R is for Romance

 

The STAC Mysteries don’t go a bundle on romance, but Joe, Sheila and Brenda are no strangers to it.

As part of a writing course I took many years ago, I have read a few romantic novels, and I can hardly criticise them. They are perennially popular, and for anyone who says that they’re rose-tinted tosh, bearing little resemblance to the real world, let me remind you, the STAC Mysteries are rose-tinted snapshots of crime, with little resemblance to the reality of murder.

My only beef with romances are the heroes. They’re usually wealthy, incredibly good looking alpha-males. Oh yes? And us short, overweight ageing crumblies don’t know what it’s about? As one author of such romances pointed out to me, if you’re looking for escapism, who’s going to be interested in a short, overweight, ageing crumblie?

Point taken. But how does this explain Joe’s attraction? He’s short, mean, moody, scrawny, terminally tight-fisted and obsessed with business. Yet women fall for him all the time.

And Joe, too, feels the pinch on loneliness. That’s why he dated Letty Hill in My Deadly Valentine, it’s why we find him cuddling up to Brenda in The Chocolate Egg Murders.

Although he admits his share of blame in the breakdown of his marriage (his obsession with the Lazy Luncheonette) his judgement is nevertheless often suspect. He tends to gather the wrong kind of woman.

Desperation?

It’s certainly a search for that special someone with whom he can share his life, and it’s a point that will be brought home with a vengeance in a title due out later this year.

Watch this space.

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The STAC Mysteries are available as paperbacks and as e-book downloads in all formats, or direct from Crooked Cat Books in MOBI, EPUB and PDF formats