Caroline Taylor’s newest thriller features classic noir elements, mysterious characters who aren’t what they seem
WASHINGTON D.C. – 1966. Washington, D.C. To survive in this town, sometimes a good girl has to be bad. Really bad.
Longing to transcend her Midwest roots and strict religious upbringing, Judah Lundquist spends her days obediently typing insurance policies for Tom Lawrence of Standard Life Insurance.
But Washington is not Peoria, and she finds herself caught up in a nightmare that threatens to subvert all the values she’s tried to uphold while exposing secrets from her past. A shameful one-night stand with neighbor Ralph Hicks lands Judah in a trap of her own making.
To protect what is left of her tattered reputation, Judah must become a seductress and a thief, betraying the only man who can possibly save her—a man with secrets that have nothing to do with crime and everything to do with the Cold War.
Fans of Taylor will recognize her signature edge-of-seat style and mysterious characters who all have something to hide. Steeped in atmospheric noir, “The Typist” will have readers telling themselves “just one more page” until they’re at the end of the book.
Caroline Taylor is the author of mysteries, “What Are Friends For,” “Jewelry from a Grave” and “Loose Ends”; the award-winning nonfiction book, “Publishing the Nonprofit Annual Report: Tips, Traps, and Tricks of the Trade,” and a short-story collection, “Enough!: Thirty Stories of Fielding Life’s Little Curve Balls.” A lifelong writer and editor, Caroline has received numerous awards for editorial and design excellence for publications she. She is a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network, Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America.
Advance praise for The Typist
“The Typist has everything you could want: a small town girl making her way in the big city, enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing late into the night, an off-balance romance that keeps you coming back for more, and some very clever bad guys — or wait, are they the good guys? Secret codes, secret romances, secret frame-ups, and a secret past keep likable protagonist Judah Lundquist on her toes — and us along with her.”
Kelly Oliver,
author of the Jessica James mystery series
“Caroline Taylor’s book catapults readers back to 1966 Washington D.C., where newcomer Judah Lundquist becomes entangled in a web filled with danger, murder, romance, and blackmail. An intricate tale of intrigue, deceit, hidden pasts, and dark secrets.”
Michael H. Rubin,
author of The Cottoncrest Curse and Cashed Out
“No one, not even Judah Lundquist herself, is what he or she appears to be in this very readable thriller. Judah’s job should be boring—she’s a typist in an insurance company—but her coworkers drag her into their tricky business. Seasoned with a bit of romance, The Typist is a real page-turner. Bonus points for the authentic feel of the 1960s setting.”
Karen Pullen, author of Cold Feet and Cold Heart
About the Book
“The Typist”
Caroline Taylor | June 21, 2018 | Black Rose Writing
Paperback | 978-1-68433-069-0 | $14.95
thriller
An Interview with
CAROLINE TAYLOR
Has this story been floating around in your head for a while, or was it a more recent development?
Actually, this is a complete rewrite of something I started years ago, featuring the same lead character, only she lived in a small Midwest town and the only crime was some stolen items and . . . yawn. So I kept the characters’ names, changed the venue to Washington, and made it about murder and spying during the Cold War.
In what ways do your characters manifest the urban-cultural divide? Here’s just one example: Judah Lundquist is an upright, uptight Midwesterner with a strict religious upbringing; whereas, her friend Nancy Pinkerton is a younger, more cosmopolitan woman from a less sheltered background. Judah has a strong sense of right and wrong, and yet things in Washington are much more fluid.
Why did you decide on a 1960’s setting?
It had to be during the Cold War, and the mid-1960s seemed just about right for something that was fought mostly in the shadows and yet loomed large in people’s lives.
Having lived in Washington D.C., what past experiences of yours play a role in this novel?
Other than my familiarity with the area, in one of my very first jobs, I was required to type insurance policies that could not have any errors or erasures.
Are there any similarities between Judah and the characters in any of your previous books?
No. Judah has a strong religious background, even though she was a child thief. None of the other characters in my previous books hail from the Midwest
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Understand that rejection does not mean you’re no good. Rejection simply means that the person doesn’t want your story and that it could be because of personal prejudices, the current market, competing stories, or even personal or work issues that make rejecting a piece easier than taking it up. Learn from rejection on those rare occasions when someone gives feedback. But, also, look at that feedback with a critical eye
Do you have a method for tackling writer’s block?
If I can’t think of what to write, I go for a walk, take up some household task that involves physical rather than mental labor, or, when available, work on a freelance editing assignment—anything that gives the creative side of my brain a rest.
What’s next for you?
I am working on two novels, a mystery with a theme of human trafficking and a mainstream novel with a theme of dealing with loss of loved ones.
My Review
The Typist is a story of a young woman who leaves her past, her father had used her as a child, having her steal for him, and she is eager to leave that all behind. She ends up with a good job, a really good job for the 60's and has a decent life. She works at an insurance agency writing insurance policies and kind of a Girl Friday for her boss Tom Lawrence.
After a new girl is hired, Judah starts to notice strange things going on in the office. She is doing things for her boss that she finds a bit weird. Aside from that, she ends up having a one night stand with her neighbor that she is ashamed of. This neighbor has a bad end and now Judah realizes that she is in a dangerous situation. She ends up lying, stealing just to find out what is going on. Politics in the 60's, of course, were tied up in the Cold War and Judah finds herself smack dab in the middle of things. At the time I found Judah to be quite naive but of course, this was the 60's and it was impressive that Judah actually worked at such a good job.
The writing was good, had me caught right from the beginning. The characters were very believable and the era brought back a lot of memories of that time. This is a historical novel that is definitely readable and gives the reader a clue as to things that happened during that time. I really enjoyed it!
This book review was done voluntarily.
– I have always loved writing; putting words onto a page and bringing characters to life. I can almost feel myself becoming immersed into their lives, living with their fears and triumphs. Thus, my writing process becomes an endless series of questions. What would she or he do, how would they react, is this in keeping with their character? Strange as it sounds, I don’t like leaving characters in cliffhanging situations without giving them an ending, whichever way it develops.
