Today I welcome author Mary Dodge Allen as she shares about her book which, by the way, is a 2022 Christian Indie Award winner, First Place - Mystery/Suspense. Mary is offering a free print copy of her book (US only) in a random drawing, so read on through to see how to enter.

Where did you get the idea for your unusual amateur sleuth main character?

 Years ago, I worked as a substitute mail carrier during a summer break from college, and I realized that a small town mail carrier would make an ideal amateur sleuth. Mail carriers can drive around town and observe activities on the job without attracting much attention. Who really pays attention to mail trucks? And have you ever wondered how much your mail carrier can learn about you—from the magazines and newsletters you receive and the return addresses on your letters, greeting cards and packages?

As I was developing my main character, Roxy, I decided she’d make an even better amateur sleuth if she had an amazing photographic memory. Then everything she observes – the mail she delivers, the license plates on vehicles, etc... is captured in her mind, like a snapshot.

Why did you choose a small town setting in Florida?

 Florida is a great setting for a mystery/suspense novel. It’s a sunny vacation paradise with beautiful beaches, but it has its share of dangers, like hurricanes, alligators, pythons and sinkholes. Florida is also famous as a place where people commit weird and often bizarre crimes.

I grew up in a small community where residents knew one another—their families, their backgrounds, their quirky personalities. I loved living in a place where relationships were so close. At times, gossip and feuds caused problems, but whenever tragedy struck, people pulled together to help each other. That’s the type of town I created for this novel - the first in a series.

Riverside Bay is a fictional coastal town filled with quirky and often humorous characters. The town used to have a laid-back ‘Mayberry’ atmosphere, until developers transformed its old art deco buildings into a ‘South Beach’ tourist magnet. As the town’s mail carrier, Roxy knows the longtime residents well, but the tourists add intriguing complications when it comes to crime solving.

Have any other life experiences influenced your book?

 I got the idea for the opening of this book from something that happened many years ago, less than a mile from where I now live. A huge sinkhole opened up, measuring over 350 feet wide and 75 feet deep. It swallowed a luxury car dealership, five Porsches, a community swimming pool and a home (the family got out in time). It is now a pond called Lake Rose, in honor of the homeowner. I’ve passed this pond many times on my walks.

In the book’s first chapter, Roxy is finishing her mail route when a sinkhole suddenly opens up near her mail truck, swallowing its front tires. As the sinkhole grows, it drains a deep retention pond, revealing the hiding place of the damaged car used in the unsolved hit and run murder of her husband, years earlier.

Roxy is overwhelmed with shock, grief and anger when she sees the mangled car that took her husband’s life. The cold murder investigation heats up when the skeleton of the presumed prime suspect, the car’s owner, is found inside the trunk of the damaged car. Roxy turns amateur sleuth and begins uncovering clues. And as she works with Kyle, the town’s handsome detective, their relationship deepens.

In plotting the twists and turns of the murder investigation, I drew upon my many years as a volunteer at our local police department. I interviewed detectives about their methods and procedures, and I participated in a mock SWAT team exercise, acting as a police dispatcher.

What are you working on next?

 I am currently working on two books. One is a prequel to Hunt for a Hometown Killer—a WWII historical romance with Leo Patterson (Roxy’s grandfather) as a B-17 bomber pilot, who is shot down over enemy territory. The other is a sequel to Hunt for a Hometown Killer, where Roxy continues solving crimes in her quirky home town, working closely with her love interest Kyle.

HUNT FOR A HOMETOWN KILLER:   

Small towns have secrets and skeletons...

what happens when a sinkhole uncovers them?

Two years to the day after Roxy Silva’s husband was murdered, a freak sinkhole opens up as she is finishing her mail route. It quickly drains a deep retention pond, uncovering the shocking sight of the damaged car used in her husband’s unsolved hit and run murder. When the skeleton of the presumed prime suspect—the car’s owner, who mysteriously disappeared—is found inside the car’s trunk, the murder investigation takes a surprising new direction.

Detective Kyle Ransom is determined to find his best friend’s killer, and Roxy is equally determined to help. Together, they uncover a shocking trail of deception and secrets, and their relationship deepens. Kyle’s wife died years ago, and he’s ready for a commitment. But Roxy is still recovering from a depression triggered by her husband’s murder and other tragic losses in her life. She’s struggling with a deep-seated fear of loss, her faith, and finding meaning in a chaotic world. Complications arise when Roxy’s first love comes back into her life, wanting a second chance. Old feelings of attraction and bitterness surface, as she confronts a long-buried secret in her past.

As they close in on the killer’s identity, Roxy has no idea her amateur sleuthing will place her life in danger. When the killer takes her captive, she must use her wits to survive.

Click on this link to buy: Hunt For A Hometown Killer: A Novel: Allen, Mary Dodge: 9781952369704: Amazon.com: Books

GIVEAWAY:

 Those who leave a comment on this blog post will be placed in a random drawing. The winner will receive in the mail a paperback copy of Hunt for a Hometown Killer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary Dodge Allen has received two Royal Palm Literary Awards from the Florida Writer’s Association. Her recent novel: Hunt for a Hometown Killer is a Finalist in the 2022 Christian Indie Awards, mystery/suspense category. She and her husband live in Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the police department. Her childhood in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, sparked her lifelong love of the outdoors. She’s been a Counselor and Social Worker, and she worked as a USPS mail carrier during a college break. Her quirky sense of humor is energized by a passion for coffee and chocolate. Mary’s website: www.marydodgeallen.com