One Sentence Review – Slenderman by Willow Rose @willowredrose

Posted on November 19, 2016 by fundinmental

I have read some of Willow Rose’s work and loved it, so when I saw this freebie on Amazon, I had to grab it.

What a creepy, fantastic cover!

MY REVIEW

Harassment…oh, it is so much more than that…and I wonder if Brutus will go all Cujo on her as the past comes back to haunt her with characters that are so far out there, entitled, mean, cruel, deadly, and the mystery of Slenderman seems to come out of the computer and walk in real life…

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: An engrossing thriller from an Amazon bestselling author! Ever heard of Slender Man?

They say he is always there. They say he is always watching. A tall guy in a suit and tie, with no face, and arms like tentacles.

Some say he is an online myth; others will go very far to prove he is real, so far that they might even kill for him.

Fanoe Island is busy with the mayoral election coming up, when suddenly, the sitting mayor is found killed. Rumors tell that a faceless man dressed in a suit and tie did it.

In Emma Frost’s house that she inherited from her grandmother, a box of letters is found that tells a story from a long time ago. A terrifying story revealing a painful chapter in the life of her own family half a century ago.

– Slender Man is a spine-chilling mystery from the bestselling author Willow Rose. It is the ninth in her Emma Frost-series.

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Giveaway & Review – Threading The Needle by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

Posted on November 10, 2016 by fundinmental

I was drawn into the Roma Series because of the fabulous covers and the storyline.

It made me think of Kathy Reichs and the the TV series, Bones, with her forensic anthropology, only for a character that specializes in forensic accounting.

We continue our adventure in Milan, Italy and bullets will fly.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Roma Series continues in Threading The Needle by Gabriel Valjan. I am excited to see what Bianca and her band of cohorts will encounter next in Milan, Italy.

We are back with some familiar characters and the stakes are higher than ever. Conspiracy is alive and well.

The infighting between the police for territory and jurisdiction and the political machinations dog down their investigation into the murders and mystery. Politics is a dirty business and heads will fall, bodies too.

Gotta be pretty sharp to run the gauntlet and find the answers.

A little manipulation can be in order, and it does keep me on the hook as I try to figure out why they do what they do sometimes..

As the mystery unfolds, I think Bianca, a forensic accounting cyber nerd, has the answers, but…

Sometimes there is so much going on, I lose track of where I’m going. Am I purposely being mislead so I can’t find the answers?

Is it just me that I feel like I am being schooled rather than on a journey for my own entertainment? If you enjoy step by step police procedurals and some a glimpse into Italy’s history, this is for you.

I love the concept of this series so much, I wonder why I am having such difficulty with it. Is it because of the location…Italy and all that entails, their customs and history?

I took a little time and read other things between the books, but to see if it makes a difference, I will be diving right into Turning To Stone, Book IV. I believe these books can stand alone, but if you want to know all the details of the continuing characters, start at the beginning.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Threading The Needle from Gabriel Valjan.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Threading The Needle, Book III

Milan, Italy. Bianca’s curiosity gets a young university student murdered, but not before he gives her a file that details a secret weapon under development with defense contractor Adastra. Guilt may drive her to find justice for the slain Charlie Brooks, but she is warned by the mysterious Loki to stay away from this case that runs deep with conspiracy. Bianca must find a way to uncover government secrets and corporate alliances without returning Italy to one of its darkest hours, the decades of daily terrorism known as the “Years of Lead.”

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

Gabriel Valjan lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the Roma Series, available from Winter Goose Publishing. Gabriel has also written numerous short stories and essays found online and in print.

Connect with the author: Website ~Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format
12 winners total
Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
Giveaway ends Dec 17

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One Sentence Review – Leave Tomorrow Behind by Judy Clemens @judyclemens1 @PPPress

Posted on November 5, 2016 by fundinmental

I won Leave Tomorrow Behind by Judy Clemens and want to thank her and Poisoned Pen Press for this fun, farm fresh cozy.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

There is more than manure in the pile and the comical dialogue with the diverse characters like Stella, a Harley riding, tattooed woman with a distinct sense of right and wrong, made this a fun and relaxing romance that is a part of a stand alone series.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: She’s back! Tattooed, hard working, and often crabby dairy farmer and biker Stella Crown is hot—both in temperature and temperament. Her sister-in-law is a nag, her fiancée Nick is ill, and her bank account is in the red. But when a local country star turns up dead at the county fair, where Stella’s teenage employee Zach is an exhibitor, things turn from hot to ugly.

Stella wasn’t friends with the victim. In fact, she’d only seen her from a distance. But seeing how Stella was the one to dig her out from her deathbed in the calf barn’s manure pile, the cops are on her like flies on…well…honey. Why on earth would Stella want to kill a young singer she’d never spoken to? She’d much rather kill the annoying helicopter dad in the fair’s dairy barn. Or the fifty percent fake girl in the Lovely Miss Pennsylvania Pageant. Or her banker.

Sick to death of annoying cops and entertainment folks, Stella figures the only way to get her life back is to aim law enforcement in the right direction. If that means having to endure a manicure with her soon to be sister in law at the dead singer’s favorite salon, or stopping by the recording studio to check out the talent, Stella figures there could be worse things. Can’t a simple farm girl just get married in peace?

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Giveaway & Review – Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

Posted on October 27, 2016 by fundinmental

I was drawn into the Roma Series because of the fabulous covers and the storyline.

It made me think of Kathy Reichs and the the TV series, Bones, with her forensic anthropology, only for a character that specializes in forensic accounting.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Bianca is back in the Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan, the second book in the Roma Series. She has returned to the States and is working for Rendition…again. I wonder if she may regret it. She is a loner and distrustful. She walked away from love, but she cannot forget him. Will he come back into her life?

A scientific element arises when Bianca investigates Nason Pharmaceutical and wasp DNA. Will it be used for a cure or a weapon? In this twisted world, who can say.

As the story grows and develops into more than one mystery to be solved, I wonder how safe any of the characters are. An assassin, corruption and greed…can anyone be trusted?

It is difficult for me to understand some of the scientific and technological references, but I do understand conspiracy, greed, betrayal and murder. The heavier reading sometimes seems like a school lesson, but I do want to know and understand, so my pace is slower than usual.

In Wasp’s Nest we are becoming more serious, more involved in the mysteries and there is less eating and traveling and more investigating. Italians do have a passion for food and their needs are a celebration of taste so I think it is a valuable component to the story. The suspense has ramped up, with danger around every corner. I was worried Bianca’s band of merry men may pay a fatal price. I have become very fond of her gang, each with their own personalities, desires and motives.

If I gave half stars, I would give Wasp’s Nest 3 1/2. The story is much better, with more action, for an action junkie like me. There will be more in this five book series and I look forward to following the gang to the very end.

I received Wasp’s Nest free of charge from the Gabriel Valjan.

You can see my review for Roma: Underground, Book I, by Gabriel Valjan HERE.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

WASP’S NEST (Book #2)

In the highly anticipated sequel to Roma, Underground, Bianca returns to the U.S. for her former employer, the covert organization Rendition, to investigate Cyril Sargent and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. Although ambivalent about the assignment and uneasy about her online “friend,” Loki, she is enticed into researching what Sargent is doing with insect genetics that might upset the world of cancer research and treatment. Old friends Farrugia and Gennaro uncover a twisted conspiracy from their past and join Bianca in Boston where they will experience conflicted loyalties, question allies, and confront uncertain enemies, as they’re drawn into the wasp’s nest.

“Again, Valjan successfully conflates multiple sophisticated narratives that bring the past and present together, which the archaeological theme of the last novel also helps accomplish . . . Black is back and just as entertaining as ever.”

—Kirkus Book Reviews

“…a compelling reading, action-packed and with intriguing characters. The plot had plenty of twists and turns, some surprising secrets, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the very end.”

—The Book Junkie

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

Connect with the author: Website ~Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format
12 winners total
Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
Giveaway ends Dec 17

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You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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You can see my review for Roma: Underground, Book I, by Gabriel Valjan HERE.

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Giveaway & Review – Roma: Underground by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

Posted on October 20, 2016 by fundinmental

I was drawn into the Roma Series because of the fabulous covers and the storyline.

It made me think of Kathy Reichs and the the TV series, Bones, with her forensic anthropology, only for a character that specializes in forensic accounting.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the concept for Roma, Underground by Gabriel Valjan…a woman on the run and an investigator and archaelogist on a treasure hunt…of sorts.

If you like procedural novels, Roma is for you. Gabriel Valjan allows Bianca to take us step by step through her investigation, though there is more than one mystery going on.

Want to visit Roma? See some sights? Eat some great food…and lots of it? Then lets follow Bianca as she helps her ‘boyfriend’ solve the mystery of who is smuggling stolen historical artifacts out of the country.

Bianca’s step by step digital search and quick mind will have her ‘gang’ tiptoeing through danger as she tries to avoid discovery from her past employer, a covert US organization. I like that her investigation mirrored a forensic murder investigation, just surfing the internet instead of dissecting a body. She makes me think of Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds. You must find the parts and pieces and put them together.

Gabriel Valjan is very detail oriented in his descriptions of places and food. He takes us Underground, through caves, and dining in restaurants, showcasing the food enough to make your mouth water. My only complaint is sometimes the details dogged down the pacing, slowing the story and losing the sense of suspense and danger. This could be because I am an action junkie!!!

I questioned how I would get through the entire series, but the deeper into the story I went, the more involved I became. I was already interested in Bianca, but the peripheral characters grew around her, creating their own dilemmas that drew her in, bringing with them an increasing sense of danger.

Roma, Underground’s mystery is wrapped up nicely, but Bianca’s story is still left to our imagination…or the next book, Wasp’s Nest. Thank goodness I do not have to wait, because the entire series is available.

I received Roma Underground free of charge from Gabriel Valjan.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

ROMA, UNDERGROUND (Book #1)

Savvy forensic accountant Alabaster Black is hiding in Rome from her former employer, covert U.S. organization “Rendition.” While there under an assumed name she meets Dante, an investigator, erstwhile explorer and member of the Roma Underground, a band of amateur archaeologists who map the city beneath Rome. With Italian artifacts disappearing at an alarming rate, Alabaster and Dante search for answers and create a trap for the thieves. Through a mysterious online contact Alabaster learns she is being followed, and with her safety at risk she is forced to rethink her chosen alliances and discover hidden truths about herself.

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

Connect with the author: Website ~Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format
12 winners total
Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
Giveaway ends Dec 17

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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One Sentence Review – Oh Ship! by Lori A Moore @LoriAMooreKY

Posted on September 17, 2016 by fundinmental

I have been on many cruises and if you enjoy people watching, like I do, Oh Ship by Lori A Moore will supply you with plenty of laughs and travel tips.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

If you are a people watcher, Oh Ship by Lori A Moore is chock full of people…some nice and some not so nice…that had me laughing and shaking my head at their antics.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Ship happens. Cruises can be quite the adventure within an adventure if you keep your eyes open and watch the little dramas that are going on among the several thousand passengers and crew members aboard the ship. Reading author Lori A. Moore’s true tales of things that happen on the high seas will have you saying, “Oh Ship!” From stories of passengers pepper-spraying other passengers to grown men fighting over glass figurines of penguins, you’ll laugh until your ribs hurt.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Cozy Giveaway – Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke @aburke59 @dollycas

Posted on September 15, 2016 by fundinmental

What a fabulous cover for Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke. I want to be on that beach. How about you?

Gnarly New Year! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery

Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Paperback: 220 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1530845781
E-Book ASIN: B01G15GEPC
MY REVIEW

Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke is Book II in the Corsario Cove cozy mystery series. I would recommend started with Book I, Cowabunga Christmas.

Cozies have such fun titles and covers, I find them irresistible, even though they are not the hardcore mystery, thriller and suspense reading that I love the most.

Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke picks up where Cowabunga Christmas left off. The murderer had been found, but there were many unanswered questions.

We have the small town cop with an attitude and lots of surfers. Kim and Brien partake of the sport as they follow the trail to the…treasure. It’s not really a treasure, per se, but it is the object everyone is looking for.

The dialogue is fun and the characters entertaining, especially with all of Brien’s little quirks. He’s such a sweetie pie.

I received a copy of Gnarly New Year from Anna Celeste Burke in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

Synopsis

The honeymoon’s not over yet! Kim and Brien’s excellent adventure at the swanky Sanctuary Resort & Spa continues when an unwelcome visitor drops in on New Year’s Eve. An elusive marine GPS device found and lost again, unleashes another wave of murder and mayhem in Corsario Cove! What is it about that thing? Will the secret be revealed when they visit the chamber of heinousness? Stooges, Krugerrands, and monks—oh my! Is it going to be a Gnarly New Year for Kim and Brien?

About The Author

Anna Celeste Burke is an award-winning and bestselling author who enjoys snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style! Her books include the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery series set on California’s Central Coast, and The Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series set in Orange County, California–the OC. Coming soon: The Misadventures of Betsy Stark that take place in the Coachella Valley.

Author Links

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/aburke59
FACEBOOK BOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/annacelesteburke
WEBSITE: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/
BLOG PAGE: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/#!blog/c1dh1
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7553558.Anna_Celeste_Burke
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00H8J4IQS

Purchase Link: Amazon

GIVEAWAY

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Tour Participants

September 7 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

September 9 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – SPOTLIGHT

September 10 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 11 – Christa Reads and Writes – GUEST POST

September 12 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW

September 13 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

September 14 – Varietats2010 – INTERVIEW

September 15 – fundinmental – REVIEW

September 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Cozy Giveaway & Review- The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow @Frankie_Bow

Posted on August 27, 2016 by fundinmental

The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow has a pretty nifty cover and I love anything to do with the tropics. Sooooo…let’s take a trip to Hawaii.

Grab your bathing suit, sun tan lotion and flip flops and let’s begin our adventure.

The Black Thumb (Professor Molly Mysteries) (Volume 3)
Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: Hawaiian Heritage Press (April 18, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-1943476183
MY REVIEW

The cover for The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow has all the elements necessary to make me grab this cozy mystery for a read. I love the tropics and Hawaii. I am not the best gardener, though I do give it my all, so I was curious about the title. Great job with both, Frankie.

If you like character driven stories, The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow fits the bill. No matter how Molly feels about it, she cannot pass on solving the mystery. Her friends…and enemies…will be by her side.

There is a lot going on and a whole lot of people. I feel a bit scattered, but I want to know about the house, so I will read on. I demand a high level of of suspense in my mysteries, and cozies don’t really fit the bill, but there is just something about them that I can’t pass up. Over and over again, I am grabbing them for some light reading.

The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow is not my first cozy mystery by her and I doubt it will be my last.

I received a copy of The Black Thumb from Frankie Bow in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

Synopsis

.

When a violent death disrupts the monthly meeting of the Pua Kala Garden society, Professor Molly Barda has no intention of playing amateur detective. But Molly’s not just a witness-the victim is Molly’s house guest and grad-school frenemy. And Molly quickly finds to her dismay that her interest in the murder of the stylish and self-centered Melanie Polewski is more than just…academic.

About The Author

Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining.

In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.

Author Links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon – B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants

August 18 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

August 19 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

August 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

August 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – FictionZeal.com – SPOTLIGHT with Excerpt

August 22 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER INTERVIEW/SPOTLIGHT

August 23 – CelticLadyReviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

August 25 – Lori’s Reading Corner – GUEST POST

August 26 – Jane Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST

August 27 – fundinmental – REVIEW

August 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

August 27 – Reading Authors – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – INTERVIEW

August 29 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW

August 30 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

August 30 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

August 31 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

August 31 – Ashleyz Wonderland` – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

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One Sentence Review – Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer Seeley @katedyerseeley

Posted on August 20, 2016 by fundinmental

Kate Dyer Seeley is known for her Pacific Northwest cozy mysteries, which Scene of the Climb is the first. They are fun and easy reads that will stand alone.

So, put on your climbing gear and let’s get started.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Meg is afraid of heights and many outdoorsy things, but she is like a dog with a bone and sifts through the list of suspects that kept me guessing and kept the mystery alive in this fun cozy.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Portland, Oregon, is the perfect fit for someone like Meg Reed. It’s a city with a small town feel, where she can crash on the couch of her best friend Jill, now that she’s graduated from journalism school. . .

But a girl needs a job, so Meg bluffs her way into writing for Northwest Extreme magazine, passing herself off to editor-in-chief Greg Dixon as an outdoor adventure enthusiast. Never mind that Meg’s idea of sport is climbing onto the couch without spilling her latte. So when she finds herself clawing to the top of Angel’s Rest–a two-thousand-foot peak–to cover the latest challenge in a reality TV adventure show, she can’t imagine feeling more terrified. Until she witnesses a body plummet off the side of the cliff. Now Meg has a murder to investigate. And if the climbing doesn’t kill her, a murderer just might. . .

Includes Adventure Guides!

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
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I have also read and reviewed Silenced in the Surf by Kate Dyer Seeley. You can see it HERE.

Giveaway & Review – Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan @cshogan276 @dollycas

Posted on July 27, 2016 by fundinmental

Homicide in the House
by Colleen J. Shogun

Homicide in the House
(Washington Whodunit)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Camel Press (June 15, 2016)
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1603813334
MY REVIEW

I love the cool cover created by Sabrina Sun for Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan.

Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan has so many elements that relate to our current political climate, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Government shutdown. Political machinations. All decisions are compromised. Give to get. It’s not selling out your soul when you bend…not break. Representatives park themselves and build a kingdom. I could get on a rant, but let’s talk about the book.

Even though Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan is the second book in the Washington Wodunit series, I don’t feel my reading suffered from not having read Stabbing in the Senate first, where Kit was accused of murdering her boss. Will dead bodies follow her through Capitol Hill?

Right off, I like Representative Maeve Dixon and Kit, her right hand. When Maeve is suspected of murder, it is time for Kit to put her thinking cap on and begin her own investigation. Colleen kept me guessing who amongst the suspects was the guilty party.

Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan meets all the requirements for a cozy mystery: an amateur sleuth and her trusty friends. Some lovable and not so lovable characters along with a critter and easy reading and I would vote yes to adding this to your reading list.

I received a copy of Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

Synopsis:

Kit Marshall has bounced back from her first brush with the law, when she was suspected of murdering her senator boss. Now she is working for a freshman congresswoman, Maeve Dixon, a young Gulf War veteran representing North Carolina. It’s February, and Kit is feeling out of sorts. A government shutdown has just been announced, wreaking havoc on the Hill, and Dan, Dixon’s chief of staff and Kit’s supervisor, is an inexperienced lightweight flying blind. Then there’s Kit’s distracted live-in boyfriend, Doug, who doesn’t seem any closer to popping the question. Kit’s best friend Meg is up to her eyeballs with her new beau and oversight committee job, and Clarence the beagle mix will certainly not win Capitol Canine if Meg has to campaign for him all by herself. Bad as things are now, they are about to get much worse.

Early one morning Representative Dixon is caught standing over the corpse of Jack Drysdale, the Speaker of the House’s top staffer, a man she argued with in front of the press the day before. The murder weapon was the Speaker’s gavel. This item was entrusted to Dixon at the time, leading the police to believe they’ve found their killer. To save her job, Kit must clear her boss’s name, and quickly. Dixon’s career may be over if the police declare her a suspect or an anonymous blogger known as Hill Rat breaks the story. Solving this murder will test Kit’s courage and all her fledgling powers of deduction as she roams a spooky, sparsely populated Capitol Hill looking for clues and sounding out suspects.

About The Author

Colleen J. Shogan is a senior executive at the Library of Congress. She is the former deputy director of the Congressional Research Service and previously served as a staffer in the United States Senate. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American government at Georgetown University, Penn, and George Mason. Colleen is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her BA from Boston College and her doctorate from Yale. A member of Sisters in Crime, she lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Rob Raffety and their rescue mutt, Conan. Her first book, Stabbing in the Senate, won the Next Generation Indie Award for Best Mystery in 2016.