Patricia Bradley is the author of Counter Attack and Fatal Witness, as well as the Natchez Trace Park Rangers Series, Memphis Cold Case Series, and Logan Point Series. Bradley is the winner of an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, a Selah Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award; she was a Carol Award finalist; and three of her books were included in anthologies that debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. She makes her home in Mississippi.
In this interview, Patricia shares some of her thoughts on her latest book, Fatal Witness, which is the second book in her Pearl River Series.
FF: Can you please provide a brief summary of your novel, Fatal Witness?
Although she witnessed the murder of her parents 25 years ago, Dani Bennett has no memory of the event. However, it’s clear that the killer remembers her when she returns to Pearl Springs in search of answers. Local K-9 Deputy Mark Lassiter is determined to protect her, but who will protect her heart?
FF: What do you hope readers will gain from reading Fatal Witness?
I hope readers will know that when they go through trials (that’s a when, not if), God will be with them. One Bible verse that Mark claims, then Dani, is Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.”
FF: How do you balance the heart-pounding suspense and sweet romance your novels are known for?
Writing suspense comes much easier to me than writing sweet romance. I’ve always said it’s easier for me to kill a character off than to get them together romantically. Most of the time my characters resist my matchmaking, so what I try to do is write about a developing relationship more than romance. And that makes it easier to balance the two.
FF: The male protagonist in Fatal Witness is a K-9 officer. What sort of research was necessary to develop his character?
A lot of research went into developing Mark’s character. When we had a K-9 officer in our town, I interviewed him, and most of my information came from the interview. I also have a friend named Google where I read real-life stories from K-9 officers.
FF: There are some shocking twists in this novel. How do you decide when to implement them?
As I write, I see the story much like a movie, and the twists seem to fall naturally in my head.
FF: Identity is an important topic in this novel. Without giving any spoilers, can you elaborate on how Fatal Witness addresses the idea of identity?
The heroine in the story witnessed the murder of her family when she was nine and suffered from dissociative amnesia. Because her uncle feared the killer would come after Dani, he whisked her away to Montana where they could disappear. When the story opens, she has no idea of her history or family back in Pearl Springs. The story is as much about her discovering her roots as the solving of her parents’ murders.
FF: What was your motivation for choosing Pearl River as the location for your current series?
I love the mountains, and my sister lives near Chattanooga, so I knew the area. However, I didn’t want to be tied to a specific town, so I made up a town, the Pearl River, and a lake. I even have a map of the town with a layout of the stores, the Pearl Springs Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office, and a McDonalds.
FF: This is the second book in your Pearl River Series. What can readers expect in the third installment?
The third book has a working title of Deadly Vengeance. Two former city councilmen have been murdered, and the killer has his sights set on the former mayor, now running for the US Senate. The reader first meets Deputy Jenna Hart and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agent Maxwell Anderson in Fatal Witness. They have a history together and it did not end well, but now they are thrown together to protect the former mayor when he visits Pearl Springs for a big political rally.
Fatal Witness
Pearl River Series #2
Patricia Bradley
Revell
Genres: Mystery/Suspense, Romantic Suspense
Release Date: February 6, 2024
ISBN-10: 0800741633
ISBN-13: 978-0800741631
Book Summary:
As a child, artist and potter Dani Bennett witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. With no memory of the incident or her true identity, she was forced to take on a new name and a new life, hidden away in Montana for the past 25 years.
Mae Richmond has spent the same stretch of time searching for her granddaughter, who went missing the night her daughter and son-in-law were murdered. Convinced the woman she saw in a pottery magazine feature is the woman she’s been searching for, she enlists the help of K-9 officer Mark Lassiter of Pearl Springs, Tennessee, who tracks Dani down.
Skeptical but curious, Dani sets out on a journey to uncover the secrets of her past and reclaim her true identity. But someone close to her is determined to keep the truth of what happened all those years ago hidden.
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