The Cozy Father Figure by Sarah E. Burr

Hello, dear readers. Happy Father’s Day! I’m here again with my dad-themed post for the year. Since joining Writers Who Kill, I’ve shared with you memories of my dad reading me stories at bedtime, as well as my favorite literary fathers. For this year’s post, I wanted to examine the presence of dads in my own books.

I’ll never forget how jokingly dismayed my mom and dad were when I killed off Duchess Jacqueline's parents in my debut work, The Ducal Detective. However, just because they are not physically with Jax doesn’t mean Duke Richard and Duchess Amarilys don’t play a huge role in their daughter’s development. Specifically, Duke Richard; he was Jax’s predecessor as ruling sovereign. Throughout the Court of Mystery series, readers have learned about Duke Richard’s kindness and compassion, but they’ve also seen Jax come to terms with the fact that her father wasn’t an infallible leader. Yet, she uses the lessons her father taught her about protecting their people to guide her homeland toward a better future, showing how lasting Duke Richard’s legacy is.

In the Trending Topic Mysteries, influencer and entrepreneur Coco Cline enjoys a wonderful relationship with her father. I think about all the support my dad has given me over the years, and similarly, Coco’s dad, Simon Cline, is always cheering her on (even though he has no idea what a “social media influencer” really is). He’s always there to lend an ear or let Coco pick his brain about the goings-on around town. And while he isn’t thrilled his daughter keeps putting herself in danger, he’s wise enough to know he can’t stop Coco from being Coco.

In contrast, Winnie Lark, the protagonist of my Book Blogger Mysteries, has the most complicated father-daughter relationship among my leading ladies. Winnie grew up idolizing her father, children’s book author Lyle Lark. However, due to her twin brother becoming a Hollywood superstar, Winnie has always felt a bit invisible within her family. She yearns for her father’s approval and respect, yet she’s too afraid to reveal she’s the person behind the famous book blog, What Spine is Yours. Thus, she resents how her father makes her feel less important than her brother despite the fact she still deeply loves him.

And lastly, there is candlemaker Hazel Wickbury of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. Poor Hazel has never even known her father. Leopold Wickbury is a mysterious figure in the series, and with Flying Off the Candle being released this past Tuesday, I figured I’d share an excerpt with you that enlightens readers about Hazel’s dad. Enjoy!

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Flying Off the Candle, Book Three in the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries

(Excerpt from Chapter 11)

 

With my coworkers gone for the day and no clients to tend to, time continued to drag on. I loved making all kinds of candles for my customers to enjoy, but manning the sales floor was my least favorite part of being a small business owner.

I decided to use this downtime to do more online research about Marjorie. I scoured her social media for any signs of her mystery visitor but found nothing. Like Lauren had alluded to, Marjorie hadn’t posted anything new in several weeks. She’d reposted content from other authors, but that was it.

“Bummer.” I cast another desperate look toward the clock. Why wouldn’t it move?

The fancy, Victorian pendulum clock may have looked a bit out of place in my shop, but it was the one piece of my dad I had left. My father, Leopold Wickbury, was a mystery I had yet to solve.

Leo and my mom, Iris Glenmyre, had fallen madly in love when he’d come to Crucible to conduct research. Researching what, Mom never knew. He always teased her that it was “top secret.” Yet, during their whirlwind romance, Leo came across something requiring further investigation and told Mom that he needed to leave town to check it out. He promised he’d return to begin the life they’d planned together, so Mom simply waited. And waited. By the time Mom realized she was pregnant with me, Leopold Wickbury had all but vanished into thin air.

I stared at my dad’s clock, the one possession he’d left behind, my mind a sudden storm of mixed emotions. Despite the anger I harbored over Leo deserting Mom without a word, I liked to believe that by hanging the clock on my store’s wall, my dad was somehow watching over me. I had no idea if he had abandoned Mom out of malice or cowardice, or whether he’d been met with some horrible fate. Even with the wonders of technology, I’d found no trace of him. It was as if Leopold Wickbury had never existed.

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So, as you can see, there’s a mystery within Hazel’s own past that she’s yet to solve. What are some father-child relationships you’ve enjoyed in literature?

 

Ready to read more? Flying Off the Candle is available in eBook, audiobook, and paperback.