People sometimes ask whether the romance in my books is intentional.
The answer is yes, but probably not in the way they expect.
First and foremost, I write mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. Every Mirror Estate novel begins with a mystery to solve, a crime to investigate, or a secret waiting to be uncovered. That’s always the heart of the story.
But I also enjoy watching relationships develop.
Like many viewers, I’ve found myself cheering for television couples over the years. Whether it’s Tony and Ziva, Deeks and Kensi, or other favorite partners, their relationships aren’t usually the main storyline. The investigation is. Yet those personal moments make us care about the people solving the case.
That’s the approach I try to take in my own books.
The mystery always comes first.
The relationships grow naturally around it.
Life doesn’t stop because someone is investigating a crime. Families still gather for dinner. Friends tease one another. People fall in love. They get married. They welcome children. They grieve losses and celebrate victories.
Those moments make the characters feel like real people.
Over time, Mirror Estate has become more than a collection of mysteries. It’s a world where readers can revisit familiar faces and see how their lives have changed since the last book. Some readers are eager to solve the next case. Others enjoy catching up with Dylan, Lily, Olivia, Simon, Tommy, Fr. Phil, or the rest of the cast.
And that’s one of the things I love most about writing a series.
Each new mystery moves the story forward, but so do the people.
If readers find themselves hoping that two characters finally get together or smiling when a favorite couple appears again, I take that as a compliment.
It means the characters have become more than investigators or suspects.
They’ve become people readers care about.
For me, that’s exactly where the best suspense begins.