Grace Halling is coming back! #lesfic #wlw #sapphic #sleuth

March 23, 2022
Written by AJ Smith

A kid with no name, an investigation into her unit, and her family in crisis.


This case is the oddest one Detective Grace Halling has ever had. The missing is found, yet four years into the case and no one has made any progress in solving it. With the head of Internal Affairs hot on her tail, Grace must dodge investigations while attempting to solve her own.
I seriously cannot get enough of this leading lady. I have loved her dearly from the moment I wrote her way back in 2013, and I’m not sure I’m ever going to be able to give her up. She is by far my favorite character that I’ve ever written. 

I have something like 25 books I want to write for her, if I ever get around to them. Right now I’ve written a total of 7 for her with one more planned in this mini-series.Grace started as a response to me wanting to honor those in blue. In college I used to work alongside the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department out in Tacoma, WA.

I was there during an awful time for them, when officers were being targeted and killed. Seven were shot and killed in the span of three months from October to December and then in March one committed suicide after taking his family hostage. I wanted some way to talk about what happened in honor of all those who were struggling with their deaths (which was like everyone).

I needed a character who was on the in, who could very easily share that feeling and frustration all in one. Thus was born Grace Halling. She has morphed into a beautiful, complicated, and somewhat neurotic character of her own. She has her own problems and difficulties, her own struggles, but also a heart of gold, and she always wants to do the right thing. 

The case for this book was modeled off a real case, though it doesn’t follow it outside the initial report as with most of my books. Check it out. You should be able to hop into Grace’s story in For by Grace or in Lost & Forsaken, Broken & Weary, or even in Young & Old. 

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