Sandra Brannan, who has worked in the quarrying industry for over 25 years, has just published her third murder-mystery book featuring crime-solver Liv Bergen.
Her family have been in the mining game for four generations quarrying iron ore, gypsum and lime in South Dakota, USA, and in 2010 readers she went from limestone manager to amateur sleuth in the first instalment of her critically acclaimed murder-mystery series.
After In the Belly of Jonah came her next case in Lot’s Return to Sodom, which revolved around the infamous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The heroine continues her fight against evil in Brannan’s third book of her series, Widow’s Might ( Greenleaf Book Group), which is also set in South Dakota.
“I am having fun showcasing the colourful life of ranchers in the Black Hills and underscoring the pioneering and indomitable spirit of the Dakotas,” said Brannan, who lives with her family and works in the mining business in Rapid City.
In true-Brannan style, the line between good and evil is blurred in Widow’s Might.
An independent booksellers’ favourite book pick, In The Belly of Jonah went into a second printing within its first month of debut. And in 2011, its e-book version landed on the top 100 mysteries list nationally.
Brannan’s success in the literary world led to her being named one of the top 25 most fabulous women by Black Hills Magazine.
