CL Pauwels at Large

Have you looked at the line-up of movies coming out this year? Nearly everything is a remake or a sequel; do we really need another Rocky?!

But sequels – or a series – can be a good thing for scriptwriters or novelists. We invest so much time and energy in creating a world and populating it with interesting characters, it seems a shame to walk away from them after only one outing.

In that spirit, after previously sharing my selection of to represent my characters in Forty & Out (here and here), I present the additional cast members for the second in my Jadz series: Burned Bridges (insert trumpet fanfare and MGM lion’s roar here).

First: Reggie Skiles. Yes, he dies on the opening page; no spoiler there – it’s as murder mystery! But his life overshadows everything that comes after, so he’s a very real part of the story. I was encouraged recently to hear Jess Montgomery aka/Sharon Short has much the same set-up in her latest historical fiction, The Widows, when Sheriff Daniel dies in the opening pages, but lives on to the end.

Casting an actor to play the face of Reggie was a challenge. You’ll need to ignore the British accent, but James Corden’s open, affable charm and boy-next-door demeanor fit the part.

As we learned at the end of Forty & Out, Jadz’s partner in the Detective Bureau, Rena Castillo, moved on. In Burned Bridges, a new partner appears, one who matches Jadz in dislike for working as a team, with an extra dash of prickliness.

I see Michael Kaufman as the debonair NYPD Detective Ed Green on Law & Order, played by Jesse L. Martin.

The newly appointed Homicide Department supervisor Lt. Douglas Langford is an intractable roadblock to Jadz and Kaufman. He came from another area of specialty, he micromanages on the wrong tasks, and his connections outside the office – well, let’s just say they raise a few eyebrows in the ranks.

Fans of The West Wing will recognize “Bingo Bob” Russell, as played by Gary Cole. He’s Langford, right down to the cowboy boots (keep an eye on those!).

I hadn’t planned on the character of Chick, but all PIs need a side-kick, right? Another fortuitous turn of events I would never have foreseen in an outline – and Chick provides a touch of comic relief that I appreciate. I hope you do too!

I see Chick as Michael Pena in Ant-Man (yes, I’ve seen it – and Ant-Man and Wasp! Then things we do for love…). Not quite that over the top, but close.

Hmmm…just noticed these are all men! There really are strong women in Burned Bridges, in addition to Jadz. Check back next week to meet them!