Liv sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we can learn more about what makes her tick. Let’s see what she has to say.

What is your full name?
Olivia Rose Lively. My friends call me Liv.

How old are you?
I just turned 30.

What is your profession?
Much to my socialite mother’s great disappointment, I’m a private investigator. After graduating from college with a degree in English, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. On a whim, I applied for a job as an investigator’s assistant, and a few years later I opened my own one-woman agency, Lively Investigations. Right now I take on all kinds of work including cheating spouse surveillance, insurance fraud investigation, background checks, and process-service jobs. I love helping my clients and don’t mind the often gritty nature of the biz, but my dream is to hire a few more people and grow Lively Investigations into a small, classy, boutique agency serving high-end clients north of Boston.

Do you have a significant other?
I’m dating someone right now. He’s not my usual type, but somehow he managed to charm me after my mother, Tiffany, schemed to introduce us at one of our Sunday family brunches. Tiffany’s always hoping I’ll stop dating “inappropriate” people–I admit I have a habit of dating the wrong kind of men–and that I’ll settle down with a lawyer or doctor or executive-level administrator like my father. I love my parents, but my mother drives me crazy. I still can’t believe I actually like a guy she picked out for me. Hell might be freezing over as we speak.

What is their name and profession?
His name is Jasper Temple. I call him Dr. Hottie. He’s a cardiologist. He likes to cook. He’s from a big family in the Midwest and gets along with his parents and siblings. He’s a bit conservative, but otherwise he’s the perfect guy. [Nervous laughter] Or is he?
I’m not sure this will end up being a long-term relationship or anything, but for now I’m giving it a shot. There’s also this FBI Agent who’s been hanging around . . . [voice trails off]

Do you have any children?
Ugh, no! [Strangled cough]. Sorry. I mean, no. Not yet.

Do you have any siblings?
I’m an only child which means all my parents’ expectations landed on yours truly. Lucky, lucky me.

Are your parents nearby?
Unfortunately. [A burst of laughter] Just kidding! You should see your face. To be honest, I’m happy we live in the same area. I just like to complain about them when they meddle in my life.

Who is your best friend?
Ashleigh Bancroft. She’s a school counselor, happily married, and desperately wants to start a family. Ash’s family background is totally different from mine. She grew up in a working-class paper town in western Maine. We were thrown together as roommates at Bowdoin College, and it took some adjusting on both our parts, but now I love her like a sister. She drags me to yoga class and talks about feelings. A lot.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
Not now but maybe someday. I joke about moving to Buenos Aires and becoming a cat-lady.

What town do you live in?
The beautiful, arty, foodie city of Portland, Maine. Come for the lobster, stay for the lobstermen. Wink-wink.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I live in the top-floor apartment of a three-story Victorian apartment building left to me by my grandmother. Turns out she was a slum-lord, of sorts, but I’ve fixed the place up and rent out the first two floors.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
The sunroom overlooking Back Cove and downtown. The view, especially at sunset, is incredible. You can see the western Maine foothills far away in the distance like scalloped, blue edging on the horizon. I decorated the room with two of my grandmother’s comfy, floral chairs and artwork I purchased from local artists. I have a small electric fireplace for chilly nights, lots of candles, and a low bookshelf for all my favorite books. It’s the perfect place to drink a mug of coffee, a cup of herbal tea, or a glass of wine while listening to music and enjoying a good conversation after dinner, or if I’m alone, contemplating my life and my choices.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
Anything served with Veuve Clicquot champagne. Jasper’s Boursin Stuffed Chicken Breast is a fave. Chocolate brownies for dessert. [Short laughter]. Now I’m hungry. Want to go grab a bite at Buoy Bagels after the interview? The owner, Ruth, is a client and she makes the best sandwiches.

Do you have any hobbies?
Shopping. I love designer clothing and shoes, but I buy from consignment shops as much as possible. I’m interested in cryptozoology, you know, creatures like BigFoot and stuff on the X FILES. I like to read true crime and thriller novels. I run several times a week to stay in shape.

What music do you listen to?
Classical is my jam, but I also like old jazz and 90s alternative.

What is your favorite color?
Emerald green.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Any place with white sand, palm trees, and fruity drinks, especially in the middle of a Maine winter. In the summer and fall, there’s no place like home.

Are you a morning or night person?
I’m flexible.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I love a girls-night-in with Ashleigh so we can do the whole girl-talk, pedicure, facials at midnight thing. Shopping trips to Boston or New York. I’m down anytime for pizza and an X FILES marathon, but I also love fancy hotel rooms, pretty lingerie, and room-service.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
DISGUISED: Undercover Stories of a Female Private Eye or something like that. I love to get into disguises when I’m conducting surveillance for my cases. I even caught one of my “ex-mistakes” cheating on me while I was in disguise. He never recognized me. I think readers would find my stories interesting.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Professional. I started Lively Investigations as a one-woman boutique agency, but the biz is growing too fast. I need to hire an assistant . . . like yesterday. On my last case, I connected with a local attorney who specializes in intellectual property law, and he throws work my way. His name is Patrick Ledeau. It’s a good working relationship.

What is a typical day in your life like?
Coffee. Check news and emails at home or at Lively Investigations. More coffee, often from nearby Coffee By Design. Work on cases–serve some legal papers, do some surveillance, run background checks, and interview potential witnesses. Lunch at a local place like Buoy Bagels. After work, a good, sweaty run around Back Cove or yoga with Ashleigh. Field a call from my mother and assure her I haven’t embarrassed her that day. Dinner with Jasper if he’s not in surgery. He’ll cook at his place or mine or we’ll get takeout or maybe try one of Portland’s excellent restaurants. If I’m on my own for the evening, I’ll soak in my claw-foot tub with a good book, or I’ll pour myself a glass of wine and look out over the city while listening to Debussy or Ella Fitzgerald. If I’m in the middle of a case, I might do some surveillance undercover, which sometimes gets me in trouble. I’m trained in self-defense, and, because I’m claustrophobic, I’ve learned all the tricks for getting myself out of a bind. And I do. [A pause and clearing of throat] Most of the time.

Anyway, I love my life. It’s not perfect. I’m not perfect. But I believe life is what we make of it, and I want mine to be remarkable.

Night Moves, An Olivia Lively Mystery Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: August 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

After the splashy success of her last big case, Portland, Maine, sleuth Olivia Lively struggles to manage her one-woman firm’s sudden growth spurt.

When an old friend offers her a chunk of cash to investigate his wife and brother who may be having an affair, Liv reluctantly agrees in hopes of getting Lively Investigations back on track. She heads to a cozy cabin in the northern Maine woods to investigate, thinking it will be a chance to enjoy summer while also solving her cash-flow problem. But when Liv stumbles onto the suburban wife’s dead body, she also finds surprising connections to a seedier underbelly of crime, strip clubs, steamy literature, and human trafficking.

Having failed to save one woman, Liv is determined to rescue another. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Jasper—aka Dr. Hottie—pushes their relationship too far, too fast. Her best friend Ashleigh becomes obsessed with all things baby. And FBI Agent Colin Snow keeps appearing and disappearing in a maddening way. Amid the turmoil, Liv questions her choices and contemplates her true desires.

It’s a sticky summer in Portland, Maine, and in the heat of it all, Liv discovers that often the most complex relationship a woman has is the one with herself.

About the author
Shelley Burbank is a women’s fiction and mystery writer who lives in Maine and San Diego. Her most recent mystery novel, Night Moves: An Olivia Lively Mystery, was recently released by Encircle Publications.