Three’s the Charm

by Vicki Doudera

Three is a magic number,
Yes it is, it's a magic number.
Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity
You get three as a magic number.
The past and the present and the future.
Faith and Hope and Charity,
The heart and the brain and the body
Give you three as a magic number.             
(Lyrics by Bob Dorough)

I’ve always loved the number three.

It’s what I count to before losing my cool, how many square meals I’ll down in a day, and the amount of tasks I can juggle and still keep smiling. It’s the number of acts in a classic story structure, and the number of elements in a joke. It’s how many kids I always wanted, as well as how many I’m blessed to have.  And now, it’s even more magical because of the arrival of my third mystery, Deadly Offer.

There are several reasons why this new novel thrills me. First, I particularly love Deadly Offer’s cover, with its gorgeous depiction of a creepy vineyard. I like the back cover’s heading, “A Twisted Vine of Secrets,” and the prologue’s succinct, scary, opening line: “I will kill you.”

I love the fact that I have a growing stack of Darby Farr Mysteries on my writing desk. Three! Count ‘em, three! One could have been a fluke; two, a lucky break, but three has the power of intention. My career as a mystery writer feels real.

The ancient Romans believed '”omne trium perfectum,” or, everything that comes in threes is perfect. I like that idea, and consequently I’m commemorating Deadly Offer’s publication with a party in a picture-perfect setting: Cellardoor Winery, located right here in coastal Maine.

If you’re in the area, please join me on April 5th and help me celebrate a magic number and my magical day. I f you can’t make it, raise a glass (or three) to Deadly Offer’s launch. Thanks!

Top producing Realtor Vicki Doudera uses high-stakes, luxury real estate as the setting for a suspenseful mystery series starring crime-solving, deal-making agent Darby Farr. A broker with a busy coastal firm since 2003 and former Realtor of the Year, Vicki’s latest mystery, DEADLY OFFER, takes Darby to a winery where murder, mayhem, and Merlot all mingle. As in the popular KILLER LISTING and A HOUSE TO DIE FOR, Darby discovers a dangerous truth: real estate means real trouble. Read more about the Darby Farr Mystery Series and Vicki at her website, www.vickidoudera.com.