Welcome to the 3M Detective Agency

The 3M Detective Agency is the homepage of Thomas A. Burns, Jr., author of the Natalie McMasters detective series.

The 3M Detective Agency was founded in the southern town of Garton by Amos Murdoch after he got out of the Marine Corps in the 1970s. He set up a home office there to avoid paying a much higher rent in the nearby state capital, but was still close enough to get business from the many insurance companies that were headquartered in the city.

In the Natalie McMasters Mysteries, the members of the 3M Detective Agency are:

Natalie (Nattie) McMasters – College student and private investigator trainee (when she isn’t fired!)

Amos Murdoch – Founder and Senior Partner,  Marine gunnery sergeant and USMC CID agent (there are no ex-Marines)

Danny Merkel – Partner, ex Capital City police officer  and Marine sergeant; Nattie’s husband

Leon Kidd – Partner, ex Capital City police lieutenant and Marine first lieutenant

Judith McMasters – Nattie’s mom, Amos’ sister,  sometime receptionist

Other important people:

Maria de Guadalupe Aguayo Ibáñez (Lupe) – Nattie’s wife

Eduardo Hector Aguayo Ibáñez – Nattie’s foster son

Rebecca Feiner – Nattie’s therpist and mentor

Shen Yu (Ye-ye) – Nattie’s sifu

Maribeth (M.B.) Woodrow Murdoch – Amos’s wife

Follow the 3M Blog, where I’ll post more info about these characters and more from time to time.