Jake Needham is the author of two major crime series set in Singapore and Asia: the Inspector Samuel Tay novels and the Jack Shepherd series. An international attorney turned crime novelist, Jake was kind enough to talk with me about his storylines, his approach to writing, and the use of "elaborate hanging out," to construct realistic and meaningful backdrops. Jake uses the city of Singapore as an active character within his work, and his storytelling is right up there with Elmore Leonard and Lawrence Block. Better than Block in my opinion. You heard me, Lawrence.

Check out his work at JakeNeedham.com, or follow him on Twitter @jakeneedham

This is a rebroadcast of an older, re-edited interview. Click HERE to enter the Amygdala short story contest, and send us something better than Lawrence Block.