#PImystery – Page 2 – Avonna Loves Genres

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Depths of Deceit by Laura Oles

Depths of Deceit

by Laura Oles

July 25 – August 19, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for DEPTHS OF DECEIT (A Jamie Rush Mystery Book #2) by Laura Oles on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

One deadly secret.

No time to lose.

PI Jamie Rush has her hands full with small-time skip-tracing and surveillance jobs in Port Alene, Texas. The work is steady, though she still struggles to make ends meet. But when her partner, Cookie, brings in a low-paying and potentially time-consuming case, Jamie takes it on out of loyalty.

Cookie’s childhood friend, Renata, needs to find her younger sister, Leah. As Jamie digs into Leah’s past, it becomes clear that the missing woman’s life was shrouded in secrets, the kind that could jeopardize those involved in the case.

To complicate matters, PI Alastair Finn has returned, and he’s willing to reclaim his town by any means necessary. Jamie has never been one to retreat, and Alastair enjoys a good fight. Sparks will fly.

A missing woman. Felonies. Finn’s return. Every twist reminds Jamie that she’s still an outsider in this town. Jamie must prove herself all over again, and the stakes have never been higher.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61202722-depths-of-deceit?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1ejPXmogN9&rank=1

Depths of Deceit

By: Laura Oles

Genre: Mystery, Female PI
Published by: Red Adept Publishing
Publication Date: May 31, 2022
Number of Pages: 292
Series: A Jamie Rush Mystery, #2

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

DEPTHS OF DECEIT (A Jamie Rush Mystery Book #2) by Laura Oles is a character focused and driven mystery in this series featuring P.I. Jamie Rush and her sidekick Cookie Hinojosa set in the coastal town of Port Alene, Texas. While this mystery can be read as a standalone, I feel it would be more enjoyable if “Daughters of Bad Men” were read first due to evolving character arcs.

P.I. Jamie Rush agrees to take on a case for Cookie even though there is no guarantee of payment for time involved. Cookie’s childhood friend, Renata needs to find her younger sister, Leah but as they begin to investigate, they discover more secrets than they anticipated.

To complicate Jamie’s life even more, P.I. Alastair Finn has returned to Port Alene.

I enjoy this type of P.I. mystery which is character forward and not step-by-step procedural investigation if done right, and this one is. The plot is a steady pace throughout except for the faster paced climax. The dialogue and banter between the characters is entertaining and believable. The coastal town of Port Alene, Texas comes to life in this story and adds to the immersive feeling while reading the story.

This is an entertaining cast of characters that I am looking forward to following in the future.

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Excerpt

Depths of Deceit

A Jamie Rush Mystery #2

By Laura Oles

The mermaid in the truck bed was what caught Jamie Rush’s attention. The cast-iron figure peeked over the hatch, her carved, flowing hair and demure smile in view. This was supposed to be a standard identify-and-repo job. Jamie was certain she hadn’t seen a mermaid on the itemized paperwork. Brody Rutger, in addition to hiding from creditors, had added theft of a local celebrity to his resume.

The day had started strong, with a lead on Rutger and an opportunity to catch him between fishing charters, using a boat he’d quit paying on months before. Suddenly, Marian the Mermaid was caught up in the mix.

And something was going on with the weather.

The month of November normally brought a steady stream of long-term vacationers from the north—affectionally called Winter Texans—who fled harsh winters for the promise of more tepid temperatures. Those who’d already set up residence in Port Alene were likely to be disappointed. Port A, usually quite predictable in her warmth, had suddenly changed her mind. That day, she was trading humidity for frigid air, and the wind, once laced with a warm, salty breeze, was offering only a cold shoulder. The palm trees lining Island Main bristled from side to side, and the town seemed to have turned inward in response. The icy wind whistled in the gap of her Tahoe’s window.

Jamie shuddered at the weather’s frigid downturn, while her partner, Cookie Hinojosa, all but cursed Mother Nature. He believed anything under seventy degrees was downright blasphemous. Jamie tilted her head toward the gray sky and welcomed the sting of air on her cheeks, her head briefly popping out the driver’s-side window. Cookie glanced over and shook his head. “

You’re very grumpy this morning,” Jamie said. She gave him a once-over, taking note of the large Dallas Cowboys logo on his chest, the silver star claiming almost all the space between his shoulders. “I see you found your favorite winter hoodie. Probably more fun to wear when they’re winning.”

Cookie turned to her and scowled. “Et tu, Brute? You’re going to dump on our favorite team? Really?”

Jamie reached over and gave her partner’s meaty shoulder a squeeze. “They need to earn our love by playing better. And we’ve been damned patient.” She rubbed her hand up and down his sleeve, noting the fabric felt cold. “You should probably break down and buy a proper winter jacket.”

“This is South Texas. Only snowbirds wear ‘proper’ winter jackets.”

Cookie dismissed the idea of wearing anything that added additional bulk to his substantial frame. “My Hawaiian shirts are sad from neglect.”

She had to agree. A long-sleeved Hawaiian shirt would look ridiculous on anyone. She rubbed her hands together and hoped the cold snap would soon dissipate, returning the balmy temperatures Port Alene normally delivered.

“I’m going to pull back a bit,” Jamie said.

Their skip of the day, Brody Rutger, owed their client, AAA Repo Services, $15,027. Brody had ducked all attempts at collection, so Jamie and Cookie had been hired to locate him and return the boat. Jamie and Cookie specialized in skip tracing, which essentially meant finding people who didn’t want to be found. They worked skips but also some surveillance—which paid well but was boring beyond belief—and some divorce cases, which also paid well but renewed Jamie’s resolve to never get married. In Jamie’s experience, if a person disappeared, the reasons involved money, private information, or violence. And secrets—always a secret.

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Author Bio

Laura Oles is the Agatha-nominated and award-winning author of the Jamie Rush mystery series, along with short stories and nonfiction. With two decades of experience in the digital photography industry, Laura’s work has appeared in trade and consumer magazines, crime-fiction anthologies, and she served as a business columnist. Laura loves road trips, bookstores and any outdoor activity that doesn’t involve running. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her family.

Social Media Links

LauraOles.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @LauraOles
Instagram – @lauraolesauthor
Twitter – @LauraOles
Facebook – @lauraolesauthor

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

https://kingsumo.com/g/pkz3id/depths-of-deceit-by-laura-oles

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Citizen K-9 and Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt

Book Descriptions

Citizen K-9 ‘s plot has a high school friend of the Cold Case Investigative team vanishing. They decide to investigate what happened and are not deterred by threatening incidents. The Paterson Police Department has created a cold case division, and they want to hire the private investigators known as the K Team to investigate the crimes. The team members include Corey Douglas and his K-9 partner, German shepherd Simon Garfunkel, recently retired from the force, Laurie Collins, wife of defense attorney Andy Carpenter, who used to be a cop as well, and Marcus, an enforcer type.

Their first cold case hits home for the K Team. A decade ago, at Laurie’s tenth high school reunion, two of their friends vanished. At the time Laurie had just left the force, and Corey was in a different department, so they had no choice but to watch from the sidelines. With no leads, the case went cold. But now they risk their lives to find out what really happened.

Best In Snow has defense attorney Andy Carpenter’s golden retriever, Tara, discovering a body. The murder victim is Mayor Alex Oliva, who had an infamous relationship with the newspaper. Last year a young reporter published an expose and was fired for libel. Now, the young reporter – and prime suspect– has Andy Carpenter agreeing to take the case. As the evidence piles up Andy must get to the truth to prove his client innocent.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Citizen K-9 and Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt have dogs in the background. The former movie executive turned author knows how to create a plot that has a good mystery, some action, and likeable characters. These two series usually come out every year. The “Andy Carpenter series” is more of a legal thriller, while the “Citizen K-9” series delves into Cold Cases and is a spin-off with many characters overlapping between series.

Both these books have an entertaining cast of characters, lots of plot twists and turns, humor, wit, surprises, court room drama, and suspense. Readers will enjoy these reads.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Role of the dogs?

David Rosenfelt: In the Andy Carpenter books they are just pets, although they do find bodies. They are not crucial to the books. In the Citizen K-9 books the dog has a role being a former police dog. One of the books, Play Dead, had a dog that was integral to the plot. For the first time they put a dog on the cover. It sold like twice as many copies because there was a Golden Retriever on the cover. With dogs on the cover there had to be dogs in the book. Usually, a dog gets Andy into the case.

EC: Is Citizen K-9 a spinoff of the Andy Carpenter series?

DF: Yes. It is a third in a series. For some bizarre reason they are selling well so there will be more stories. Laurie, Andy’s wife, a retired police person, works with others to solve cold cases. I never have a eureka moment with ideas. The Andy Carpenter books are legal thrillers, and this book is a conventional thriller with some humor.

EC: The retired police dog is named Simon Garfunkel–are you a fan?

DF: Yes, but that is not why I gave the dog that name. I used the name because I am into dog rescue benefits. I had a character name auctioned off. The person who won the auction wanted their dog’s name, Simon Garfunkel, to be used in the book. Since I liked the name, I used it.

EC: Do you want to tell us about the dog rescue?

DF: Yes. Andy Carpenter started a dog rescue in the second book of that series. My wife and I started a dog rescue while living in California after our wonderful Golden Retriever, Tara, died. We started volunteering in the Los Angeles animal shelters, which are horrible. We did not want to see dogs put down, so we started our own foundation. We ended up rescuing 4,000 dogs. If one of the dogs was unplaceable they came home as our pet. We never had less than twenty-five dogs in our house. We are dog maniacs. Right now, we have thirteen because the rescue shelters in New England are terrific.

EC: Did you have any bad experiences?

DF: Once, a year and a half collie mix came into the shelter with a broken leg. Nobody would fix it, and nobody would adopt her because of her leg. Someone working there had moved the dog from cage to cage so her management thought it a different dog. She brought the dog to a vet. We rescued that dog. She was the greatest dog we had for fourteen years.

EC: How would you describe Corey, a former police dog handler, now a PI and part of the Cold Case Investigative team. He is the main character in your Canine series books.

DF: He had an occasional temper. I was looking for different personality traits from Andy. He is courageous. He likes to be a rule follower. The means is far more important than the end to him.

EC: What about Andy from the Best in Snow book?

DF: Andy is me. He thinks like I do, and we are in the same world. He has a warped sense of humor like me. He believes the end justifies the means. He is independent, sarcastic, sometimes obnoxiously badgering, no understanding of women. He became wealthy in book 1.

EC: How would you describe Laurie, his wife and now PI?

DF: No nonsense, direct, doesn’t take any gruff. She does have a soft side. She is very protective of Andy. In book 4 she received this offer and was pondering leaving Andy. In book 6 and book 7 I brought her back and put them together.

EC: Where did Marcus, the enforcer, come from?

DF: I probably ripped him off from Hawk of the Spencer books. Marcus evolved. He has a lot of idiosyncrasies. He has this whole other life that Andy does not know about. In this book Marcus speaks for the first time. He loves classical movies. No one knew he is married and has a child.

EC: Next book(s)?

DF: Holy Chow is the next book, coming out in July of this year. A woman rescued a dog from Andy, and she is murdered. The other book is titled Santa’s Little Yelpers, a Christmas book coming out in October. In this book Andy represents someone.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Driven: A Rita Mars Thriller by Valerie Webster

Driven: A Rita Mars Thriller

by Valerie Webster

January 17 – February 11, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for DRIVEN: A Rita Mars Thriller by Valerie Webster.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Ex-investigative journalist, Rita Mars loses an old friend to what looks like suicide. She’s convinced he was murdered to cover unethical maneuvers and save reputations in the abyss that is Congress. Back stabbings inside the beltway sometimes extend beyond metaphorical. She’s going to butt heads with the local good ole boy authorities and navigate the deliberately stoked smoke screens of the duly elected, but she is never going to give up.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58186872-driven?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=534omagbxX&rank=1

Driven: A Rita Mars Thriller

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Ignited Ink Writing
Publication Date: May 25th 2021
Number of Pages: 396
ISBN: 1952347033 (ISBN13: 978-1952347030)

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

DRIVEN: A Rita Mars Thriller by Valerie Webster is a debut P.I. thriller/crime mystery with an interesting new protagonist and cast of characters that I am looking forward to following in hopefully many more books to come.

Ex-investigative journalist, now private investigator Rita Mars shows up for a meeting with an old journalist colleague, only to find he has committed suicide. Something is not right with the scene, and Rita will not stop asking questions. Her friend was working an investigation in the beltway where dark money and unethical maneuvers seem to be behind a big pharma legislative bill.

At the same time, she is hired by a woman to document proof of a picture-perfect high-profile ex-husband stalking and terrorizing her. As Rita is investigating this case, he focuses his deadly obsession not only on his ex but also on Rita.

Two cases overlap and Rita is in the crosshairs.

Rita is an interesting protagonist. She is 45, a lesbian, has switched professions, has a lesbian police Captain best friend and a trans ex-Navy SEAL secretary/assistant. She also has past trauma in her life from an abusive alcoholic policeman father who committed suicide. I felt an instant connection to these characters, but there were a few times they felt more like caricatures, especially Bev, Rita’s assistant. The flow of the intertwining crime plots is realistic with believable investigations and build up at an ever-increasing pace to satisfying conclusions.

Overall, I enjoyed this debut P.I. thriller and will be looking for more in this series.

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Excerpt

Chapter 1

“Rita Mars, this is a voice from your past.”

“Who the hell is this?” Rita demanded.

It was eleven o’clock, and the dreary end of a long day. A miserable October rain tapped on the office windows. Through the water slashed glass, Baltimore’s Mitchell Court House next door was a smear of grey and black.

“I first met you devouring Hershey bars in the newsroom at midnight.” The man was gleeful.

“That narrows it down.”

Great clue. Hell, she’d been a reporter for seventeen years before she started the agency. Rita cradled her chin. The police department snitch who gave up the narcs ripping off drug dealers? The accountant with the guilty conscience who squealed on the HUD housing contracts?

“We were a pair and then again we were not.”

“Look, pal, I don’t know –”

“I was the snow king and you were the fire breather.”

Rita started to hang up, but there was something eerily familiar about that line.

“You never know when you’ve had your last chance,” the man said.

“Bobby Ellis.” Instinctively, Rita touched the worn chrome Zippo in her pocket that bore those very words. Chills ran along her arms and the hair bristled at her neck.

“Bingo,” Ellis said.

“God, I’m so glad to hear from you. Where are you? When can I see you?

“Sunday.”

“Halloween?”

“The Overlook Inn in Harper’s Ferry. Breakfast at ten. I’ll have a lot to tell you. A story for above the fold.”

Rita scribbled his instructions on a blank notepad. “Tell me now.” Above the fold on a newspaper’s front page was reserved for big time news.

“Just be there.”

Rita thought he was hanging up.

“By the way—ever think you’d see me alive again?” Ellis asked softly.

“No,” Rita said. “I never thought I would.”

Chapter 2

Rita Mars sang along with the Shirelles. She glanced at the Jeep’s speedometer and then at the rearview mirror to check for approaching troopers.

The West Virginia countryside blazed with yellow and scarlet. Sunlight sprinkled the rock-strewn pastures with brilliance and made the car’s white hood shimmer like a snowfield. Even the black and white Holsteins seemed brighter than usual as they ripped up the last shreds of yellowed pasture grass.

Though it was late October, Rita had the top down on the Jeep. It was good to ride on this open road alone with the sun and wind. She couldn’t really be forty-five this year. She ran thirty miles a week and could still get into jeans the size she’d worn in college. Rita peered over the top of her Raybans and took another look in the mirror. Ok, so her dark hair was shot through with silver.

She smiled. It made her look more interesting. After all, how many older women had she fallen madly in love with in her younger years?

Rita flipped the radio off and concentrated on her meeting with Bobby Ellis. She hadn’t seen him in forever. Yes, she had thought he might be dead. A superior journalist, he’d thrown it all away with a coke habit that he paid for with a career and a marriage. No one had seen or heard of him now for more than two years.

After he disappeared, a malaise had set. Rita abandoned investigative reporting and spend her time working on a detective’s license. She was going to right wrongs instead of writing about wrongs as she described her abrupt life change.

She sighed. She wanted to return to the happier thoughts that had so recently danced in her head.

A red truck with a rainbow sticker on the front bumper appeared the in oncoming lane. Rita’s smile came back and she waved as they raced each other.

“We’re everywhere. We’re everywhere,” she hummed to herself.

She returned to her former mood of excited anticipation. She was seeing Bobby again.

They had been reporters together on the Washington Star. More like brother and sister than co-workers, they had fought over editorial recognition, wept on each other’s shoulders, and held each other’s hand during their respective long, dark nights of the soul.

Rita tried sweet talk at first when his habit began to devour him. Then she got tough. They fought bitterly. In the end, he surrendered everything to the white powder.

She’d been as angry with herself as with him. She couldn’t make him stop. Like a flashback, the feelings were the same when she thought about her childhood. She hadn’t been able to stop the runaway train her father rode either. Alcohol carried him far and fast. In the end, he stuck his police revolver into his mouth and killed his pain.

Bad memories again. Rita shook her head and switched the radio back on.

“There she was, just a walkin’ down the street . . . “ Rita sang along at the top of her lungs and pushed the accelerator just a little farther with her docksider.

Five miles and three oldies but goodies later, she slowed as the road narrowed to the twisting mountainside lanes that led to Harper’s Ferry. Down the sheer embankment on the passenger’s side, she could see canoes below on this rocky segment of the Potomac. She took a deep breath. The cobwebs of leftover memory cleared. It was a gorgeous day. At the top of a steep winding hill, Rita spied the flagpole that stood in the center of the Overlook Inn’s circular drive. Old Glory ruffled its red stripes in a soft October breeze that seemed more spring than autumn.

The parking areas along the drive were jammed with American made pickups and SUVs. Lots of military bumper stickers and window decals. Families just out of church hopped out of cars and headed for the Inn’s dining room and Sunday brunch buffet.

As she reached the crest, she had to slam on the brakes. The drive was blocked by two Harper’s Ferry sheriffs’ cars, a West Virginia trooper vehicle—blue gumball lights twirling—an ambulance from nearby Ransom, a fire truck and a dented beige Crown Vic with county plates.

Guests and townies milled around the west annex. A tall, grim-faced sheriff’s deputy held them at bay.

“What the heck is this?” Rita jumped out of the Jeep.

Inside, the interior of the Overlook lobby was cool and dark. The desk clerk was a woman with long red nails and a plunging neckline to her sundress. Her blue eye shadow made her look like an alien. Oblivious to Rita, she leaned across the far end of the registration counter to stare out the front door toward the commotion outside. Rita pulled off her Raybans.

“What happened?” Rita asked.

“Man killed hisself.” The woman continued to lean and stare over the counter.

The taste of metal rose in Rita’s throat. “Killed himself?”

“Room 107. Maid found him.” The clerk’s sense of duty returned and she walked toward the center of the counter where Rita stood. “Can I help you with something?”

Rita felt icy from the inside out. She dug her hand into her pocket to touch that Zippo talisman she always carried.

“I came here to meet someone.” The words jumbled in her mouth.

“Name?” The clerk absently flipped the registration book behind the counter.

Rita said nothing.

The clerk looked up then and said once more. “Name?”

“Bobby Ellis,” Rita whispered.

The two women stared at one another.

***

Author Bio

Valerie Webster spent a career developing law enforcement applications for surveillance, security and forensics. She has also been a triathlete and a crime reporter. She honed her writing skills through “Sisters in Crime” and “Mystery Writers of America’s” mentoring program. In DRIVEN: A RITA MARS THRILLER, she weaves professional experiences into a high tension plot that sweeps the reader into the action from Page 1 to the breath-taking conclusion.

Valerie makes her home near Boulder, CO.

Social Media Links

ValerieWebster.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram – @rmarsauthor
Twitter – @RMars4Hire
Facebook – @RMars4Hire

Purchase Links

Amazon

Goodreads

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KINGSUMO GIVEAWAY

https://kingsumo.com/g/t9euhg/driven-a-rita-mars-thriller-by-valerie-webster-us-only

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Dead Cry Justice by Rosemary Simpson

Book Description

Heiress-turned-sleuth Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter step out of the elite society of Gilded Age New York as they venture into the city’s crime ridden streets and most dangerous neighborhoods to search for two missing children . . .

THE DEAD CRY JUSTICE

May 1890: As NYU Law School finally agrees to admit female law students, Judge MacKenzie’s daughter Prudence weighs her choices carefully. Chief among her concerns is how her decision would affect the Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law agency and her professional and personal relationship with the partner who is currently recuperating from a near fatal shooting.

But an even more pressing issue presents itself in the form of a street urchin, whose act of petty theft inadvertently leads Prudence to a badly beaten girl he is protecting. Fearing for the girl’s life, Prudence rushes her to the Friends Refuge for the Sick Poor, run by the compassionate Charity Sloan. When the boy and girl slip out of their care and run away, Prudence suspects they are fleeing a dangerous predator and is desperate to find them.

Aided by the photographer and social reformer Jacob Riis and the famous journalist Nellie Bly, Prudence and Geoffrey scour the tenements and brothels of Five Points. Their only clue is a mysterious doll with an odd resemblance to the missing girl. But as the destitute orphans they encounter whisper the nickname of the killer who stalks them—Il diavolo—Prudence and Geoffrey must race against time to find the missing children before their merciless enemies do.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Dead Cry Justice by Rosemary Simpson always involves a mystery, returning characters, and a social issue during the Gilded Age. This historical novel delves into a very tough and disturbing topic. But Simpson is such a gifted author and writes in a manner that does not go over the top. She realizes a line should not be crossed, leaving the subject matter up to the reader’s imagination.

The story opens with the main character, Prudence MacKenzie, heiress turned sleuth with her partner, Geoffrey Hunter, contemplating if she should accept the offer to attend NYU’s law school. It is now 1890 and women are making strides, but she is not sure how she will be accepted among the students and professors.

While weighing her decision a street urchin steals her sandwich. A chase ensues leading her to a badly beaten girl. The girl’s eyelashes and eyebrows have been replaced with tattoos, her skin is bleached artificially white, and she has been repeatedly raped. A Quaker refuge for the poor agrees to care for the boy and girl, both to traumatized to speak. Somehow, they slip out. Prudence, with the help of Geoffrey and some other contacts, are determined to find the children. They visit orphanages, brothels, a photographer, newspaper journalist, and a house of dolls. Their only clue is a mysterious porcelain doll that oddly resembles the missing girl. To their shock, they discover other young girls in the same situation. They now have a race against time to find the children and the perpetrators before it is too late.

This is an important issue to bring front and center since sex trafficking is still present today with very little coverage or outcry as it was in the 1890s. Readers will understand how Simpson brings to life the Gilded Age in New York City through detailed descriptions, real-life people such as Jay Gould, Jacob Riis, and Nellie Bly, and a riveting mystery.

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Elise’s Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Rosemary Simpson: Each one of my Gilded Age Mystery books has a social setting, murder, and the two main characters. In this book it was the social exploitation of girls and women. It was a topic that needed to be addressed. The deeper I got into my research I realized there are a lot of parallels of what is happening now. At the time of my research Jeffrey Epstein was in all the papers.

EC: What about the abuse?

RS: It was horrific back then. The girls felt homeless. It was emotional and physical. The girls were bleached, tattooed, made to take arsenic and lead, starved, drugged, and beaten. Parts of this are true today. There was a great deal of abuse. Usually, it was the women themselves who were blamed for the sexual exploitation. The clients were rarely blamed. I kept looking and looking for major outcries against this. No one wanted to admit that this horrible issue could exist. I wanted it to be believable and to be realistic in the historical context.

EC: Lead and arsenic taken?

RS: Yes. It was done for hundreds of years to whiten the skin. It was a lead paste. It also did damage to the brain and other parts of the body. The arsenic was a very small amount used in cremes.

EC: Another relevant issue today is your quote about criminals?

RS: You are referring to this one, “Criminals arrested should be detained, but walked free.” This book takes place before Theodore Roosevelt became the police commissioner. Before him, the NYC police department was tremendously corrupt. Until Roosevelt came along there were not many who wanted to clean up the corruptness. People could pay to walk away after they committed a crime. What is happening today, with criminals getting out, is a replay of what has already happened, many and many times.

EC: Some of this story reminded me of the movie, “Oliver?”

RS: There were a lot of orphanages in NYC. They meant well and many were reformers. There was something associated with being an orphan as if it were the child’s fault. In the absence of stern parental control there was organized institutional control. Children were not assumed to be innocent, but the thought pattern was they tried to get away with everything unless there was a tight hold on them. A lot of the orphanages existed because of the donations. They were very grim. As soon as the orphans got to be a certain age, they were shown the door.

EC: Role of the dolls?

RS: Young women were being traumatized and deprived of their basic humanity. They were turned into objects. The porcelain hand-painted bisque dolls are now antiques and even back then were very valuable. The best ones did come from France. They were so beautiful they were collector’s items and usually were not played with. When I was a child, about five, I got a gorgeous doll from my French aunt. It was in a huge red and gold box, wrapped in huge red ribbon. I was afraid to take it out of the box for fear I might drop it. After my aunt left, I took it out of the box. It was gorgeous.

EC: Did the All-American Doll Shop influence you?

RS: I bought some of these dolls. But the idea was to make the dolls lifelike. But I was reversing it. I was making the real girls look doll-like. I only remembered these dolls during the rewrites. In my story it was a way of depriving the exploited girls to be human. Just as today, with sex trafficking, these girls are treated as objects.

EC: Were women really admitted to law schools during the 1890s?

RS: Most of the women were working in a husband’s law firm or writing wills/trusts. They were not arguing in full court before a jury. My character Prudence wants to defend someone in a court. Society is beginning to open up to achieve some sort of equality.

EC: How would you describe the young brother Zander who tried to save his sister from exploitation?

RS: An Oliver Twist kind of character: Resilient, crafty, quick on his feet, smart, does not give up, and very loveable. He bonded with his dog Blossom. An unquestioning love and loyalty. He is also protective, caring, and kind. He realizes to save his sister he has to manipulate society.

EC: Next book?

RS: It will be out this time next year and is titled, Death at The Falls. It takes place at Niagara Falls. Prudence has passed the bar, but no one will hire her. She and her partner Geoffrey go to Niagara Falls to help her aunt’s friend who is accused of murder. The social aspect is the push pull between private exploitation of the Falls and the public effort to preserve the natural beauty of the falls.

THANK YOU!!

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: City of Deadly Dreams by Elyse Douglas

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the Virtual Author Book Tours for CITY OF DEADLY DREAMS by Elyse Douglas.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Dane Cooper, an NYC Hell’s Kitchen private detective, is hired by a Tennessee man to find his handsome, 20-year-old son named Elvis, who has been missing for several months. Though hesitant at first, Dane takes the case because he needs the money. Dane soon learns that the case centers around a beautiful, mysterious blonde, named Darcy. Against his better judgment, he falls for her, believing she might lead him to Elvis. Her dangerous secrets trouble him, and he realizes he can’t trust her.

Dane’s investigation turns deadly when he learns that Elvis has left a trail of pregnant young girls, unhappy husbands, and vengeful women. Dane becomes a target as he struggles to find Elvis and save him from the killers who are closing in. Can Dane save Elvis and himself, or will Darcy’s secrets get them all killed?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57906760-city-of-deadly-dreams?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7gVw9N2owy&rank=1

City of Deadly Dreams

by Elyse Douglas

Publisher: Broadback (May 1, 2021)
Category: Hard-Boiled Mystery, Private Investigator Mystery
Tour dates: May 31-June 30, 2021
ISBN: B08Y86X4B3
Available in ebook, 250 pages

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

CITY OF DEADLY DREAMS by Elyse Douglas is a noir style private investigator mystery. The story has the atmosphere of an old style gritty P.I. mystery, but it is set in present day New York City.

Private Investigator Dane Cooper is hired to find Elvis. Elvis is a twenty-year old spitting image of THE Elvis and he has not been in contact with his father and mother in Tennessee for several months. Dane is hesitant to take the case, but he is offered too much money to turn the case down.

As the investigation progresses, Dane begins to believe Elvis has been a victim of foul play. He meets Elvis’ ex-high school music teacher, Darcy who is rumored to have been having an affair with her student. Darcy is a beautiful blonde and Dane falls for her even as he believes she is not telling him the whole truth about Elvis’ where abouts.

As Dane follows the trail to find Elvis, he runs into a vengeful, jealous ex-husband, a madame of a male escort service and a connected Vegas assistant casino manager with a missing underage daughter. Will Dane find and save not only Elvis, but himself before they end up dead?

This is a fast-paced mystery plot with several well placed red-herrings and plot twists. The ending is a big twist that I was not expecting. Dane is the tough, single POV investigator and all the characters are classic noir character archetypes set in the present and that makes for a unique and fun read.

I recommend this noir style P.I. mystery set in the present.

***

Excerpt

“I can’t go back,” she muttered.

“Back to where, Darcy?”

“I can’t be alone in that apartment. Not now. I won’t make it through another night.”

“Do you have a friend or relative you can stay with? Maybe a therapist you can call?”

She twisted away, grimacing. “God, no. I can’t be with them—with anyone who knows me. I can’t talk to them anymore. Don’t you understand? I can’t.”

I softened my voice. “Darcy… Is there anyone at work you can…?”

“… No…Well, Carol. Carol Hemmings. Sweet Carol. Silly Carol. We went to high school together. She’s a good friend, and she’s the one who got me the bookkeeping job, but…”

“But what?”

“Carol’s married to a guy who took Rod’s side. Carol is a good friend, but she still thinks Rod and I can make it, if we’d just go to a marriage counselor or something.” Darcy lifted a weak hand and let it drop. “She’s a hopeless romantic…”

She began twisting her hands. Her face fell into agony. “I’ve just been such a fool.”

I leaned in toward her. “Darcy, all you did was fall in love. That’s all. That’s nothing to beat yourself up about.”

“Don’t you see? I’ve ruined everything. Everything I stood for and believed in.”

I searched for the right response. “Just give it time… a little time to get your balance back.”

She shook that away, gathered herself up, then gave me a strange and hopeful look. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but… can I come to New York with you?”

That jarred me. I had never even considered the possibility. I scanned her, up and down. She appeared sickened by the gravity of the moment. Seeing her moist eyes and brittle state, I was left with few options. And, no, I’m not a saint. Having her with me couldn’t hurt: she was my best hope for contacting Elvis. Her question had changed the quality of the conversation. We sat in a guarded silence. She turned to face the open window, staring out into the gray face of winter.

“Look, Darcy, you can come with me—if that’s what you really want—but maybe making contact with an old friend or close relative—going to see them and forgetting about everything for a while—might be better for you.”

She shrank, and I could see the dark remoteness return. She was silently screaming for help, and I wasn’t qualified to administer the kind of help she needed. What could I do? Leave her? Say no? Then what?

I decided not to abandon her. I decided to listen and let her unload her mountain of guilt and anger. I hoped that after a good night’s sleep, she’d change her mind. And I was sure that by morning, she would change her mind.

“Darcy, you can come to New York with me if you want. You can stay the night at the hotel with me, if you want. I have two double beds, or, you can take a separate room. That’s fine too. I’ll call the airline and get you on my flight leaving for New York in the morning.”

She looked at me, her eyes pleading. “I know I sound a little crazy. I know you’ve just met me and I hear my own crazy words, but I can’t help it. I can’t go back to that lonely apartment and I can’t be alone. I hate being alone. I’m not a person who can be alone.”

***

About the Author

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse grew up near the sea, roaming the beaches, reading and writing stories and poetry, receiving a master’s degree in English Literature. She has enjoyed careers as an English teacher, an actress and a speech-language pathologist.

Douglas has worked as a graphic designer, a corporate manager and an equities trader. He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and played the piano professionally for many years.

Author Social Media Links

Website: www.elysedouglas.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglaselyse
Facebook: www.facebook.com/elyse.authorsdouglas

Purchase Link

Amazon

Feature Post and Book Review: Save Your Breath by Melinda Leigh

Hi, everyone!

I am very excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for SAVE YOUR BREATH (Morgan Dane Book 6) by Melinda Leigh. I have loved this romantic suspense/PI mystery series since Say Your Sorry, book 1 in the series.

Below you will find an interview with the author, an excerpt from the title, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.

This book, like every book in the series is a page turner! Enjoy and as always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway.

***

Author Interview: Melinda Leigh

1) Your newest release features two of your most popular characters, attorney Morgan Dane and P.I. Lance Kruger. While this couple has a habit of getting involved in difficult (and dangerous) criminal cases, the mystery in this book is much more personal for them.

In Save Your Breath, Morgan and Lance aren’t working for a client. They’re looking for Sharp’s girlfriend, Olivia Cruz, who vanished from her home in the middle of the night. After Olivia goes missing, Sharp realizes his feelings for her run much deeper than he’d thought. As the investigation continues, with no trace of Olivia, the usually calm and centered PI begins to unravel. Morgan and Lance had always depended on Sharp for his insight and stability. Save Your Breath reverses these established roles.

2) How does the personal nature of the crime affect the other characters?

Morgan and Lance are also thrust into unaccustomed roles. In the previous five books, Sharp has been the source of stability. He is their rock. Now Morgan and Lance have to step up and help him hold it together. The book deliberately challenges the cohesiveness of the team.

3) The story starts with a terrifying scene where Olivia is kidnapped. It is raw and visceral and plays on everyone’s worst fear—being unsafe in our own home. How do you get into the mindset for crafting this kind of scene?

I close my eyes and envision the scene in my mind from beginning to end. Everyone has been woken by a strange noise in the middle of the night. We’ve all stared at the ceiling, listening for the sounds of a stranger moving through the house. Being attacked in our sleep is a basic, primal fear. That’s the vulnerable feeling I wanted to generate in the reader, so I imagined it happening to me. Basically, I’m channeling the overactive imagination that got me into so much trouble as a child.

4) Morgan and Lance are planning a wedding and solidifying Lance’s place as a step-dad to the Dane girls, all the while dealing with terrible crimes around them. How do they disconnect from the violence around them in order to create a space just for themselves and their family?

The family demands their full attention, and in their world of chaos and crime, their home is what keeps them sane. Both Morgan and Lance operate best when they have the support and love of their family to return to at the end of the day.

5) Can you give readers any hints of what’s next for Morgan Dane and her crew?

I wrote Save Your Breath as the final book in the Morgan Dane series, but my next project is a spin-off. The Bree Taggert Series will take place in Grey’s Hollow. Morgan and the crew will likely make appearances.

***

Excerpt: Save Your Breath by Melinda Leigh

Her weekly dinner with her family had distracted her earlier in the evening. Her mother had served frijoles negros, Olivia’s favorite traditional Cuban dish. Olivia had overindulged, and the minute she’d left her parents’ house in Albany to make the hour drive back to Scarlet Falls, her true crime research had flashed right back into her mind and unsettled her stomach.

Chewing an antacid, she mulled over her stunning discovery. The implications of what she’d learned further stirred the black beans and rice in her belly. As a journalist, her job was to seek the truth, not play judge or jury. But should she choose to pursue and publish this truth, other people could pay the price for her revelation—possibly with their lives.

Her new book proposal was overdue, but Olivia’s predicament felt like a no-win situation. Ignoring the truth went against all her principles. Then again, so did putting other people in danger.

But how much risk was involved? Could she live with being responsible for even a single innocent person’s death?

Obsessing about her book research had translated into three consecutive nights of insomnia. Enough was enough. Olivia didn’t need to make this decision alone. What she needed was outside perspective. She brought the antacids with her into the bedroom, picked up her phone from the nightstand, and checked the time. Eleven o’clock. She sent a CALL ME IF UR UP text message to Lincoln Sharp, her . . .

The word boyfriend seemed silly at their ages. She was forty-eight. Lincoln was fifty-three. They’d been dating for several months, and they spent the night together once or twice a week. She assumed their relationship was exclusive, although they hadn’t specifically discussed it.

Labels weren’t important to either of them, but when she saw him or he called unexpectedly, the stirrings of excitement and joy in her blood made her feel like a teenager. Beyond her attraction to him, she respected him both personally and professionally.

So why had she been stewing over her decision instead of asking for his opinion?

Lincoln owned and operated a private investigation firm. As a retired police detective, his practical experience with the legal system—and his knowledge of criminal behavior—exceeded hers. She valued his insight and trusted him to keep her research confidential. If she decided to pursue the story, she would hire his firm to help with the investigative legwork anyway. She may as well bring him on board now.

She burped. Her indigestion began to burn its way up her esophagus. She chewed a second antacid, the chalky taste coating her mouth. She reached for the glass of water on her nightstand and sipped.

A few seconds later, her phone rang, and she pressed “Answer.”

“Is everything OK?” Lincoln asked in a worried tone. Her late-night text was unusual.

“Yes,” Olivia assured him.

“I’m sorry I missed dinner with your parents again,” he said. “I wrapped up my case tonight. I should be able to make dinner next week.”

He didn’t talk much about work, which was fine. She understood his professionalism and appreciated his need to maintain client confidentiality. But he had mentioned the case had involved a great deal of evening surveillance.

“They understand,” she said. “I called because I’m stuck in my research, and I’d like your opinion. Are you free sometime tomorrow afternoon? I can come to your office.”

“Sure.” Interest brightened his voice. “How much time do you want me to block out?”

“An hour should do.” She considered his associates. Lincoln’s business partner, PI Lance Kruger, and Lance’s fiancée, defense attorney Morgan Dane, could also provide useful insight on Olivia’s dilemma. Morgan’s legal advice might be particularly helpful. “I’d like Morgan’s and Lance’s thoughts as well. Could you see if they’re available?”

“Hold on. Let me check their digital calendars.” The line went quiet for a few breaths. “Lance should be here in the afternoon. Morgan has a client meeting at nine a.m. Her calendar is clear the rest of the day. How about I put you in the one p.m. spot?”

“Perfect.” Olivia lowered the phone and made a note in the calendar app. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“You know, when you texted”—Sharp’s voice deepened—“I had hoped this was a booty call.”

A little thrill rushed through her, followed by another burp. Olivia rubbed the fire behind her breastbone. “Tonight isn’t a good night. I ate way too much of my mother’s food.”

He snorted. “That happens. She’s an incredible cook. Get some rest and feel better.”

“Good night.” Olivia lowered the phone.

Satisfied he would help her make her decision, she slid into bed and picked up a book. At midnight, she still wasn’t sleepy. She set down the book and redirected her mind. Lincoln was teaching her to meditate. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her breaths. She conjured a mental image of the beach in her mind and synced her breathing to the ebb and flow of the imaginary waves. At first she had trouble concentrating, but eventually her body felt heavy.

Olivia jolted, her heartbeat quickening, sweat dampening her T-shirt.

What was that?

A glance at the clock on her nightstand told her hours had passed. It felt as if she’d just closed her eyes, but she must have fallen asleep. She scanned the darkness of her bedroom. Her gaze passed over her dresser and chair. Had she heard something real, or had it been a dream?

She concentrated, listening hard to the sounds of her house, but she heard nothing unusual. A thunk and hum signaled the heater switching on. Hot air blew out of the floor vent and moved the sheers that hung over her windows.

The alarm hadn’t sounded. She reached for her cell phone. It was far too early to rise for the day. She double-checked the security system app on her phone. The house was secure. She needed to go back to sleep.

She shifted her legs under the covers, closed her eyes, and tried to get comfortable.

Something whooshed. Her eyes snapped open. A large shape rushed toward her. A heavy body landed on top of her, pinning her to the mattress. The weight and size of her attacker felt male. She flailed and tried to push him off, but her arms and legs were trapped as he straddled her. She was cocooned in her comforter like a swaddled baby. Her throat constricted. She couldn’t scream.

Panic sprinted through her bloodstream as she stared up at the dark assailant looming over her. His face seemed distorted, his features brighter and flatter than normal. He was wearing a mask.

With a bolt of gut-twisting horror, she recognized the character as Michael Myers from the movie Halloween.

A flash of terror shot up her spine. She inhaled, preparing to force a scream out of her tight throat.

He slapped her across the face. Pain, bright and sharp, sang through her cheekbone but faded in seconds as her adrenaline surged. The scream died in her chest.

***

My Book Review:

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

I love this book! I love this series! I am so terribly sad that this is the final book in the series!

SAVE YOUR BREATH (Morgan Dane Book 6) by Melinda Leigh is a romantic suspense/PI mystery and this time the focus is on Lincoln Sharp and Olivia Cruz, but the danger still has a way of finding Lance and Morgan.

True-crime writer Olivia Cruz has disappeared. Lincoln and Olivia have been dating for a few months now and he knows the type of criminals she interviews and fears the worst. She attempts to leave a few clues, but she is taped, tied and then drugged. Sharp gets Lance and Morgan to assist in going through her files of her current book looking for clues.

They find Olivia was writing about two cold case murders. The mother of one of the convicted men committed suicide right outside Morgan’s office after Morgan turned her down as a client the same day they find Olivia missing.

The suspects increase as the suspense builds and it is a race against the clock. Will Sharp find Olivia and will she be alive? And has Morgan and Lance’s involvement in the case made them targets of the killer?

I love all the characters in this book and series. I always look forward to each book knowing I can pick it up, reconnect with Morgan, Lance and all the secondary characters and immediately be immersed in a mystery that pulls me into the story and their lives once again. Ms. Leigh knows how to keep you on the edge-of-your-seat and turning the pages. I am very sorry this series is ending, but I know I will be going back to reread them again.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series! All the books have memorable characters and well plotted mysteries. I do recommend they be read in order to follow all the personal connections and changes.

***

About the Book

Title: Save Your Breath

Author: Melinda Leigh

Release Date: September 17, 2019

Publisher: Montlake

Summary

When true-crime writer Olivia Cruz disappears with no signs of foul play, her new boyfriend, Lincoln Sharp, suspects the worst. He knows she didn’t leave willingly and turns to attorney Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger to find her before it’s too late.

As they dig through Olivia’s life, they are shocked to discover a connection between her current book research on two cold murder cases and the suicide of one of Morgan’s prospective clients.

As Morgan and Lance investigate, the number of suspects grows, but time is running out to find Olivia alive. When danger comes knocking at their door, Morgan and Lance realize that they may be the killer’s next targets.

***

Author Biography

#1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A lifelong lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity when her youngest child entered first grade. During the next few years, she joined Romance Writers of America, learned a few things about writing a novel, and decided the process was way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, She Can Run, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She’s also garnered Golden Leaf and Silver Falchion Awards, along with two nominations for a RITA and three Daphne du Maurier Awards. She holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate; teaches women’s self-defense; and lives in a messy house with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs, and two rescue cats.

Social Media Links

Website: http://melindaleigh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindaleighauthorpage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelindaLeigh1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141609.Melinda_Leigh

***

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