Investigator relies on experience to 'pen' novel

Walton County Sheriff's Investigator W. Charlene Ammons relies on her law enforcement experience and rich, southern past to write her first novel based in the Wiregrass region of South Alabama and Northwest Florida. 

Wendy, as she is known to family and friends, has been with the Sheriff's Office for the last five years. She started as a road deputy, and is now spearheading the Walton County Sheriff Office's new Special Victim's Unit which primarily deals with crimes against children.

Ammons' novel “The Plan” is based in the fictional town of Omega in Southeast Alabama in the early 1940's. Although Omega doesn't actually exist, the Washington County, Florida native based it on places like Malone, Fla., Eufaula, Ala. and Grangeburg, Ala.

In the early-1980's, Ammons’ father, Robert Baxter, served as that city's police chief.  Now 86-years-old, Mr. Baxter's law enforcement career served as the inspiration to his daughter getting into the profession.

“The Plan” is a murder mystery which centers on Preacher Mode Lee arriving in Omega and taking over as the pastor of a long established church congregation. Omega is a small community going though the dual effects of a summer drought and the “Great Depression”. But once Preacher Lee arrives in town, things go from bad to worse. Long time residents suddenly turn up dead. The victims are associated with such issues as adultery, child abuse, discrimination and idolatry.

Ammons says she wrote the majority of the book while still a student studying criminology at Florida State University more than a decade-ago.  But after putting the book away for a number of years, she showed it to a publisher and received very positive feedback.

Her ability to tell a story is similar to two great, southern authors who ironically hail from Southeast Alabama where “The Plan” is based: Harper Lee (“To Kill A Mockingbird”) and Truman Capote (“In Cold Blood”).

At this time, “The Plan” can be purchased on the internet by going to Amazon.com. Once you get on the Web site, type “W.Charlene Ammons” in the search engine. She is currently working toward getting the books out in local bookstores.   

She says she already has a sequel in mind, and soon hopes to find the time to write it.