Verna Mae's

Natalie Dvorak #11: Sergeant Natalie Dvorak of the Vermont State Police starts the first day of the New Year with a crime. Someone has opened and robbed the safe inside Verna Mae's diner, a popular eatery along the highway. There was no break-in and Natalie assumes this was an inside job. Every employee is a suspect but none have an obvious motive. Tensions and secrets emerge among the people Natalie investigates, generating false leads and prompting additional crimes. Meanwhile, Natalie's faith in her husband is tested when he helps a new female colleague settle in at town hall. Over and over, when Natalie thinks she is in control, new developments cause the ground to shift under her feet both figuratively and literally, to the point of threatening Natalie's life. 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.