People have asked me where the idea for AUTOBODY came from.

The truth is, it wasn't one big lightbulb moment. It was years of working around shops, construction sites, tradespeople, and seeing how easy it is for something ordinary to become invisible. An autobody shop is the perfect example. Hundreds of cars come and go every year. Paint booths run all day. Nobody asks questions because it's just another day at work.

Then I started asking myself...

What if someone was using that to hide something?

That one question turned into a novel that consumed me for months.

I didn't want to write another detective story where the killer leaves clues because he wants to get caught. I wanted a villain who was smart enough not to make mistakes. Someone who blended into the community. Someone you'd trust with your car.

Ron Vickers became that man.

He's calm, calculated, and patient. He doesn't need attention. He doesn't want fame. He simply believes he's smarter than everyone else.

That made him far more dangerous.

Writing AUTOBODY wasn't easy. There were days I'd rewrite entire chapters because they weren't moving fast enough. If I got bored reading a chapter, I figured readers would too, so it got rewritten. Sometimes more than once.

I wanted every chapter to make you say, "Just one more."

The story also pushed me to research things I never thought I'd spend hours reading about. Police procedures. Forensic evidence. Vehicle refinishing. Missing persons investigations. Paint chemistry. Every little detail had to make sense because readers are smart. If something feels fake, they'll catch it.

One thing I never wanted was violence for the sake of violence.

Anyone can write blood and gore.

Creating tension is harder.

I wanted readers to feel uncomfortable because they knew something was wrong, not because I described another murder scene.

Since the book was released, I've been blown away by the messages I've received. People have told me they finished it in a weekend. Others said they stayed up far later than they planned because they couldn't put it down.

That's exactly what I hoped for.

If a book can steal a night's sleep, I feel like I've done my job.

Now that AUTOBODY is available everywhere, I'm looking forward to the next chapter. I'm hoping to get out to more book events, meet readers, sign a few copies, and hear what everyone really thought. Those conversations are one of the best parts of being an author.

If you've already picked up AUTOBODY, thank you.

If you haven't yet...

I hope you enjoy the ride.

Just don't expect to look at an autobody shop the same way again.

– Carter Vale