Hardy Boys to Mystery Thrillers by Bob Doerr

Thanks, Paty, for having me on your blog today. It’s quite an honor for me. You ask why do I write the genre that I do? 

Ever since I started reading the Hardy Boys series as a teenager, I’ve enjoyed reading mysteries and thrillers.  Since I enjoyed reading them, I thought I would like writing them.  Additionally, with my background as a career criminal investigator and counterintelligence agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, writing crime fiction and thrillers came as a natural fit.  I have a good understanding of investigative procedures, of different law enforcement agencies, and of criminal behavior.  My background also provided me with a lot of exposure to criminals and their personalities.  I guess you could say the genre is in my blood.

I started writing some thirty years ago, initially writing short stories for fun and then short stories for each of my children when they became old enough to read. I always wanted to write longer stories but knew for me to make it more than a part time hobby I needed to first get to a point in my life where I could afford not to have a full time job.  I reached that point six years ago.

Five of my published books make up the Jim West mystery/thriller series.  My main character in the series is Jim West, a retired Air Force special agent like myself, but that’s where the similarities end. His life is quite a bit more exciting than mine has ever been.  My newest book, Caffeine Can Kill, will be the sixth book in the series and will be released by my publisher in the next month or two. 

This new Jim West mystery/thriller finds Jim traveling to the Texas Hill Country to attend the grand opening of a friend’s winery. Upon arriving in Fredericksburg, Jim witnesses a brutal kidnapping at a local coffee shop. The next morning while driving down an unpaved country road to the grand opening, he comes across an active crime scene. A Fredericksburg policeman who talked to Jim the day before at the kidnapping scene recognizes Jim and asks him to identify the body of a dead young woman as the woman who was kidnapped.  Jim does, and as a result of this unwelcome relationship with the police is asked the following day to identify the body of another murdered person as the man who had kidnapped the young woman.  With his vacation thrown into complete disarray, Jim’s situation only worsens as one of the killers decides not to leave behind any loose ends.

All my books in the Jim West series are stand alone stories, so they can be read in any order.  I invite any of your followers who have read any of my books, or reads one in the future, to feel free to give me some feedback.  I’ve always enjoyed hearing from my readers. 

Thanks again for having me!

Before becoming a full time author, multi-award winning author Bob Doerr specialized in military counterintelligence and criminal investigations for 28 years. His published works include six mystery/thrillers that have garnered a variety of awards and two fantasy novellas for middle grade readers. His most recent Jim West mystery, No One Else to Kill, was a winner in the 2013 Eric Hoffer Awards.  Bob was also selected by the Military Writers Society of America as its Author of the Year for 2013. Bob resides in Garden Ridge, Texas.  You can find Bob here: www.bobdoerr.com  and www.amazon.com/Bob-Doerr/e/B003M8OPB2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1