Some Insights into My Characters—Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth Flaugherty is the mother of twins Pat and Patty. She appears in many, but not all, of the stories.

Mary Elizabeth is a widow and single mother in her mid-forties when the stories begin. Her husband died tragically when the twins were only two years old. She has never sought to remarry.

Mary Elizabeth was born Mary Elizabeth Kelly, and I swear, I did not realize at the time I named this character, that the name I chose was the name of my actual paternal grandmother. The fictional Mary Elizabeth is the second child to Michael and Ann (Donavan) Kelly. She has eight siblings: seven sisters and one brother. She works as a public relations director for a marketing company. Most of the time, she works at the office which is in downtown Temple City, but she has also worked from her home office, located on the second floor of the Flaugherty home.

Being a single mother, she feels she needs to be a strict disciplinarian with her children. And since Pat regularly tries to push the limits of what they are allowed to do, she often finds herself reprimanding him. She is proud of the work her children are doing when they solve mysteries; she just tends to worry a lot about their safety.

Over the years, she has grown close to Sam Daily, Bob’s father, who lost his wife at the same time she lost her husband. A later book will delve more into that backstory. She considers him a trusted friend and a great help around the house, as well as with raising her children.

Mary Elizabeth has set some ground rules for her children, now that they are regularly involved in solving mysteries. She will not allow them to ask for money for their services, and often recommends they also not accept gifts from those they help. She would prefer they did not involve themselves in mysteries at all, but she will stand behind them once they have committed to investigating.

Her life has settled into a comfortable routine, and she is content to continue things just as they are, although she would not object to spoiling some grandchildren someday.

Watch for more of Mary Elizabeth Flaugherty in later books in the series.