Lillian Dove Mysteries

What happens in Iowa doesn't necessary stay out of the news.

This Midwestern state is the setting for the Lillian Dove Mystery Series. My family roots have grown deep in Iowa since the 1860s. The protagonist of the series Lillian Dove is a recovering alcoholic, but her addition is not the major theme of the series. Lillian is attempting to learn what she and life may have looked like before her first drink:

"There is no graduation from alcoholism. Or life, for that matter. I am also addicted to Pepsi, chocolate, men, being afraid, being afraid of not being afraid, men - again - and my independence, co-dependence, and unsettling ability to fail no matter my attempt. There are other compulsions and bad habits, but I can't think of them right now. Memory loss, see? And I obsess on how much I forget if I remember. Giving up alcohol turned out to be easier than changing some of my other behaviors.

Especially my bad judgment when it comes to men. The type of man I'm most attracted to is like a tall, Tom Collins on a sweltering, summer day: gin, a little lemon - but not too sour - with sweet syrup and bubbly soda. It's hard to resist, even if I know it's not good for me.

I've pledged a Tom-Collins-abstinence."

While Admit to Mayhem has a sliver of romance, it is an amateur sleuth, woman protagonist, Midwest noir novel.