Crime Fiction, Real-Life Miracle Story!

Recently, I began a new series of Crime Fiction Mysteries about the detectives from An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s police force. The series follows the complicated cases the officers solve and the challenges of pursuing a personal life as a cop. As many authors, I wanted to write a holiday story in the collection, but I wanted it to be a realistic Christmas Miracle story.
 
Lost Girl features Detective Finola “Finn” McGregor, a young idealist policewoman who becomes part of a team in charge with saving children from a human trafficking ring.
 
The idea of the story came to me while reading a true-crime article about several Roma children who were sold to human traffickers. The reality that modern slavery exists is horrifying, and I understand that most of us prefer pretending this crime doesn’t exist.
 
I decided to tackle this sensitive subject by writing an Oliver Twist kind of story where the protagonist is a young girl whose Christmas wish is to have a family. Lost Girl is a heartwarming, heart-wrenching story, which reminds the reader that Christmas miracles can still happen because wonderful people, who are willing to risk their lives for others, still exist. It’s a story about human nature, hope and courage and, most of all, it’s a tale of love and healing.
 
Learn more HERE, and remember that, even though there are people who want to hurt others, there are angels like Finn McGregor, who are trying to make the world a better place!

Lost Girl is only available by signing up for Melinda's Newsletter!

Most of us read fiction books to escape into new and exciting worlds from the comfort of our own homes. We love following great detectives or private eyes as they connect clues, and we love to hate most of the villains that skilled writers portray in their books. Being part of the chase and trying to figure out the whodunnit is a delight to the mystery reader, just as the thriller reader loves to be completely enthralled in the heads of the characters and living vicariously in their fictional worlds.
​
But even when it comes to fiction, authors need to keep a degree of accuracy, especially if we’re talking about crime fiction. My mantra as a fiction writer: “A plot doesn’t need to be possible; it needs to be plausible.” It works, up to a point, and as a young reader, I enjoyed many books that were extremely entertaining and well written. However, now I find flaws in many of them. Why? Because back then, I used to read any genre. Now, as a crime fiction reader and writer, I analyze every detail in a story.

As for my books, I work diligently to offer my readers the best possible experience in my detective mysteries, The Irish Garda Squad. I can honestly say that researching these books has taken longer than writing them, and before I started writing Dare Game, the book that starts the series, the first thing I did was contact An Garda Síochána – Ireland’s police force – and ask them to assist me with my research. The sergeant I spoke with was quite helpful, and even though it was impossible to answer all of my questions and scenarios (I hadn’t even plotted book one yet), I got the basic information that I requested.

Another stroke of luck was meeting detective Simon McLean — retired cop, author, and active member of LEAP Scotland, who was extremely patient while answering all my questions. Being a civilian with no crime-fighting background whatsoever, I can assure you some of my questions were pretty dumb.

My publisher, my editor, and my husband, aka Mr. Walking Encyclopedia, were incredibly helpful, as were the Cops and Writers Facebook group led by Patrick O’Donnell. All of these constitute a treasure of knowledge, and judging by the reviews, led to an authentic experience for my readers.
​
As I prepare to release the next book in the series, Silent Strike, I am confident that I’ve done my homework, and I’ll deliver a story my readers will love!