Mystery Writer Jo Hiestand Debuts Book Saturday

Everyone loves a good mystery. Crestwood native Jo Hiestand proves it’s never too late to get started on fiction novel writing, especially since she didn’t start until she was in her 50s. Her latest novel, “Torch Song,” is the third in the McLaren Cases series. It is her 11^th novel in total.

This is Hiestand’s second series of novels, in which an ex police detective now investigates cold cases in sort of a rogue way.

“To me I like the puzzle. I’m a classic mystery reader and even though I do like good characters I like to sit there and think of the puzzle and how the author has pulled you through this thing,” Hiestand said.  “It’s the red herring sort of thing—making you think of one thing when you were thinking of something else.” 

The story, which is set in contemporary times, is about a singer of 1940s-type torch songs, who died five years ago. The police labeled it as an accidental fire. However, the victim’s mother thinks that it was arson.

In Hiestand’s original series, the Taylor & Graham series, a team of police detectives also are featured, but each book is based on a British custom. Hiestand is very interested in the links that go back through time, and she said that some of the customs are very odd. For her second series, however, she wanted something different, so she created McLaren.

Even though Hiestand has wanted to be a writer since grade school and took a continuing education course later in life to rekindle the writing flame, she does not consider herself a songwriter. Each book’s title in the McLaren series has “song” in the title, so Hiestand had to seek outside help to create a song for each book.

“Before this, ‘Swan Song,’ was a book in which I had some friends who are professional English folk singers put a tune to,” she said. “So, I had a CD that went with ‘Swan Song.’ That was so much fun that I thought ‘Let’s continue this.’” 

In “Torch Song,” McLaren gets roped into the dead character’s case by listening to the song, so Hiestand asked her former professor at Webster University to recommend someone to write and perform the song for the next CD. Lola Hennicke, who is a professional singer and student, wrote the melody and performed “Never Leave My Side” with her band for the CD. Hennicke will perform the song live at Big Sleep Books Saturday from 1-3. Hiestand will be on hand at the event as well. 

“Torch Song” is published by L&L Dreamspell and can be found on Amazon.com or at Barnes & Noble.