Stephens Talks About the Series

Silenced Cry was released on April 23, 2007, but the creation of this book and its diverse set of characters go back to a fall afternoon in 2004. That was the day I originally wrote The Devil Can Wait. It is now be the second book in the Sam Harper Crime Mysteries series. Although I’ve changed the story line considerably, the idea for that book was sparked by by a true tale.

Initially, I wrote The Devil Can Wait as a novella along with two other novellas in the series. However, I needed a fourth story to complete the set. I decided that instead of moving forward in time, it would be best to show the beginning. I felt there was much more to the Sam Harper character than catching criminals. Thus, in Silenced Cry, I wanted the reader to understand who Homicide Detective Sam Harper is and what drives him. Harper has his share of flaws. He doesn't always get it right, the evidence doesn't always fall neatly into place, and doors don't always open to reveal the answer.

Silenced Cry is a detective murder mystery with enough police procedures, investigative work, and bad guys to make even the pickiest mystery lovers happy. But Silenced Cry is a story about the events, disappointments, and successes that transform the character, Sam Harper, into the man who emerges in the final pages of Silenced Cry. For those who liked Silenced Cry, a great deal more is in store for them in The Devil Can Wait.

My hope is that, you the reader, will find these novels entertaining and that you will be drawn to follow Harper to his next great adventures.

Click here for reviews of Silenced Cry: The Body of Evidence.

Click here for reviews of The Devil Can Wait: The Body of Evidence.