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  • Ric Brady

The mystery behind Sofia Torres-Rhodes: a mother with a secret.

Introducing my first character deep dive for 'Missing on Ilkley Moor'

Celebrating Over a Year of 'Missing on Ilkley Moor'

It's been well over a year since book 3 in the Henry Ward series, 'Missing on Ilkley Moor', was published. I can't believe the time has passed so quickly! I started writing this book back in January 2023 after returning from a cold and foggy Yorkshire. How different that weather was to the grey, miserable July we've been experiencing...


To celebrate over a year since this book's publication, I'm going to do a little series focussing on some of its main characters.


Character Spotlight: Sofia Torres-Rhodes

I'll avoid the recurring characters in the series, such as Henry Ward, Jean Whitehead, and the police characters, and instead focus on the ones who only appear in this novel. And I'll do my best to avoid revealing spoilers (no promises).


In 'Missing on Ilkley Moor', Henry investigates the disappearance of a child on the famous landmark in the middle of a harsh, cold winter.


When Henry starts his investigation, he's shocked to learn the child's parents aren't too concerned that she's gone missing. It later transpires that the girl's father is nowhere to be found as well, which further complicates the mystery.


Sofia, the child's mother, is one of my favourite characters in this novel. This ice-blooded character was a joy to write. She's Spanish, although she seems to hide that fact, has dark eyes and hair, and has a brittle regal edge to her. Throughout the novel, it appears as if that facade might shatter at any moment.


A Mysterious Past

We are first introduced to Sofia when Henry questions her about the disappearance of her child. Sofia gives nothing away, and when Henry next speaks to her, she's drinking straight vodka from a cut glass tumbler in the middle of the afternoon — pretending that everything is okay.


Sofia's background and her relationship with her ex-husband, Antonio Torres, the father of her child, are also shrouded in mystery, but it's understood that something very untoward had happened. A mystery that Sofia will not uncover. She lives with her current husband, Carlton Rhodes, who's a property manager. His facade of wealth and success is crumbling — and he'll be studied in further depth in my next character deep dive.


The more time Henry spends with Sofia and Carlton, asking them questions about how their child ended up going missing on Ilkley Moor, the more he feels something very misfortunate has happened.


As the novel progresses, the truth behind Sofia's past is laid bare, but does it contain a link to her daughter's disappearance?


I can't give away much more, as I don't want to spoil any twists, but Sofia was a powerful character to write, and I loved the scenes that she appeared in.


Enjoyed this character deep dive?

If you haven’t yet uncovered the truth in Missing on Ilkley Moor, grab your copy on Amazon today and dive into the mystery.




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