Marilyn's Musings

Ever wonder what goes on BEHIND the BOOK? Here is a behind the scenes look at how my HarperCollins Trilogy ( City for Ransom, Shadows in White City , and City of the Absent – recently released for Kindle sales all over again) came about in the first place: City for Ransom by Robert W. Walker, Avon\HarperCollins, 349 pgs., $6.77 pub. Date Dec. 28 th 2007 I wrote City for Ransom , a big departure from my Instinct and Edge series work largely out of frustration that’d set in around the forensic novel right about the first CSI episodes and all the clones. I asked a simple question: “What’d the cops do before forensics?” The answer sent me to gaslight Chicago 1893, a time when animal and human blood remained a mystery! Instantly, I knew I’d have to act the detective to ferret out the retired owner of the defunct Chicago history only bookstore--Chicago Book Exchange. I eventually learned that the bookstore “lived” in a smal...