Occupation: Toledo Police Homicide Detective
Six a.m.? Wow – I actually got to sleep until the alarm went off. That doesn’t happen often these days. It seems like ninety percent of the homicides in Toledo happen in the middle of the night. Don’t murderers ever sleep?
Sorry, I suppose that could be considered crass. Cop humor – gets us through the rough stuff, and believe me, there’s plenty of that. The birthday murders weren’t particularly gruesome, just creepy, but if I wasn’t at another crime scene, I was out chasing red herrings on that one. I hardly slept until we nailed the bastard.
Same with all the gang shootings in the projects. When temperature and humidity rises in Toledo, so do tempers, and everybody has a gun these days. People don’t realize how much damage a 9 mm can do at close range, or how far a bullet can travel. The innocent bystanders…those are the victims who keep me up at night.
I never wanted to work Homicide in the first place. I was quite happy on the Drug Task Force, thank you very much. Dad worked Narcotics for almost thirty years until he…. I barely made it five before my cover was blown and they put me on a long-term desk assignment. Not for me! My husband Nate wasn’t happy when I took the opening in Homicide. He’d just as soon I’d stayed on the desk. He’s my ex now, but for unrelated reasons. Still a good guy though, and my best friend.
Mom agreed with Nate. She wanted me to be a teacher – of what, I’m not sure. Probably kindergarten or something, considering how fast she melts around any rugrat under age five, and even more so since she’s a widow. I keep telling her to coax Betty into getting married again if she wants grandkids, but Mom knows that’s a lost cause. And even though we mostly patched things up after I saved her life, Betty certainly doesn’t want my advice.
Now the guy we pulled out of the Maumee River, shot to death in his car – that was a stinking mess. No ID, no evidence, until his mother hired a private investigator to retrace our investigation. Not that I minded having it solved. I hate loose ends, but I almost lost my best friend, my partner, and my job over that one.
Enough of my whining. I need to feed Ford, my cat, before he shreds the sofa. And there’s an autopsy I’d like to sit in on at nine for the body patrol found outside Mud Hens Stadium at oh-dark-thirty yesterday morning – another long night where the alarm didn’t matter. Then we have an evidentiary hearing at two. Some new defense attorney who has no idea how careful my partner is when it comes to logging cases and tracking evidence or she’d never have filed her motion to suppress. She’ll learn.
Where’s my coffee?
You can read more about Jadz in Forty & Out, the debut novel published by Deadly Writes Publishing.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 6 p.m. eastern on September 29 for the chance to win a copy of FORTY & OUT. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
Meet the author
C. L. (Cyndi) Pauwels’ debut novel Forty & Out has just been released through Deadly Writes Publishing. Since 
her first short story found its way into print in 1989, Cyndi has published a number of short pieces – both fiction and essays – and a non-fiction book, Historic Warren County: An Illustrated History (2009). In addition to writing, her portfolio career includes book editing (The Enduring Legacy of Kahlil Gibran and The Essential Rihani), teaching freshman composition at a local community college, and serving as assistant director for the Antioch Writers’ Workshop.
Sounds like I need to add this to my TBR list.
A new author that sounds interesting. Thanks for the offer.
Another one for my t-b-r list 🙂
yeah, a new author!!!
thank you for the giveaway!!
I love reading debut novels—thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of this book!
i look forward to reading it, looks great 🙂
Sounds like a great read. This will be on my TRL, unless I’m lucky enough to win it 🙂
Lots of early birds out today! Wish I could say I’m as chipper as Jadz at 6 a.m., but that’s never been my time of day.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you find you like Jadz as much as I do.
Sounds like a great read. Adding it to my list!
A protagonist with a lot of spunk!
Another author I’ve never heard of … sounds like an interesting series.
What a great sounding book
Oh yeah…going to like this one! Congrats C.L. on your debut novel! Thanks Dru for the heads up!
This one looks interesting. Doesn’t sound too cozy, but I do read outside that box occasionally.
Sounds interesting and Toledo is a nice setting.
I’m looking forward to this very interesting new voice in police procedurals.
Reblogged this on CL Pauwels at Large and commented:
Ever wondered what your favorite characters are up to on any normal day? Dru’s Book Musings gives readers a peek! Today, it’s Jadz’s turn – so much fun to share! And a giveaway, too –
thanks
Reading about it in a novel is as close to police work as I ever want to be!
Not quite a cozy, Amy Gill, but not a hard-boiled graphic detective novel either – a nice, mid-range fit with enough realism (I hope!) to experience real police work (Libby Dodd!) without the danger.
thanks for sharing the various authors that you do on your post. It’s great for those of us who are not near a big book store to follow new books.
I’m looking forward to reading the book.
This one sounds different from my usual. I am curious to try it.
This sounds fascinating.
I like to read first time authors.
I love the way this book sounds, Love police stories.
I’m from Toledo so, of course, I have to check this one out 🙂
I love my murder mysteries and my cozies so can’t wait to get started on this book for sure. Nice to be introduced to another new author. Thank you Dru.
Cynthia
This sounds like a great read! Thanks for the contest.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a mystery set in Toledo—also I new author for me so I’d love to win this book.
suefarrell.fararell@gmail.com
contest is closed.
Sounds like a book I would like to try.