Silenced Cal

Natalie Dvorak Mysteries #4Fifty years after Calvin Coolidge's death, Leonard Hemmings, the late president's greatest fan and impersonator, has been murdered. Detective Sergeant Natalie Dvorak of the Vermont State Police must find out why the kindly grandfather was targeted and by whom. Complicating the investigation is Natalie's ex-husband, back in her life after many years for a not-so-happy reunion. Meanwhile, Natalie deals with the pressures of being a supportive wife, a responsible stepmother, and a caring aunt. A suspected conspiracy reaches into both Natalie's work and family lives as she draws nearer to solving the case. I was born fifty-seven years ago in the Bible belt but grew up in a Massachusetts college town. I am married and my wife and I have moved frequently since we met. We've lived in Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, as well as a brief residency in Berlin, Germany. I have worked peripherally in health care, banking, and insurance. In addition to writing, I have done a bit of amateur acting and comedy performances. I am afraid of heights but public speaking doesn't scare me. My wife and I live in Albuquerque with our chihuahua. Natalie Dvorak is a detective sergeant with the Vermont State Police in the 1980s. She's short but tough, more likely to subdue criminals with Taekwondo than by discharging her service revolver. Mature and experienced, Natalie solves crimes through interviews and observation. She is ethical and incorruptible, tenacious and courageous. As one of the first women recruited to the State Police, Natalie has had to win the respect of her male colleagues, whether or not she outranks them. Wrongdoers who underestimate Sergeant Dvorak put themselves in peril while victims have her commitment to finding justice for them. Natalie's personal life is complicated by her own insecurities and a sometimes difficult personality.