Ingrid Thoft

Ingrid Thoft's latest novel featuring Boston P.I. Fina Ludlow is Brutality.

From a Q & A at her website:

1. Tell us a little bit about your heroine, Fina Ludlow. How do you see her, and how did you begin to conceptualize her?

I wanted to create a strong, funny and flawed female protagonist who would push the limits and do all the things I’m too well-mannered to do! Like so many readers, I was fascinated by the Lisbeth Salander character in the Stieg Larsson books. She is strong, brash, and violent and operates outside of society’s norms. That character was born of abuse and neglect and didn’t have a “normal” family. I wondered what would happen if you created a character who was also strong minded and independent, but came from a domineering family unit and had to operate within the bounds of that family. If you have nothing holding you back and nothing to lose—like Lisbeth Salander—your actions can be extreme. But if you’re trying to operate within a family system and maintain your standing in that family, you have more to lose, and the stakes can be quite high.

2. You actually attended and graduated from the University of Washington certificate program in private investigation. What drew you to this program?

I sought out the program when I made the decision to create a character who is a professional investigator rather than an amateur detective. This decision was based on the limitations I encountered in an unpublished series I had already written featuring an amateur sleuth. Over time, I found her amateur status to be problematic as she could only stumble over so many bodies before it strains credulity! So I made the main character a professional investigator, which opened up a lot of possibilities and gives me options as the series progresses.

Having made that choice, I wanted to...[read on]

Visit Ingrid Thoft's website.

--Marshal Zeringue