Writer’s Desk with Patricia Bradley Tricia Goyer

Patricia Bradley is the author of multiple romantic suspense novels, including the popular Pearl River and Logan Point series. She is the winner of an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, a Selah Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award. Bradley was selected as a Carol Award finalist and three of her books were included in anthologies that debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. She makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at PTBradley.com.  

More about On the Edge of Trust

Sometimes the closer you get to justice, the deadlier it becomes

When decorated FBI undercover agent Scott Sinclair suffers a gunshot wound in his right arm, the injury threatens his future career in the field. He is determined to regain his former job by training himself to use his left hand, and failure is not an option–especially when he’s unofficially pulled into an investigation.

Tori Mitchell is a passionate crime reporter and podcaster who has dedicated her life to seeking justice. Her relentless pursuit of the truth has freed a wrongfully convicted man from prison, making Tori an enemy of the true killer. When her nephew is accused of a different murder, nothing can stop her from getting involved and clearing his name.

Soon after Tori and Scott reconnect on the case, shots are fired, leaving them to wonder which of them has been targeted. As the investigation intensifies, so do the threats and the sparks between them, but Tori’s doubtful if she can extend grace and trust to Scott. They’ll have to combine their skills and rely on their growing relationship to outsmart the killer.

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Q&A with Patricia Bradley

ARCF: Can you tell us a little about On the Edge of Trust and the inspiration behind it?

PB: When decorated FBI undercover agent Scott Sinclair suffers a gunshot wound in his right arm, the injury threatens his future career in the field. His recovery is complicated by his refusal to take opioids, but he is determined to regain his former job by training himself to use his left hand and failure is not an option—especially when he’s unofficially pulled into an investigation. 

Tori Alexander is a passionate crime reporter and podcaster who has dedicated her life to seeking justice. Her relentless pursuit of the truth has freed one man from prison who was falsely convicted, and when her nephew is accused of murder, nothing can stop her from getting involved and clearing his name. 

Sparks ignite when Tori reconnects with Scott on the case, but after losing her fiancé to a violent crime, she is resolute in her vow never to fall for a man who willingly puts himself in harm’s way. Moreover, Scott, like her father, is a recovering alcoholic betrayal she still grapples with, given that her dad relapsed after over forty years of sobriety. This history has left her with deep-seated trust issues, making it impossible for her to rely on Scott. When the killer targets them, they’ll have to combine their skills and rely on their growing relationship to outsmart the killer.  

As for the inspiration, a couple of years ago, I started listening to the true crime podcast Serial, and the character of Victoria Alexander came to me, and I knew I had to tell her story.  

ARCF: Tori is a crime podcaster; if you had your own podcast, what true crime story would you want to cover first?

PB: Jack the Ripper is such a fascinating, unsolved crime that it would be my first choice. A second choice would be the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist in 1990. Somewhere, someone knows where the stolen pieces are. 

ARCF: Scott Sinclair is an FBI agent recovering from a gunshot wound. If you could have any superpower to aid in your investigations, what would it be?

PB: To be ambidextrous! That way, I could qualify for the firing range and get my old job back.  

ARCF: The story involves a murder accusation. If you were accused of a crime you didn’t commit, what would be your first step to prove your innocence?

PB: I would establish an alibi, and if I couldn’t do that, I would hire Perry Mason—he would ferret out the real criminal. Or maybe Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer. 

ARCF: Tori and Scott become targets while seeking justice. If you had to go into hiding, which fictional character would you want as your ally?

PB: I’ve been reading the Murphy Shepherd series by Charles Martin, and either Murph or the guy who trained him, Bones, would be really good allies. And his dog, Gunner, isn’t shabby, either. 

ARCF: The book explores themes of trust and justice. If you could solve any unsolved mystery, which would you choose and why?

PB: The murder of Hae Min Lee, has never been solved. It was featured on Serial, and was hosted by Sarah Koenig, In its first season it focused on the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed who was released after spending twenty years in prison, possibly for a crime he didn’t commit. I would want to give Hae Min Lee’s family closure.  

ARCF: You’ve written numerous novels. If you could write a crossover novel featuring characters from all your series, who would be the main protagonist?

PB: Sheriff Ben Logan. He’s been featured in several books and was the protagonist in A Promise to Protect. 

ARCF: Do you have a favorite writing snack or beverage that fuels your creativity during intense writing sessions?

PB: Coffee! With my homemade creamer of oat milk, salted caramel protein powder, and a shot of caramel sugar-free syrup. I probably drink too much of it… 

ARCF: If you could have dinner with any of your characters, who would it be and what would you discuss?

PB: Scott Sinclair, hands down. I would love to pick his brain about working undercover for the FBI. He has to be an adrenaline junkie! And I’m sure he’d have many tales to tell. 

ARCF: What’s the most unusual place or situation that has inspired one of your stories?

PB: Elmwood Cemetery in my Memphis Cold Case Novel Justice Betrayed. I grew up in Memphis and Elmwood is legendary—they always had a tour on Halloween night. I always wanted to set a story at the cemetery…and of course, if you’re writing a series set in Memphis you have to have an Elvis book. In Justice Betrayed, the Elvis impersonators are being killed off. 

ARCF: If Tori and Scott had a pet, what kind of animal do you think they would have?

PB: I see them with a Belgian Malinois because of Scott’s undercover work. 

ARCF: If you could swap lives with any character from On the Edge of Trust for a day, who would it be, and what would you do?

PB: I would swap with Tori Mitchell because I’ve wanted to be a crime podcaster since the first time I listened to Serial. 

ARCF: If you were to write a sequel to On the Edge of Trust, what would the title be and what would it be about?

PB: I’ve always wanted to write Wade Hatcher’s story from the Logan Point series. He has been a secondary character in several of the books, and I think it’s time he has his own story. Of course, first he have to make amends to his girlfriend who has kicked him to the curb because he wouldn’t commit, but she doesn’t understand how badly he was hurt when his high school sweetheart jilted him…As for the title…A Chance for Redemption, but then titles are hard for me. 

ARCF: If you could have any fictional detective’s skills, whose would you choose and why?

PB: It would be a toss-up between Hercule Poroit and Sherlock Holmes because of their observation skills and quick minds…and as I answer this question, I realize we have no modern-day detectives like these two!  

ARCF: And finally, can you share what’s coming up next?

PB: I am working on a romantic suspense set in the Northern District of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee. When Billie, an Asian elephant at the Elephant Sanctuary near Hohenwald, Tennessee, shows up at the sanctuary barn with a tibia wrapped in her trunk, further investigation reveals a body buried on the grounds. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations brings in Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Sage McCall to unearth and identify the skeletal remains.  

Natchez Trace Park Ranger Cole Griffin has been newly relocated to his old stomping grounds in the Northern District of the Natchez Trace. It’s the last place he wanted to be assigned—when he left town 16 years ago, he carried a dark secret he’s never dealt with.  

During his first week on the job, he’s called to the Meriwether Lewis Campground after campers discover a man’s body in Tumbling Creek. When Cole arrives at the scene, he recognizes the man as one of his high school buddies, Derek Wright. Wright is the assistant manager at the Elephant Sanctuary. Or was. He is now the victim of Cole’s first homicide case since returning to the Northern District. 

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