The men at the center of my two mystery series, Rick “Chase” Chasen in the Walk Through England mysteries and Adam Parrall in the Adam Parrall mysteries, are very different in some ways and very similar in others.
Both are what you might call “senior.” Chase is 69 and Adam is 70, and both have a knack for solving mysteries. Each also has a woman at his side to help: Chase’s is retired librarian Billie Mondreaux, and Adam’s is his wife and former lead singer, Shawna.
But that’s where the similarities end.
Chase is a large man with a full beard. Think James Galway, the famous flutist. He’s an ex-police detective from San Diego and is gay. He was in a long-term relationship with his partner Doug, who passed away right before the series starts. He’s a big baseball fan, specifically of the Boston Red Sox, and loves walking, particularly on the country paths of England. At the current point in the series, Chase is living with his new partner Mike in Exeter.
Adam is a former rock star, drummer and leader of the band Parallax, known for their one big hit, “Knife to the Heart.” He retains his rock-star good looks, including a thick mane of blond hair. Think John Taylor of Duran Duran. He loves music, of course, and mostly as a hobby runs a used vinyl record shop, B-Sides at the Seaside, in the coastal town of Cordoba, California. Although retired, both Adam and Shawna occasionally perform their songs in and around Cordoba.
A Crushing Walk in Cornwall is the latest Rick Chasen mystery, and A Hearse With No Name is Adam Parrall’s latest, with a third one on the way. I guarantee that, once you get to know my leading men, you’ll want to continue following their adventures.