Mystery Characters
The Village of Boulder Creek
Claire Mary Clancy
Claire is atrue blue friend and neighbor; the epitome of a compassionate, people-person. A retired drug abuse rehab counselor who ended up as CEO of a non-profit, Claire lives by herself across the condo complex “inside” road from RJ. They struck up a friendship during their professional lives and expanded it after moving to their condos. Claire would not venture into the unknown alone, but she and RJ have becomefast friends who like to take day trips which they calladventures; and they usually turn out to be adventures unforeseen.
RJ Hamaker (has never been known by her full name, Rachel Jayne)
RJ is the adventurous type. Her fiery, upbeat personality will take the lead on any trip; any adventure; any… well… anything. A retired elementary school teacher and principal, RJ worked in public schools for 3 decades before she retired and unexpectedly landed a job as a prevention researcher at the local university. RJ lives by herself across the condo complexinside road from Claire. The two had formed a friendship through mutual interests in the well-being of children and picked up where they left off when they ended up as neighbors after they retired. RJ’s second floor condo balcony overlooks a protected desert habitat, including a natural wash crossed by a wooden footbridge leading to a manicured golf course and resort.
Samantha “Sam” Triknots
Sam’s life has been a mix of writer, marriage partner, and Hollywood producer. She is a well-known writer of Western mysteries who fell in love with the Southwest desert, out of love with her ex, and resides in what has been refurbished to look like an old abandoned ranch. It is north of the suburbs of the nearby city and is a site especially designed for commercial use, for both feature-length films and commercials.
Dr. Scout Caraday
As a veterinarian new to Boulder Creek, Dr. Scout, as she likes to be called, has known about the community for several years. She worked her way through college and veterinary school by working with her Father’s Phoenix real estate brokerage during the summers. She met her new husband when she showed him the ranch property they now own. With his help, she transformed the basement of the old ranch house into a clinic for small animals, while making plans to build a larger clinic that will have spaces for large animal care as well as a new clinic for small animal health. In the meantime, she cares of ranch animals in the area using a mobile veterinary unit.
Aaron “Mac” MacAlpin
Mac and Dr. Scout married after they met while Scout was working for her real estate broker Dad and showed Mac the old Tucker Ranch. Mac, originally from the Prescott area where his family worked on a big cattle ranch, grew up listening to his grandfather tell the story about how he and other cowboys from the ranch drove a small herd of cattle to the Second Chance Ranch down by Boulder Creek and how beautiful that area was. His grandfather often said that if he’d had the money, he would have bought a ranch down there. Mac, intrigued by his grandfather’s love of the area, decided to visit sh
