B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree
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Tell me about it!!
Synopsis
FBI Special Agent Cat Kavanagh is trailing a vicious killer who stabs each of his (or her?) victims in the heart, leaving the enormous knife behind to taunt police as it remains impaled in the center of each woman's chest. It is more than coincidental that every time author Bradley R. Woodbury publishes another best-selling novel, exactly 30 days later police find a woman dead, always in the same quiet town the author had chosen as the setting for his book, and always in the same manner using an identical weapon - a Cattaraugus 225Q buried to the handle.
A former Army Captain whose talent lies in CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive materials), Kavanagh is battle tested. She grew up under difficult circumstances. She was bullied throughout school. Yet, she clawed her way to the top of the pack attaining degrees in physics and chemistry. Her injuries caused by a brush with death in Afghanistan now healed, she is tough, cunning, and attacks each mission with laser focus. She has a war chest full of medals and commendations and a closet full of guns, not to mention a few skeletons from her past. Add in a spritz of PTSD and we have our protagonist.
Now, she is the bait for Woodbury's final novel. Will she find the killer before she, too, suffers Death by Times New Roman?
Author's Comments
18 books, 18 towns, 18 murders!
Meet Cat Kavanagh! She's sassy, confident, and beautiful. A former Army Captain, this ex-CBRNE officer is now taking aim at troublemakers in her new role at the FBI. Her exploits will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy crime mysteries with a female sleuth, this is your next read!
Enough pizzazz.
I'm going to let you in on a deep, dark secret. I was going to originally give the book the title, "Book Review." Utterly boring, right? The premise was an author (maybe like me) who writes novels (maybe like me) gives them to agents who say unkind things to the author (like me) who then kills the agent (****). Fortunately, I came to my senses, though I held on to a bit of the basic story.
I can honestly say I don't recall the moment I came up with the title Death by Times New Roman. It was likely accidental as I often make inadvertent changes to fonts when I am quickly typing. I can touch the palm of my hand on the touchpad and hit a certain (unknown) key and change functionality on my laptop in an instant. I suspect I thought to myself more than once, this is $%&#%^ death by times new Roman! That's my story and I'm sticking with it.
As for Cat, she is about as real as I can make a character. I am a very visual writer. I have to see my characters. To do this, I seek out a celebrity on the internet who I feel could be cast as my character if my novel ever became a movie. Most celebrities have been photographed from every angle, sporting many hair styles, wearing different clothing, posing in different lighting and settings. This allows me to add new details to the character each successive scene and chapter. Much as you would any person you meet and subsequently develop some kind of relationship, you learn about them one snippet at a time. A novel is no different.
The talented young lady I selected to be Cat materialized out of nowhere on the internet one day and was rapidly followed by 000,000s of people around the world. She has a storied past. Today she is an inspiration to untold numbers of women as well as men. She was perfect for my Cat Kavanagh character in this new novel. Not only that, it became easy to see her in future roles in subsequent novels. Hence, my idea for a series.
Book #1 was a blast! I don't think I ever had so much fun writing a novel. I've had female readers and fellow writers ask me how I do such a respectable job putting myself into the mind, body and soul of a female character. I've given that a lot of thought and I'm not sure I have an answer I believe myself, let alone one I can sell to you. Whether it was Kim or Dixie in In Search of the Fuller Brush Man, Candi or Kimmisue in Vinegarone, Diane or Laura in Boundaries, I've done what I feel is an excellent job portraying women in a positive manner. You know something? It's not that hard to do. My entire life I've been surrounded by women who are strong leaders and role models. Even my three daughters are bad ass.
TNR, as I call it, segues into the next book in the series, Death by the Byte. I tore into that much as I had TNR. Two-thirds of the way into the novel, I hit a wall for the first time in my short writing career. Then there was a death in the family that shook us badly. Then I had a health scare involving the ol' ticker. Then one of my beta readers (a hometown friend) and a physician associate both died suddenly and unexpectedly of essentially the same cardiac issue I had survived. These deaths occurred while I was in the hospital. I still feel more guilty than lucky about the irony of those events. It's a struggle. Then I had another health scare involving cancer. I have yet to entirely move past that as I am being monitored routinely for any signs of a recurrence. Someday I'll share my personal experience with PTSD - it's the persistent salt in the wound. Today is not that day. There, I've laid it all out for you.
I've been looking for the magic elixir for "writer's block" now for several years. Perhaps building this new website is just the ticket. As I reconstruct my thoughts about writing and review all that I have done and revisit my characters and novels again, the flame is getting hotter. Cat and I are soon going to finish our walk and begin yet another journey. I hope you will join us.
Critic's Corner
What are readers saying?
For those of you who pay attention, yes the photo does include the same legs belonging to the same reader who was in another photo on this website. Only the date and book differ from her other photo. Love my readers!
“Cat Kavanagh promises to be a woman whose adventures you want to read about again and again, this first one taking off like a rocket... the new Superwoman with a difference. A heroine with a heart and true human feelings.”
“Move over Sanford there's a new writer in town - and yes, he's that good! Doug Carlyle has shown his talents in a variety of story genres and this is another for him. His character Kat Cavanaugh{sic} is the female version of Sandford's Virgil Flowers . Funny, charismatic, and stand up solid. Great story that hooked you from the first paragraph and kept you holding on to the last. Another kudo for Carlyle - this one's a winner!”
“Like fine chocolates, when it's gone you want more. Cat Kavanagh (catchy little name BTW) is still somewhat of a mystery woman. You think you know her and whamo, you are blindsided by something else in her past or in her behavior. Similar to Kay Scarpetta, she is right up there as a complex, intriguing woman who is also fun to get to know. The scenes are distinct enough to paint a picture in your mind as you travel through this mystery. Several of the locations and references actually struck a chord in me as I have lived in or visited those places which was fun. The downside: Once you pick up this book your laundry won't get folded, your dishwasher will not get emptied, the family won't get fed (thank you for Take Out Delivery service) and you will be in your jammies all day long. I'm already anxious to read the next book in this series.”
“Fun, exciting story with characters that you want to hang out with. Doug is an amazing author whose stories and characters are memorable.”
"What a gal! She can do anything. I love her. She's my new hero. Can't wait to read about her next adventure."
"Not only is Cat Kavanagh a pretty good detective, she's also a very likeable person. This clever novel, set in the city where I live, is a fine read that I found hard to put down until I reached the end. I recommend this one without reservation. Carlyle's tight prose led me eagerly through each page."
"As with all of Douglas Carlyle's books,I was pulled into the story from the first page. But this is a different and brand new style of story; a fast-paced thriller with a fabulous new heroine.
Cat Kavanagh promises to be a woman whose adventures you want to read about again and again, this first one taking off like a rocket. There are no slow passages in this story, as reading it is like riding in a fast sports car taking the twists in the road at break-neck speed. Enthralled, I kept turning the pages wondering what would happen next and who could be the murderer, until it came to a screeching halt at the very last page.
But the engine is only idling, the driver revving up for the next adventure. I keep my seat belt fastened, in case he takes off again when I'm not looking.
Cat Kavanagh promises to become the new Superwoman with a difference. A heroine with a heart and true human feelings.
I was given a review copy of this book and it was the best assignment for a long time. Bring on the next adventure!"
My work in progress
“Beware of the Eigengrau!” – Armin van Rijn
When ex-FBI agent Cat Kavanagh receives a mislaid letter from best-killing author Brad Woodbury, he challenges Cat to find those who murdered his in-laws decades ago. Because Woodbury is now deceased, she cannot turn down his request to resurrect this cold case.
Before Cat hits her stride, two obstacles disrupt her. First, there was the ominous warning from her nemesis, Armin van Rijn. Is it merely the color of black the eye sees in the darkness or something more sinister? Secondly, Cat must come to grips with her worsening PTSD that is slowly tapping her body, mind, and soul. Amidst this, Cat faces a personal crossroad requiring a supreme life choice that will change her life forever.
Can she satisfy her thirst to solve two more murders and turn her life around before she is overcome by that which threatens to destroy her? The answer lies in…
Death by the Byte.
