As Federal Way resident Paul Boyce sifted through children’s books at Barnes and Noble, looking for something suitable for his grandchildren, he noticed a trend.

“The only thing I could find was unrealistic fantasy novels with super powers and I was looking for something wholesome,” he said, “a way of life I used to know.”

Boyce complained to his wife who responded, “You’re a good writer, why don’t you write something?”

Four years later, Boyce has written a series of historical mystery novels published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises. His third book, “The Hooks Files III” was published this past October.

The self-described “engineer who happens to write” takes readers back to the 1930s during the Great Depression. His main characters, a retired civil engineer named Elias Hooks and two 11-year-old cousins, live in a small town and solve mysteries using the technology available at that time — libraries, newspapers and photographic film.

Hooks happens to be the county coroner, giving him a unique insight into the community and its crime. Cousins Jessica Sinclair and Billy Coupes are opposites. Sinclair is a city girl of privilege and intellect while Coupes comes from a small town but is perceptive and analytical.

“They’ve solved a number of interesting things,” Boyce said of his characters. “They found a buried skeleton using technology to find out who the person was and were able to connect the family with the skeleton to have a proper burial.”

Embezzlement, murder and arson also make an appearance a time or two in his books, which feature four mysteries each.

“It’s all fun stuff,” Boyce said.

While Boyce has woven ethical questions throughout his book, such as when it’s appropriate to tell the truth, when it’s required and when there are times when lying is for the better, his main goal is to take the reader back to a time when life was more simple.

“I depict a lifestyle where people are honest, hard working, love one another, concerned about community affairs, concerned about their fellow man, weep when there’s misfortune and rejoice when there’s joy,” he said. “You grow up in an environment now where it’s not unusual to not even know your neighbor who lives two houses down the street.”

Boyce said the reason there’s some disconnect is because people are too busy, driving on the freeway and have more demands.

“Kids didn’t have the formal football league, soccer league, basketball league,” Boyce said. “Moms weren’t driving back and forth. When I was a kid there were three modes of transportation: walk, run or I could ride my bicycle.”

Boyce mirrors his background growing up in a small railroad town with that of the characters in his stories. And, like many authors, he’s used some of his own life experiences as well.

One such experience involves the mystery of a “young fellow who was killed by a train” that results in an unfair lawsuit against the railroad company.

“They get the railroad off the hook by using their problem-solving strategies,” he said. “They used a particular quirk of photography to substantiate the railroad in the events that took place.”

“The Hooks Files” series is written for 12-year-olds and older. Each book takes Boyce, on average, three months to write and edit, but an additional six months to a year before it’s sitting on the bookshelf.

Boyce is currently in the process of submitting a manuscript for a nonfiction book that dives into his 89-year-old uncle’s time serving as a carrier in World War II before the age of 20.

“I’m folding his personality and his experiences into the actual events that are part of the war,” Boyce said, adding that he expects it to be published by the summer. “… I’m really pleased with that.”

Boyce lives in the Twin Lakes area with his wife and has lived in Federal Way since 1973. His two adult children attended Federal Way High School and Decatur High School. A retired Boeing engineer, Boyce enjoys fly fishing and bicycling when he’s not spending time with his family or writing books.

To purchase “The Hooks Files III” or the other books in the series, visit thehooksfiles.tateauthor.com, barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.