Mary Schaffer
Mary grew up in Ozark, Franklin County, Arkansas. A graduate of Arkansas Tech, she taught in public schools and later, after obtaining an M.A. in English from University of Arkansas, taught at the college level. Counting experiences in substitute teaching, she taught classes from kindergarten through senior college courses.
She has lived in a variety of states and her beloved Portugal, where she lived off and on for twenty years. She currently lives in Heber Springs, Arkansas.
Finally, in 2002, she began putting her years of studying and teaching literature and writing into her own writing. What has followed is 9 murder mysteries with a 10th due out in September 2025. She has written one romance and a nonfiction collection of stories about living in Portugal. She also wrote and published stories about her life growing up in Franklin County.
Looming in the distance are several books waiting to be written: another Ed Flanders book, two short story romances, and a nonfiction collection of stories titled Gathering String.
BOOKS BY MARY SCHAFFER
DEATH IN THE HOME PLACE. “Everyone can be a male or female, married or single, tall or short, old or young,” Ed Flanders said. “That’s a chat room.” If, as Ed suspected, there was a serial killer preying on women in The Home Place chat room, how would he be able to sort through the lies to find the killer? BUY ON AMAZON
PUNISHMENT BY FIRE. “There is no tie between the two cases,” said retired FBI agent Ed Flanders. “One couple’s deaths might be accidental. The other couple’s grandson in prison for their murders.” Still, he agrees to take a second look. Soon, he uncovers a web of coincidence pointing to a serial killer. Aided by former colleagues, Ed searches for the killer’s identity. The hunter becomes the hunted. BUY ON AMAZON
THERE CAME A DRAGON. Ed Flanders, retired FBI agent turned author, helps local police identify Lee Ann Taylor, who had been mugged and lost her memory. Each answer to Lee Ann’s questions about her identity leads to more questions. Who is she? Why is her childhood a mystery? Why does she react dramatically to a dragon tattoo? BUY ON AMAZON
DEJA VU? DEJA VU! A voicemail begging Ed Flanders’ help is from a woman he doesn’t know. She is panicked over threatening phone calls repeating the phrase “deja vu.” As Ed and his partner identify and discover the woman’s connection to Ed, they find that she has been kidnapped. The key to her rescue is found in the repeated use of that phrase, DEJA VU. BUY ON AMAZON
CHANCE ENCOUNTER. This is the story of George Woods, a young black man, traveling across Arkansas. After a brief racially-motivated confrontation with some locals, George steals a car. When he is caught, police discover a dead man in the trunk. Everyone assumes Woods is guilty, except one middle-aged white woman. Through a chance encounter with the accused, she is convinced of his innocence. BUY ON AMAZON
ELEMENTS OF DECEPTION. Alex Stringer is missing, along with $8000 of Boy Scout money. His boss, his sister, and the local Boy Scout leader turn to Sheriff Jim Crawford, who is sure Stringer will return when the money runs out. Then a body is found in an abandoned building. Crawford and his deputies must sort through secrets and deceptions to find the truth — even their own secrets. BUY ON AMAZON
DEAD END. Two little girls have gone missing from a small Arkansas town two years apart. One girl is found murdered. Sheriff Jim Crawford must find the sexual psychopath who hides in plain sight.BUY ON AMAZON
THE VERY LEAST. Kate Booker, a hospice nurse, has been shot, her body dumped in the Arkansas River. Sheriff Jim Crawford is called out of retirement to solve her murder. The complications of black market drugs and the Covid pandemic complicate the investigation. Was Kate killed for the drugs, or was the murder more personal? BUY ON AMAZON
THE SHATTERED GLASS EFFECT. Bill Palmer is found murdered in his car on a cold February day. Investigators assume it was a robbery. Sheriff Jim Crawford is not so sure. As the new spreads through rural Arkansas, a young woman, new to the area, tells Crawford, “I am—or soon will be—your prime suspect.” Every piece of Palmer’s life, public and private, must be examined to determine who shattered it and why. BUY ON AMAZON