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The Big Thrill Discusses SPECIAL AGENT WITNESS with R. Barri Flowers

A witness under federal protection
Leads danger to his small town…

Determined to put away the human trafficking criminal who killed her partner, Homeland Security Investigations special agent Rosamund Santiago is in hiding—as a waitress. With a ruthless professional assassin hunting her down, she can’t afford any missteps. But Detective Russell Lynley suspects the pretty waitress he likes is hiding secrets. And uncovering the truth will land them both in the killer’s crosshairs…

R. Barri Flowers

Author R. Barri Flowers recently spent time with The Big Thrill discussing SPECIAL AGENT WITNESS, Book #1 in the The Lynleys of Law Enforcement series.

A novel is such a major undertaking; there’s the writing of it, of course, then you’re spending months and months revising, polishing, and then promoting it. How did you know this was the book you wanted to spend the next couple of years on?

My instincts told me this was the right book to write at the right time in moving forward with.

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

I would have to say that having written a number of nonfiction books that examined human trafficking sparked the idea for writing a novel that focused on the subject as part of the romantic suspense plot.

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?

My protagonist, Homeland Security Investigations special agent Rosamund Santiago, was inspired by a wish to create an intelligent, hardworking, tough, and more than capable of holding her own heroine that readers would be drawn to and rooting for.

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

As a big fan of jazz standards, I am sure that one or two classics crossed my mind while immersed in writing novel.

In addition to a great read, what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

The anticipation for the next book and the one after that, and so forth, in the six-book series that revolves around a law enforcement family.

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

Christmas Lights Killer (The Lynleys of Law Enforcement Book 2), in which, after his missing niece turns up dead, state trooper Hamilton McCade joins the hunt for her murderer. Working the case with Detective Annette Lynley, they quickly discover there’s a serial killer in their town. With Christmas just around the corner, and the attraction between them heating up, Annette becomes a target. But Hamilton won’t let this monster hurt another woman he loves…

R. Barri Flowers is an award-winning criminologist and bestselling author of psychological, legal, mystery, romantic suspense, thriller, and crime fiction; along with criminology and true crime books. He has also edited several mystery and true crime anthologies. As an expert on criminal behavior, violent offenders and serial killers, Flowers has appeared on the Biography Channel, Investigation Discovery, and Oxygen true crime documentary series. The author is a graduate of Michigan State University’s renowned School of Criminal Justice and a recipient of its esteemed Wall of Fame Award. In his thriller novels, Flowers strives to bring verisimilitude to the characters and stories in using his expertise to go with creative juices and a vivid imagination to create gripping and realistic fiction.

To learn more about the author and his work, please visit his website.

SPECIAL AGENT WITNESS with R. Barri Flowers