Goodreads asked A.R. Baumann:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

A.R. Baumann I always wanted to write a mystery novel and placing it in Houston reminds me of a society murder I heard about when I was 15.

During my childhood in River Oaks, Texas, a member of my community was gruesomely murdered in a thrilling case that gained nationwide sensation. In the mid-1960’s Candace Mossler and her nephew/lover were accused of murdering her billionaire husband Jacques Mossler in his luxury Florida Keys apartment. At the time of the murder, the Mosslers’ primary home was just around the corner from where I grew up. The incestuous affair between Candace and her nephew took place in this home.

At the time of this event, I had been writing since the age of 8. The murder struck me—eventually becoming the inspiration for my novel Under a Cloud of Rain. The brutal murders, luxe social settings, and characters from opposite sides of the social spectrum in my book are all inspired by the grisly murder that shook my community and left a lasting imprint.

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