The Ransom Enigma follows a former model and her husband, who move to Magnolia Bluff only to discover a blackmail letter at their housewarming party, leading her husband to become the key suspect in a murder case. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The simple answer is having parties that didn’t go quite right. For example, have you ever planned a big event that seemed to grow legs and get out of control? Things like the wrong catered food, not enough ice, partying that lasted way too late, police asking for the music to be turned down, or neighbors mad because your friends parked on their lawn? With our passion for technology, we chose a ransom demand, and it took off from there.

With engaging and likable characters and plenty of action, readers will find it hard to put this book down. What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?

That’s a tricky question. We crafted many scenes to create the right amount of suspense. Lily gets the attention of a handsome European gentleman when Jo realizes her comatose husband is accused of murder. Developing the criminal characters was fun, especially with so many bad guys to choose from. We think readers will love chasing all the threads. We aim to have all the scenes play together to deliver a satisfying story to the fans and new readers.

Can you tell us about a book or author that has greatly inspired your own work?

Rox loves the storytelling of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which she considers high benchmarks. Charles is a lifelong fan of everything Kevin J. Anderson, with a special emphasis on the Dune books where he collaborated with Brian Herbert.

Can you tell us more about what’s in store for the town of Magnolia Bluff and the direction of the next book?

Breakfield & Burkey signed up for our fourth season with the Underground Authors to deliver another cozy mystery. Our esteemed Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles colleagues each provide satisfying stand-alone mysteries with their unique flair. We hope your fans will enjoy the entire collection of excellent stories. Our target for August 2025 is called The Flight Enigma. Stay tuned.

Author Links: Charles Breakfield | Rox Burkey | Amazon