Led by His Past: Inside Katelyn Marie Peterson’s Romantic Suspense World

In this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes romantic suspense author Katelyn Marie Peterson to talk about her gripping trilogy, focusing on the second book, Led by His Past. The story follows Lynn Callahan and her private investigator boyfriend, Jake Connolly, as they’re pulled into a tense new case when Jake’s ex-girlfriend shows up asking him to investigate her sister’s murder in Burlington, Vermont. Katelyn opens up about how real her characters feel to her, especially now that she’s living with them over the course of three books. She describes how she carefully planned the trilogy from the start, including cliffhangers and emotional arcs that carry from one book to the next. She also shares how much research went into portraying Jake’s work as a private investigator and how using real Burlington landmarks—where she got engaged—helps bring the story to life. Listeners get to hear some of the personal inspirations behind her characters, including elements drawn from her son and a beloved childhood dog. Jed and Katelyn chat about the delicate balance between mystery and romance, the joy of a good “whodunit,” and the surprises that happen when characters grow beyond the original outline. Katelyn also teases what’s ahead in the third book, which will blend both Lynn’s and Jake’s perspectives, and talks about her dream of one day writing a rom-com. It’s a warm, engaging conversation for anyone who loves twisty, heartfelt stories.