A reader once described Jo as “smart enough to know her limitations, confident enough to trust her gut, and determined enough to unravel the threads in any case.” That’s Jo to a T. But underneath all that professionalism is a woman who you’d enjoy sharing a drink with. Here’s a list of fun facts about Detective Jo Wyatt that readers may not know about her—including her favorite cocktail.
- Jo was born on New Year’s Eve. Her father was hoping she’d be the first baby of the new year, but she was born too early for any notoriety.
- The flaming gold that crowns the Aspen trees in autumn is Jo’s favorite color.
- She eats M&M’s by color—starting with brown and ending with green.
- Jo earned a scholarship at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. She majored in criminal justice with a minor in literature—which comes in handy whenever Doc Ingersleben, the Echo Valley coroner, shows up on a call. He ritually starts every encounter with a quote and a challenge to name the source.
- She has an on-and-off relationship with God, but finds enormous comfort in the nave of the All Saints in the Valley Episcopal Church. She routinely walks the outdoor Labyrinth when she’s chewing on a problem.
- The quickest way to cheer her up is to take her hiking, biking, or bouldering.
- She was an only child. Although throughout her childhood, she spent so much time with her best friend, Aiden Teague, that his father threatened to claim her as a dependent.
- The worst injury she’s sustained on duty was the night a drunk driver broke her nose after he decided she wasn’t going to take him to jail. He was wrong. The worst injury she sustained growing up was when she and Aiden raced for an Easter egg and she took a header into a rock that required six stitches above her left eyebrow. She got the egg, but only because he came to help her the moment he realized she’d fallen.
- Her favorite drink is Dr Pepper. Her favorite cocktail is a DP and Jameson. This does not sit well with Sully, the owner of Finnegan’s Irish Pub, who serves her the ingredients in separate glasses along with a lecture about how Irish whiskey should be consumed. Every. Single. Time.
- Occasionally she orders it just to mess with him.