AUTHORS INTERVIEWING THEIR CHARACTERS: MELINDA LEIGH

#1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh Interviews her character Bree Taggert 

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide…Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.  Order on Amazon. 

We are super excited to feature Melinda!

Let’s introduce you to readers – who are you and what do you do for a living?

My name is Bree Taggert, and I’m a homicide detective with the Philadelphia PD. But I was born in upstate New York and spent my early childhood in Grey’s Hollow. 

How did you fall into that line of work?

I’ve wanted to work in law enforcement since I was a child. The county sheriff rescued me and my siblings from under our porch the night my father killed my mother and then shot himself. To me, cops have always been heroes. 

Where did you live before moving back to Grey’s Hollow?

I live and work in Philadelphia, where I was raised by a cousin since the age of eight, while my siblings lived in Grey’s Hollow with our grandparents. Growing up, I missed my brother and sister and wished we hadn’t been separated. My little brother and I have grown apart over the years. Now that I’m back in town, I’m determined to develop a closer relationship with him.   

What brought you back to town?

My younger sister, Erin, called me for help. I headed north as soon as I could.  But by the time I arrived in upstate New York, I learned she’d been shot to death. To make matters worse, my brother-in-law is missing and wanted for questioning in connection with the crime. I hate to think Erin was killed in exactly the same way as our mother. I feel guilty for not being here when Erin needed me. I must find out what happened. 

Do you think history has repeated itself? Did Erin’s husband kill her? 

I’m not sure. I hope not, but I know the statistics. Most female murder victims are killed by their significant others, a fact I witnessed long before becoming a cop. But his best friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, says he’s innocent.  Matt wants to investigate the shooting together. I agreed. I need someone to watch my back. Plus, he’s going to look into the murder anyway. I want to keep an eye on Matt and his investigation. 

So, your entire life has been upended and now you’re working with Matt to try and find your sister’s killer. Can you trust him?  What’s he like?

My gut tells me I can trust Matt, but we don’t know each other very well yet. So, I’m not 100 percent sure. However, he’s a smart investigator and seems like an honorable man.  At least he’s been nothing but honest with me so far. I’ll need to spend more time with him before I make up my mind, but frankly, that’s no hardship. He’s easy to talk to. 

You have a terrible fear of dogs, right?

Yes, I was mauled by one of my father’s dogs when I was a child. The incident left me with physical and emotional scars. I’ve never gotten over it. Matt says he has a plan to help me, something about a “gateway” dog. I don’t know exactly what he has in mind, but I’m skeptical—and a little suspicious. I’ve lived with my phobia for too long to get my hopes up, and Matt is awfully secretive about his plan. I have a feeling I’m not going to like it. 

How does your fear of dogs interfere with your job as a detective?

It’s definitely a challenge. I run across dogs every day in the city. Even the friendly ones make me nervous, but the big aggressive dogs reinforce my fear each time I encounter one. My job also requires me to work with K-9 units. Those dogs can be high-strung, which doesn’t help me at all. Seeing a K-9 take down a suspect makes me sweat even from a distance. While I recognize these dogs are a valuable tool, they give me panic attacks that are hard to conceal.    

Will you stay in Grey’s Hollow?

I will probably need to move here. My sister wanted me to raise her kids. I love my job, and I’ve worked hard for every promotion. So, the thought of giving up my career doesn’t make me happy. I considered taking the kids back to Philadelphia with me, but that doesn’t seem fair.  I don’t want to take them away from their home the way I was torn away from mine. I didn’t have good examples of parenting in my upbringing, but I do know what not to do. As much as I hate to give up my job, I have to put the kids’ needs first. 

Have you made any progress in solving your sister’s murder?

I can’t comment on an on-going investigation. But know this: I will find my sister’s killer and bring them to justice. 

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: #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. After joining Romance Writers of America, she decided writing was more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, She Can Run, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She’s also garnered Golden Leaf and Silver Falchion Awards, along with two nominations for a RITA and three Daphne du Maurier Awards.

Her other novels include She Can Tell, She Can Scream, She Can Hide, She Can Kill, Midnight Exposure, Midnight Sacrifice, Midnight Betrayal, Midnight Obsession, Hour of Need, Minutes to Kill, Seconds to Live, Say You’re Sorry, Her Last Goodbye, Bones Don’t Lie, What I’ve Done, Secrets Never Die, and Save Your Breath. She holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate, has taught women’s self-defense, and lives in a messy house with her family and a small herd of rescue pets.

For more information, visit www.melindaleigh.com.

@melindaleigh1 (Instagram, and Twitter), @melindaleighauthorpage (Facebook), @amazonpublishing (Instagram and Facebook), and @amazonpub (Twitter).

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews, On Writing