Showing posts with label Hard-Boiled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hard-Boiled. Show all posts

Burdened By Guilt, by Michiko Katsu


A suspense filled romantic mystery

Detective Mike Anderson must rely on the insights of sexy English Professor Suzanne Kelly to help him solve the mystery when the dismembered body of a murder victim is found with a note from a classic work of literature. Drained of blood and chopped into pieces the note is his only clue. He is desperate for her direction but she keeps him in suspense when she warns this may not be the last. Although impressed with her knowledge, her resemblance to his murdered wife unnerves him and he steels himself against the potential of an inappropriate and untimely romance.

Confused by the clue’s relevance he struggles to find the killer while saddled with an overly enthusiastic rookie partner, Kevin McKay. Handpicked by the Lieutenant with whom he shares a mutual hatred, Mike wonders where Kevin’s loyalties lie. Add on an Internal Affairs investigation and he doesn't know who to trust.

Compelled to see her again, a second body with a second note gives him the excuse he needs. But after his second visit, someone attacks Suzanne in her office resurrecting the guilt he feels over not saving his wife and the fear he may be responsible for endangering Suzanne. Unable to resist her vulnerabilities he spends a passionate night with her compromising himself and the investigation.

Her attack uncovers a violent past and stolen identity linking her to the two murders. When children discover a third body and a witness places a woman fitting Suzanne’s description at the scene, Mike knows he’s been had. There are no coincidences in a murder investigation and his paranoia grows as Kevin was the one who recommended her.

This close to finding his killer, I.A. stops Mike dead when the mystery of stolen evidence from his previous cases conveniently matches evidence in his triple homicide making him a suspect in his own investigation. Suspended and without support Mike must clear his name and find the person responsible. But when both Kevin and Suzanne mysteriously turn up missing he fears he may have let the two prime murder suspects go free.

About the Author
I started writing stories as soon as I could hold a crayon and though I've matured in both style and content (I hope =) I still love the simplicity of a good story. Life is complicated enough and there's nothing better than disappearing into different worlds and different lives and following along through their adventures.

Although I studied and appreciate the classics (if you haven't read Jane Eyre or East of Eden you must add them to your reading list!) I'm still a sucker for a great mystery. I grew up reading Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and enjoyed the challenge of putting together clues they laid masterfully on each page in what was usually a futile attempt to identify the killer. They were studies of people and how they interacted with each other and their environment under harsh circumstances. Many failed miserably, as so often happens, while other rose to the occasion surprising everyone including themselves.

I also loved historical romances and consumed them like Lay's potato chips. I could never read just one! A few years back I donated over a hundred mass market romance novels I finished, in many instances, in one sitting. What can I say, I'm a woman who loves the idealized story of getting swept off her feet by the strong and hansom man of her dreams who would kill or die just to have her. Real or not what woman doesn't like that?!

Each of my books is an homage to character driven mysteries where people are tested through difficult circumstances focused on a single or multiple murders. I love to push the boundaries of friendship and family dynamics by always asking the question: what if? Add on a layer of romance and raunchy, on occasion, sexual encounters and I write what I ultimately want to read. The austerity of the desert landscape in Phoenix, Arizona is the perfect backdrop for each story as it can be as unforgiving and inspiring as the characters in my books.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!

For More Info
Website: www.michikokatsu.com

BUY THE BOOK
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JLMITV0

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Bitter Sweet: A Controversial Crime Thriller, by Mason N. Forbes


Harrowing, deeply moving, "Bitter Sweet" is a gripping revelation of human trafficking, escorts and police corruption

Nina’s double-life as a university student and an escort falls apart when she is drawn into a web of violence, human trafficking and police corruption. When Nina rescues three girls from the clutches of a vicious trafficker a city-wide pursuit ensues, one in which Nina must outwit not only the police, but also the trafficker and a fate far worse than prosecution.

Can Nina avoid capture by the trafficker and a life of sexual slavery? Or will she in desperation contact the police? And can she avoid her worst nightmare – exposure as an escort?

In his heart-pounding début novel Mason Forbes takes the reader on a roller-coaster through the escort business, human trafficking and corruption from the city streets all the way up to the Crown Prosecution Service.

“A chilling story of the horrors sex trafficking featuring a gritty heroine. A gripping dark thriller.” ~Look4books.co.uk

“A well crafted critique of UK law enforcement system from an escort’s POV.” ~The News Letter.

"Forbes has succeeded in conveying the realities of prostitution, to cut through the superficial veneer which has effectively glamourised the subject of escorting in recent years, through the popular 'escort expose' novels and memoirs like Belle de Jour. His brutal portrayal of the victimisation of women in the sex industry is more akin to Steig Larsson's epic novels, and he was astonished by just how different the media's representations of the lives of sex workers are to the nuanced reality."~The Belfast Telegraph.

About the Author
Mason Forbes is a Crime Fiction writer. A life-long passion to understand the psychology of human motivations is evident in his writing and he draws heavily on the moral dilemmas present in the individual and society.

He was born and grew up in the United Kingdom and is of Anglo-German-Irish heritage. After university, he worked in industry for a number of years before moving to live in Germany where he successfully ran his own business. He has since returned to the UK, dedicating his time to writing and has written two stand-alone thrillers:"The Strontian Factor" and "Bitter Sweet."

Follow the Author on Twitter
https://twitter.com/MasonNForbes

BUY THE BOOK
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F53T9D6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00F53T9D6

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At Their Own Game, by Frank Zafiro


Jake Stankovic has been flying below the radar for years, dealing safely in stolen property crime with his two-man crew. But times are tough, so he decides to step up to the big money with a drug deal. Everything that can go wrong, does. The deal goes bad, a vengeful detective sets his sights on Jake, one of his crew might be a turncoat, and a woman from a long past affair suddenly reappears. All of this would be complicated enough on it's own, but for Jake, it's even worse.

The woman is the detective's ex-wife.

And Jake Stankovic used to be a cop.

Now Jake must face new problems and old vendettas in an all-in proposition with lives on the line. He has to find a way to get his money back, keep the girl, and beat everyone involved...At Their Own Game.

For More Info
Website: http://www.frankzafiro.com/novels/at-their-own-game/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Frank_Zafiro

BUY THE BOOK
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I6I7ALU

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