The Kat Lawson Mysteries by Nancy Cole Silverman

About the Series

During the Cold War, the FBI and the CIA sometimes used civilians for undercover work. In the 70s, it wasn't unusual for an attractive flight attendant to pass on a secret message to an agent in the field or for a needle-nosed accountant to review documents that might uncover a crime. So, when Kat Lawson, a disgraced, middle-aged investigative reporter, lost her job due to an office romance that went south, she found herself working for an international travel publication as a reporter and was approached by the FBI to work undercover. Her assignment was to be the most mundane, the passing of messages, never anything dangerous, or so she thought.

The Navigator's Daughter

Getting caught in the middle of an international art theft ring wasn't supposed to be part of the deal Kat Lawson made with her dying father. But when her father receives a mysterious letter informing the former WW2 navigator/bombardier that his downed B-24 has been found and asking him to come to Hungary, Kat suspects this is all part of some senior rip-off scam. Her father insists she go, not only to photograph the final resting place of his plane but also to find the mother and son who risked their lives to rescue him and hid him in a cave beneath an old Roman fortress. Kat's trip uncovers not only the secrets of the cave where her father hid and of those who rescued him, but a secret that will forever change the direction of her life—that is—if she can get home safely.

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Passport to Spy

After losing her job as an investigative reporter for The Phoenix Gazette, Kat Lawson has a new gig. The FBI has asked her to work undercover as a reporter for Travel International to cover Munich, Germany’s festive holiday scene—an excuse to get close to Hans von Hausmann, a very charismatic and popular museum curator suspected of hiding a cache of stolen masterpieces believed to be part of the World’s Largest Art Heist. The job comes with lots of perks: airfare, travel expenses, the opportunity to see the world...and for a seasoned reporter like Kat, nothing she can’t handle. But, when a trusted source is found dead, Kat realizes the tables have been turned. Armed with evidence that will expose a cache of artwork stolen from museums and the homes of wealthy Jews during the 2nd World War, Kat must find a way to avoid being caught by the German Polizie, who have enough evidence to charge her with murder, and those who want her dead to keep their hidden treasures forever secret. The hunter has become the hunted; now, Kat has a target on her back.

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Guest Post

The Birth of Character

I was five years old when my then-boyfriend, a boy my mother was babysitting, decided to haul off and slug me. I can't remember what the offense was. But I do know it resulted in my getting stitches, which to this day has left a scar, not so much beneath my chin where his tiny fist landed, but on my soul. I couldn't believe he had hit me. While this short article might go on and discuss my views on female abuse, it wasn't the action that day that changed my life but a conversation I had later that night with my father that helped me to understand my true strength.

My dad was a gentle sort. He had three daughters, and growing up, I was convinced that all men would be just like him. I found out much later in life that it wasn't true, but again, that's not the point of my blog. What I learned from my father was that a woman's strength came from her ability to outthink her male opponent. My father was a male feminist early on. He believed in my rights and the rights of women long before it became popular to do so. And I've been forever grateful that he inspired me to use the talents I was given to enrich my life.

Like all stories I write, I believe the story picks the writer, and The Kat Lawson Mysteries is one I was born to write. The first book in the series, The Navigator’s Daughter,  is loosely based on my father's experience in the 2^nd World War as a navigator bombardier. The creation of the female protagonist, Kat Lawson, was driven by my relationship with my dad growing up. He thought I could do anything I set my mind to, and he was my biggest advocate.

But when I sat down to create Kat Lawson, I struggled to define her. Aside from a daughter on a mission to thank those who had rescued her father, who was she? And when she discovers a secret concerning his past that forever changes her future, what new strengths will she need to go forward?

I'll not reveal the events that led Kat to accept a position with a travel publication as an undercover operative for the FBI, as she has in book 2 of the series Passport to Spy. If that sounds odd, and you're about to roll your eyes....stop! During the Cold War, the FBI, the CIA, and a lot of other three and four-letter snoop organizations used civilians as curriers. Back then, it wasn't unusual for an attractive flight attendant to be asked to deliver a message or a package to an agent in the field.

I needed Kat to be strong. Not unemotional but focused and capable of thinking clearly under stress. Able to multitask while looking cool, calm, and collected. She had to be able to fly below the radar. I wanted her to be feisty, quick-thinking, and creative. Like my father taught me, women don't have to be stronger than men. They merely have to be wilier and outthink them.

 

About the Author

After twenty-five years in news and talk radio, Nancy Cole Silverman retired to write short and long fiction. Her Carol Childs Mysteries features a single mom whose day job as a reporter at an LA radio station often leads to long nights solving crimes. Her Misty Dawn series is centered on an aging Hollywood Psychic to the Stars, who supplements her day-to-day activities as a consultant to the LAPD. Silverman’s newest series, The Kat Lawson Mysteries, is centered on a disgraced investigative reporter who finds herself working for an international travel publication as an undercover agent for the FBI.

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