Cleo Mack first appeared in Murder At Harbor Village and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Cleo.

What is your name?
Cleo Mack. Nee Dyer. Then, briefly, McKenzie. But now just Mack.

How old are you?
Just hit the big five-oh.

What is your profession?
I’ve been a social worker more than half my life and now I’m director of Harbor Village, a residential community for active retirees.

Do you have a significant other?
To my complete and utter surprise, it’s beginning to look like I do.

What is his name and profession?
Hmm. Well, I’m not really superstitious but I don’t want to jinx things—you know what I mean? I guess I’d better not answer that question on the record, not just yet.

Any children?
My daughter Stephanie. Whatever I say won’t suit her but she’s twenty-five going on fifteen, lives in Birmingham with her husband and my two-year-old grandson Barry, and is co-owner of a quilt shop. She’s bossy, to put it politely. Which is why I didn’t move to Birmingham when I retired. Dodged a bullet there.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
Strange you should ask that. I just bought one of those DNA test kits, hoping to find some half-sisters or brothers out there somewhere. It actually happened to one person I know.

Do your parents live near you?
I never knew my father. My mother and grandparents raised me and my mother remarried when they died. She and her new husband moved to Florida just after I left for college. But she’s gone now, too.

Who is your best friend?
My old friends in Atlanta have scattered all across the country. One of the hazards of contemporary life, I guess. We stay in touch by phone or texts, and I have some really good friends here now. I’m closest to Nita Bergen. She’s thirty years older than I am but I can tell her anything. And believe me, she can say anything to me. And has.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
I love them all. Maybe you’ve heard about Tinkerbelle? She’s a long-haired calico and came with my apartment. I had an awful time learning her name but a vet finally looked it up for me. Notice that it’s belle, like a Southern belle. Which she is. A feline diva.

What town do you live in?
Fairhope, Alabama. The quaintest, most charming community on Mobile Bay. Look it up sometime.

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I negotiated for an apartment as part of my job, but I pay rent. And I just walk across the street to my office. That may be changing soon but, like I said, let’s not jinx it.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
Definitely the screened porch. There’s a courtyard, too, with a chiminea, and a garage in the adjacent building, which keeps my car out of the sun.

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
I’m mostly vegetarian and like everything. If I could pick any dessert. . .how about blackberry cobbler with a nice crisp crust, a little sugar sparkling on the top, a scoop of ice cream. Oh, yum.

Favorite hobby?
I took a drawing class recently and admired the teacher’s work, but I don’t think I’ll ever do that. My neighbor has a knit shop and says she can teach anybody, and Stephanie thinks I should start quilting. But the thing I actually do with some regularity is Sudoku. It’s like meditation. So relaxing.

Favorite color?
Do you know Michael Bonderant, the decorator? He says I’m color phobic. I admit my closet does run to beige and white and tan. Lots of black, of course. But I like green, too. Tinkerbelle has beautiful green eyes.

Favorite author?
I don’t read much fiction. The book I’m reading right now is Utopia for Realists, How We Can Build the Ideal World by Rutger Bregman. A perfect book for a social worker. Or anybody. If you haven’t heard about it already, you will.

Favorite vacation spot?
I had a great visit to Savannah recently. I’d love to go back. But living in Fairhope is like being on vacation. Even with a job.

Favorite sports team?
I’m not really a sports fan but if you live in Alabama you have to take sides, so I’ll say the Crimson Tide.

Movies or Broadway?
Ha! Do you know how far it is to Broadway? But community theater’s pretty good here. They’re coming to Harbor Village in a few weeks.

Are you a morning or a night person?
Morning.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
You’ve been talking with the residents! I told them—I am not a sleuth, I’m a problem solver.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Jim Bergen is the only sleuth around here and he’s always on the job. Or Riley Meddors—he was a forensic banker before he retired. . .if he really has retired. I’m not too sure about that. All the Harbor Village residents are a little sleuth-y, if that’s a word. Maybe it’s part of aging. You have an idea of how things ought to be and if something’s off. . .well, you look into it. People call it nosey but I say it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Up early and off to the gym. Back to the apartment and dress for the office. Feed the cat. Walk to work. Solve problems. Meet with department heads and employees, get them working on problems, too. Lunch in the dining room or in town with Lieutenant Mary Montgomery or another friend. Back to the office for more meetings with staff, residents, community members. Review financial reports, schedule maintenance, check on residents. Plan events. Answer phone calls. I talk with Travis McKenzie most days—yes, he’s my ex and Stephanie’s father, but that was a long, long time ago. Now he’s my boss. I attend a lot of meetings, and give an occasional guest lecture at one of the colleges. There’s usually something going on here in the evenings—a musical performance, or movie, or lectures. Riley and I eat out occasionally, sometimes with Jim and Nita. Stephanie visits frequently. There’s a group that plays Mexican Trains on Friday nights. And several times a week I go to the pier to watch the sunset. There’s nothing like a beautiful sunset for focusing me on the things that matter.

That’s it? Thank you, Dru, for inviting me for the interview. It was fun.

You can read about Cleo in Murder at Royale Court, the second book in the “Cleo Mack” cozy mystery series, released June 4, 2019.

Harbor Village is a vivacious retirement paradise known for its beachy locale and active senior scene. But ever since murder moved in, the idyllic coastal community is becoming a little less lively . . .

With the first annual antique car show cruising into the tranquil bayside oasis of Fairhope, Alabama, there are bumpy roads ahead for Harbor Village director Cleo Mack. As an automobile-themed lecture series gets off to a rough start, she finds herself balancing one too many responsibilities—and dodging advances from a shady event sponsor. It’s enough to make Cleo feel twice her age. But the festivities reach a real dead end when she discovers a body at the Royale Court shopping center . . .

When an innocent man lands in the hot seat for murder, Harbor Village residents look to Cleo to crack the case. Aided by an eclectic group of energetic seniors, Cleo races to identify the true culprit from a growing list of harmless Sunday drivers—before a killer revs up for another hit and run!

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About the author
Born and raised in Alabama, GP Gardner earned BS and MA degrees in Psychology from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Jacksonville State University. She also studied biopsychology and primatology at the University of Georgia. Her heart still belongs to Talladega College, where she taught business. Her writing life began with short stories, some of which were published in regional literary journals and some of which won prizes. She enjoys the classic mystery writers as well as contemporary whodunits, and reads widely, especially in biography, history, and nonfiction. She is a knitter and once owned a knit shop in Fairhope, AL. Murder at Royale Court is the second mystery featuring social worker Cleo Mack.

To learn more about G.P., visit her website at gpgardner.com.

All comments are welcomed.