Charlotte Van
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Charlotte Van
The Phaedra Chronicles
by Charlotte Van
The Phaedra Chronicles are first person stories of the adventures of Phaedra McCaffrey, a young private investigator in San Francisco.
The books follow not only her investigating experiences, but also her personal love life with her first real client, rocker Tyler Powell. Two stubborn, headstrong people, their relationship alternates between passionate interplay and passionate arguments, creating friction neither of them quite knows how to handle.
While the first book, "The Spandex Murders", deals with, obviously, murder, the other two books, “The Box” and “The Road” deal with mysteries and situations that are much closer to home for Phaedra, and test her skills and emotions.
I knew when I was nine that I wanted to be a private detective when I grew up. Now at twenty-five, I’m working for a San Francisco investigations company and quickly came to realize that the work isn’t at all as exciting as I’d always imagined it.
Then I got my first solo assignment. As they say, be careful what you wish for…
It turned out that my first-ever client was Tyler Powell, an arrogant, self-absorbed rock star, and the case involved determining who had murdered three of the man’s groupies on tour. I decided quickly that the only way I could solve the murders was to set myself up as a new target – Powell’s latest groupie. Powell didn’t like the idea, saying no one would believe that I was a groupie, but he finally agreed, and I proved him wrong with my makeover. But even so, we butted heads right away, and my plans went awry more often than they went right. I just wasn’t making progress in my search for the killer, and came to realize that I was having a crisis of confidence, questioning my ability to do the job I’d always dreamed of.
And then, when things ended up going the way no one could have anticipated, I found myself spiraling down into depression as a result.
How was I going to be able to move past the crushing doubts and guilt I’d ended up buried under, and reclaim myself?
“The Spandex Murders” follows the journeys of two headstrong, hyper-independent people toward a common goal that brings them together in ways neither of them have ever experienced before. Phaedra has to come to grips with her fears, not the least of which is the fear of getting too close to anyone. And for Tyler, it’s the unexpected breaking apart of the wall of indifference he’d built around himself to keep from “entanglements”.
“REALLY ENJOYED BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES: THE SPANDEX MURDERS. COULD NOT WAIT TO START THE NEXT BOOK, THE BOX, (1/2 WAY THROUGH ALREADY). CHARLOTTE VAN HAS A WAY OF ENGAGING A READER INTO THE STORY WHICH MAKES YOU WANT TO KEEP READING! INTERESTING CHARACTERS & PLACES, NOT TO MENTION TWISTS, TURNS AND INSIGHTS INTO PEOPLES' HISTORY, PSYCHES & SPIRIT.”
Tracy W.
“ I finished re-reading the Spandex Murders this morning. I really love this book. I appreciate how you didn't just end the story at the end of the take down of the murderer, but you resolved many issues that came up throughout the book, and even left a good cliffhanger for the next book. I also love the way Phaedra & Tyler talk to each other like before they were intimate again about what it would mean for both of them. Their relationship is more realistic than most couples in books. Phaedra is a complete person with strengths and vulnerabilities and flaws. You are so good at developing characters. Even the "villains"”
Rose D.
“My confession today is that I've fallen out of the habit of analog reading. I still read lots of articles, essays, research, and stories online, but my TBR list has been going up, rarely down. However, the wonderful Charlotte Van, Author's debut novel, "The Spandex Murders" has re-sparked my love of leisure reading, and reminded me of what pure fun the right novel can be. "The Spandex Murders" is a classic murder mystery in all the best ways. We readers get provocative clues, we fall in love with the setting, we feel the tension build. Our hero, Pl Phaedra McCaffrey is relatably both ambitious and imperfect. The pacing and editing of this book makes it a legit page-turner, with an action-packed climax worthy of a Hollywood summer hit. However, my favorite thing about this book were the restaurant scenes. They all had warm, welcoming San Francisco vibes and were the perfect contexts for plot and character development. I plan to read the other books in this series - so far there are 2 more - and I hope they all feature scenes as sweet and lively as these.”
Steve P.
A San Francisco native, I pulled locations for these books from the experience of growing up in the Bay Area
I was fortunate enough to have been born in San Francisco at just the right time to be starting college when the whole Haight-Ashbury/Hippie thing began. While I was never deep into all that, I ended up married to a guy who was working in the music biz there as the music equivalent of back-of-house. As a result, as the saying goes, I got to see all the cool bands. That experience, coupled with learning a lot by osmosis about how the music business works from my husband’s subsequent years in the world, gave me the insight I’ve put into “The Phaedra Chronicles” stories. And my own years-long love of detective fiction and the “Thin Man” movies gave rise to making that love the inspiration for Phaedra’s choice of careers. Beyond “The Phaedra Chronicles” books, I have several projects in the works. One of them is a legacy project - the updating and editing of a fantastic manuscript written by my father back in the late 80’s and left to me when he passed - with a main character who is a tribal police chief as well as a powerful hereditary medicine man. I look forward to completing this project and publishing it before year’s end. Writing is what keeps me busy from day-to-day, and I love that I’m able to share what I’ve transferred from my head to the written page. Follow me here and on my Facebook author page (https://www.facebook.com/CMVan88) to see backstories, to keep up on what’s coming when, with maybe a few extra tidbits here and there. And I’d like to hear from you, too.
The Phaedra Chronicles
"The Box" is the second book in the "Phaedra Chronicles" series, and follows main characters Phaedra McCaffrey and Tyler Powell as they navigate their new relationship and at the same time try to solve a mystery that arrives to Phaedra in an inheritance from a great-aunt.
The Phaedra Chronicles
This third book in the Phaedra Chronicles series takes Phaedra, Tyler and his band on the road, launching his new musical project. All goes well until they run into an unscrupulous producer and Phaedra takes it upon herself, using her private investigation experience to take care of the situation.
Then the past rears its ugly head when Nick persuades her to go with him to see their dying mother, whom Phaedra has hated most of her life.
Back home, she and Ty have an argument and he leaves. How will they save their relationship?