Tomorrow is the release day for Cutler’s Legacy, the sixth novel in the John Cutler Mysteries. It’s taken a while but I’m so excited for this book to be in the world. Cutler holds a special place in my heart. Not only was he the first novel-length character I created, but there are also a lot of elements of my personality in that guy (as embarrassing as that is to admit). Cutler’s a guy who seems to stub his toe whenever things go well for him.
Early in my relationship with Cutler, I had planned five books. Cutler’s Return, Cutler’s Chase, and Cutler’s Friend (books 1-3) came out close to how I imagined. Oh, I changed some things such as Cutler’s original name and his backstory, but the plots are how I envisioned them.
Cutler appeared in several short stories, and we collected them in Cutler’s Cases (#4). That was never the plan, but it made sense to get them all in one place. I wrote an introduction for that book about Cutler’s journey to the page. I was thrilled with that piece.
Cutler’s Bargain was originally supposed to be titled High Hopes. I had an idea for a woman hiding a marijuana grow below a tanning salon. Things changed with the naming convention of the series, but the story came out much better than I originally imagined.
The last book I had planned for Cutler was about him meeting his father. I didn’t know what was going to happen in it. He’d never met his old man, and it was something that bothered him. Cutler’s Legacy is my favorite of this series which is saying something because every book holds a special place in my heart.
What’s next for Cutler? I don’t know. However, he’ll be back. There are more events that must happen between Cutler’s Legacy and The Night of the Dead Boys (book 12 in the 509 Crime Stories) where Cutler played an integral role.
For those who have only read my cozy mysteries, please note that there is swearing and violence in the John Cutler Mysteries. Any sex always happens off the page.
Okay, that’s the big news for this week. I hope you check it out.