Three weeks into February, and I am finally starting to write the draft of the last book in the Hot Dog Detective series: The Absent Ally.
This will be a difficult book for me to write, since it is the spiritual end of the series. I have to accomplish a lot of goals with this book.
First (and foremost), write an enjoyable mystery. I want each book in the series to be its own mystery, one that will puzzle the reader until the end. I also need the mystery itself to be what the Punjabis called “pukka” ( ਪੱਕਾ ). I want the story to be complete, complex, satisfying, and well-paced.
Second, I need to complete the trilogy that extends from Young Yogi, through Zamboni Zealot, and concludes in this novel. Unlike previous trilogies, however, this third book in the trilogy will assume a much more profound role in the completion of the story.
Third, I want to showcase a lot of the characters who have associated themselves with MacFarland over the years. I love many of these characters, and I personally hate to say goodbye to them.
And lastly, I have to finish Mark MacFarland’s story and develop his character to its fullest. He needs to realize what is important in life, accept the things he cannot control, and manage the things he can.