WKMG alum Cooper rolls out serial killer series
Former WKMG-Channel 6 reporter Steven Cooper is back in town this weekend, but don’t ask him to investigate a story.
He left TV news four years ago, and he’s writing a mystery book series. He will discuss “Desert Remains,” the first in the series, and sign copies at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Winter Park Public Library, 460 E. New England Ave., in Winter Park.
“I wrote the first one as a standalone with no intent to expand into a series,” Cooper said by email. “But the offer came in contingent on a second book and more to follow. I have my work cut out for me. But I’m not complaining.”
Longtime viewers will remember that Cooper worked for nearly 15 years at CBS affiliate WKMG and became a familiar figure on the investigative team. In 2013, he put marriage before TV news and moved to Atlanta. He worked at a corporate job for a couple of years before getting the book deal and now mostly writes full time.
“Desert Remains” is Cooper’s fourth novel after “With You in Spirit,” a mystery filled with camp humor; “Saving Valencia,” about the search for a kidnapped heiress; and “Deadline,” a supernatural story about a reporter solving his own murder. “Desert Remains” had its start here.
“I wrote the first draft while working at WKMG in Orlando,” Cooper said. “It came with me to Atlanta, where I finished the book.”
The story is set in the Southwest, and focuses on homicide detective Alex Mills and his buddy, reluctant psychic Gus Parker.
“They’re trying to track a serial killer who’s stalking women on the desert hiking trails around Phoenix,” said Cooper, who became familiar with the region while working as a TV reporter in Phoenix. “Confounding them further, the killer is taking his inspiration from the ancient tribal art left behind by a lost civilization.”
Publishers Weekly called it an “accomplished series opener” and raved, “Riveting subplots and a shocking twist pave the way for an electrifying conclusion.” The series is published by Seventh Street Books, an imprint of Prometheus distributed by Random House.
Mills and Parker will recur in the next book. It’s always good to have a friendly psychic along for the mystery.