One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Declan Shaw.
What is your full name?
Declan Francis Philip Shaw. I rarely rattle off the complete string. My mother used to call me Francis when she needed to make a forceful point, like “Don’t be ornery, Francis!” It gave me an excuse to pretend she was talking to somebody else. That didn’t go down too well.
How old are you?
Thirty-four.
What is your profession?
I’m a private investigator. I stumbled into the trade by accident. After college, I planned to go to Law School but I didn’t have the money. I thought I would get a job, live on the cheap, plump up my savings … It didn’t turn out that way. I was working as a limo driver when I heard a client complain about persistent theft in his warehouse and the police doing nothing. I identified the thieves. Word got around, other people contacted me, hoping I could fix their problems. I liked the challenges. Then came the license.
If you have a significant other, what is their name and profession?
My business partner, Moira Perkins, would love to see me hitched. She’s constantly disappointed. I have a talent for falling for the wrong girls … Except Daisy, Daisy Diamond, she’s a PI in Miami. We have an on/off long distance relationship. I don’t want to move to Florida and she doesn’t want to come to Texas. Moira hopes we’ll both come to our senses.
Do you have any children?
No, but I’m not opposed to the idea.
Who is your best friend?
Moira, but she’s more than a friend, she’s family. I’m like an uncle for her kids. Then there’s Frank Murphy. He’s Houston PD Homicide Commander. I got that PI license because of him. He ordered me to get legit, or else! I know I drive him nuts, at times.
Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
I’m not home much. Poor thing would be alone most of the time. Or Moira would have to take care of it. I give her enough work as it is.
What town do you live in?
Houston, on the East side. It used to be industrial, but the area is changing. I have mixed feelings about that.
What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I own a four-story building. An old warehouse. It’s been tough but I’ve managed to pay the mortgage. I live on the top floor. It’s a big loft that is also my workplace. An artist friend, Bjorn Gonzalez, rents the ground floor, four students share the second floor, and a lawyer, Vince Wallace, has his office on the third. Vince and I often work together.
Do you have any hobbies?
Apart from the job? It’s endlessly fascinating and it keeps me curious … I like live music and Houston has a bunch of cool venues where I’m a regular. I’ve also become a bit of an art collector. Bjorn Gonzalez is a sculptor and he used to pay his rent ‘in nature’. I worked an art theft case early in my career, and I’ve developed an interest. Within my means, which are modest.
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
I doubt I’d ever write anything like that. I’d need a Dr. Watson to record the cases. He’d have to change all the names and places. I’ve been called a smart mouth many times, would that make a good title: ‘Smart Mouth Down for the Punch’?
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I’m a professional and when I need support, I turn to other professionals. Like Daisy in Miami. Shaw Investigations has a similar arrangement with PI Ray Duggan in Oakland. Then there’s a handful of cops I trust and respect. They’ve become friends. When I call them, they know it’s serious. I’m not very good at all the tech stuff and I rely on a brilliant hacker when computers and bugs of all kinds are involved. She’s pretty secretive. She wouldn’t want to see her name printed here.
THE WAY YOU SAY MY NAME
Series: A Declan Shaw Mystery, Book 3
Genre: Private Investigator Mystery, Classic Crime
Release: October 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Shotgun Honey
On New Year’s day, P.I. Declan Shaw is hired to investigate a disappearance. Amanda Spencer, a young mother of two, slipped away from a Christmas concert without leaving a clue. What made her run and who is she running from?
While digging up shreds of info from Amanda’s parents and friends, Declan meets Sam Chandler. She’s the kind of woman who stops him in his tracks. Sexy, smart, and complicated. And skilled at keeping secrets. So skilled Declan questions his abilities as a detective. What began as an intriguing missing person case soon shifts into a cross-country pursuit with Sam’s life in the balance.
For once, Declan isn’t the searcher, he’s the one who cannot afford to be found.
In The Way You Say My Name, narratives intertwine as a double spiral winds tighter and tighter. Amanda’s story is one of them. Protecting Sam is the other.
And the closer Declan comes to finding Amanda, the more he risks losing Sam.
About the Author
M.E. Proctor was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. She’s the author of the Declan Shaw detective mysteries: Love You Till Tuesday, Catch Me on a Blue Day, and the upcoming The Way You Say My Name. She’s the author of two short story collections, Family and Other Ailments and A Book to Live By, and the co-author of the retro-noirs, Bop City Swing and Kansas City Breakdown. Her fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. She’s a Shamus and Derringer awards short story nominee. Catch Me on a Blue Day was recently nominated for a Shamus Award in the Best Original Paperback category. Website: shawmystery.com — Substack: meproctor.substack.com.