Murder, Mystery and Mayhem Laced with Morality

T.K. Bush on Writing Unveiled While Working in Healthcare
What does it take to write a psychological thriller while working full-time in healthcare?
On this episode of Murder Mystery and Mayhem Laced with Morality, I talk with T.K. Bush, author of Unveiled, about her writing process. We discuss how she balances writing with her work as a radiographic and cardiovascular technologist, and how that experience shapes her stories.
In Unveiled, Tessa Brooks has rebuilt her life after an accident stole her memories. When a man from her past returns, buried truths threaten the life she has made.
Listen to our conversation, follow the podcast for more mystery and suspense with purpose, and visit T.K. Bush at tkbush.com⁠. 
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When technology can manipulate information faster than we can verify it, who—or what—do we trust to tell us the truth?
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation where murder, mystery, mayhem, technology, politics, and morality collide.
Duncan spent thirty years advising governments and companies on energy, infrastructure, transactions, and policy. He has also written nonfiction for international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Environment Program, advocating for policy changes and investment related to climate change. Now, he has turned his experience with governments, policy, finance, and global affairs toward fiction.
The Truth Chamber began with a series of “what if?” questions Duncan started exploring in 2022. What might happen if outside forces attempted to exploit America’s political divisions? How could artificial intelligence change the battle over information? And what happens when people trying to protect democratic institutions begin questioning how far they themselves should go?
The resulting novel combines political intrigue, artificial intelligence, assassination attempts, foreign influence, disinformation, and moral dilemmas in a high-stakes story about the increasingly complicated relationship between truth and power.
At the center of the novel is Admiral Liam Driscoll, a grieving man drawn into presidential candidate Anna Hoffman’s campaign as political violence escalates. Their team recruits a Stanford Ph.D. student developing an AI technology known as the Truth Chamber, hoping it can help uncover who is behind the violence.
But the conspiracy extends far beyond one campaign.
As domestic turmoil collides with international ambitions, Liam and his team confront an unsettling question: How much can you compromise the principles you are trying to protect before you become part of the problem?
Dr. Katherine and Duncan explore:
Duncan’s journey from investment banking and international policy work to political thriller author

The real-world concerns and “what if?” questions that inspired The Truth Chamber

How he created a fictional American presidential race while separating speculation from reality

The Truth Chamber itself and the possibilities and dangers of AI in determining what is true

Disinformation, propaganda, foreign influence, and the manipulation of public perception

The global power struggles operating behind the novel’s domestic political conflict

Liam Driscoll’s central moral dilemma: how far can someone go to protect democratic institutions without compromising the principles behind them?

The challenges of writing politically charged fiction for readers who may bring very different perspectives to the story

How Duncan’s career and international experiences informed the novel’s geopolitical world

Why thriller fiction offers a compelling space for exploring uncomfortable questions about truth, technology, morality, and power

What Duncan is writing next

Duncan Ritchie is a former—he jokingly says “recovering”—investment banker who grew up on a plantation in North Borneo and graduated from the University of Western Australia.
During a thirty-year career, he advised governments and companies on major energy and infrastructure transactions and policy. He has also written persuasive nonfiction for multilateral organizations, including ADB and UNEP, focusing on climate-related policy and investment.
Concerned by international conflict, political extremism, and growing questions surrounding misinformation, Duncan began developing speculative “what if?” scenarios in 2022. Those ideas eventually became his political thriller, The Truth Chamber.
Duncan now lives in Tasmania with his Malinois pup, Aletheia—Alé for short—who, thinks he is slightly mad.
The Truth Chamber is a speculative political thriller examining AI, disinformation, foreign influence, political violence, power, morality, and the fragile boundary between protecting principles and violating them.

🎙️ What happens when the extraordinary enters an ordinary life—and certainty gives way to mystery?
We welcome back author Lou Pugliese, whose new thriller, The Portal, has just been released! 📖
From an international career with Toyota to teaching business in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Lou brings a wealth of experience, extensive travel, and a love of obscure research to his fiction. His stories weave subtle paranormal elements into realistic relationships, exploring the emotional consequences of events that defy explanation.
Now settled in Green Cove Springs, Florida, with his wife Kathy and their dog Mitch, Lou also hosts the Florida Writers Association’s monthly Clay County chapter.Stay in touch with Lou: https://loupuglieseauthor.com/
✨ Tune in, follow the podcast so you never miss an episode, and share this post with a friend who loves a mystery!
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HIGH EXPOSURE: Romance, Danger & Faith with Debut Author Kelly Borjas
What happens when a travel blogger running from her past—and from God—stumbles across a dead body in a snow-covered Colorado town?
On this episode of Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality, Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes welcomes debut romantic suspense author Kelly Borjas for a conversation about faith, fiction, danger, romance, and the journey from aspiring writer to published novelist.
Kelly’s debut novel, High Exposure, launches an adventure-driven romantic suspense series from Kregel Publications.
Travel blogger Julia Stevens arrives in snowy Silverberg, Colorado, determined to complete one final assignment before beginning a new career in journalism. But Silverberg forces Julia to confront more than she bargained for—including the sport connected to her sister’s death, the God she’s been running from, and a dead body that may be connected to something far more dangerous.
Enter Cade Haskins, a former DEA agent who has returned home after a failed mission to help care for his father. When Julia’s curiosity leads her dangerously close to a meth ring, Cade finds himself drawn back into the kind of danger he hoped he’d left behind—and increasingly drawn to Julia.
Kelly joins us to talk about the inspiration behind High Exposure, creating suspense and romance against the breathtaking—and unforgiving—backdrop of Colorado, writing characters wrestling with faith and loss, and the long road to becoming a traditionally published author.
We also explore Kelly’s own story. A love of inspirational fiction that began when an eighth-grade teacher handed her a Janette Oke novel eventually grew into a passion for writing stories filled with adventure, escape, unforgettable love, grace, and hope.
Kelly grew up in Southwest Colorado and earned her degree in Communication Studies from Biola University and a master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Azusa Pacific University. She now lives on California’s Central Coast with her husband and three boys. When she isn’t writing romantic suspense, she enjoys boating, camping, running, spending time outdoors, and podcasting with The Lit Ladies Podcast.
Kelly is represented by Lynette Eason of The Steve Laube Agency.
High Exposure releases September 15, 2026, from Kregel Publications.
Learn more about Kelly, High Exposure, and her upcoming books at KellyBorjas.com.
Website: KellyBorjas.com
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🎙️ Chad Boudreaux on Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality
What does it take to lead when the stakes could not be higher?
In this compelling episode, I speak with Chad Boudreaux about leadership, national security, resilience, public service, and navigating extraordinary responsibility.
Chad’s remarkable career includes serving in several high-ranking positions at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was hired the night before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He later served in as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, advising Secretary Michael Chertoff on significant matters confronting the newly established department.
Chad went on to become Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, bringing together an extraordinary breadth of government, legal, and corporate experience.
In this episode, we discuss service, courage, decision-making, resilience, and the experiences that shape the stories we tell.
Learn more about Chad Boudreaux:Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/chadboudreauxWebsite: https://www.chadboudreaux.com/about/
Follow the podcast, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. After listening, share the moment that made the greatest impression on you.
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