Reason to Die by Debbie De Louise

Someone is strangling disabled people in the small town of Baxter, Connecticut. Detective Courtney Lang and her ex-partner and ex-lover, wheelchair-bound Bill Thompson, are paired up again and put in charge of the investigation. During the course of their search, Courtney uncovers information that points toward a connection between the murders and an unsolved series of muggings by a masked man, the same man who shot and disabled Bill a year ago on the night he proposed marriage to her.

Complicating matters for Courtney is her guilt about Thompson’s shooting, her affair with her new partner, Mark Farrell, and her unresolved feelings over the deaths of her mother and sister who perished in a fire while she was away from home.

As the deaths accrue and the “Handicapped Strangler” as the killer is coined by the press continues to rampage the town, adding victims of different ages, sex, and disabilities to the murder count, Courtney discovers a clue that could crack open the case but may put her and Bill’s life in jeopardy.

Award-winning author Debbie De Louise stopped by The Big Thrill to discuss her latest thriller, REASON TO DIE:

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

I hope that readers will get a better understanding of people who are handicapped and the frustrations and fears that they face. I also hope they will enjoy the story and the way that Courtney deals with her guilt and grows as a woman and detective.

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

This book contributes to the genre by featuring crimes solved by detectives and a resolution that ties up the mystery and subplots involving all the characters.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

One thing about the book that can’t be found anywhere is that I was inspired to write the story by a dream I had.

*****

Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters-in-Crime, the Long Island Authors Group, and the Cat Writer’s Association. She has a BA in English and an MLS in Library Science from Long Island University. Her novels include the three books of the Cobble Cove cozy mystery series published by Solstice Publishing: A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Written in Stone. Debbie has also published a romantic comedy novella featuring a jewel heist caper, When Jack Trumps Ace, and has written articles and short stories for several anthologies of various genres. She lives on Long Island with her husband Anthony, daughter Holly, and Cat Stripey.

To learn more about Debbie, please visit her website.