My latest book, Truth Be Told, is about a man with a gift who thinks it’s a curse. If Peter Beckett asks someone a question, they feel compelled to tell him the truth. When people realize what is happening, they want to stay far away from him. That has left him isolated and lonely.
Things change when two FBI agents from Washington recruit a local Milwaukee rookie agent, Hannah Meyers, to determine if Peter’s powers are real and, if so, to convince him to work with them on a case. To Peter’s surprise, Hannah tells him an obvious lie. Intrigued, he eventually agrees to work with her on the case.
The idea for the story has been in my head for a while. I think it started about ten years ago after watching the Netflix series, “Jessica Jones.” In it, a character named Kilgrave possessed the power to control people’s minds and compel them to do whatever he wanted. A similar power appeared in a series called “Preacher.”
I started thinking if I had the power, I would get a job as a bailiff so I could compel everyone who came to testify to tell the truth. That would make for some interesting courtroom drama. Since I know nothing about court proceedings, that would be difficult for me to write. It would make for a funny story, though. That idea eventually evolved into someone who didn’t intentionally compel anyone; it happened against his will.
The reason behind his ability also evolved as I wrote the story. I originally wanted to keep it to mere speculation, like I did with The Last Healer, but decided to reveal everything as the story progressed.
Speaking of The Last Healer, this story takes place in the same world, so to speak. It is in Milwaukee, and one of the characters, Captain Garcia, is in both books. One of the FBI agents also mentions a Wisconsin man who can heal people by touching them, while the other agent doubts the stories are true. I thought they would be fun Easter eggs for people who have read the Last Healer Mysteries.
I could use your help with reviews. If you would like a free copy of the eBook from Smashwords, click here and enter the code WUUWD. This expires on June 14. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the story.