The Clockwork Coroner

Six years ago, in 2019, I packed my bags for Costa Rica with a goal — to write my second book with the same intensity as Hemingway in his bungalow days: no distractions, no technology, no easy excuses. Just me, my words, and the occasional break to explore with my friend Arturo Fait Morales.

I wrote in bursts of one to three days, then Arturo would take me out to see the beauty of Costa Rica. We celebrated the finish line by crossing into Nicaragua with his daughter Montse and our friend Jorge — no itinerary, just pure adventure.

It. Was. Magical.

Then Memorial Day came. I flew home. Arturo didn’t make it to the airport to see me off — unusual for him. My WhatsApp messages went unanswered. The next morning, I learned through Jorge’s family on a video call that Arturo had passed away. Just like that.

In one hand, I held a completed manuscript. In the other, the loss of a dear friend. The Murder of Crowe became not just a cathartic response to a messy breakup, but also a way of coping with grief. I published it by my December 1 deadline, with an ending left intentionally ambiguous — a door I could walk through again, or not.

Fast forward to 2025. I wasn’t sure another book was in me… until now.

I’m stepping back into the world of Junius Price and Archibald McNittle. The sequel, The Clockwork Coroner, is in motion — a new steampunk murder mystery set in 1886 Philadelphia, with danger, deception, and just enough grit to keep our detectives on their toes.

Thank you for coming along on this next chapter.

Arturo, this one’s for you.