Johanna sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know her better.
What is your full name?
Johanna Girard Hudson
How old are you?
31 years
What is your profession?
Genealogist
Do you have a significant other?
My husband was murdered 2 years ago and I’ve shied away romantic commitment, but maybe it’s time to get back in the game.
If so, what is his name and profession?
Detective Dominic “Nick” Quinn is my “maybe”.
Do you have any children?
My 3 year old daughter was killed in the same car crash as my husband.
Do you have any siblings?
One, a sister
Are your parents nearby?
My parents are divorced, but my mother lives in the SF Bay Area, not far from me.
Who is your best friend?
Ava Lowell, who is also my business partner
Do you have any pets?
Not yet
What town do you live in?
Somerset, an unincorporated town near Castro Valley, CA
Do you live in a small town or a big city?
A small community in the East Bay Area.
What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I own a townhome.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
My upstairs balcony faces a woodsy hillside. I often sit out there to start and end my day.
What is your favorite meal and dessert?
Lasagna with peach/blackberry cobbler for dessert.
Do you have any hobbies?
Not really . . . hmmm, but I think I should though.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
Paris, France
What is your idea of a really fun time?
A potluck dinner party with a few close friends and good wine.
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
In the Blink of an Eye
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I suppose I would be classified as an amateur sleuth, but I’m just real good at finding people. I’m lucky to work with Trinidad Owens, our recently promoted junior consultant from Trinidad and Tobago who brings much energy to the office.
What is a typical day in your life like in general and when you are on a case?
A typical day on a client search is rarely uneventful but, I have gotten used to it. Take yesterday, I knew it was going to be hectic. I had my usual berry smoothie on the balcony and went over my list of to-do’s.
From the look of things, my day was packed 50-50 with office tasks, a client lunch and follow-up on research leads. I love research, but unreliable research can be a total waste of time—it’s rare that I can avoid digging deeper. There is so much that isn’t public about the story behind the source. In person or on the phone, I spend a lot of time making sure I find the right person.
I went into the office to find Ava finishing up with a couple who were newly signing with Legacy Consultants. Good, we need the business to expand. Ever since a successful case we had last year brought a lot of media attention, our new client list has grown but so have our expenses.
Trinidad was in her office madly tapping on the keyboard. She gave me a brief nod and said in her increasingly clear, but not yet unaccented, English, she was leaving in a few minutes to: “. . .to talk at a client . . .” Knowing her uncanny sense of tracking people, I gave her a smile with a wave and proceeded to my office–where I found a young man placing papers in my chair.
When I met Marty Blake a few months ago, he was homeless and living out of a grocery cart in an industrial yard. He saved my life. It was touch and go for me in the hospital, and when I was released I was unable to find him to say thank you. As it turns out he caught up with me, and asked for a job so I could now save his life. I couldn’t say no. Now, he is our administrative assistant and our office “glue”. He keeps things, and us, on the same track.
In the morning, I start out with returning calls I had placed the day before. Then things tend to deteriorate. Just when I think I’m going to have a chance to tackle the stack of professional articles that have formed a small tower on the corner of my desk, I get interrupted. Daily, Marty brings in the research I had ordered. Today, it contained information about a client in the federal witness protection program. I already knew that the news wasn’t good. The client had admitted to me that he had defied the rules of his agreement and was living on his own terms. Now he wanted to meet to discuss how he was going to live without the Feds breathing down his neck, and by the way could I locate his granddaughter for him. I accepted, this was a challenge I couldn’t refuse.
Glancing at the clock, I had planned on making a visit to the courthouse to pick over public records. I save the afternoons for in-person meetings, whether or not I’m expected at the door. I had a lot of work to do until then.
By mid-afternoon, Nick hadn’t called. I gave in to a deep sigh of dining with my mother.
Then, about an hour before we closed, his name showed up on my phone.
Look Twice, A Johanna Hudson Mystery #2
Genre: Traditional
Release: August 2022
Purchase Link
It has been less than a year since Johanna Hudson realized that her research talents could be used for more than revealing her clients’ family trees. Johanna is a thirty-year-old genealogist who, along with her partner Ava Lowell, and their astute office assistant Trinidad Owens, comprise Legacy Consultants, with an office in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Johanna volunteers at the New Day Shelter, a house for homeless women. She helps the residents research their own family trees. Resident, JW, a young woman, wants Johanna to help her find her baby brother who was put up for adoption by their mother. Johanna is sympathetic but declines; she’s a family tree researcher, not a missing person detective.
However, she begs Johanna to reconsider. JW reveals that she has witnessed the killing of the daughter of a wealthy Silicon Valley tycoon. He has offered a million-dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of his daughter’s killer. JW says she has qualifying information. She wants the reward to make a future for her baby brother. Johanna is swayed and agrees. But someone wants anyone connected with the reward, stopped. Johanna faces a serial killer and finally comes to grip with her own personal demons.
About the author
R. Franklin James’ career started as a political hack in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first book in her award-wining, five-star Hollis Morgan Mystery Series began with The Fallen Angels Book Club and ended with The Identity Thief. In 2020 the Hollis Morgan series was optioned for two feature length TV movies which were released in early 2022. The Inheritance is the first book in her Johanna Hudson Mystery series. Book two: Look Twice, was recently released. She is also the author of The Appraiser– Remy Loh Bishop Mysteries. James resides in northern California.
All comments are welcomed.
Genealogy is such an interesting way for a sleuth to help solve crimes! And I love “Detective Dominic “Nick” Quinn is my “maybe” – good for Johanna! I hope it works out. And she might get a pet? More reasons to read more books in this wonderful series.
I love this new series. LOOK TWICE is a thrill a minute combined with interesting genealogy background.
R. Franklin James can really spin a tale. Charismatic characters dig into family histories to separate the lies from the truth. A whisper of future romance; a growing body count. Look Twice will keep you turning its pages. This new series is golden.
This is such a wonderful book. I love the character of Johanna and I’m so excited her latest adventure is out in the world for people to read!
I loved the Hollis Morgan series and was quickly hooked by Johanna and Ava and the delightful Trinidad. Genealogy sounds like a quiet search through library shelves, but in Johanna Hudson’s life it’s thrilling and even dangerous. Pick up a copy and enjoy!
My husband is a Genealogy buff so both of us were excited about R Franklin James’ new series. We loved The Inheritance and were thrilled at this newest addition to the Johanna Hudson books. We were not disappointed. Ms James has done her genealogy research (a big deal to my hubby) and wove a story that throughly engaged and has us both eager for more.