Corrie Locke first appeared in Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Corrie.

What is your name?
Corrie Locke.

How old are you?
26

What is your profession?
Uh. . .do you mean the one I’m supposed to be working or the one I actually work? Because there’s a big difference. One is legal and the other. . .well, not so legal. I’m a new lawyer with a job at a movie studio, but I haven’t had much of a chance to do the studio job because I keep getting interrupted. It’s not my fault. It’s just that. . .crime happens. And case-cracking is a lot more exciting than negotiating and drafting ho-hum contracts.

Do you have a significant other?
Can I say maybe? Here’s the thing, I have a slight tendency to fall for the wrong guy. . .all the time. But now I’ve found the right guy; I’ve known him since forever. He’s my best friend and co-case cracker. Our bond is unbreakable, and I plan to keep it that way. . .while testing the romance waters. Keep your fingers crossed.

What is his name and profession?
Michael Parris. He’s associate dean of the computer science department at Los Angeles Tech College. His computer skills come in handy, and he’s a great cook, which is even handier since I can barely crack an egg without making a mess.

Any children?
No way.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
I’m a one and only.

Do your parents live near you?
My mother lives ten, very short miles away and she’s pretty involved in my life. Boy, did she toss me a big surprise recently. And Dad? Well, let’s just say he’s not around anymore. They divorced when I was twelve, which was right about the time Dad decided to spend more quality time with me. He taught me defense tactics, how to use weapons and kick open a door, and other practical life skills. My dad’s a well known PI in Los Angeles.

Who is your best friend?
Michael, of course. Kind, sweet, thoughtful, domestically inclined Michael.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
None right now, but one of these days. . .

What town do you live in?
I live in a cozy little bootleg unit in Hermosa Beach, California. My mom’s friends with the landlady, so she’s cut me a deal on the rent. The landlady flies the friendly skies which is great ’cause she’s rarely home. She’s possibly the world’s oldest flight attendant.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
Gosh, the whole place is so small, I can fold it up and carry it around in a knapsack. My living room’s my fave, I guess. That’s where I hang my dartboard. Only I don’t use darts. I use shuriken, Japanese throwing stars. Dad taught me how to hit the bulls-eye every time. It’s relaxing. You should try it.

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
Dessert is my favorite meal. Every one of my teeth is a sweet tooth.

Favorite hobby?
Does chasing bad guys and girls count?

Favorite color?
Blood red.

Favorite author?
Ian Fleming. If only he’d written a book about a female master spy with sweet skills, sweet cars, sweet weapons and a sweet wardrobe. That would be me. . .sort of.

Favorite vacation spot?
I’ll let you know once I take one.

Movies or Broadway?
Movies. Old time ones, like from the thirties and forties. People talked more nicely to each other back then.

Are you a morning or a night person?
Definitely night. It’s the best time for case-cracking.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
An amateur making her way to becoming a professional.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Besides Michael, I work with Veera Bankhead, my legal assistant. Veera’s six feet tall and built to last. She’s a former security guard who attends long distance law school at night. She harbors a not so secret ambition for us to open our own PI agency and call it the No. 1 LA Detective Agency. It’s tempting. Then there’s assistant DA James Zachary. He’s Michael’s other best friend and my one time school-girl crush. He’s the only person I know who’s skilled with weapons and fearless. Besides me, that is.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Just the other day, I got up, got dressed and battled LA freeway traffic to get to my office at the studio. In the morning, I wrote up a few contracts, and after lunch, I was supposed to go to a meeting, but I never made it. I’d stopped to watch a mystery movie being shot on the back lot when, all of a sudden, the fictional murder turned real, practically right in front of me. I tried to get closer to the crime scene, but I couldn’t, so I left to find another way in when this guy raced past me. Naturally, I ran after him. Why was he running? Boy, was I surprised when I discovered who it was. Yep, that’s a typical day for me.

You can read more about Corrie in Murder: Double or Nothing, the third book in the “Southern California” private investigator mystery series, released July 23, 2019.

Corrie Locke, newbie lawyer and daughter of a late, great PI, is learning the ropes at the Hollywood movie studio where she works—and where things are never what they seem. Life imitates art when a fictional murder attempt turns real—right before her very eyes.

With more than a little help from friends and a crazy movie legend, Corrie trips down a trail littered with wisecracks, mysterious messages, and marginally legal maneuvers to track down the killer. Meanwhile, clues keep disappearing and Corrie makes an enemy whose deadly tactics keep escalating. Will her impromptu sleuthing skills be enough to catch the mysterious assailant before he takes her down?

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About the author
Lida Sideris is an author, lawyer, and all-around book enthusiast. She writes soft-boiled mysteries and was one of two national winners of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America scholarship award. Murder: Double or Nothing is the third installment in her Southern California Mystery series, published by Level Best Books. Lida is also the author of The Cookie Eating Fire Dog, a picture book for ages 4-8. She lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs and a flock of uppity chickens. To learn more, please visit LidaSideris.com.

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