Date Published: July 17, 2020
Publisher: Blue Fortune Enterprises LLC, Cactus Mystery Press
Check your email. Help is out there…
When Sherry and Beth discover what their boyfriends have been up to, they want in on the action. Working as vigilantes and providing justice for wrongs committed is a noble thing to do, but the women decide the stakes need to change.
Once again, the conflict is personal.
This follow-up to Roundabout Revenge follows former Professor Phil Philemon as he and his friends continue to seek elusive justice for victims who may not have been able to speak for themselves. Lurking in chat rooms, the group finds a large number of women who have been sexually harassed on the job. Sexually harassed in horrible ways. Harassed until their jobs, their reputations, and their sanity is on the line. And what they find is that the story of he said-she said is not always one that ends well.
But not everything goes as planned, and soon the four friends need to come to terms with a larger reality, including a crime of arson and an FBI investigation.
Interview with Robert Archibald
For those
interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where
should they start?
The
book is about the way women are treated if they claim they are being
sexually harassed. The men they are accusing are presumed innocent,
and so the women have to prove they are being truthful. The
proceedings are set up so the woman is almost presumed to be guilty.
If a woman is being sexually harassed, she can contact the National
Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). This organization can
direct people to local resources and provide timely information.
How did you become
involved with the subject or theme of your book?
This
is the second book in a series, and it grew naturally out of the
first book. In the first book, Roundabout Revenge, the women
who are featured in Guilty Until Proven Innocent find out
their boyfriends were involved in an elaborate revenge plot. Instead
of turning the men in, the women decide to enlist their help. Guilty
Until Proven Innocent tells the story of the women’s project.
What were your
goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you
achieved them?
I
have two aims. First, I want to bring up issues people should think
about. I don’t necessarily want to take sides, but I want people to
think about the topic. Second, I want to tell an entertaining story.
Anything you would like to say to
your readers and fans?
I hope they find my
books interesting. I enjoyed writing this book, and I hope everything
starts to open up again soon so I can connect with more readers in
person.
What did you enjoy most about
writing this book?
I
like putting my characters in challenging situations and finding a
way for them to meet the challenge I’ve given them. I have only the
vaguest outline when I start on a novel. I like the way things evolve
within the outline.
Can you tell us a little bit about
your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I have completed a
third book with the characters in my first two books. The third book,
Crime Might Pay, completes the story of these characters, or
at least gets them to a good place. Also, I have started a book with
a new set of characters. One of the characters in my new book is a
dung beetle. That’s all I’ll say at this point.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve had a
two-part career. I was an economics professor at the College of
William & Mary for over forty years. I did quite a bit of writing
in that capacity, over forty academic articles on a wide range of
topics. Late in my career I started studying the economics of higher
education. I published three books on that topic. I started writing
novels when I retired three years ago.
Can you tell us a
little bit about the characters in Guilty Until Proven
Innocent.
The
main character in Guilty Until Proven Innocent is
Sherry Ahearn. Sherry is a very attractive woman in her 50s. She has
a history of having trouble with men, including two times when she
unsuccessfully pursued sexual harassment complaints. The book
revolves around her plan to help women who are being sexually
harassed.
Phil
Philemon is Sherry’s boyfriend. Phil is a former college professor,
who was the main character in Roundabout Revenge, the first
book in the series. In Guilty Phil plays a support role, and
he and Sherry’s romance progresses.
Ralph
Williams is Phil’s helper. He runs a computer sales/repair shop in
the small Pennsylvania town where everyone lives. His computer
expertise is helpful. He and Phil do the law breaking involved in
Sherry’s plans.
Beth
Watson is Ralph’s girlfriend and Sherry’s good friend. Beth works
as a nurse in the local hospital. She helps Ralph with some of the
computer work associated with the group’s efforts.
All
four of these characters work together in the planning and execution
of the group’s project.
If you could spend the day with one
of the characters from Guilty Until Proven Innocent.who would it be?
Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you
would go and what you would do.
I would like to
spend a day with Phil Philemon who is part of the group in Guilty
Until Proven Innocent. He is a former college professor, as am I.
I’d like to accompany him to one of his Wednesday lunches. Each
Wednesday, Phil goes to lunch with several of his college professor
friends. They have very lively discussions of current events. I’d
love to be part of one of those discussions.
About the Author
Robert Archibald was born in New Jersey and grew up in Oklahoma and Arizona. After receiving a BA from the University of Arizona, he was drafted and served in Viet Nam. He then earned a M.S. and Ph.D in economics from Purdue University. Bob had a 41-year career at the College of William & Mary. While he had several stints as an administrator, department chair, director of the public policy program, and interim dean of the faculty, Bob was always proud to be promoted back to the faculty. He lives with his wife of 47 years, Nancy, in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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