I began writing about Vince and Laura Pope after writing a scholarly dissertation on Dashiell Hammett. An editor contacted me about writing a short story for an upcoming anthology. Enamored by Hammett's The Thin Man, his last and most enjoyable novel, I dashed off a quick story, “Whodunit,” in homage. I updated mine into the 1940s, and had my tough guy do a bit less imbibing than good old Nick Charles. The story was accepted, and Vince and Laura became two of my favorite characters. I've continues to write stories about them, the best of which is “No Promises.”