When I decided to write a mystery series, I wanted to create strong female characters. They wouldn’t be damsels in distress but women who knew what they wanted and went after it.
Topping the list, of course, is Isabel Long, the protagonist of the series, which began with Chasing the Case. The next two are Redneck’s Revenge and Checking the Traps. All three were re-released Nov. 15 by their new publisher Bloodhound Books. (Note: I am writing no. 8.)
Isabel Long is a former journalist turned amateur sleuth after she lost her job as editor-in-chief of a newspaper. Isabel is smart, sassy and doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s also a good listener with a big heart, which makes it easy to connect with people, especially since she encounters a rather rough crowd while investigating her cases. A recent widow, Isabel is also done grieving and takes a part-time job at the Rooster, the local watering hole where she develops a relationship with its owner.
Many sleuths have a sidekick. When I chose one for Isabel Long, I went for someone unusual — her 92-year-old mother, Maria Ferreira, who’s come to live with her. A big fan of mysteries, she gives her daughter ideas to ponder and even goes on interviews. Maria is just as excited as Isabel about finding new cases to solve. She says it is boring without one. By the way, my late mother is the inspiration for Maria.
Annette Waters aka the Tough Cookie makes her first appearance in Redneck’s Revenge when she hires Isabel to investigate the death of her SOB of a father. She runs the garage and junkyard that used to belong to him. She’s a single mother who is raising her son via a regimen of tough love. Annette is a woman who loves a good time with men and doesn’t hesitate to say what’s on her mind, usually with a sense of humor. I so enjoy Annette I carry her through the rest of the series.
Other women in my mystery series includes Marsha Dunlop, who is Annette’s cousin. Aka the Floozy, she was a suspect in the first case and connected Annette with Isabel in the second. The two cousins are often seen together. Eventually, they buy the Pit Stop, a convenience store in the middle of nowhere. Isabel can count on Marsha for intel on the locals when she stops by the Pit Stop.
Then there is Ruth, Isabel’s daughter, who isn’t happy about her mother’s new career choice as a private investigator. She worries about the danger although it’s interesting she also made sure her mother has business cards. Ruth has a successful career and is the mother of Isabel’s only grandchild.
Other women in these three books: a police chief, the first woman in her town to serve in that role, and the co-owner of a gas station, who eventually finds her inner strength after being in an abusive relationship.
Once again, here are the links: to Chasing the Case, Redneck’s Revenge and Checking the Traps.