Detective Parrott

When I wrote Murder in the One Percent, released in 2018, I wanted to tell the story of a group of insanely wealthy financial wizards who find themselves at an opulent party, but one of them wakes up dead. Because it was a murder mystery, a detective was necessary.  I never dreamed that the young detective, Oliver Parrott, would become so popular, or that readers would clamor for more of him.

Don’t get me wrong—Parrott is a great young man. He’s smart and ambitious. He’s got a great moral compass. He chose police work because he wanted to make a difference. The senseless death of his cousin and the absence of his fiancée fueled his determination to persevere when the odds are against him. Still, I didn’t predict how much more relatable his character would become to readers over the other sympathetic characters in the book.

“Give us another Parrott mystery,” I heard over and over again, and how could I refuse? At the age of 26, Parrott was just getting started in a brilliant career. So I sat down to write a second Detective Parrott mystery, which evolved into A Palette for Love and Murder.

Brandywine Valley

Still set in the beautiful Brandywine Valley, Pennsylvania, the book picks up with Parrott’s next case, which involves the notable art community there. Many local establishments, enthralled that I had already put them on the literary map with Murder in the One Percent, folded me into their arms and hearts, and provided me with answers to a thousand little questions. Among others, I am grateful to Lee Walasavage of Terry Funeral Home, Michelle Thackrah of Archer and Buchanan Architects, Susanne Pagano of Delaware Today, Jessica Stryker of The Hunt, the kind people at the Brandywine River Museum, clergy at Don Guanella, and members of the West Brandywine Police Department.

Their assistance went a long way toward authenticating the book’s setting, characters, and conflict.  Now that the book is out, they continue to support its place on the shelf. For most of us, Detective Parrott is very real. He can be found making the lush country landscape even safer and more serene.

Brandywine Valley is not my hometown. It’s not even Parrott’s hometown. But it is the iconic locale of two murder mysteries featuring Detective Parrott and the West Brandywine Police. As such, it is an important part of my focus whenever I talk about my books. For me, it’s a perfect place for Hometown Reads.