Lexy Campbell is the sleuth in the “Last Ditch” mysteries. One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions. So, let’s get to know Lexy.

What is your full name?
Leagsaidh (pronounced “Lexy”) Campbell.

How old are you?
Thirty. Ish. Quite a lot of ish.

What is your profession?
I’m a therapist.

Do you have a significant other?
Ha. No. And given the amount of ish and the fact that I’m supposed to be all sorted out, what with being a therapist, I should really do something about that. Which means dating. Kill me now.

What is their name and profession?
Oh you know, veterinary surgeon. Architect. With a golden retriever. Yes, he’s a widowed architect or maybe a vet with a retriever. Fictional.

Do you have any children?
This is where a fictional boyfriend gets less practical.

Do you have any siblings?
I do not. I’ve never been sure why that is. I asked my mum once. She said and I quote “In my day, Lexy, you took what came and you didn’t throw huffs if it wasn’t what you wanted.” So I thought it best to leave it there. (I tend to restrict my psychologically healthy choices to work.)

Are your parents nearby?
My parents are in Dundee, in Scotland. Six thousand miles away. So . . . close enough. Wait though, that’s not fair. They’re fine. We get on all right. They were thrilled frilly when I married a dentist with a swimming pool and moved to California. They’ve been sulking a bit since the divorce. If I’d got to keep the pool, it might have been different.

Who is your best friend?
Todd Kroger. He’s my neighbour at the Last Ditch Motel and he was the first person I met here. Nought to bestie in under a minute. But then Kathi Muntz, who co-owns the motel and also runs the attached laundromat (oh yes, it’s very swanky) has kind of crept up on me. She’s quieter than Todd, as are most people, but she’s a good egg. Her wife, Noleen, and Todd’s husband, Roger, are good pals too but they’re a bit sensible, compared with the three of us.

Do you have any pets?
Not exactly. I bought two kittens for Diego – a wee boy who also lives at the motel – and his mum, Della, isn’t about to let me off the hook. So I buy more pet food than most pet-less people and I cut the knots out of their armpits when they get in a tangle.

What town do you live in?
Cuento, CA. In Beteo County. It’s one of those ninety minute places: ninety mins from Napa, San Francisco and Tahoe. Depending on traffic.

Would you say you live in a small town or a big city?
It’s a big small town. About 60K residents but half of them are students at UCC, so it feels quiet when they’re studying for mid-terms and finals, but feels mad when they’re out and about in the downtown on their skateboards.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I own it! I inherited it, much to my surprise. It’s a houseboat, moored on the Last Ditch Slough (where the motel got its name) despite the misgivings of the city permit people They hate me.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
In the summer, it’s the front porch. It stretches across the width of the boat, up some steps from the lapping water. In winter it’s the living room, which takes up half the interior. One corner is brick-lined to allow for a woodstove and there’s nowhere cozier. Everything else on the boat is less cozy than titchy, but I cope.

Favorite meal and dessert?
How to choose? I love Japanese food and ice-cream. Pizza and sticky toffee pudding. Pulled pork and Eton mess. I’m going to settle on . . . Barbecue spare ribs with perfect rice (I can’t cook rice), followed by New York cheesecake. Eaten alone – the best way to enjoy ribs without making anyone else feel sick watching you.

Do you have any hobbies?
Of course! I’m so well-rounded and I understand the importance of self-care and healthy habits. (Note to self: get some hobbies.)

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Puerto Vallarta is pretty lush. And there’s something wrong with you if you can find fault with Hawaii. But I’ve still got lingering Protestant guilt about swanky holidays. I always think I should be huddled in a two-man tent with three friends, playing Scrabble, in the rain. I’m working on it.

What music do you listen to?
Enya at work, to calm people down. So Slipknot out of work, for a change. I quite like NWA too. And I love Dolly Parton. And Mozart. Hmmmmm. I’d have to think a bit more to describe my musical taste in a word.

Do you have a favorite book?
I just discovered Shirley Jackson. She was something, wasn’t she? Six novels, just like Jane Austen, in a similarly short life. I picked up We Have Always Lived in the Castle expecting a pleasant bit of escapism. Ha!

What is your idea of a really fun time?
To set off somewhere I’ve never been, with Todd and Kathi, on expenses. A road trip to Oregon to scope out some bad guys; a shopping trip to the big Goodwill to buy disguises; a walk along the Sacramento River, interviewing the people who camp there about a missing person . . . I’m quite easily pleased. But no Karaoke.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
“I don’t care how that made you feel” Nah, just kidding. I’d probably call it something like “Tales from the Couch” and then when it was all formatted and I was ready to upload it, I’d check to see if any other therapist had ever used that title before. Then I’d cry. OMG – I just clicked over to Amazon and there are four!

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Well . . . I’m a professional therapist at Trinity Solutions. I do “Trinity for Life”. Todd is a make-over queen (his term) and he does “Trinity for You” – wardrobe and grooming. Kathi de-clutters and cleans, under the banner “Trinity for Home”. Only, now we’ve added a fourth string to our bow. “Trinity for Trouble”. Kathi is working towards her PI license. It’s approximately fumfty-squillion hours. We’re her assistants, I suppose. In short, it’s hard to say.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Varied. It starts with coffee in bed and it ends with Margaritas somewhere but in between it could be anything. If I’ve got a lot of counseling clients, the days are quiet and tear-stained. If we’re on a case, who knows? I had to learn to crawl on my belly like a snake recently. In the dark. In the desert. I never did that in Dundee.

Scot on the Rocks is the third book in the “Last Ditch” cozy mystery series, coming August 3, 2020.

Lexy Campbell’s ex-husband begs for her help finding his current wife, whose disappearance mirrors that of a number of statues around California – menacing ransom note and all.

A community is devastated when the bronze statue of local legend Mama Cuento is stolen on Valentine’s Day. When Lexy Campbell arrives on the scene, a big bronze toe is found along with a ransom note – “Listen to our demands or you will never see her again. There are nine more where this came from”.

Then, Lexy’s ex-husband Bran turns up begging for help to find his wife, Brandee, who has disappeared. Lexy agrees to pitch in, but when she shows up at Bran’s house he has just discovered one of Brandee’s false nails and another ransom note with the same grisly message.

Are the two cases linked or is a copycat on the loose? Who would want to kidnap a bronze statue or, come to that, Brandee? And can Lexy put aside her hatred for Bran long enough to find out?

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About the author
Catriona McPherson, multiple award-winner, multiple Mary Higgins Clark award loser, was born in Scotland and lived there until immigrating in 2010. She writes the Dandy Gilver series, set in the old country in the 1930s, as well as a strand of darker (not difficult) psychological thrillers including the latest Strangers At The Gate.

After eight years in the US, she kicked off the humorous Last Ditch series, which takes a wry look at her new home. The e-book of number three, Scot On The Rocks, is coming out early what with one thing and another. It will be available on 3 August.

Catriona lives on 20 scruffy acres in NorCal, with a black cat and a scientist.

All comments are welcomed.