Character Profile: Det Smith…..From Villain to Ally

Detective Smith

His determined nature and near-obsessive drive to ensure Hannah Walker paid for her perceived transgressions in Deadly College Murders initially defined Smith as the story’s antagonist. Over time, however, his rigid vendetta softened, and he transformed from a one-dimensional villain into a reluctant ally, ultimately collaborating with Hannah.

When Hannah uncovered who was behind the murders, Smith surprised her by offering her a position to work alongside him in the police department. Hannah, however, gently declined his offer, explaining that she did not feel ready to take on the responsibilities of a detective.

When Hannah returns to town in Deadly Vows, Smith asks her to stay out of the investigation, worried she might be killed again as she nearly was the first time. When Hannah later loses her memory, Smith steps up to help Rafael and the team determine who is responsible for the new string of killings. Though he nearly loses his life in the process, Smith ultimately perseveres and is the one who makes the arrest after Hannah regains her memory.

In Paris Noir Deadly Obsession, Smith is the one who will be in charge of defending Hannah against Mason and Donovan, who are determined to make her life a living hell and attempt to frame her for the recent string of killings.

He is also the one who will arrest Hannah once again, this time at Hannah’s request, since she wants to uncover who Bree really is. Although he initially objects to the plan, once Rafael gives his approval Smith arranges for Hannah to have protection while in jail and tells her she has two weeks to uncover the truth. Smith is also the officer who will be present at the wedding and ultimately the one to unmask and bring down the culprit. Near the end of Paris Noir, Smith calls Hannah to tell her he found Laura’s body, along with a letter and a riddle addressed to her.

In the Thirteenth Riddle, A Poisoned Silence, Smith and Hannah work together, now officially partnered, navigating tense investigations side by side. He becomes the one she turns to for guidance when she most needs it, offering steady advice and reassurance. He explains that Rafael's actions stem from a desire to protect her, rooted in his deepest fear of losing her.

Initially he was going to be the antagonist, but as time went by and as I started to develop his character, I decided to turn him into an ally of the Walker-Smith clan. He had been simply trying to do his job, and at first the evidence against Hannah seemed overwhelming. However, after she was thrown in jail and sentenced to death, Smith came to realize that Hannah was innocent. He even went so far as to offer her a job working with him, an offer she declined. I wanted Smith to become an ally because, through everything he witnessed, he recognized that Hannah was fundamentally a good person.

Perhaps my favorite scene to write was in Paris Noir, when Hannah pleads with him to arrest her. He tells her he doesn't want to, until she cheekily reminds him how much fun it was the last time he slipped her into handcuffs… and suddenly his resistance softens. Smith will have even more character development in Shadows of her Past, A Hannah Walker Mystery.