For years, when Faye and I were asked if we’d ever collaborate, our quick answer was “Never.”

Given the complexities of domestic life, creating our novels seemed to be our sole source of privacy – the one thing we didn’t share.

Then one day, while exploring the pueblos of northern New Mexico, we began musing about the enduring richness of American regionalism. That segued to a spirited discussion of how best to consistently evoke sense of place in a non-series crime novel.

One thing led to another and we found ourselves thinking the unthinkable.

This time the what-if had nothing to do with plot structure. The big question was could we write together and remain best friends and lovers?

If there was any chance of success, the collaboration would have to be just that – a blending of voices, with our individual egos stashed in cold storage. In order to offer our readers maximum value, we decided to go with a pair of short novels, each set in a city so distinctive it would serve as a character. Finally, each story would feature a duo of homicide detectives whose personalities are inextricably linked to the locales in which they work.

The process turned out to be great fun.

The result was Double Homicide: Boston and Santa Fe. Two baffling, complex murders set on opposite sides of the country.

This is a big country. We hope to cover all of it.