Merrill Heath's Blog

Fast Eddie - Book 3 in the Alec Stover Mystery Series

I would be remiss if I didn’t include Roscoe in the cast of recurring characters in the Alec Stover mysteries. Roscoe is a big orange tabby that lives in the building. No one seems to mind having him around, so he has free roam of the place – or as Alec is fond of saying, Roscoe owns the building.

He doesn’t belong to anyone, but does any cat for that matter? He frequents Alec’s office, mostly around lunch time. He loves sharing a sandwich with Alec and especially likes the roast beef from Karl’s Deli. He likes napping on the leather sofa in Alec’s office but also can be found on the fire escape, soaking up the heat from the sun reflecting off the windows, or on the roof on warm, sunny days.

Detective Andy Tolleson is introduced as Radcliffe’s partner in "Access Denied," book two of the Alec Stover mysteries. He’s young and enthusiastic. He works hard. And he’s a stickler for protocol – so much so that his “by the book” emphasis grates on Radcliffe at times. He’s typically easy-going, but he can be tough when the situation demands, as evidenced at the end of "Access Denied."

Andy is tall and lean with red hair and lots of freckles, which make him look boyish. From Alec’s perspective, he always seems a bit overdressed, typically wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and non-descript tie.

We learn in "Fast Eddie" that he’s married with one kid, a 2-year-old girl, and another on the way. As Radcliffe states, even though he seems envious by Eddie’s free-and-easy lifestyle, “he loves his wife and that kid like you wouldn’t believe. He wouldn’t be happy without them.”

Mickey Collier is a Captain at the Birmingham Metropolitan Homicide Division. With a lifelong career in law enforcement, he has worked his way up the ranks over 30 years of service. He was chosen to manage the detectives assigned to Metro and is determined to make it a valuable resource for the Birmingham metropolitan area.

He’s been married for 32 years to his high-school sweetheart, with a grown daughter and two grandchildren. His strong work ethic and family values are in conflict at times, and he struggles to maintain a proper balance between work and family.

He has known Alec for years and has worked with him in the past on a few select cases. They have a good relationship, and he respects the talents Alec brings to the table.

Emma Radcliffe is a homicide detective for the Birmingham Metropolitan Homicide Division (typically referred to as simply Metro). Her boss, Captain Collier says: “She’s tough, smart, and works hard. She respects the law and plays by the book. And she’s not afraid to mix it up if she has to.”

She’s 35 years old and single although she was married briefly. She describes her current social status as “between relationships” … for the last five years. She’s strikingly pretty with dark, shoulder-length hair, hazel eyes, and the lean, strong body of an athlete, which she works hard to maintain.

She’s independent and strong-willed, but will admit to being “somewhat afraid of commitment.” However, over the course of the series, her relationship with Alec helps break down some of the walls she’s put up around herself, revealing a softer, more vulnerable personality.

Alec Stover is Philip Marlowe with an iPhone. He is current and relevant while still being reminiscent of the PIs of the previous generations. He is his own man with his own convictions, his own beliefs and sensibilities.

He’s intuitive and introspective but not self-indulgent; thoughtful and considerate but not naïve. But he’s not without fault. A previous failed marriage has made him cautious of commitment and his experiences have made him cynical and somewhat reserved. He’s a loner who would rather be at home with a good book or listening to music – jazz and the blues are his preference – than at a party or social event. Although he can be tough if the situation dictates, he does not turn to violence unless absolutely necessary.

His acquaintance with persons who inhabit the seamier side of the city allows him to acquire information that is helpful to his investigations. His relationship with the Birmingham Metropolitan Homicide Division is amiable, especially his relationship with Detective Emma Radcliffe, which becomes more intimate as the series progresses.

The Birmingham metropolitan area is diverse and interesting. There are many entertaining events, fun places, nice restaurants, and other things of local interest that I like to use in my books. While these places are real, they are used fictitiously. I may take “poetic license” from time to time to make things work the way I want them to within the context of the stories. But I hope, for the most part, that my depictions are accurate. Of course, any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

For example, the Birmingham Metropolitan Homicide Division does not exist. That is something I created to simplify things. In my books, “Metro” can take on a homicide investigation without me having to figure out the boundaries and jurisdictions of the 20+ municipalities that make up the Birmingham metropolitan area. That would be a nightmare to figure out … and I’m sure I’d screw it up.

At any rate, if you live in Birmingham, or are familiar with the area, you will find lots of landmarks and familiar places in the Alec Stover mysteries.

In regard to size, I’m specifically talking about length. Now, before you get too far down the wrong path, I’m talking about the length of a book.

When asked how long a book should be, a common mantra among writers is: “the book should be however long it takes to tell your story.” Well, that’s all fine and good from an artistic perspective. But from a commercial (or business) perspective, there are a lot of factors that must be considered – the main one being the cost of production of the printed books. The longer the book, the more it costs to produce and distribute.

But the cost of production for ebooks is minimal. With ebooks, we can get back to the artistic perspective of “however long it takes to tell your story.” The cost to produce a 500-page epic novel is not much more than the cost to produce a 15-page short story. Distribution is a couple of mouse clicks.

My Alec Stover mysteries are novellas that range from 24,000 to 36,000 words (approximately 120 to 180 pages). I chose this length so the books can be read within a couple of hours – one sitting for fast readers. With all of the distractions we face today, the constant barrage of information, and short attention spans, I feel like this length hits a sweet spot for many readers. The books can be read in a weekend at the beach, or on a long flight for business travel, or in a few hours by the fire on a cold winter’s night. For a price of less than $3 (free if you subscribe to kindle unlimited) I think these stories are a great value. I hope you agree.

I guess the first thing to clarify in this post is: what I mean by “here.” Here is focusing my writing on a specific series, a specific genre, and creating a brand in that market. For the foreseeable future, I’ll be writing and marketing books in the Alec Stover mystery series.

To date, I have jumped around from one genre to another. I’ve written two private investigator mysteries (Bearing False Witness and Access Denied), two police procedural/crime novels (Consequences and One and Done), a suspense thriller with a technology slant (Timebox), and a suspense/horror novel (Panacea). While writing in these different genres has been fun, it has probably been confusing for my readers. Those who liked Bearing False Witness might not enjoy the technology elements in Timebox. Readers who enjoyed Timebox would probably be bored with the pacing and investigative processes in One and Done or Consequences.

This “genre hopping” is not conducive to building a brand and developing a dedicated following – something that is critical for success as a writer. So, at least for the immediate future, I will be focusing on the Alec Stover mystery series. Mysteries sell well. Private investigator novels are a popular sub-genre. And series develop loyal readers. Besides all of that, they’re just fun to write and I enjoy the process. Hopefully that will make the stores fun and enjoyable for the reader, as well.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And now, we’re two weeks into the new year. Time to get to work on the writing projects for 2025.

The first step is to complete the final edit on Fast Eddie, book #3 in the Alec Stover Mystery Series. This ebook should be ready for publication by the end of the month.

Next is to publish a boxed set of the first three books in the series. This collection will be available in both ebook and print, for those of you who prefer to read physical books rather than ebooks.

Once that is done, I’ll start working on book #4 in the series, Wild Cherry. I hope to have it ready for release this summer. Then, book #5 - ready for publication by the end of the year.

I currently plan to write six books in the Alec Stover Mystery series. However, I will certainly write more if sales take off and the series proves to be as popular as I hope it will be.

It’s going to be a busy year … the most productive year of my writing career!