Fans of Sheriff Mike Hawley’s crime novels may be disappointed to learn that he may not become a full-time writer after leaving office at the end of the year.

Then again, he may be able to gather more material for his writing.

He’s contemplating taking a job as a lieutenant in the Island County Sheriff’s Office after a new sheriff takes office.

“I really love police work and it would be a nice change of pace,” he said, pointing out that he’s only 53 years old.

Hawley took a leave of absence 10 years ago as a lieutenant when he was appointed sheriff. He went on to get elected to two more terms in office, but he announced last year that he had enough and wouldn’t seek a new term.

Under civil service rules, he can return to his old job. He has to make a decision by midnight, Sept. 31.

Hawley’s right-hand woman and the office spokesperson, Chief Administrative Deputy Jan Smith, has said she will leave at the end of the year.

Hawley applied to become the new superintendent of South Whidbey schools early this year, but he didn’t make the cut as a finalist in the controversial process. Hawley was a high school history teacher before becoming a cop, is a professor at Chapman University and has a Masters of education degree.

Before becoming sheriff, Hawley served in just about every position at the Sheriff’s Office, from a patrol deputy to detective to the jail manager. He used his experience to write two police thrillers. “Double Bluff” was published in 2002; “Silent Proof” was published the following year.

The novels follow two Seattle detectives as they solve crimes, though there is one scene involving a politically-minded, incompetent prosecutor at a Whidbey Island home. Hawley claims that his characters aren’t directly based on real people.

To learn more about his novels, check out amazon.com or Hawley’s own Web site, murderhewrites.com.

For Hawley’s fans, there’s some good news. He said he recently completed a new novel and sent it to the publisher. But it’s not a third novel in the “Double Bluff” series.

“It’s a stand-alone thriller,” he said.