all crimes stories. Yet, whenever I tried, a page or two later, I gave up. I returned to Brooklyn in 2011 and although I had friends and had met and represented people from all walks of life, I had never encountered anyone from Albania. After meeting my friend and her family and learning of her sheltered and difficult life, a spark went off about having her encounter an African American victim of our criminal justice system. Two people from such starkly different and diverse backgrounds that they would only meet and clash in the borough of Brooklyn. Once this spark of an idea hit, it would not let go as I spent the better part of a decade learning what it really takes to create a fictional story of substance. I hired an author as a mentor, took courses, attended seminars and devoted myself to the task of reinventing myself as a writer.
What are crime fiction lovers going to love about A Hate Crime in Brooklyn?
A Hate Crime in Brooklyn is a product of careful, meticulous research which is an essential ingredient to writing quality fiction. My protagonists are based on real-life people with whom I have close relationships, one a friend and the other a former client. My former client and friend is the inspiration for the male protagonist. He did indeed receive clemency from President Obama, in his last month in office and was released instead of having to serve a Draconian life sentence pursuant to the infamous drug sentences statutorily created in the 1990s. The fictional legal events which occurred in the novel played out in a manner which was consistent with the law, police and prosecution procedures and the rules of the courtroom.
Who is Sofia Hushemi, your other protagonist? What inspired her creation and how have you developed her character?
Sofia, the female protagonist in the novel, was inspired by a friend from an Albanian family I met after returning to Brooklyn in 2011. I learned about Albanian customs and traditions from my friend and her family but then embarked on research going back centuries to learn about the Kanun, which is the historical foundation and moral code which still exists today for many Albanian families.
Who or what is she up against in this novel?
Sofia is trapped in the duties and commands of the Kanun, which deems women as no more than sacks who are vessels to procreate for their husbands. Disobedience under the Kanun is to be met with a bullet to take her life if she ever disobeys. The fictional creation in the novel is her brother in law, Victor, who is the head of the Albanian American Mafia and a strict believer in the Kanun. Victor, the villain of the story, arranges Sofia’s marriage to Edward, who is a victim himself of serving in Iraq during Deseret Storm and suffers from PTSD. Victor arranges the marriage of 15-yearold Sofia who will be sent to America from Albania to marry Edward, have his children, care for him and to be forever loyal. The bullet is waiting if she ever strays.
Race is polarising America more now than at any time in the last 50 years or so, it seems. What made you decide to focus on this enormous theme?
My career is devoted to combatting prejudice and racism in America as mass incarceration of people of colour plagues our society and infects our criminal justice system. In the last decade, I have also seen first-hand more than ever the disparate treatment of people who are non-citizens who have sought refuge in America only to instead face oppression.
Courtroom drama is something you know well from your legal career. What aspects of it have you tried to highlight and what atmosphere did you want your courtroom scenes to convey?
The very best of crime and courtroom dramas I have read over the years still are too contrived and stray from the real world. I wanted A Hate Crime in Brooklyn to stand out as a realistic portrayal of our criminal justice system. Having tried cases in both the state and federal courts, I sought to bring readers into what transpires in a real federal trial. The tension, drama and twists and turns are all firmly rooted in my decades of trying the most serious cases. Readers are in for a real life rollercoaster!
There’s hate and anger, but what about the softer side of the novel?
Yes, I strove to create a story which will cause people to realise and recognise that prejudice is not confined to a minority of evil people full of hate. We all need to look deeply inside ourselves and realise that we carry prejudices and stereotypes inside us instilled by society. Only by doing so, can we transcend those prejudices and reap the benefits of living in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, world with others from all walks of life. This is the lesson Sofia and Sylvester teach readers in my novel.
What’s the feedback from readers been like so far?
The feedback has even exceeded my expectations. Readers have loved the novel. Once they are convinced to give a try to a debut novelist, they have not been disappointed.
Which authors and books have inspired you in the crime genre, and what are you reading at the moment?
I was greatly inspired by Richard Wright, John Irving and Tom Wolfe.
Richard Wright, with little education, was a legendary writer whose words exploded off the page. I still believe the first one hundred words of Native Son are the most gripping and heart stopping novel of its and any time.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving brought tears to my eyes. I also subscribe to Irving’s belief in the paramount importance of the first sentence and last sentence of a novel. Irving’s techniques inspired Hate Crime. I think I will leave it to the reader to discover what I mean.
Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe was a major inspiration for my story. His satirical take on the urban landscape of the 1980’s and the criminal justice system were major influences on the way I wrote Hate Crime.
I am currently a fan of SA Cosby, Tana French and of course have enjoyed Stephen King’s crime fiction and Don Winslow. I am currently reading Hunted by Abir Mukherjee.
What’s next for David Secular?
My readers seem to yearn for a sequel, which I am open to and have been taking some time developing. I slowly craft my novels, however, rather than churn them out on an assembly line. I must confess that the larger the audience providing feedback and revealing a desire for the sequel the greater the inspiration will be!
A Hate Crime in Brooklyn is out now. Use the buttons below to order a copy.
