The Clue

Character Profile - Blake Franklin

Blake Franklin is the son of Kent and Martha Franklin. Kent if the Police Chief in Fort Worth, Texas and Martha is a stay-at-home mom, raising Blake and worrying about Kent.

Blake was very active in athletics through his Little League years and was offered scholarships when he finished high school, but chose to focus on academics, knowing he didn't have the size for athletics beyond college. Blake graduated in just under five years with a Bachelors Degree in Emergency Management and a minor in Law Enforcement from Texas Tech University. He was just a few hours short of a dual degree when he graduated in May of 2007

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast at the beginning of Blakes Junior year. After graduation, Blake joined the Coast Guard and reported for training in Cape May, New Jersey in July 2007. His training was eight weeks of rigorous, physical training. Blake became a Rescue Swimmer, the toughest position to obtain in the Coast Guard - not unlike SEAL Training in the Navy with respect to water requirements which required another twenty-four weeks of training.

His first duty assignment was in Portsmouth, Virginia. 2008 was cursed with a very active hurricane season and Blake was part of a rescue team that operated during a hurricane to save lives of yacht owner, crew and family. One member of the family was lost at sea and Blake never forgave himself, though sixteen others were saved in a harrowing rescue. His guilt made it impossible to wear the medal of valor awarded him.

Blake finished his last two years in New Orleans where his crew made frequent arrests of drug runners in the Gulf and on the Mississippi where his base port was located. Blake had one more rescue attempt during an active hurricane and, having the rank of Lieutenant, Blake was in command of the helicopter rescue team and a collision with the fishing trawler when it raised from a trough sent his helicopter spinning into the Gulf Coast. Blake saved the injured pilot from going under with the chopper and his entire team were rescued by another team and none of the trawler crew was lost. Blake was again awarded a medal of valor.

A short while later, Blake completed his service with the Coast Guard and returned to his home in Fort Worth, Texas where, against his fathers wishes, he became a Fort Worth police officer. Blake served nine years on the force and had a spot free record and was put up three times to take the Detective exam and he failed it each time. He would later discover the reason for his testing stumbles and it would add to the chilling divide with his father.

For Blake, the best thing to come from his repeated testing experiences was meeting the Testing Administrator at the Police Testing Center. Tristan Leach was a beautiful, young woman in the Human Resources and Development Division of the Fort Worth Police. Not long after Blakes third failure, he left the police force and Tristan left as well. Their reasons, unbeknownst to them, were similar.

During Blake's first case, he met with the Tarrant County District Attorney's office to bring charges against a suspect, and while there, he bumped into Tristan who had taken a job in Human Resources with Tarrant County. They began dating soon after he closed his first case. They married two years later.

Blake's second case resulted in a $2.5 million payout for rescuing a kidnap victim which prevented the necessity of a $25 Million ransom payment. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. The finders fee and the friendships developed during those early years of the Franklin Agency enabled a remarkable trajectory for the Texas Private Investigator. Working with people he loves and respects makes the job a joy and not a chore.

Watch for more profiles of the characters you love from Blake Franklin Investigations. Next up - Kegan Langley, the first Investigator to come to work with Blake in his new venture.

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The Year of the Rat - A Covid Origin Novel 1996 was, in the Chinese Zodiac, The Year of the Rat. It came back around on that ancient calendar again in 2020. This exciting crime thriller begins with a Dallas Doctor mistakenly invited to a symposium. An evil plan was launched to help the world's economies by eliminating the population they believed was a financial drain. As in all things, dynastic planning is patient, and the fruits of their labor were released to the world in 2020. Bart Kroonenberg is, unknowingly, caught between their evil plans and saving the world. But first, he must save himself.

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Blake Franklin is a former Fort Worth cop who fails the Detective examination - three times - then leaves the force to start up a Private Detective service in order to serve and protect on a deeper level. Dive into the world of murder, intrigue, kidnapping, and exciting cases with Blake and his team of Investigators and support staff. You will love the characters and the page-turning stories in the Blake Franklin Investigation series.

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Immerse yourself in the captivating tale of Quincy Ashford, a young boy coming of age to save a community torn apart by greed and corruption.

Families along the banks of The Big Coal River fight to survive after a mining disaster devastates them. Crossing Big Coal River is a thrilling narrative that grips your heart from the beginning, transporting you to the rugged landscapes of Boone County, West Virginia, while experiencing the heroics of sixteen-year-old Quincy Ashford and the men who rally behind him.

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Quincy Ashford enlists in the Army to serve his country and is sent to Vietnam, where his strength of character and leadership enable him to lead, survive and return home. He returns to his West Virginia home and arrives simultaneously as Mother Nature delivers more hardship to the people of Big Coal River. Quincy must fight to save his family, friends, and his home. The people you grew to love in Crossing Big Coal River prove worthy of your love in Crossing Bridges - Big Coal River Rising.