Jill Quint is the sleuth in the “Jill Quint, MD” mysteries. One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions. So, let’s get to know Jill.
What is your full name?
Jill Quint, MD
How old are you?
Depends on which story. I’m from 42 to 45 years old. My creator has aged me three years in 11 books.
What is your profession?
I am a woman of many qualities. In my day job, I own Quixotic Winery in the California central valley region. I’ve made three vintages of Moscato wine, and I’m expanding into some red grapes that like the heat and soil of the central valley. In my other job, I provide second opinions on the cause of death. I trained as a forensic pathologist but got fed up with the paperwork and court testimony. So I retired at a young age to pursue my dream of running a winery. I was a botany major in college with a minor in viticulture. I bought my winery five years before my retirement, so the grapes would be ready for my first vintage when I left my job as a medical examiner. After about a year of death investigations, I decided to apply for a PI license in California, so I have that and my medical doctor degree.
Do you have a significant other?
I have an amazingly smart and sexy partner. He protects my back when I get into trouble with a case. We’re not married, and we keep separate residences as it suits our business purposes.
What is their name and profession?
His name is Nathan Conroy, and he’s a famous wine label artist. I first met him when I wanted a wine label designed for my first vintage. He’s since created the logo for my winery.
Do you have any children?
None
Do you have any siblings?
No
Are your parents nearby?
Mom lives in a retirement community in Arizona. She doesn’t understand why I gave up my day job to pursue wine and justice. I’ve occasionally made the national news with the trouble I get into in a case, and she’s really not happy about that. She doesn’t like knowing about the danger I’m in at times, so I mostly don’t tell her.
Who is your best friend?
I have three of them – Angela, Marie, and Jo. They live nearly two-thousand miles away in Wisconsin, and besides being good friends, they help me with cases. Angela is a photographer and interviewer, Jo is a CPA, so she follows the money, and Marie is a social media maven able to prepare a dossier on anyone. Clients pay us an hourly rate for our help, and it funds a vacation account for all of us.
Do you have any pets?
Of course, Trixie is my Dalmatian that I rescued from a crime scene, and Nathan has a cat named Arthur. The two hate each other.
What town do you live in?
I live in Palisades Valley, a fictional town north of Fresno.
Do you live in a small town or a big city?
I live in a wine-growing region, so small town.
Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I own my own home, and I’ve just begun construction on a tasting room for my winery. I also have a barn that I use to experiment with pest control for my grapevines. It also has analyzers for some pathology and toxicology tests that I do for clients. My lab doesn’t count in court, but I can get faster results while waiting for official results to come out of a crime lab.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
Walking amongst my grapevines just before harvest. I like to give the grapes a pep talk about being plump and full of sugar.
Favorite meal and dessert?
Anything Nathan cooks and Crème Brulee. My friends pay me to stay out of the kitchen.
Do you have any hobbies?
I practice Tai Chi, and I like to experiment with natural pesticides. My wines are organic.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
A place where no humans are. That way, no one ends up dead.
What music do you listen to?
Honestly, my favorite music is the wind.
Do you have a favorite book?
On the professional side, I like the “Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine“, the “Essentials of Toxicology“, and “Natural Pest and Disease Control“. If I want to forget criminals are after me and trying to kill me, I turn to JD Robb and fantasize that Eve and Rourke will save the day. In reality, they have yet to appear to help my friends and me. Sigh. . . [Editor’s Note: Love “In Death” series!]
What is your idea of a really fun time?
Sightseeing in a new city surrounded by my friends with a stop involving beer or wine.
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
*** Why does everyone want to kill me ***
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Professional. I went to medical school, and I’ve got my PI license. I’m also board certified in Toxicology. As I mentioned, I work with my three girlfriends on cases.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Typically, I’m working on my vineyard. I do have help, but I also like to nurture my grapevines. Whenever I’m home, I’m inspecting them to ensure that all is right in their world. I may take Trixie for a run, and unless Nathan has another engagement, we’ll dine together.
I keep an autopsy case packed because when I get called to offer a second opinion autopsy, I have to move quickly and travel to wherever the deceased is located. I may be out in my vineyard, and then on the road to my airport an hour later. A few cases have been local to California, but I recently was on my way to Sicily one afternoon. Italians may be masters when it comes to food and fashion, but they’re terrible with forensics.
Forensic Murder is the 11th book in the “Jill Quint, MD, Forensic Pathologist” mystery series, released November 2, 2020.
Who knows the most about how to get away with murder
Jill, Nathan, and Angela head to New Zealand and Australia on a trip that is part work and part vacation. Jill is speaking at a forensic conference, while her friends are meeting with wineries to conduct business.
Dr. Jill Quint is a forensic pathologist by training. She left her crime lab to pursue her own winery, but was called back by old colleagues to comment on cases. Those referrals expanded into a business where Jill offers second opinions on the cause of death. She also has her PI license and can be hired to investigate a suspicious death. Her friends assist her with cases by bringing their own skills like accounting, interviewing, and social media research. Nathan is her partner, and is a world renown wine label designer.
New Zealand has a reputation as a very safe country, so why are people dying in the cities she visited so far on her trip? They aren’t dying by gunshot or stabbing, rather these are unusual ‘accidents’. In time, it becomes clear that these deaths are staged as ‘how to get away with murder’ events by a professional.
As Jill and friends transition to Australia, will the killer follow them? Is Jill the final target?
About the author
Alec Peche is the California author of fifteen books. Eleven releases in the Jill Quint, MD, Forensic Pathologist series feature a woman who is part-time pathologist, PI, and part-time vintner who solves murder mysteries with a team of girlfriends all with different professional skills that are critical to solving mysteries. The stories are set across North America and Europe. I also have four books in the Damian Green series about a modern day MacGyver. The series is set on Red Rock Island in San Francisco Bay and it’s a story about a computer genius teaming with a retired SJPD detective to solve cold cases.
All comments are welcomed.
This sounds good!
It was a fun book to write!