Jo Wyatt sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better. Here’s Jo!

What is your full name?
Jo Wyatt, after my dad. He was set on Joe despite my mother’s belief that a girl shouldn’t be saddled with a man’s name. She’d suggested Josephine, or Joanne, but he’d held firm. I’m told Mom smiled at the time, and then quietly erased the final letter at the hospital.

How old are you?
Thirty-seven.

What is your profession?
I’m an Echo Valley Police Officer, currently assigned to the detective bureau.

Do you have a significant other?
Aiden Teague has been my best friend since we were kids, and if something ever happened to me in the line of duty, he’s listed, along with my father, as the person to notify.

What is their name and profession?
Aiden is a DEA agent.

Do you have any children?
Not yet.

Do you have any siblings?
If you count the men and women on the department, I’ve got forty-three of them.

Are your parents nearby?
Sadly, my mother passed away several years ago, but Dad still lives in the valley.

Who is your best friend?
Hands down, Aiden Teague.

Do you have any pets?
Not until I find a place of my own. Then I plan to get a cat. As much as I like dogs, cats are more self-sufficient and the schedule of a police detective can change at a moment’s notice.

What town do you live in?
Born and raised in Echo Valley, Colorado.

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
It’s pretty small. I like to joke that the city’s urban enough to have its own craft brewery, but rural enough that bears rummage through the trash at night.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I guess you could say I’m in transition. Five months post-divorce and I’m once again sleeping in the bedroom of my childhood home. At least I’ve retired the air mattress I slept on when I first returned. My ex kept our house, along with the master bedroom furniture. I took the pieces from the guest room and try not to dwell on the irony. The rest of my life is packed away in boxes in the garage, waiting for the day I find my own place to buy.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
It’s not inside, but the rose garden my mother planted along the east side of the house is still my favorite spot. Growing up, I spent nearly as much time at Aiden’s family ranch. There, Lupine Ledge holds a special place in my heart. Even as a kid, the first time I hiked up to the overlook and saw the valley spread out beneath me, I knew it was special. When times get tough, I still find my way to the Ledge to sit and think and put things back in perspective.

Favorite meal and dessert?
A breakfast burrito from El Tecolote, and for dessert, Phish Food ice cream. Not usually at the same meal. Although, being a cop really messes with a person’s internal clock, and I may have had them both at the same time. . .more than once.

Do you have any hobbies?
Depending on the season and my workload, I try to take advantage of the beauty of the valley by hiking, bouldering, cycling, running, or snowshoeing. Bonus, it lets me binge on El Tecolote’s breakfast burritos and go on the occasional bender with Ben and Jerry.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
That’s the beauty of living in Southwest Colorado. I just step outside the door. The San Juans and Rocky Mountains are paradise on earth.

What music do you listen to?
Country music is pretty big in the valley, but I like my music with a bit of Celtic flair. Occasionally I’ll listen to classical—especially if it’s raining.

Do you have a favorite book?
It’s hard to name a favorite, but I’m well-read—I have to be. Doc Ingersleban, our medical examiner, likes to start every call-out with a quote and see if my partner or I can figure out who said it. We keep score. We’re both deceptively competitive about it.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Pranking my partner. I recently filled his unmarked car with balloons for his birthday. Thing is, he’s got a long memory, so I’m sure payback is right around the corner.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
I’m pretty sure you’ll never find my memoir on the shelf of any library. Truth is, we give too much away with social media and stuff. As a cop, I’m always trying to tell people not to post when they’re on vacation, or their birthday, that kind of stuff.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Professional. My partner is Squint MacAllister, and you couldn’t find a better person to work with. He was my training officer when I first joined the department. Squint sees things. I tend to recognize what’s missing. The different perspectives make us a good team.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
What’s that saying about man plans and God laughs?

What is a typical day when you are on a case?
It’s more focused, but still as unpredictable. An investigation is always its messiest in the beginning. Like a jigsaw puzzle right after its pieces are spilled onto a table, everything is chaotic. Responding officers begin the sorting process, often constructing the framework, and making educated guesses about the big picture. But in larger cases, the intricacies are left to the detectives to piece together. That’s where I come in. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my post. The county fair marks the end of summer in Echo Valley and even us detectives are in uniform. You never really know what’s going to happen. I need to be ready.

Mercy Creek, A Jo Wyatt Mystery #2
Genre: Traditional
Release: October 2021
Purchase Link

In an idyllic Colorado town, a young girl goes missing—and the trail leads into the heart and mind of a remorseless killer.

The late summer heat in Echo Valley, Colorado turns lush greenery into a tinder dry landscape. When a young girl mysteriously disappears, long buried grudges rekindle. Of the two Flores girls, Marisa was the one people pegged for trouble. Her younger sister, Lena, was the quiet daughter, dutiful and diligent—right until the moment she vanished.

Detective Jo Wyatt is convinced the eleven-year-old girl didn’t run away and that a more sinister reason lurks behind her disappearance. For Jo, the case is personal, reaching far back into her past. But as she mines Lena’s fractured family life, she unearths a cache of secrets and half-lies that paints a darker picture.

As the evidence mounts, so do the suspects, and when a witness steps forward with a shocking new revelation, Jo is forced to confront her doubts and her worst fears. Now, it’s just a matter of time before the truth is revealed—or the killer makes another deadly move.

About the author
M.E. Browning served twenty-two years in law enforcement and retired as a captain before turning to a life of crime fiction. Writing as Micki Browning, she penned the Agatha-nominated and award-winning Mer Cavallo mysteries, and her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in anthologies, textbooks, and diving and mystery magazines. As M.E. Browning, she writes the Jo Wyatt Mysteries. The first in the series, Shadow Ridge, won the Colorado Book Award for Mystery and the silver medal in the popular fiction category of the Florida Book Awards. Mercy Creek launched in October 2021. Visit mebrowning.com to learn more.

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