Rachael sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so we can learn more about her. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Rachael.

What is your full name?
Rachael Athena Davies. We’re not Greek, my mother just read a lot of mythology in high school. That’s why she named my sister Isis.

How old are you?
38

What is your profession?
I’m a pathologist—I was the Medical Examiner of Washington DC previously but currently I’m the Dean of Education at the Locard Institute near Chesapeake Bay.

Do you have a significant other?
No.

Do you have any children?
I do now—I’m raising my late sister’s son, Danton. He’s three.

Do you have any siblings?
Only Isis, who passed away over a year ago.

Are your parents nearby?
My father died young, of heart disease, but I live with my mother, Loretta. She can be home with Danton when I’m at work.

Who is your best friend?
At the moment—I guess it’s Ellie. Dr. Ellie Carr, formerly of the FBI, now a professor at the Institute. After the events of this past year, even though there’s still worlds about her I don’t know and vice versa, we’ve gotten close.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
Love animals, but don’t have the bandwidth to take any on right now. Danton has been making noises about a puppy since he met Ellie’s.

What town do you live in?
A tiny place called Fairhaven, about 10 miles south of Annapolis.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
Own. We’ve got a 4 bedroom ranch, nothing wild.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
The kitchen…my mom’s a great cook and we just wind up spending a lot of time together around the kitchen table.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
My mom makes this mac and cheese with chicken in it—I don’t know how she does it, but it’s unlike any mac and cheese you’ve ever had. Favorite dessert, bubble tea.

Do you have any hobbies?
I wish! I do a crossword puzzle once in a while, that’s about it. Between the Locard and Danton, there’s just not enough hours in the day—which I know isn’t healthy!

What music do you listen to?
Mostly rock.

What is your favorite color?
I love a deep sapphire blue.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
My ex and I once spent a week in Tuscany. I’d love to do that again, but haven’t gotten around to it (see various answers above!).

Are you a morning or night person?
I like the night hours, when the world is quiet and wound down.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Taking Danton to Disneyworld. I say that because I haven’t done it yet, he’s still a little too young. I wonder if the experience will live up to my expectations when I do!

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Me: A Life In Sections

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
As a forensic pathologist I was a professional; now, as a forensic teacher and consultant, I guess I qualify as a professional, though local law enforcement might disagree at times.

What is a typical day in your life like?
Go to the Locard, go home, have dinner with my mother and Danton, play games with him to hear that delicious giggle, bath time, bed time, and then it’s me time, during which I’m usually planning out the next day at the Locard. It depends on what sort of course is going on that week and what research project I’m working on. But I’m not a workaholic. Really, I’m not!

Not Who We Expected: A Locard Institute Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Thriller
Release: February 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Dynamic forensic analysts Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies return in New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black’s latest riveting Locard Institute thriller, as they solve a deadly mystery unfolding in the shadow of a celebrated rock star.

The two crime experts are enlisted by legendary rock star Billy Diamond to find his missing daughter. A level-headed student at Yale, Devon left six months earlier with her boyfriend, Carlos, for a career development retreat in Nevada. Her calls and notes became less frequent until they stopped. Billy wanted to give his daughter space—but after learning Carlos’ body was found a few miles upstream from the ranch, he needs answers.

Rachael and Ellie hatch a plan—as Ellie goes undercover, Rachael will work with Billy to find out about Devon. But Rachael has a second agenda, to find out why Billy seems so familiar with her late sister Isis, whose little boy Rachael is raising. The music idol is hiding something, but what?

The southwest ranch is full of surprises. Devon is not only alive but thriving, and no one mentions Carlos. The attendees follow their leader, Galen, with slavish devotion, and their daily mind-body exercises stretch from brain-numbing to downright treacherous. If Galen is behind some nefarious scheme, how does it relate to the rock star and his daughter?

To answer those questions, Rachael will also have to ask: Who was her sister Isis, really? The answers will draw Ellie and Rachael deeper into danger. In Billy’s world and in Galen’s, the living, the missing, and the dead all have secrets.

About the author
Lisa Black is the New York Times bestselling author of 18 suspense novels, including the Gardiner & Renner series and the Locard Institute series. Her works that have been translated into six languages, optioned for film, and shortlisted for both the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award and the Nero. She is also a full-time Certified Latent Print Examiner and a Certified Crime Scene Analyst, beginning her forensics career at the Coroner’s office in Cleveland Ohio and then the police department in Cape Coral, Florida. She has spoken to readers and writers at numerous conferences, been a consultant for CourtTV, and was a Guest of Honor at 2021 Killer Nashville.