I’m delighted Ramona Richards has come to visit the blog to share about Burying Daisy Doe, the first book in her Star Cavanaugh Cold Case series. Ramona has been in the publishing industry for many years, as a writer, editor, and publisher, so has much experience on both sides of the publishing fence!!

Enjoy meeting Ramona and learning about her most challenging character, why she’s drawn to cold cases, and what motivates Star Cavanaugh.

With many thanks to publicist Jeane Burgess and Kregel Publications, we have a giveaway of Burying Daisy Doe – enter via the Rafflecopter form below!

No cold case is more important than the one that destroyed her own family.

Every small town has one unsolved case that haunts its memory, festering for generations below the surface with the truth of humanity’s darkness. Star Cavanaugh is obsessed with the one that tore her family apart.

Over sixty years ago, Daisy Doe was murdered and discarded outside Pineville, Alabama, buried without a name or anyone to mourn her loss. When Star’s father tried to solve the case, he was also killed. Now a cold-case detective with resources of her own, Star is determined to get to the bottom of both crimes. But she’ll have to face an entire town locked in corruption, silence, and fear–and the same danger that took two other lives. The only people in town she can trust are her grandmother and the charming Mike Luinetti, and both of them trust a God Star isn’t sure she believes in. Can Christians so focused on the good really help her track down this evil?

With an irresistible combination of sharp suspense, faith, humor, and authentic regional flavor, Burying Daisy Doe will draw fans of Terri Blackstock, Margaret Maron, Jaime Jo Wright, and J. T. Ellison.

Bookchat with Ramona

Please share a little about Daisy Doe.

“Daisy Doe” is the anonymous name given to a young woman who shows up in Pineville, Alabama, in 1954, unaware that her presence causes such a disruption in the town that it leads to her death that night. She’s only seen in the opening chapter, but her influence echoes through the entire book. She was in the French resistance during World War II, and is a determined and capable young woman who simply did not see this particular enemy coming.

And about the new police chief, Mike…

Michael Luinetti is of Sicilian/German descent, a transplant from western Pennsylvania to small-town Alabama. He’s been hired as police chief of Pineville by the mayor, and it’s been a bit of a culture shock for him. Mike is in his early 30s and bears a remarkable resemblance to a young Timothy Olyphant. He is a good man but a bit lonely in his adopted hometown, and it’s made him vulnerable in the past. He’s more cautious now, which puts him a bit at odds with Star. Mike is also dedicated to his job and determined to be good at it, no matter what it costs him.

Why a series about cold cases?

Cold cases fascinate me because they’re a slightly different type of investigation than what typically happens in the first days after a murder. Also, I’m drawn to the fact that some people can keep secrets for years…generations, even…but not without consequences.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives

Fast-paced, time-slip, engaging, small-town quirky, Southern

What motivates Star?

Star lost her father when she was a young child, and she was definitely a daddy’s girl. It was his obsession with solving the murder of Daisy Doe that got him killed, and Star grew up watching those elements—the murders and her father’s obsession—slowly destroy her mother. Those factors made her want to be a cop—and a cold case investigator. She is determined to bring all this to a resolution—and hopefully avoid getting killed in the process.

Share something fascinating about cold cases you uncovered as you researched this story.

One reason cold case investigators interview people involved in a case multiple times is that as the crime ages, the stories change. People who lied about something grow tired of keeping a secret. Memories fade, and sometimes hidden truths slowly seep to the surface. While new forensics techniques come along that can help (as they did with the Marcia Trimble case in Nashville, solved after more than 30 years), it’s more about dedication to details, fresh eyes on a case, and repeated interviewing.

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

Definitely Star. She has a lot of inner demons that have to be worked through, and some of them popped up in this book. Others are hinted about, which will show up in future books. I also liked her sense of humor and her growing relationship with Mike. She’s not ready for a true romance, but he’s kinda irresistible.

Which character gave you the most grief?

I worried most about getting Roscoe and his brother William right. They are based on men I know (and grew up with), and a LOT of conversations I’ve had with veterans. They challenged me the most.

What emotions do you think your story will generate in readers?

I hope they’ll be intrigued by Star’s story as well as the mystery of the crimes, and they’ll feel anxiety and anticipation as she unravels the details. I want them to be satisfied with the ending, and feel a touch of hope.

What emotions did you experience while writing this story?

It made me relive a lot of the 70s and incidents from my childhood and teen years. I had to do a lot of research because I discovered exactly how wrong many memories can be.

What can we look forward to next in this series?

As Star moves from solving her own family’s mystery into a broader career as a cold case investigator specializing in small-town mysteries, she tackles a case about a family whose peaceful life on a farm was destroyed when a body was found in their barn. The murder was never solved, and suspicion has hung over the family for more than 20 years. Also, we’ll get to see her friendship with Mike deepen as well.

Thanks Ramona – appreciate you sharing about your latest novel!

Ramona Richards is the author or contributor of over twenty books, including Memory of a Murder, Field of Danger, and The Taking of Carley Bradford. She is the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media and has previously worked for Abingdon Press and Thomas Nelson. Ramona makes her home just outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Find her at ramonarichards.com.

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Buy at Amazon: Burying Daisy Doe or Koorong