by Marilyn Meredith

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Over and over I read comments from readers saying they didn’t want to read a book with the pandemic in it. When it was time to write the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, I wasn’t sure what to do.

My Rocky Bluff P.D. series is written about real people in real time. How could I ignore something that was affecting all of our lives?

I had a great conversation with my police officer grandson about what was going on and how it affected him on the job. After listening to him, I knew I had to include what was happening in our world, to the much smaller world of the beach town of Rocky Bluff.

Of course, I wasn’t sure how people would accept Not as We Knew It and if it would be a complete disaster. As I do with every book I write, I began to see what was happening through the eyes of the characters who are experiencing what is going on.

And as far as the virus was concerned, how varied the on-going characters would view the threat of the sickness. This was an easy task as I knew the different reactions of those in my family as well as friends.

What I tried to do was show how my main characters are affected as they go about their jobs and everyday lives, and at the same time create an ongoing and intriguing mystery plot.

As the official blurb states:

The challenges come one after another for the Rocky Bluff P.D. to handle?from a missing woman to a fatal house fire.

Detective Doug Milligan is faced with new and unusual problems to solve, some on the job and others related to his family.

Gordon Butler isn’t too happy that his wife was chosen to train the latest new-hire.

And I’d like to add, that Chief Taylor must make a major decision to keep Rocky Bluff safe.

All of the reviews have been positive, and I’d like to share this one with you:

“…Rocky Bluff P.D. was challenged in ways it never had been before. Yes, they have dealt with earthquakes, dense fog, wildfires, being perpetually understaffed due to tight budgets, and crimes big and small, but the pandemic created issues and strong emotions no one could imagine that impacted every person in some way or another. I applaud Meredith for having the guts to take this on.”
—Review by Cheryl Malandrinos

So, I think I made the right decision to include what was and is still going on in the world today in Not as We Knew It.

To buy: Amazon: Not As We Knew It (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries Book 16)

One last comment: When asking my grandson all my questions about how the police department he works for is handling all that is going on today, he finally said, “Grandma, it’s your department, do it any way you want.” And I did.

Marilyn Meredith writes this series as F. M. Meredith

To enter to win a copy of Not as We Knew It, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “knew,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 18, 2021. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Marilyn Meredith, who also writes under the name F. M. Meredith, is the author of over forty published books, most are mysteries. She lives in the foothills of the Southern Sierra, and once lived in a small beach town like Rocky Bluff. She belongs to two chapters of Sisters in Crime and the Public Safety Writers Association.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.