A Mind of His Own




 I love it when characters take on a life of their own, making their own decisions, creating their own dialogue, and surprising me by taking my carefully planned and plotted storyline in an entirely new direction.  I also hate it.  Sometimes trying to keep up with independent-minded characters is like herding cats (or puppies, as the case may be!)-- not as much fun as it sounds.

This was certainly the case with Patrick Henry Jessup, who first appeared in the Raine Stockton Mystery Dead Man's Trail. That book, I'll admit, was floundering dangerously toward the precipice of predictability when I realized it desperately needed another point of view character. Jessup was  supposed to appear sporadically throughout the book, stalk and murder a few non-essential personnel, get caught and never be heard from again. But Jessup was no ordinary serial killer.  He was an ethical hunter, a survivalist and caretaker of the land that nurtured him.  His disdain for modern technology and the world it has created was something many of us can relate to, even admire. He was possibly one of the most interesting  characters I've ever known, and he definitely had a mind of his own-- twisted though it may be.  He was not brought to justice in Dead Man's Trail. He lived to fight another day and moved South, to Mercy, Georgia.

The murky black waters of the Blood River, with its rich and cruel history, seemed a perfect hunting ground for a predator like Jessup-- so perfect, in fact, it was hard to believe he hadn't been there before.  Before long, I realized that the history I had written for Mercy might not be the whole story at all. Thus, in Undefeatable:A Buck Lawson Mystery (Blood River Book #3), a supposedly minor character exercised his will and changed the destiny of an entire town.  And it changed his.

Undefeatable explores themes of justice, redemption, and the impact of the past on the present. It examines how personal and collective histories shape our identities and influence our actions. And while police chief Buck Lawson struggles to protect his new home town from a determined hunter, he learns some uncomfortable truths about himself, the people he has come to care for, and the lengths to which they all will go to protect their loved ones and their way of life.

Almost inevitably, questions remain unanswered in Undefeatable, as Patrick Henry Jessup once again demonstrates he has a mind of his own. I hope this won't be too frustrating for readers, as the good news is they won't have to wait long for the answers.  Look south toward Dogleg Island, where, for the first time, major characters from one series will appear in another, completely unrelated mystery series and the saga of the hunter will conclude.   I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I have!

UNDEFEATABLE: A BUCK LAWSON MYSTERY (BOOK #3 OF THE BLOOD RIVER SERIES) is available now for pre-order here  with a March 31, 2005 release date.   

Watch as the Saga of the Hunter concludes this fall with Dogleg Island Mystery #7.



Comments

Trish said…
I am so looking forward to this - Jessup really was an interesting character!
March 10, 2025 at 2:11 PM
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