The Francie Levillard Mysteries

I created the character of Francie LeVillard in January 1986. I wrote six stories in two weeks and then put down the proverbial pen for a number of years. I don't know when I next picked it up, but about 15 years ago, I did so with relish, penning some 40 new pieces that were published in ten volumes which I began to publish in 2013. As of this writing, I've finished two more Francie stories, and so on my way to eventually publishing volume eleven.But recently I went back and re-read...
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I created the character of Francie LeVillard in January 1986. I wrote six stories in two weeks and then put down the proverbial pen for a number of years. I don't know when I next picked it up, but about 15 years ago, I did so with relish, penning some 40 new pieces that were published in ten volumes which I began to publish in 2013. As of this writing, I've finished two more Francie stories, and so on my way to eventually publishing volume eleven.But recently I went back and re-read some of the early stories and was delighted to find that while of a somewhat different tone, they were certainly good reads. I thought of making them about a different character, but felt that they were more like an earlier Francie. Hence, the subtitle for this volume.These stories, all but the last written more than three decades ago, reveal interesting anomalies between life back then and now. Particularly with our move into the information society. There were a few car phones and satellite phones, but not the ubiquitous smartphones of today; and answering machines, no voicemail, no Google. Portable computers were new, data was stored on floppy disks, direct email was years away, and people listened to cassette tapes. Nor was the Internet what is today. And to connect required a telephone line and a modem; no wifi.It was a slower, quieter world then. Airport security was far less intrusive. You could arrive at your departure gate fifteen minutes before the flight was scheduled to pull back from the terminal, and no problem.Those who have read of the current series of Francie's cases will note differences in her history, but they should also appreciate the same quality mind. And after all, that's what she is all about. So the "Meet Francie LeVillard" piece below is about the current version of the greatest consulting detective since Sherlock Holmes.