A new mystery novel by Liza Tully pairs a green assistant with a seasoned detective

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: A New Mystery Novel by Liza Tully Pairs a Green Assistant with a Seasoned Detective

Release Date: August 11, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Asia Roscoe delves into Liza Tully's latest mystery novel, The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant. The book presents a fresh take on the classic detective duo dynamic by pairing a seasoned, no-nonsense detective with a green, eager assistant. Through an engaging interview, Tully explores the intricacies of her characters, the writing process, and the deeper themes that underpin her work.

Book Overview

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant introduces readers to Olivia Blunt, a 25-year-old fact checker with a passion for detective fiction, who lands a job as an assistant to the renowned private investigator, Aubrey Merritt. The narrative kicks off with a high-stakes case in Vermont, where Olivia drives a dilapidated Jeep with 200,000 miles on it—setting the stage for the contrasting personalities of the main characters.

Liza Tully provides a vivid excerpt early in the episode:

"At exactly 8:00', clock, Merritt emerged from the building... Her standard resting face, never free from a pinch of suspicion, was overcome by a surge of horror... I gave an awkward little wave." (02:00)

This scene encapsulates the tension and chemistry between Olivia and Aubrey, highlighting the challenges Olivia faces in proving herself to her seasoned boss.

Author's Background

Liza Tully, the pen name of Elizabeth Brinks (who also writes as Elizabeth Elo), brings a wealth of experience to the mystery genre. In the interview, Tully discusses her inspiration for creating a partner dynamic where the assistant is equally intelligent and capable:

"Olivia is smart and she is capable of being a great detective herself someday... But there's a temperamental difference and an experiential difference." (05:24)

Tully aims to subvert the typical trope where the assistant is merely a sidekick, instead presenting her as a formidable counterpart to Aubrey Merritt.

Characters

• Aubrey Merritt: An older, sophisticated detective who has built her career over three decades through sheer determination and expertise. Merritt relies on observation, logic, and psychology to solve cases. Tully describes her as:

  "A detective who... doesn't have special skills like Sherlock Holmes or even Poirot... she's weary and not really down with having too much empathy for her subjects." (03:30)

• Olivia Blunt: A young, idealistic fact checker eager to learn the ropes of detective work. Despite a disastrous interview, Olivia's fact-checking prowess earns her the position, setting up a dynamic where her optimism often clashes with Aubrey's pragmatism.

Writing Process

Discussing her approach to crafting the mystery, Tully emphasizes spontaneity and adaptability:

"I kind of get a feel for what has a certain sparkle to me and what I want to write about, and then I just kind of wing it." (07:32)

She highlights the challenge of planting clues organically within the narrative, ensuring they emerge naturally based on character actions and perspectives. This method fosters a more immersive and unpredictable storytelling experience.

Themes and Discussions

Tully delves into the broader appeal of murder mysteries, beyond the satisfaction of seeing order restored:

"It's an exploration of what makes us human... it's about human nature." (08:41)

She posits that the fascination lies in understanding the motives behind ordinary individuals committing extraordinary acts. This exploration of human emotion—greed, anger, lust—and the thin line that separates civility from chaos adds depth to the genre.

Character Dynamics and Interpersonal Tensions

The interplay between Aubrey and Olivia serves as a microcosm of the book's exploration of order versus chaos and experience versus enthusiasm. Tully explains:

"The tension between the two women... Olivia is going to hang on to the way she sees the world and the way she sees people." (06:20)

This dynamic not only drives the narrative forward but also allows for a nuanced examination of differing worldviews and methodologies in detective work.

Conclusion

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully offers a refreshing twist on traditional mystery novels by presenting a detective pairing where both characters bring unique strengths and vulnerabilities to the table. Through her thoughtful exploration of human nature and the complexities of partnership, Tully crafts a compelling story that resonates with fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

Notable Quotes

• Andrew Limbaugh (00:02):

  "Murder mysteries are super popular... Liza Tully's got a different theory. She's the author of the new book The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant."

• Liza Tully (05:24):

  "Olivia is smart and she is capable of being a great detective herself someday. But there's a temperamental difference and an experiential difference."

• Liza Tully (08:41):

  "It's an exploration of what makes us human... it's about human nature."

Recommendation

For enthusiasts seeking a fresh take on the detective duo dynamic, Liza Tully's The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant is a must-read. Balancing character development with intricate plotting, the novel promises to engage readers with its blend of humor, tension, and profound insights into human behavior.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbaugh]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. Murder mysteries are super popular. I've written about this in our newsletter, which you can subscribe to, by the way, at npr.org Newsletter Books and I heard from readers that a big part of the draw for these books is that the mystery gets solved. This creates a sense that the world, however messed up it may be, is fixable. Liza Tully's got a different theory. She's the author of the new book the World's Greatest Detective and Her Just okay Assistant, which is about exactly what the title says. A grizzled old pro teams up with a green newbie at solving a crime. And in this interview with NPR's Asia Roscoe, Tully says that the draw of the murder mystery isn't necessarily just the idea of order versus disorder, but that it's an exploration of what makes us human. That's coming up.

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[Asia Roscoe]

A new murder mystery. A young woman, Olivia Blunt, is eager to impress her new boss, the no nonsense detective Aubrey Merritt. They have a big case hours away in Vermont. Merritt doesn't drive. Blunt does the vehicle, a rattle trap of a Jeep with 200,000 miles on it.

[Liza Tully]

At exactly 8:00', clock, Merritt emerged from the building. She was always punctual and abhorred people who weren't. Her disapproval extended to early birds as well as late comers, which was why I hadn't gone to her door when I'd arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule. I watched as she paused on the arched portico, and I clearly registered the exact moment when, looking up the street, she caught sight of me sitting behind the wheel of my ancient, rusted vehicle. Her standard resting face, never free from a pinch of suspicion, was overcome by a surge of horror, which curled into snobbish disgust, which subsided into resignation. I gave an awkward little wave.

[Asia Roscoe]

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just okay Assistant is the new novel from Liza Tully. That's the pen name of Elizabeth Brinks, who also writes under the pen name Elizabeth Elo. Liza Tully, thanks for joining us.

[Liza Tully]

Thank you for inviting me.

[Asia Roscoe]

Okay, so Tell us about this. Just. Okay, assistant Olivia Blunt. Who is she and why does she want to work for Aubrey Merritt?

[Liza Tully]

Well, Olivia blunt is a 25 year old fact checker for an online media business. And she has always had a love of detective fiction. And when she realizes there's an opening for an assistant to a really nationally renowned private investigator, she really wants to get that job. So she interviews for it. And in fact, she does get it, even though the interview was kind of a disaster on many levels. But her fact checking skills really impress Detective Aubrey Merritt.

[Asia Roscoe]

So Merritt, she's an older woman, very sophisticated, but she doesn't, you know, suffer fools or hapless assistance. In a way, you can look at her as this regal, kind of almost Angela Lansbury, almost Murder, She Wrote. But she's no JB Fletcher. Cause she's not very warm and nice. She's prickly. What drives Merritt?

[Liza Tully]

Well, Merritt is a detective who, you know, she doesn't have special skills like Sherlock Holmes or even Poirot. She's a woman who has worked for 30 years to build her business. And she has done it the hard way. And she's got a lot of experience and a lot of smarts. And she does her detecting through three things, observation, logic, and psychology. And she believes that these are things that she can teach to anyone, even Olivia Blunt. But she's also spent 30 years of her life thinking about murder and about really like bad people doing bad things to each other. So she's kind of weary and she's not really down with, you know, having too much empathy for her subjects.

[Asia Roscoe]

The pairing, when you think about it, it's kind of like that TV comedy hacks. You have this older, established woman who's a bit jaded. And then you have the younger, often kind of impulsive woman, maybe a little more idealistic. What made you want to write a book this dynamic and especially in this genre of murder mystery?

[Liza Tully]

Well, murder mysteries are kind of famous for having detective duos, but a lot of times the assistant isn't as smart as the detective. And I always thought of that as kind of a wasted opportunity. So in Olivia's case, she is smart and she is capable of being a great detective herself someday. But there's a temperamental difference and an experiential difference.

[Asia Roscoe]

The death that they're investigating, it's kind of, you know, delectable murder mystery stuff. You have this older rich widow who police say jumped off her balcony at her resort at Lake Champlain. And then there's this strange suicide note. But there's something wrong with that picture. I mean, I didn't like the whole jumping off the balcony thing. That just already seemed a little off to me for an older woman jumping off the balcony. What was wrong with this space? Don't tell us. Don't spoil us. But you know what I mean.

[Liza Tully]

Well, absolutely. And actually one of the victim's name is Victoria. And actually one of her friends says that's not like Vicki at all. There's a lot that's wrong with it. And also her daughter, Victoria's daughter Hailey, she says, my mother was a very fun, loving person who was really generous and warm and kind and gave a lot to other people. So it was not somebody you would expect to have taken their own life.

[Asia Roscoe]

One thing that I also found very fascinating was that the way Merritt, when she was interrogating people, she would talk to them very differently, kind of based on their position. Can you explain how that worked? Because Olivia seemed a little bit taken aback by it.

[Liza Tully]

Yes. And there's one scene in which Merritt interviews a housekeeper and she's pretty harsh with her. And Olivia feels very sympathetic to her and actually scolds Merritt a little bit afterwards and says, you know, you didn't have to be too hard on her. And Merritt says, look, we're here to find a murderer. We're not social workers. And that was kind of a slap in Olivia's face. But Olivia is going to hang on to the way she sees the world and the way she sees people. And that's one of the tensions between the two women.

[Asia Roscoe]

But then Merritt's very nice to the rich people, but she's, like, buttering them up.

[Liza Tully]

She's very good at manipulating people. So when somebody is, for example, a mansplainer, well, she'll flatter him. So she's very good at understanding how to get people to talk to her.

[Asia Roscoe]

How do you figure out how to lay out the stories and then dribble the clues in and all of that?

[Liza Tully]

Well, I work a lot in a notebook before I even start a draft. I kind of get a feel for what has a certain sparkle to me and what I want to write about, and then I just kind of wing it. I think in this case, you know, it's hard to plant a clue ahead of time because it depends so much on where the person is standing. There's a scene in this book I'm not giving anything away by saying one of the clues is a light that's going down a road on a very dark night. That clue is seen by a character who's standing on a porch on this night. I don't know how to plan for that. So that's something that happened as a.

[Asia Roscoe]

But did you know that? So as you were writing, that came up. Did you know exactly who had that light when you wrote it?

[Liza Tully]

I didn't know. I had an idea. I didn't know.

[Asia Roscoe]

Oh, okay.

[Liza Tully]

No, I don't know exactly. But I know that that's gonna be a clue, and I know it's gonna be an important clue. And then a lot of times I'm going back all the time. So there's a lot of going back and rewriting to make that clue actually mean something in the book.

[Asia Roscoe]

Why do you think so many people are fascinated by murder mysteries? Like, what do we get out of reading these?

[Liza Tully]

The thing that people always say is there's disorder. And the detective comes along and creates order, and that makes everybody feel good. Yeah. Yeah. But I think there's another reason, too, and that is that especially in this kind of murder mystery where it's not a psychopath, it's not a serial killer, the person who does the killing is actually an average sort of person. If you look at the suspects, you can't tell which one actually did the murder. Underneath everything else, it becomes a story about motive. And then it also becomes a story about someone having some emotion, whether it's greed or anger or lust or something like that, that just crosses a line into their being willing to do something really horrendous. And that, to me, is the fascination of it. Most of us can stop before we do something terrible. And so this is generally a story about somebody who couldn't stop and they went on to do the terrible thing. So it's about human nature.

[Asia Roscoe]

That's Liza Tully. Her new book is the World's Greatest Detective and her just okay, assistant, thank you so much for talking with us.

[Liza Tully]

Well, thank you for inviting me.

[Andrew Limbaugh]

And just a reminder that signing up for Book of the Day plus is a great way to support NPR's book coverage and public media. And you'll get to listen to every episode split sponsor free. So please go find out [e-mail] BookOfTheDay.

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