Cat Carmichael on the Case: JP Ferris and the Catnap Detective Series

JP Ferris joins the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast to talk about his long-running Cat Carmichael Detective Series and the latest installment, Catnap, book 13 in the saga.

JP introduces Cat Carmichael, a tough, emotionally rich NYPD homicide detective shaped by the loss of her father, who was killed in the line of duty right in front of her. That trauma fuels Cat’s vow to become the best homicide detective New York has ever seen. JP shares that Cat is a blend of Olivia Benson, Kate Beckett, a touch of Jane Rizzoli, and quite a bit of JP herself—right down to having a law enforcement dad and a deep affection for New York City. Even Cat’s name honors both JP’s late cat and a favorite Law & Order character.

In Catnap, listeners get two gripping storylines: a tense hostage situation tied to Cat’s past, and the heartbreaking case of two young boys found dead in an apartment where neither of them lives. With Cat and her partner Forrest Goldwin on administrative leave after an officer-involved shooting, the rest of the team steps into the spotlight, giving fans a deeper look at Marcus, Sam, Avery, and trainee Mac.

JP talks candidly about writing 19 books (with plans for 30), fighting through creative slumps, and using TV favorites like Castle, Rizzoli & Isles, and SVU as both inspiration and background noise while she writes. She also explains how New York City itself functions as another character in the series, grounded in the real streets she knows so well.