A brand built for mystery

The Red River Murders series is written by independent author Lee Clark, set in a small southern town. The name is inspired by the red clay rivers of North Carolina, where the rivers run red when it rains. The series is grounded in small-town secrets, rugged landscapes, and the kind of place where everyone knows each other.

Lee approached me as she started the series with a vision of what the world looked like, but needed help bringing that to life visually. She needed a series wordmark + design system for each cover that could work across the series and merchandise - something flexible enough to grow & evolve as she wrote and released each book.

We landed on a custom hand-drawn wordmark that feels rough and gritty, matching the tone of the series without losing readability. The cursive got a rougher treatment, with the river detail running through the letters grounds the mark in the North Carolina setting.

As we worked through the logo and covers, I also created a custom badge for Piney Bluff - the fictional town where the series takes place. The vintage-style stamp brings the world to life beyond the books and works well for merchandise & social media.

Lee trusted the process and was open to exploration, which made it possible to find something that really worked. The result is a brand identity that feels true to the story and grows with the series as it comes to life!