I grew up in a small midwestern town where few people would expect the idea for a Gangster Series, yet this is where I drew inspiration for my premier historical crime novel, Gangster in Our Midst, Bookkeeper, Lieutenant, and Sometimes Hitman for Al Capone (2017), which won a Notable Indie Book award. I returned to “Oxbow” during the pandemic to write The Black Bag of Dr. Wiltse, Murder on the Prairie (2021), and it won a Notable Indie Book award. A third novel in the series will follow in summer 2024. The novels are loosely set in my hometown of Fairbank, Iowa.
My first two books were substantial memorials. My short stories, poetry, and novellas have appeared in numerous anthologies, magazines, and newspapers. I write a “Gangster Blog” and a column for my hometown newspaper, the Fairbank Islander, and am a member of several mystery crime writers’ organizations. I’m also working on a children’s book, and writing a play based on Gangster in Our Midst. A decade ago, after retiring from a Fortune 500 company, I launched my career as an author. My husband (my rock) and I reside in the Twin Cities. Together we have especially enjoyed rescuing Bichon Frise dogs…though, truth be told, they have rescued us.
More information on her works can be found on her website: BettyBrandtPassick.com.
