Obsession with Lincoln has followed me from Illinois. I have a twelve-volume set of all his collected sayings. My detective Steffen Blaine quotes Lincoln when his emotions need calming. His first wife committed suicide due to postpartum depression. The Lee family’s pregnant mother of six closely resembles the symptoms Steffen’s wife suffered. Called in to investigate the grandmother’s death, Steffen invites Bernie Johnston, a social worker who wants to become a detective, to help him on the case. Th e youngest girl was one of the cases Bernie worked on. Bernie and Steffen immediately know their association is going to last past this suspicious death.
Sounds like a wonderful story. What age group would this be best for?
The subject of a serial killer, grown from a nine year old manipulated killer, was too serious for young adults, according to my publisher. Today’s child is so accustomed to violence, I wrote it as a cautionary tale about the range of emotions innocents are subjected to. Hopefully, adult parents will learn to limit negative exposures in the media.