I love diving into mystery and suspense thrillers because there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing an everyday person take on tough challenges and come out on top. It’s like a cathartic rollercoaster ride, and writing thrillers gives me the advantage of being able to control the ride — at least as much as my characters allow.
The inspiration for my latest suspense thriller, “Repoe Man” happened during the early months of Covid. My husband and I had decided to retire so I was living in our vacation home in Southern Oregon while he was 300 miles north, prepping our primary house for sale.
During that time, I got into the habit of nightly chats with an old writing buddy, who used his pen name, Jake. We’d start Facebook threads, and our friends would chime in. One of his friends was Bobby Poe. Their banter was a mix of reminiscing about their rough hometown, and their love for heavy metal and fast cars. I thought their friendship and the way they reminisced was funny and interesting and Bobby’s name was perfect for the character who had started to coalesce in my mind. With their blessing and loads of helpful feedback, I got started on what I affectionately called the “Bobby Poe and Jake book.”
As a person who’d spent most of their career in probation and parole and then in social services, I’d seen the struggles of kids growing up in the foster care system. In fact, my agency was key in helping address one of the more tragic aspects, which is kids who age out of the system and must leave their homes, often with no resources to fall back on. There is no one to help pay for college, or a car, or even offer a place to stay in tough times.
I wondered, what would happen if Jake and Bobby grew up in foster care and were forced to deal with that issue. I decided that without resources or support they might dabble in some sketchy stuff, but since they were basically good and had each other, they would escape real trouble. Bobby would join the military while Jake would discover a marketable talent as a writer.
That doesn’t fix all their problems though and the novel starts with Jake picking up Bobby, who has just been released from jail. Bobby is ready to make a fresh start, until Jake asks him to help a mutual friend with a problem they can’t take to the police. Bobby agrees and soon finds himself drawn into a dangerous world of crime and criminals.
For this book I did research on burglary, munitions (or how to blow things up), sports gambling, sports memorabilia, cars, motorcycles, sex workers, and law enforcement. I spoke with a drug dealer, a professional thief, a pimp, a retired munitions expert with the Army, a lawyer, and a car mechanic. Each one was fascinating in their own way.
The book was nearly done but I still didn’t have a title. When I told subscribers to my newsletter the problem, I got a flurry of responses. One of them suggested, “Repoe Man.” I thought it was the perfect title for a book about a character who retrieves things for others.
Please note that it is a thriller written in a male voice and contains scenes of erotica and violence. If that doesn’t bother you, I hope you enjoy reading “Repoe Man,” as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it. You can find it here REPOE MAN: A Bobby Poe Novel: Cowan, Pamela: 9781957638966: Amazon.com: Books
Repoe Man
Bobby Poe and his best friend Jake grew up together in foster care, bonding over their rebellious natures, and shared love of fast cars and heavy metal music.
When Jake asks him to help a mutual friend with a problem, Bobby finds himself drawn into a dangerous world of crime and corruption.
Will love, friendship, and the support of a makeshift family be enough to assure his safety and success, or is the damage inflicted by his past too great?
“Suffering from PTSD and a broken heart Bobby Poe still stands up and fights for everyone. A new hero!” ~ Corky Alexander, Simon Says Book Reviews
“Zoey is an idiot.” ~ Haley Lane, Author of The Twilight King
https://www.amazon.com/REPOE-MAN-Bobby-Poe-Novel/dp/1957638966
Pamela Cowan is a Pacific Northwest author most recognized for her psychological thrillers. Her books are known for their dark and gritty themes, exploring the uglier side of human nature. Her short stories have been featured in various magazines, and anthologies, and have been broadcast on public radio.
With an education in communications and organizational psychology, Pamela spent most of her career in social services, honing her understanding of human behavior, which she incorporates into her books. She has two grown children, a supportive husband, and a dog whose life-long goal is to end the tyranny of UPS, USPS, and FedEx drivers. To date, she has not been successful.
Website: https://www.pamelacowan.com/
Ladies of Mystery 
This sounds very interesting! I like the way you came up with the character of Bobby Poe. I often use my memories and other people’s stories when thinking up interesting characters and character traits.
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