Mystery Writing-The John Keegan Mystery Series

  Branching Off the Keegan Mystery Series with a New Narrator When I first introduced Pauline McCrory-Keegan in the Keegan Mystery series, I had no idea she would resonate so deeply with readers. Her character brought a unique strength and depth to the stories, complementing John Keegan's introspective and often sarcastic nature. As her presence grew in each book, it became clear that Pauline had a story of her own to tell. She started as sort of a foil to John Keegan, her strength in the face of adversity keeping him centered. But, for a while, I felt she became a little too much of a trope. In books like The Fallen, she takes on a larger role, savior to her husband actively, and demanding more page-time. Unfortunately, she took a back seat to the plot in Never Look Back , and I knew I had to right that wrong. In The Lies That Bind Us , I experimented with a dual narrative, allowing readers to dive into Pauline's perspective alongside John's. This choice was met with ove...

  Writing a Retro Series Means Revisiting the Past When I set out to write "Second Time Around," the second installment in my retro series featuring Detective John Keegan, I knew I was stepping back into a world where familiar faces would be alive again. Among these characters is Rick, a pivotal figure in Keegan's life who met a tragic end in "Death Knell," the third book in my original series. Bringing Rick back to life in the retro series, which includes "The First Cut," "Second Time Around," and the upcoming "Third and Long," was both a challenge and a joy. I liked writing about the characters now deceased, but it is bittersweet. In "Death Knell" Keegan's father dies. The year it was published, my father passed too. So, this is a bit therapeutic as well as nostalgic. The Genesis of the Retro Series When writing "The Lies That Bind Us", the most recent present-day Keegan novel, Keegan faced some remnants of...