For some time, I had been thinking about writing a book where the antagonist was initially a good person.  This  good person stepped over “the line.”  Why or how would that happen?

There are many ways. Perhaps by accident. Or maybe he or she got tricked.  Certainly a person could yield to the temptation, cross the line, then regret it.  Of course, someone might talk the person into the action, make it sound not so bad, perhaps even a good thing, or for a good cause. And fifty other reasons.

Then what?

In my newest book, Political Dirty Trick, a thirty-five-year-old woman gets talked into an illegal act by George. Recently divorced, Ginnie is looking for something to occupy her dull and empty life. She joins an election committee as a volunteer.  George,  an experienced volunteer, relates to her in private that their candidate doesn’t have a chance at winning.  But, a good dirty trick on the opponent, Ron Drake, could drag down his support amongst the voters. Ginnie gets enthusiastic about the possibility. The problem is, the opponent is such a straight shooter, they can’t find anything to expose about him.

Ginnie laments there is nothing they can do and they are just backing a certain loser. George says they could manufacture something. He suggests they could steal a valuable painting from Drake and put it in a storage unit rented under his name. When later they let it be found, Drake will get lots of negative publicity.  And if he had already collected the insurance money for the painting, his poll numbers would definitely tank.

Ginnie says stealing is wrong. But George convinces her that they are not really stealing.  They are putting it in a storage unit under Drake’s name, so they aren’t keeping it. They are just moving it from Drake’s house to his storage unit. Ginnie is reluctant, but eventually gives in and says she will “relocate” the painting if George can rent the unit under Drake’s name.

But things don’t go as planned and a man is killed during the robbery. While it was an accident, it occurred during the commission of a felony. That can carry the death penalty. When Ginnie finds she could be tried for capital murder, she decides she will not be caught, whatever that takes.

Ginnie has stepped over the line, and the slope on the other side is slippery. Each thing she does makes the slope steeper and slipperier. Now, she will do whatever it takes to avoid being caught. Anyone she perceives threatens her freedom will pay dearly.

Political Dirty Trick follows Ginnie’s progress on the slippery slope. Crystal Moore, the protagonist, is just trying to help her friend, Ron Drake. But that puts her on a collision path with Ginnie.

Political Dirty Trick, A Crystal Moore Suspense, Book #3, is available on Kindle now at:   https://amzn.to/2pIHMqs. Next week it will be available in paperback, with the hardcover version following a week later.

I’d love to hear your comments on the slippery slope and how a person might get caught on it.  Thanks. And I’ll select one who leaves a comment and send them a copy of Political Dirty Trick.