HISTORY OF THE U.S. MARSHALS

Guest Post by Lisa Harris

 While there are hundreds of thriller novels filled with FBI agents, cops, and detectives, I decided to use US Marshals as my main characters, an arm of law enforcement I knew little about. What I discovered was fascinating to me, and I hope my readers will feel the same way. The US Marshals Service was the first federal law enforcement agency in the US and have served our country for over 200 years in a variety of essential duties.

The office of U.S. Marshal was first created back in 1789, and at the time had far-reaching authority to support the federal court. In the beginning, the Marshals and their Deputies supported the court by ensuring the courts ran smoothly, but their role quickly expanded.

Most of us have seen the movie The Fugitive, but today, U.S. Marshals are actually tasked with far more than simply capturing fugitives. They work as the enforcement arm of the Federal courts, serve federal arrest warrants, transport prisoners, and oversee the witness protection program. They’ve also carried out unique missions under the authority of congress and the office of president including swapping spies with the former Soviet Union and sealing the American border from certain threats.

U.S. Marshal service also supports the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, often assisting other law enforcement agencies. In The Catch, Madison James and Jonas Quinn, who are both Deputy US Marshals, are forced into a race to find a woman and endangered child.

One of the things I loved about writing this series was the variety of cases I could explore. Book one, The Escape, is about a prison transport and search for a fugitive, and book two, The Chase, has my Deputy US Marshals chasing down bank robbers. Not only does The Catch bring readers another page-turning case with a child’s life on the line, but it will bring closure to Madison’s search for her murdered husband and a second chance at love with her partner, Jonas.