People ask me all the time if writing crime fiction is complicated or if it makes me uncomfortable. It’s most definitely complicated, but it doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable. 

Now, researching it? Sometimes.

I can't tell you how many times Jack stood over me reading my laptop and just shaken his head. Serial killers. Missing people. Poison. Autopsies. Interrogation techniques. Psychology. One day it's blood spatter. The next day it's whether a body would float after a certain number of days or if a group of hogs can really make an entire body disappear.

It's a wonder I'm not on some government watch list. (I don’t know for sure that I’m not, but I suspect the odds are unlikely.)

But that's what writing Rachel Ryder requires.

I don't make things up just because they sound good. If Rachel is processing a crime scene, I want to know how it's really done. If someone gets arrested, I need to know exactly what happens next. If I write about a weapon, an injury, or even how long it takes to get DNA results, I want it grounded in reality.

That means a lot of research. And I mean a lot. Daily, I climb down (more like jump into) rabbit holes and three hours later, I realize I haven’t moved or written a word.  

I read true crime. I watch documentaries. I read psychology books and articles about criminal behavior. I dig into criminal justice procedures, Georgia law, interrogation techniques, forensic science, and real investigations. If I don't understand something, I find someone who does.

I've been lucky enough to have experts answer questions I could never have figured out on my own. Law enforcement officers, attorneys, medical professionals, investigators...they've all helped me make Rachel's world feel authentic. I don't expect readers to notice every little detail, but I hope they notice when everything feels believable.

The funny thing is, I rarely know where all that research will end up.

I'll spend an afternoon reading about one topic because I need a single paragraph. Then three books later, that tiny piece of information becomes the center of an entire plot. That's just how my brain works.

Rachel is probably my favorite character because she's human. She doesn't have all the answers. She gets frustrated. She second-guesses herself. Sometimes she trusts the wrong person. Sometimes she pushes too hard. Honestly, she's stubborn.

Truth be told, I might know a little about that.

But what’s important to know about Rachel is that she also cares. Maybe more than she should. Victims aren't case numbers to her. They're people who deserve answers, and she takes that responsibility personally. I think that's why readers connect with her.

But she isn’t the only one readers connect with. In fact, they have often said how much they love her team, especially her partner, Bishop, who happens to be my favorite. 

I love writing the Hamby Police Department because they feel like real people to me. They don't always agree. They get on each other's nerves. They joke around when things get tense. They argue. They protect one another. They're a family. Those relationships matter just as much as solving the crime.

People sometimes assume writing crime fiction is all about thinking up clever murders.

Honestly, that's the easy part. The hard part is figuring out why someone would do it. What pushed them there? What are they hiding? How would they justify it to themselves? That's where psychology comes in.

I'm fascinated by what makes people tick. Why they make the decisions they do. My husband thinks I’m nosy, but it’s more about the psychology behind the action, not the action itself for me. Why do two people experience the same trauma and end up living completely different lives? Why does one person become resilient while another becomes dangerous? What makes someone manipulate everyone around them without feeling an ounce of guilt?

For me, hose questions are far more interesting to me than the crime itself.

Every Rachel Ryder book starts with one question. Why? And once I know the answer to that, the mystery starts to come together. So yes, I spend a ridiculous amount of time researching murder.

You can purchase the Rachel Ryder series in paperback, audio or Kindle here.