Genre: Mystery Published by: Himmel River Press Publication Date: November 19, 2019 Number of Pages: 364 ISBN: 1698530994 (9781698530994) Series: Leah Nash Mysteries, Book 6 Purchase Links:Amazon | Goodreads
Synopsis
A Murder Among Friends …
Everyone is anxious to connect with actor Ryan Malloy when he returns to town for his 15-year high school reunion. Everyone except crime writer Leah Nash. She doesn’t have many fond memories of Himmel High’s golden boy. But it turns out she’s not the only one who isn’t a fan. Before the weekend is over, Ryan Malloy is murdered.
The hard-headed but soft-hearted Leah is unwillingly drawn into investigating his death by the pleading of Ryan’s terminally ill mother. She soon discovers that Ryan’s self-absorbed journey through life trampled on the dreams of a number of people. His old girlfriend, his best friend, his own brother, a local businessman—there’s no shortage of suspects—or secrets. But the solution eludes Leah, until the past and the present collide in a dangerous confrontation that threatens one life and ends another.
About Author Susan Hunter
Susan Hunter is a charter member of Introverts International (which meets the 12th of Never at an undisclosed location). She has worked as a reporter and managing editor, during which time she received a first place UPI award for investigative reporting and a Michigan Press Association first place award for enterprise/feature reporting.
Susan has also taught composition at the college level, written advertising copy, newsletters, press releases, speeches, web copy, academic papers, and memos. Lots and lots of memos. She lives in rural Michigan with her husband Gary, who is a man of action, not words.
During certain times of the day, she can be found wandering the mean streets of small-town Himmel, Wisconsin, looking for clues, stopping for a meal at the Elite Cafe, dropping off a story lead at the Himmel Times Weekly, or meeting friends for a drink at McClain’s Bar and Grill.
Leonardo Cantrell is a painfully shy sixteen-year-old who cannot look people in the eye. One night while he’s volunteering at a homeless shelter, an old man forces eye contact and gives Leo the power to see Death.
His best, and only, friend—J.C. Rivera—thinks this new power is cool until Leo accidentally looks into J.C.’s eyes and “sees” his murder, a murder that will occur in less than two weeks. Stunned and shaken, the two boys sift through clues in Leo’s “vision” in a desperate effort to find the killer and stop him before he can strike.
Aided by feisty new-girl-at-school, Laura, the boys uncover evidence suggesting the identity of the murderer. However, their plan to trap the would-be killer goes horribly awry and reveals a truth that could kill them all.
Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author who grew up in Northern California. He majored in English/Theatre at Santa Clara University, earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and a master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Michael taught high school in Hawthorne, California for many years, both in general education and students with disabilities. When Michael is not writing you can find him volunteering as a youth mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, volunteering within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, or caring for his newly adopted son. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, and hopes his books can show young people they are not alone in their struggles.
“Steps up several levels into an exciting category all its own. It’s thriller, cold case,
mystery suspense, and police procedural, all rolled into one exciting
novel. Set amidst the political drama that comes with Washington DC and
the Pentagon, a current multiple murder becomes a search years in the
past. With a young, hot lieutenant assigned to NCIS, and his beautiful
new wife, you have all the makings of a bestseller. Nicely done, Ms.
Carr!” – Review by Merry Citarella, Mystery Suspense Reviews
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The Latest Best-Selling Thorny Rose Mystery Available Now!
Get Your Copy Today!
Join us for this tour from Jan 20to Feb 28, 2020!
The Nutcracker Conspiracy
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A Thorny Rose Mystery #4
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by Lauren Carr
. Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: January 30, 2020 Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries,
so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on
stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some
mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
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MY REVIEW
I love this series and I’m thrilled to get back to it.
So much worked in this book. The characters were complex. Many of them were favorites I’d encountered in the previous books. The mystery was convoluted. Something caught my attention and pointed to who was behind the crimes. Later, something else kind of confirmed it for me. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was way off the mark and it was someone else. I think those misdirection’s Lauren planted were intentional and very clever.
There was also a prank thing going on. Someone from the past returned and a certain someone else couldn’t resist getting payback, in quite the imaginative ways.
And let’s not forget my other favorites. The critters! This time there are reported sightings of a lycanthrope terrorizing the community. It strikes from cover, even from up in the trees. I wonder who it could be. LOL
I had so much fun and didn’t want it to end. Now I can’t wait for the next book in this charming, addictive and hilarious series.
5 Stars
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Book Description:
Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the
United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two
dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after
numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue
that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every
federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.
Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander
Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up
at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to
bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest
work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist
who’d disappeared months earlier.
“She was number twelve,” Dean says.
“Twelve?” Murphy asks.
“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”
Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:
“The plot was original, fresh and fast paced in spite of the
“traditional elements” employed which can normally be found in any other
thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its
unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot
would change its course keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense
twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the
writing was simply perfect. One thing that writer needs to be lauded for
is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts,
the book would have been one serious read.” – Reviewer: Book and Ink
Book Description:
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Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered
in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions
surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers
together only to be killed.
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton,
USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims,
then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the
victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron
Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a
Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night
shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in
Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift
through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the
Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning
killer?
“Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their
lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the
answers are found, it left me wanting more.” – Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental
Book Description:
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After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton
are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in
their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle
of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep
secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out
at Murphy.When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her
latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may
have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the
winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims,
Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker,
a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a
community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an
end to the Thorny Rose couple?
Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to
escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and
love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into
the wee hours.” Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn
Book Description:
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Beware: Perfection has a dark side!
Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica
Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night.
The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a
couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned
by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and
business.
When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose
detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to
discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.
Lauren Carr is the international
best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across
three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike
rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include
mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and
humor.
A popular speaker, Lauren is also
the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead
Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German
Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
As an investigative journalist, Merci Lanard has an uncanny knack for getting the truth out of people, a talent she uses to expose the real story behind her city’s most gruesome crimes.
Until one night, when her partner, Ethan, is killed.
Reeling from shock and grief, Merci vows to track down his murderer. As she starts digging, she meets Ethan’s estranged brother, Rafe, who agrees to work with Merci to find his brother’s killer. She soon discovers Ethan had been hiding things from her, mainly that he was a Shifter and had a whole life in a supernatural world she knew nothing about.
A Shifter himself, Rafe introduces Merci to magic she never knew existed. As they work together to uncover hidden connections between Ethan’s murder and a series of strange dead bodies, they find themselves in the crosshairs of a turf war for the soul of the city.
If Merci is to have any hope of saving her city, she will have to face the truth about this war, the truth about this new magical world, and the truth about who she truly is.
Amanda was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel.
During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped.
She has a husband who fights crime, one dog who thinks he’s a real boy, and another who might be a fruit bat in disguise. She recently added a tiny human to the mix who is following in her mother’s footsteps of storytelling.
Along with her BA in English & Psychology and her MA in Education, Amanda is a graduate of the SMU Creative Writing Program and now teaches other aspiring authors. She has delivered lectures at several writer conferences and loves discussing craft, character, and structure. Her current favorite: Stirring up Trouble with Romantic Subplots.
She is represented by Kimberly Brower, of Brower Literary & Management.
Random Facts:
Amanda is adopted and loves to share that story with others to promote adoption.
Amanda has a collection of turtle figurines that collects on her travels.
Amanda has a strange love of cheesy horror movies. She prefers demons and witchcraft to slasher films.
Amanda is a really good bowler and completely rocks at croquet.
Publication date: January 10th 2020
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Synopsis
She’s got 400,000 fans. One of them could be the killer.
Instagram Influencer Sydney Evans carefully curates her enviable public persona. Despite being freshly widowed, she’s eager to strike a pose at her best friend’s extravagant destination nuptials. But Sydney’s feed goes dark when she blacks out on the plane, awakening to discover another guest poisoned to death.
With the FBI keen to use Sydney as an insider, she takes the arm of a rookie undercover agent hoping to capture something incriminating. But a deadly run-in exposes a shocking criminal underbelly lurking beneath her own picture-perfect marriage. And if she doesn’t solve the case before her friends tie the knot, the culprit will make sure her next selfie is her last.
Can Sydney catch a murderer or will the wedding become a funeral?
What Lies In Paradise is a fast-paced standalone thriller. If you like real-world issues, lavish socialite parties, and electrifying twists and turns, then you’ll love Leah Cupps’ provocative mystery.
Buy What Lies In Paradise to join a deadly digital whodunit today!
Leah Cupps is an entrepreneur and author. She has built and sold several businesses, and documented the process in her first book #MomLifeInc.
She always has a passion for stories and spends her evenings writing novels. Her debut novel is, What Lies in Paradise, will debut in January, 2020.
She writes Thriller, Mystery, Suspense and Action & Adventure.
Leah’s novels are fast-paced, thrillers that will keep you up at night as you can’t wait to see what happens in the next chapter.
Leah lives in Indiana with her husband, three young children and two small dogs. When she isn’t losing sleep writing her next novel or scaling her next business, she enjoys running and spending time with her family.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
The Man By The Sea
The Slim Hardy Mystery Series #1
by Jack Benton
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Paranormal
Teaser from page 74 in the eBook.
“This section. Your man is telling something to come back, that it needs to return home. Only he’s not.” Kay pointed at a word that was so illegible Slim didn’t even try to read it. “Here. Not ‘come,’ ‘go.’
“Go back?”
Kay nodded. “Whatever it is that your mark is afraid of, it’s already here.”
~~~~~
Synopsis
John “Slim” Hardy, heavy drinker and disgraced soldier turned bumbling private detective, is hired to investigate Ted Douglas, an investment banker who slips out of work every Friday to visit a desolate cove on the Lancashire coast. There, he walks to the shore, opens an old book, and begins to read aloud.
His wife thinks he’s having an affair.
Slim thinks he’s insane.
The truth is more incredible than either could imagine.
The Man by the Sea is the sensational debut novel by Jack Benton, a classic story of love, betrayal, murder, and intrigue.
Alan M. Clark’s Jack the Ripper Victims Series is comprised of five novels, one for each of the canonical victims of the murderer. These stories are not only meant to appeal to those interested in the horror that was the Autumn of Terror, but also those interested in the struggles of women in the 19th century. They are well-researched, fictional dramatic stories meant to help readers walk in the shoes of the victims and give a sense of the world as each of the women may have experienced it. The timelines for the stories run mostly concurrently, so it doesn’t matter in what order the books in the series are read. They are simultaneously drama, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, and horror. They are novels concerning horror that happened.
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A Brutal Chill in August
The First Victim of Jack the Ripper
by Alan M. Clark
Genre: Crime Horror
Publisher: IFD Publishing
Publication Date: December 7, 2019
We all know about Jack the Ripper, the serial murderer who terrorized Whitechapel and confounded police in 1888, but how much do we really know about his victims?
Pursued by one demon into the clutches of another, the ordinary life of Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols is made extraordinary by horrible, inhuman circumstance. Jack the Ripper’s first victim comes to life in this sensitive and intimate fictionalized portrait, from humble beginnings, to building a family with an abusive husband, her escape into poverty and the workhouse, alcoholism, and finally abandoned on the streets of London where the Whitechapel Murderer found her.
With A Brutal Chill in August, Alan M. Clark gives readers an uncompromising and terrifying look at the nearly forgotten human story behind one of the most sensational crimes in history. This is horror that happened.
The song sung by the ghost that haunts Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols
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Apologies to the Cat’s Meat Man
The Second Victim of Jack the Ripper
Publication Date: June 9, 2017
This novel is part of the Jack the Ripper Victims Series. Each novel in the series is a stand-alone story.
Annie Chapman led a hard, lower class life in filthy 19th century London. Late in life, circumstances and and her choices led her to earn her crust by solicitation. After a bruising brawl with another woman over money and a man, she lost her lodgings and found herself sleeping rough. That dangerous turn of events delivered her into the hands of London’s most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper.
Contrasting her last week alive with the experiences of her earlier life, the author helps readers understand how she might have made the decisions that put her in the wrong place at the wrong time
This novel is part of the Jack the Ripper Victims Series. Each novel in the series is a stand-alone story.
An imaginative reconstruction of the life of Elizabeth Stride, the third victim of Jack the Ripper. The beast of poverty and disease had stalked Elizabeth all her life, waiting for the right moment to take her down. To survive, she listened to the two extremes within herself–Bess, the innocent child of hope, and Liza, the cynical, hardbitten opportunist. While Bess paints rosy pictures of what lies ahead and Liza warns of dangers everywhere, the beast, in the guise of a man offering something better, circles ever closer.
In Victorian London, the greatest city of the richest country in the world, the industrial revolution has created a world of decadence and prosperity, but also one of unimaginable squalor and suffering. Filth, decay, danger, sorrow, and death are ever-present in the streets. Catherine Eddowes is found murdered gruesomely in the city’s East End. When the police make their report, the only indicators of her life are the possessions carried on her person, likely everything she owned in the world. In Of Thimble and Threat, Alan M. Clark tells the heartbreaking story of Catherine Eddowes, the fourth victim of Jack the Ripper, explaining the origin and acquisition of the items found with her at the time of her death, chronicling her life from childhood to adulthood, motherhood, her descent into alcoholism, and finally her death. Of Thimble and Threat is a story of the intense love between a mother and a child, a story of poverty and loss, fierce independence, and unconquerable will. It is the devastating portrayal of a self-perpetuated descent into Hell, a lucid view into the darkest parts of the human heart.
A novel that beats back our assumptions about the time of Jack the Ripper. Not the grim story of an unfortunate drunken prostitute killed before her time, but one of a young woman alive with all the emotional complexity of women today. Running from a man wanting her to pay for her crimes against his brother, Mary Jane Kelly must recover a valuable hidden necklace and sell it to gain the funds to leave London and start over elsewhere. Driven by powerful, if at times conflicting emotion, she runs the dystopian labyrinth of the East End, and tries to sneak past the deadly menace that bars her exit.
Although THE PROSTITUTE’S PRICE is a standalone tale, and part of the Jack the Ripper Victims Series, it is also a companion story to the novel, THE ASSASSIN’S COIN, by John Linwood Grant. The gain a broader experience of each novel, read both.
Author and illustrator, Alan M. Clark grew up in Tennessee in a house full of bones and old medical books. His awards include the World Fantasy Award and four Chesley Awards. He is the author of seventeen books, including twelve novels, a couple of novellas, four collections of fiction, some of them lavishly illustrated, and a nonfiction full-color book of his artwork. Mr. Clark’s company, IFD Publishing, has released 42 titles of various editions, including traditional books, both paperback and hardcover, audio books, and ebooks by such authors as F. Paul Wilson, Elizabeth Engstrom, and Jeremy Robert Johnson. Alan M. Clark and his wife, Melody, live in Oregon. www.alanmclark.com Visit his blog: https://ifdpublishing.com/blog
If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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Gull Harbor
by Kathryn Knight
Genre: Mystery / Paranormal / Romance
Synopsis
When Claire Linden’s job sends her to the sleepy town of Gull Harbor, she never expects to encounter her ex-boyfriend. As a medium, the prospect of tackling a haunted house is less daunting than seeing Max Baron again. Throughout their passionate college relationship, he promised to love her forever. Then, without explanation, he abandoned her on graduation day.
Max never intended to break Claire’s heart—a cruel ultimatum forced him to disappear from her life. While he’s shocked to find her in Gull Harbor, he isn’t surprised by the bitter resentment she feels for him…or the fiery attraction that remains between them.
Claire is determined to rid her temporary home of its aggressive ghost, but Max soon realizes she’s facing a danger beyond the paranormal. When Claire risks everything to help a desperate spirit, Max must race to save her—before another tragedy tears them apart forever.
Welcome to My Monday Minis where I share short reviews about books I’ve read.
Today I’m sharing the first book in a series that I let sit on my TBR for far too long.
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Nearly Departed In Deadwood
Deadwood #1
by Ann Charles
Genre: Mystery / Paranormal
My Review
I can’t remember which made me grab this book, the catchy title or the awesome cover. Guess it doesn’t matter since I finished the book and had so much fun.
Violet Parker is a single mom with a lot on her plate. She has two young kids to raise, a job with an expiration date if she doesn’t hurry and sell her first house, a nasty coworker bent on getting her fired and a dwindling bank account. She sees a way out of it when she’s offered her first house to sell. Turns out it’s a mess and she has her work cut out for her to get it ready for showing. Along comes a mysterious man who’s looking to buy a house. Something’s not quite right about him but what can you do.
Violet doesn’t plan on inserting herself into the investigation when young girls start disappearing in Deadwood. But, with a young girl of her own, she can’t stay out of it.
I couldn’t help but relate to Violet. I was a single mom and know all about juggling a job and raising a child. You do whatever it takes. She was scatter brained at times. Who wouldn’t be. And no shrinking violet. I loved how she stood up to her nasty coworker. And her signature purple boots. Gotta love those.
There was a bit of a paranormal element to this story that came from a source I wasn’t expecting. And some sexual tension you could cut with a knife.
I had great fun with this one and have already started the next book. I’m excited to see what trouble is stirring next in Deadwood.
4 STARS
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Synopsis
Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota. Fearing her daughter might be next, single mom, Violet Parker, is desperate to find the monster behind the abductions. With her savings dwindling and just three weeks left to sell her first house or lose her Realtor job, Violet is ecstatic when a handsome jeweler hires her to sell his century-old, Victorian masterpiece, until she sees the dilapidated dwelling. Now, if she could just convince her only buyer to stop rejecting vintage homes as if they’re haunted. Short on time and long on worry, she refuses to give up her dream of a fresh start in Deadwood. But with a malicious coworker trying to get her fired, a secret admirer sending her creepy messages, and a sexy stranger hiding skeletons in his closet, will Violet end up as one of Deadwood’s dearly departed?
If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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Stalking Ground
A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #2
by Margaret Mizushima
Genre: Mystery
Synopsis
Easy Targets
When Chief Deputy Ken Brody’s sweetheart goes missing in the mountains outside Timber Creek, Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner, Robo, are called to search. But it’s mid-October and a dark snowstorm is brewing over the high country. And they’re already too late. By the time they find her body, the storm has broken and the snow is coming down hard.
While Brody hikes down to bring back the forensics team, and veterinarian Cole Walker gathers supplies to protect them from the storm, Mattie and Robo find themselves alone, guarding the gravesite overnight in the early winter. And it’s only the first in a series of long, dark nights. As their investigation develops, Mattie, Robo, Brody and Cole find themselves in the middle of the killer’s stalking ground—where the hunters have just become the hunted.
I added this book back in December of 2017. I’ve been reading this series out of order. I know, it’s a bad habit for me. LOL I enjoyed the other books and now I’m ready for this one.
![Nearly Departed in Deadwood (Deadwood Humorous Mystery Book 1) by [Charles, Ann]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UxA9WE3cL._SY346_.jpg)
