As I mentioned before, I am immersed in Covering a Crime, the ninth book in my Isabel Long Mystery Series. Isabel solves cold cases in the hilltowns of Western Mass., and in the process, she encounters oh-so-many people. Some hire her. Some offer tips. Some are persons of interest — not yet suspects. Suspects. And, because she’s a sharp P.I., the criminals responsible.
Now I have to be a sharp mystery writer and keep track of them all.
Many of the characters stick with Isabel for the series, such as her 93-year-old mystery-loving mother Maria and her significant other Jack who owns the local bar. Then there are those characters who appeared in one case and were too good to let go. Certainly, those include: Annette Waters, the no-holds-barred woman who owns a junkyard; the poet Cyrus Nilsson; Dave Baxter, a charmer who owns another bar; and the Old Farts who gossip in the backroom of the general store.
And oh-so-many characters are one and done. Or at least I think so.
Covering a Crime takes Isabel—and her mother— to the towns of Madison and Rossville, which were settings for book four, Working the Beat. This mystery has a new set of characters, including a famous artist, Zeb Taylor, whose death Isabel is investigating.
But while writing a scene, in which Isabel and her mother stop at the Madison Country Club, I was inspired to resurrect a character from Working the Beat. (By the way, the place is nowhere as fancy as the name applies—no golf course, just a locals bar owned by an owner with a sense of humor.)
Why not have Brad MacKenzie, a chef who was a total jerk to Isabel, be the cook at the Country Club? The last she knew Brad was cooking at a fancy-schmancy restaurant called Luella’s. Cooking at the Country Club is certainly a step down, and during this chance stop, Isabel realizes something has changed after Brad makes a point of bringing them their meals. Hmm, what could that be? And does it have anything to do with her case? I haven’t gotten that far yet.
So, this all brings me to a dilemma. Who are all the characters in this mystery series and what do they do? When Brad came to mind, I had to grab Working the Beat to do research.
A couple of books back I started such a list, but didn’t finish it. A quick count shows over 60 characters, many with descriptions, many without. As I scan the list, I note characters who are missing. Without taking too much time away from my actual writing, I plan to finish it. A big help will be the detailed synopsis I wrote for each book.
As I wrote in a recent post, it feels good to be back channeling Isabel Long. We have a mystery to solve.
Interested in the series? Here are the links on Amazon for Kindle and paperback. Try the first or the most recent. Or jump around. Each stands on its own.
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE: This maple tree in my neighborhood was fully aflame in red. Alas, those leaves are gone as we settle into Stick Season.