Mysteries SCORCHED: BURN ME ONCE with Cam Torrens

After his over-zealous efforts to find his missing Search & Rescue partner fail, Air Force veteran Tyler Zahn is on the outs with Chaffee County law enforcement. When valuable oil paintings are stolen during a heist on a high-altitude pass in the Colorado Rockies, Zahn is ordered to steer clear of the investigation.

But when Laura Coker Long–the artist he’s trying to date–has her most famous work stolen too, Zahn can’t help but get involved. Trapped by a wildfire in a mountain retreat with a group of art patrons, Laura and her family, and an FBI agent, Zahn’s search for the thief is hindered by more heinous crimes.

Zahn can’t afford to screw up again. But he has no choice. If he doesn’t step forward and lead, people may die.

Cam Torrens recently sat down with The Big Thrill to discuss his latest genre, SCORCHED: BURN ME ONCE.

Cam Torrens

When you first created your protagonist for this book, did you see an empty space in crime lit that you wanted to fill? What can you share about the inspiration for that character?

I wanted to bring back the self-effacing, humble protagonist not seeking to be a hero, but committed to doing the right thing. I think readers still respond to integrity and service and I want to prove you can write an exciting thriller with those themes.

Can you pinpoint a moment or incident that sparked the idea for this book?

I was touring the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas and tried to imagine how I could write about search & rescue, a mountain pass art heist, and a romance all in one mystery. It took a while to put together, but I love how it turned out!

Were there any particular books, movies, or songs that were knocking around in your head while you were writing this one?

Ruth Ware’s One by One and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None served as inspiration for writing a locked-room mystery. I love their work, but wanted to see the concept played out in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

What can you share about what you’re working on next?

My protagonist, Tyler Zahn, seems to resonate with my readers and they are constantly asking me questions about his past. I’m working on a prequel to the Tyler Zahn series entitled Death Spiral. Zahn moves from Florida to Colorado to try to overcome the depression and lethargy plaguing his life since he left the Air Force and his family. The book is all about how he regains his “mojo.”