Alan L. Cook (edit name/settings)

Alan Cook's mystery novels have received a number of awards. Honeymoon for Three and Run into Trouble have won Silver Quill awards from the American Author's Association. Honeymoon for Three was named best Mountain West book by Reader Views while Run into Trouble was named best Pacific West book by Reader Views. Alan's nonfiction Walking the World: Memories and Adventures was named One of the Top Ten Walking Memoirs and Tales of Long Walks by walking.about.com.

My novels don't usually star crime fighting professionals. The protagonist is everyman--or woman--thrown into a situation new to him or her, involving suspense, and often murder. They must rely on their wits and newfound courage to put their shattered worlds back together. The partial exception to the amateur theme is Run into Trouble, in which Drake and Melody are former undercover operatives.

I use both male and female protagonists, and in some cases, a combination. Following is a one-liner about the sex of the protagonist(s) and theme in each of my mysteries:

Dangerous Wind--(Carol Golden)--female--trying to stop world chaos.
Relatively Dead--(Carol Golden)--female--finding relatives who are dying and possibly scamming.
Forget to Remember--(Carol Golden)--female--amnesia mystery. Facing the world as a non-person.
Run into Trouble--couple--the Cold War turns hot on the California coast.
Honeymoon for Three--(Gary Blanchard)--couple--honeymooners with a stalker.
The Hayloft--(Gary Blanchard)--male--murder in high school in the fifties.
Hotline to Murder--couple--murder on a crisis hotline.
Aces and Knaves--male--murder in San Francisco.
Catch a Falling Knife--(Lillian Morgan)--female--sexual harassment and murder in college.
Thirteen Diamonds--(Lillian Morgan)--female--murder in a retirement community.

Series? Carol Golden is the protagonist in Dangerous Wind, Forget to Remember and Relatively Dead. Gary Blanchard is featured as the protagonist in The Hayloft, and ten years later, in Honeymoon for Three. Lillian Morgan, a retired math professor, is the protagonist in Thirteen Diamonds and Catch a Falling Knife.