Patricia Leavy is giving away copies of SHOOTING STARS ABOVE, her upcoming romance from She Writes Press. How to get yours? It's easy... just complete the Rafflecopter below and you'll receive one from the author!
So, what's the book about? Here's the info:
For fans of Colleen Hoover comes an emotionally charged contemporary romance about a internationally best-selling novelist and a federal agent fighting to heal past wounds.
Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel—but despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent working in counterterrorism. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself.
The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on an epic love story, but old traumas soon rise to the surface as Jack struggles with the death of a loved one and Tess is forced to confront her childhood abuse. Can unconditional love help heal their invisible wounds? Together, will they be able to move from darkness to light?
Praise for the book
Featured on Ms. Career Girl “A Book for Every Type of Reader to Kick off 2025.”
Featured on She Knows “22 Incredible New Books That You’ll Want to Get Your Hands on in 2025.”
“Patricia Leavy crafts a riveting narrative that shows the healing power of love and how it helps wounded souls become whole once again.”—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
“For readers seeking a story that restores faith in humanity and shines a light on the beauty of connection, this novel is a must-read.”—Literary Titan
“For so many of us, perhaps all of us, life is challenging as we learn to live through and with trauma, grief, and loss. Shooting Stars Above shows us how to thrive through unconditional love. Read this book—it will crack your heart wide open.” —Laurel Richardson, author of Lone Twin
“Leavy has done what she does best: write a story that you won’t be able to put down until you finish the final sentence. Shooting Stars Above is a love story about friendship and real romance, but most importantly, it is a story about learning to love ourselves, the most difficult love of all.” —Sandra L. Faulkner, author of Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method, and Practice
For a free copy of the book, please fill out the Rafflecopter below
(this giveaway is limited to US residents only and to the first 10,000 copies)
Exciting military science fiction tale of a brutal conflict between two warring planets that escalates when the mythical aliens known as the basilisks get involved.
Basilisk by Scott Bradley is a riveting military science fiction story about a brutal conflict between two warring planets, Kari and Rhea, that suddenly threatens to annihilate both when one side decides to introduce a mythical alien creature known as basilisks into the battle. Skylar Solace, the daughter of the renowned captain of the Kari starship Dragon, is foundering in her studies to become a starship officer. So, when the planet Rhea attacks and decimates one of Kari’s space stations and its more than 2,000 souls aboard, she and her best friend, Trudi, with passions high (A LA STARSHIP TROOPERS), enlist in the Marines. But all the training in the world can’t prepare Skylar for the terror she feels going into battle. Not only must she fight the enemy, but her own paralyzing fear as well. Adding to her emotional struggles are the rampant rumors that Kari’s leader, President Alder, may be responsible for starting the war for personal gain.
While initially appearing to be a passionate and gung-ho recruit wanting to prove herself to a cruel, unfeeling father, Skylar Solace turns out to be a remarkably complex character struggling with a lot of baggage. I had some difficulty connecting with her, especially when she froze during her squad’s first engagement with the enemy, possibly contributing to the death of a marine under her command. However, as the story unfolded, she grew on me as she matured and grew into the kind of protagonist that her command saw as a competent and canny leader, able to cut through the smokescreen of subterfuge of Kari’s power-hungry and corrupt politicians. She goes from acting like a schoolgirl when confronted with her current crush to fighting through excruciating pain and the mind control caused by the bite of the all-too-real alien Basilisk.
Corporal Solace is supported by a plethora of teammates besides Trudi, such as the mercenary Levi and the ever-contentious Coma. Many characters come and go as they fall in the many shipboard skirmishes, and the squad is re-formed over and over. Skylar slowly comes to trust herself, learning a hard lesson when she relinquishes command to a less talented squad member in a moment of weakness.
The story starts in high gear as Skylar’s squad boards a Rhea Corvette, and the author does a bang-up job describing and choreographing the ensuing chaos they experience as they breach the hull under fire and meet the enemy head-on. Capturing an enemy combatant, a Kari insurgent, readers get their first hint that the virtually unstoppable Basilisk of lore might not just be a myth, and their involvement in the Rhea-Kari war is a much larger threat to everyone, giving off fresh ALIEN vibes for the rest of the book. I found the story exciting and entertaining, but there were a few places where the action lagged with unnecessary repetitions of explanations or character introspection, typos, and incorrect word usage.
I recommend BASILISK to readers of military science fiction, especially those who enjoy strong female protagonists.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
Forever We Dream Mark Workman Publication date: March 19, 2025 Genres: Coming of Age, Young Adult
Three voices, one dream, and a chance to uncover the truth.
It’s 1978, and the glittering disco craze is sweeping across America. Identical conjoined triplets Elliana, Bellamona, and Gabriella have one shared dream: finding their mother, who vanished without a trace years ago. Singing is their only solace, and now they have a chance to take that passion to the national stage.
When they’re invited to compete in Your Shooting Star, a famous music competition, the teenage sisters see it as their chance to reunite with the woman they can’t remember but long to know. But stepping into the spotlight means facing their greatest fears. As the underdogs fight to stay in the contest, they must brave ruthless rival Twyla-Violet, a former child model determined to claim the coveted title at any cost.
While the four-round competition heats up, secrets, lies, and conspiracies threaten to tear their world apart. Can the triplets stand strong and use the power of television to reconnect with their past? Or will their dream shatter under the pressure of fame?
Carla gawked at the triplets, shocked by their wrecked makeup. “What have you done?”
Katherine stepped over to them. “Carla, I’ll take care of the girls.” She took in their disturbed faces. “Did Twyla-Violet do something to you again?”
Mona sniffed back her tears. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Sixty seconds,” Carla announced behind them.
Katherine pulled the girls around her. “Don’t let that bully beat you. There’s no time to fix your makeup. You must turn this crisis into a tactical advantage. I want you to think of the one thing you want more than anything else and imagine how you’d feel if you couldn’t have it.”
Papilio stared up at her, six amber irises adrift in the pain-stained red sclera of their eyes.
“That’s how we feel now,” Mona muttered as another black tear dripped from her chin and soiled more of their white blouse.
“So put those painful emotions into every word you sing and note you play. Understand, Papilio?”
Appearing almost catatonic, the triplets nodded slowly.
Carla pointed at the stage. “Ten seconds!”
Gently, Katherine brushed a black tear from Mona’s soft jawline with the back of her fingers. “And don’t forget to sing the lyrics from a girl’s perspective. Make them personal.” She stepped back and gestured for Papilio to go.
“Thanks for everything,” Mona said as if it would be the last time they ever saw the coach they had come to admire.
An aching feeling in the pit of Mona’s stomach told her something awful was about to happen. She sensed the judges sharpening their axes, anticipating the metallic taste of blood, ready to exact their punishment on Papilio for being naive enough to think three homely zeros were good enough to become America’s Teen Shooting Star. Their wacko mother didn’t even want them—why would anyone else?
As the dimmed lights increased in intensity, Papilio joined hands, put their right feet forward, and marched onstage while being careful not to trip in their tall platform heels. Halfway there, Gabby lost her concentration. Her ankle twisted sideways, and she nearly fell before Mona, anchored by Ellie, pulled Gabby’s arm and helped her recover, preventing an embarrassing human avalanche.
Despite the triplets’ messy state, the crowd behind Twyla-Violet’s cheering section applauded loudly. The Empress fan club, still decked out in violet band T-shirts, filled the front row as if they were permanently cemented to the seats. Their jaws dropped when they saw Papilio’s sloppy makeup and ruined costume. The hecklers were so shocked by their disheveled appearance, they forgot to snicker.
Papilio’s die-hard fan from their school’s math club stood in the middle of the row behind the jeerers. She held a sign that read Go Papilio! Her metal braces glinted as she jumped up and down, black pigtails bouncing, cheering for the band. Two other calculators with her screamed even louder.
Papiliomania was becoming contagious.
Author Bio:
Mark Workman toured the world as a road manager and lighting designer with many famous rock bands for 33 years. After leaving the music business in 2015, he worked at a major drug and alcohol treatment center in Malibu, California, for four years, where he earned his certification as a drug and alcohol counselor. Mark now spends his time reading, writing, and traveling. He grew up in Petersburg, Virginia, has lived in Greater Los Angeles for most of his adult life, and currently resides in the Las Vegas area. His estrangement from his late father since the age of six, along with his love for the music of the Bee Gees and 70s nostalgia, greatly inspired his debut novel, Forever We Dream.
Heartbreaking and heartwarming, healing and hopeful stories are all connected by a magical coffee shop and its canine caretakers.
The Smiling Dog Café: Healing Fiction, Volume 1 by Neil S. Plakcy, is a two-novella collection of what is known as “healing fiction,” a style of story of Japanese origin. As the stories unfold, not only do the characters undergo positive restorative change, but readers may also experience hope and satisfaction as well.
In the first story, readers are introduced to Betty Martinez, the owner of The Smiling Dog Café, a magical coffee shop well off the beaten paths in Brooklyn, and as such, a recurring character for each of the stories. I loved the concept that while some of her customers just stumbled across the café, many are led there by following one of the unusual dogs memorialized by Betty’s deceased wife in paintings adorning the walls. Each of the customers brought there by the supernatural canines is hurting, damaged, or lost in some way, and Betty, a retired grief counselor, skillfully serves up hope and wisdom along with her special coffee.
In “Code of Silence,” Jeff Hodges, the product of an abusive childhood home life because of his frustrated, alcoholic father, learned early on from his downtrodden mother that silence and invisibility are the safest routes through life. Jeff takes that lesson to heart, and despite his almost genius-level understanding of computing, computer science, and coding, he hides his abilities, choosing to be safe and secure over even a hint of risk and a fulfilling life. When his skills inadvertently put himself and his coworkers out of a job, he’s led through the side streets and alleys of Brooklyn to The Smiling Dog Café by a mysterious golden retriever.
In “A Mother’s Heart,” Sophia Greenwood’s young daughter, Emma, ends up in the local hospital’s pediatric cardiac unit, suffering from the same congenital heart problem that she has and that killed her mother. Sophia is overcome with guilt, fear, and the belief that she isn’t up to the task of mothering her daughter under the same circumstances she endured as a child. Following a three-legged Irish Setter to The Smiling Dog Café, she discovers Betty and the help she needs to recognize her past has prepared her to be a strong, capable woman and mother.
Both stories are told in mesmerizing dual timelines, detailing how the characters came to this point in their present lives. Jeff’s regrets and fears have hobbled him from living an authentic life, much like Sophia’s childhood medical restrictions could have denied her had it not been for the series of vastly different women who had a hand in her upbringing and care. The author’s writing style puts the reader in the characters’ lives and makes the intervention by the mysterious dogs seem natural while maintaining its magic. Two stories were absolutely not enough!
I recommend THE SMILING DOG CAFÉ to readers of healing fiction and fantasy, especially those who enjoyed the BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD series or similar works.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
The Fallen Guardian Dawn Chartier Publication date: March 14, 2025 Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
*When Darkness Tempts the Divine*
Gracyn James has made vengeance her life’s mission. Haunted by the brutal murder of her family, she survives on the streets with The Inciters, a vigilante group that delivers justice to society’s worst. But her ultimate goal remains elusive: finding her father and uncovering why he destroyed her world. When a deadly encounter with the seductive and powerful Angel of Death, leaves her faction annihilated, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance.
Lucien Ward, a fallen Guardian with a shadowed past, is on a mission of his own. Stripped of his former glory, he hunts for the truth behind his family’s downfall while fulfilling his grim duties as the Angel of Death. Gracyn’s fiery spirit—and an uncontrollable power she doesn’t yet understand—may be the key to his redemption. Or, she could bring about the end of both their worlds.
In a battle where loyalties blur and fate twists cruelly, can they uncover the truth before their intertwined destinies ignite chaos?
She took a moment to really see him before stepping inside. He had a face she’d etch in her mind forever. Rumors about the Angel of Death were wildly inaccurate. No one described him as painfully beautiful. Probably no one left alive to give a firsthand account. He didn’t appear the radiant or Greek god she’d imagined. Nor did he have wings. The Inciters had been wrong about that too. Maybe he wasn’t one of those kinds of Seraphs. His build was that of a fighter. A fighter who’d been through hell and back.
He tilted his head, watching her watch him. Her pulse hitched, but that didn’t stop her from memorizing every detail. Silver-blond hair half pulled back, revealing a prominent hard jaw with a slight scar comparable to the scar her father had.
But those hypnotizing, glowing, golden eyes hid something she couldn’t read. They weren’t angelic. More devilish, if you asked her. Kind of animalistic. Like he would hunt her down and eat her alive if she tried to escape his prison.
“Inside,” he ordered with that whisky-smooth, oh-so-sure voice. He’d turned colder since they’d arrived.
“Wait!” She couldn’t accept this was it. They were supposed to barter. Did he lie?
“Get in,” he ordered.
“I thought we were going to talk. I’ll help you and you’ll help me. That’s what you said.” She’d never forget the face of the Seraph who killed her friends. Poor Collin would never get to become an Inciter like he’d dreamed about. She’d only joined to find her father.
“Inside,” he said sterner. “There’s something I must do first. Move.”
She faced the cell and sighed. “How long will I be in here? When are you coming back?”
A steel urinal-toilet combo hung in one corner, with a white sheet-covered cot against the wall. Was this her new normal? Her new life? The realization of never finding the answers she’d been seeking all this time hit hard, unless the Seraph kept his word.
The wall behind her swooshed closed between them. She spun around and banged on the glass door. “No!” Her reflection stared back at her. “Let me out!” Was he still there, watching her? She frowned and hit the door. Her mouth felt like cotton, and the pressure inside her head was splitting her skull in half. “Can I at least get something for my headache?”
No reply.
This moment was like sealing her fate of never having a real home or family ever again. Her adoptive parents were the closest thing she’d ever had, but she still never felt like she fit in no matter how much love they showed her. She was different. She knew it. They knew it.
Now she was ripped away from ever finding out why her dad had done what he did. Ripped away from her best friend, Drake, too. She’d allowed herself to love him like a brother, even though she knew being with the Inciters was only temporary too. So, where did that leave her? Alone? A prisoner? No, this wasn’t her fate.
She dug her fingernails into her palms. How was she going to escape? She had to make a plan to get out of this. Tell him what she knew in small bites. See if he would search as he’d said. Though she doubted he would. She banged again. Tears welled, and she blinked them back. Don’t let him see you weak. Do not cry. Do not cry.
Even though her heart bled for the slain Inciters and Collin, she had to focus on what to say to get what she wanted, but focusing only forced the image of a bloody Collin on the ground. She swallowed. He’d been through so much and hadn’t deserved to die. He’d reminded her of her little sister before she’d died. Her gaze blurred. She shook her head, refusing to cry.
“Crying is for pussies,” Collin had said once after they’d found him shortly after his stepdad beat the crap out of him. She’d caught the glassiness in his eyes, but he never ever cried. I’ll be strong like you, Collin. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you either. The Seraph will pay,” she whispered.
Why had she fallen asleep at the warehouse? Sure, she was sick, but she shouldn’t have ever listened to him. She’d trusted the others to keep him safe, but they weren’t strong enough.
Luckily, Drake had gone to his godmother’s or she might’ve lost him too. He’d be devastated when he found Collin and the others. He’d blame himself. A tear slipped, and she slapped it dry. He was probably searching for her now, but would he even know where to look? He never once mentioned where the Seraphs were. Dammit. She was screwed.
—
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dawn Chartier is a contemporary and paranormal romance author known for crafting emotionally resonant stories with compelling characters and vivid worlds. With a background in construction, Dawn brings a keen eye for detail to her writing, creating immersive settings that captivate readers. She has published several romance novels, earning praise for her ability to blend heartfelt romance with suspense and supernatural elements. Dawn lives in the South with her family, where she finds inspiration in the lush landscapes and unique culture of her surroundings. When she’s not writing, she enjoys exploring local cuisine, chilling on the beach and diving into a great book.
In 1890s Missouri, secrets are a matter of survival.
Clairvoyant Sarah Richardson screams as her older sister Katherine is forced into a straitjacket and thrust into a carriage bound for the St. Louis City Lunatic Asylum. She is devastated to learn Katherine has been blamed for her inadvertent role in an abused woman’s murder. Now, too frightened to speak up, she hides the truth that it should have been her in that carriage.
Sarah’s mounting guilt becomes too much, and she heads to St. Louis, determined to regain her sister’s confidence and prove herself worthy of forgiveness.
While working to heal their relationship, Sarah meets a timid housewife who tries to hide her bruises. When troubling psychic visions of the woman begin to affect her, she sees an opportunity to atone for her past mistakes. Desperate to do whatever it takes to make things right, Sarah embarks on a perilous journey that may cost her everything—including her own life.
Award-winning author Raquel Y. Levitt holds an MFA in creative writing and a master’s degree in English. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies and literary journals and reflect her passion for writing about strong women finding their voice and their power. She is a world traveler, an amateur nature photographer, and a collector of cool rocks. Raquel and her husband live, work, and play in the Texas Hill Country and Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The Seer is her debut novel.
When the police rule her dad’s death an accidental overdose, 16-year-old Chloe refuses to believe it and vows to find his killer. Alone against a potentially corrupt, small-town police force, a persistent social worker seeking proof that she has adult supervision, and precariously low funds, Chloe learns that her dad’s life as a cemetery caretaker masked a web of family secrets that quite possibly led to his death—and are now putting her in mortal danger.
Needing freedom to investigate, Chloe pretends that her only surviving relative, a famous war correspondent, has returned from an overseas assignment to be her guardian. But living alone in the caretaker’s house in the middle of the cemetery, mere feet from the crime scene, puts Chloe’s nerves on edge even before she unearths clues about the shadowy side of her small town. Help comes from unlikely and surprising allies: the colorful owner of the local retro diner, the quiet new classmate with his near-perfect memory, and a spirit who visits in her moments of greatest need.
But as Chloe gets closer to the truth, someone else is getting closer to Chloe, watching her every move. And when her aunt turns up on international news reporting from a war zone, Chloe’s cover is blown. Now the race is on to reveal her dad’s killer—but perhaps—Chloe isn’t as alone as she thought.
Praise for Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper's Daughter:
Recently voted Notable 100 Best Indie Book of 2024 (from Shelf Unbound) and a Semi-Finalist for the CIBA YA Fiction Book Award (Chanticleer International Book Awards)
"A stand-out mystery...offering readers an unforgettable journey." ★★★★★ 5-Stars ~ Readers' Favorite
"This taut, suspenseful mystery goes beyond the cemetery gate and settles, creaking, into our very bones." ~ Silvia Acevedo, author of the award-winning God Awful series
"A gripping mystery that succeeds due to a headstrong protagonist who's unwilling to fail." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"... a must-read and recommended for fans of mysteries looking for a gripping and compelling story." ~ 5-Stars - Reader Views Kids
"A haunting YA mystery. Touching on everything from police ineptitude and community solidarity to the endless frustration of being patronized as a young person, this paranormal thriller confidently combines timely and relatable themes within a page-turning storyline." ~ Self-Publishing Review
"Not all secrets are buried in the grave. Beyond the Cemetery Gate is a nonstop read through a dark, twisting plot and the dangerous world of shadows and sinister people that 16-year-old Chloe must outrun and outsmart." ~ Patricia Skalka, Author of the Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries
Book Details:
Genre: Young Adult Mystery Suspense Published by: Lost Lake Press Publication Date: October 31, 2024 Number of Pages: 342 ISBN: 9780998173641 (ISBN10: 0998173649) Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Chapter 1
CHLOE
In the space between sleep and wakefulness, a sound seeped into my consciousness. The sense that something wasn’t quite right pulled me fully awake. I listened beyond my own breathing for it to come again.
A wail pierced the silence. An animal in pain? Only it wasn’t. I knew it was human. I slipped from bed to stare out into the cemetery. The tombstones always made for fascinating or eerie shadows, depending on how you felt about graveyards. I never minded, which was a good thing, considering my house was smack dab in the middle of one.
The sound came again, more of a moan this time, followed by a murmur of voices. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but people were definitely in the cemetery. One of them was scared or maybe hurt. Dad wasn’t going to like this. He locked the gate tight every night. The only way in was to scale the tall, spiked iron fence or pick the lock. Either one was going to piss him off.
In the distance, a pinpoint of light moved away from where I perched. It was too small to be a flashlight . . . maybe a cell phone?
I padded down the hall to Dad’s bedroom, calling for him. His door was ajar, and the hall light was enough to show his empty bed, the covers rumpled and thrown back as though he’d gotten up quickly. He must have heard the same thing.
His boots weren’t in their usual spot by the back door, so I knew for sure he’d gone to investigate. I had to help because Dad and I were a team, small and mighty, he said. We always made it through everything together.
In my hurry I forgot to stop the screen door from slamming behind me when I stepped out onto the porch, cringing when the sound echoed through the night.
I waited a moment and then whispered, “Dad,” as loudly as I dared.
No answer.
I angled toward the part of the cemetery where the small light had been, thinking I’d find him corralling some kids from high school pulling a prank. It happened once in a while but usually in a few weeks—closer to Halloween. I knew more than a handful of idiots my age who would think this was funny.
I hadn’t heard the wailing or voices since I left the house. Maybe whoever it was had left? That hopeful thought disappeared as a weird combination of worry and fear crawled up the base of my spine. Just in case it was something more menacing than kids, I hid my approach behind the cemetery’s largest and oldest tombstones. Maxwell, Bell, Ludington . . . I touched their cold granite and the mossy green lichen growing up their sides as I slid between them. I expected to find Dad by now. Where was he?
A terrible thought pushed me into full fear mode. What if the person making that horrible scream was Dad? It hadn’t sounded like him, but … what if he was out here somewhere and hurt? I had to find him!
My breath quickened and a damp sheen of sweat prickled my skin.
I sped up, more concerned with finding him than being seen. The cemetery was big, but I had to be close to where I’d spotted the light. I calmed myself long enough to pivot in a slow circle, my bare feet sliding on the dewy grass. The main gate was open, obviously where the trespassers came in—and hopefully where they’d gone out.
It was quiet and dark.
The cemetery had no lights of its own, and the glow of streetlights reached only to the second row of graves. Here and there, solar decorations shimmered for dead loved ones as cheerfully as possible but didn’t shine far enough to be helpful. The darkness didn’t hinder me. The cemetery had been my playground since preschool, so even in the dark I was able to avoid every tree root, odd stone, or divot that might trip me up.
I decided to be systematic and jogged a grid pattern, snaking through the rows. I stopped short and gasped at the next turn. A body was slumped against the base of my favorite statue, a white marble angel holding a sword and shield.
“Dad!”
He didn’t move. In two quick strides, I was at his side. “Dad!”
I gave his shoulder a gentle shake, and his head tipped sideways.
“Oh my god! Wake up!”
I needed a better look and found the light on my phone. What I saw scared me even more. Dad’s face was pale, his eyes unfocused. I needed help—fast!
Dialing 911 seemed impossibly slow for three simple numbers.
“911. What’s your emergency?”
“It’s – it’s my dad. He won’t wake up.”
“What’s your location?”
“I’m in the city cemetery. My dad is the caretaker here.”
“What’s your name?”
“C-Chloe Cowyn.”
“Okay, Chloe, can you check whether your dad’s breathing?”
I bent low and placed my face close to Dad’s mouth. “I don’t think so. Please hurry!”
This didn’t make sense. Had someone hit him? I didn’t see any blood. I swept my eyes over his legs and arms—stopping abruptly at what I saw.
“Nooooo.”
At first, I thought the wailing had returned, until I realized that I was the one making the sound eerily like what woke me.
“Chloe, are you okay? I have help on the way. Stay on the line with me until they arrive.”
“No. No. No.” My cell phone dropped from my hand as I backed away.
Tears blurred my view until I could no longer see the needle stuck in my dad’s arm.
***
Excerpt from BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE: The Secret Keeper's Daughter by Valerie Biel. Copyright 2024 by Valerie Biel. Reproduced with permission from Valerie Biel. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Valerie Biel writes books for middle grade to adult audiences--stories inspired by her travels and her insatiable curiosity. Her award-winning, young adult fantasy series, Circle of Nine, was inspired by the myth and magic of Ireland's ancient stone circles. She's also the author of Haven, a contemporary middle grade novel, and Beyond the Cemetery Gate, a YA mystery suspense story. She helps other authors with their book promotion and marketing and frequently teaches writing workshops to students of all ages. When Valerie's away from the computer, you might find her wrangling her overgrown garden, traveling the world, and reading everything she can get her hands on. Once upon a time, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and political science. She lives with her husband on a (tiny) portion of her family's century-old farm in rural Wisconsin, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write.
Fantastic dual-timeline murder mystery with hints of the
paranormal.
Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper’s Daughter
is the first book in author Valerie Biel’s fantastic new young adult/adult cross-over
Chloe and Maggie Mystery series and features a clever dual timeline with
just a hint of paranormal elements. Chloe Cowyn, who lives with her father in a
house nestled with the city cemetery where he works as the caretaker, is
awakened one night to screams, shouting, and flickering lights among the
headstones. Thinking it is kids who have snuck in for a scary prank, she goes
to wake her father so he can shoo the trespassers away. Finding his bed empty
and assuming he’s already up and outside doing just that, she heads out as well
in case he needs any help, only to find him dead, propped up against a monument
with a needle in his arm. When the police declare his death an accidental
overdose, Chloe urges them to look closer as she’s certain her father was and never
had been an addict and that she had heard multiple voices in the cemetery at
the time of his death. The police appear to close the case without further
investigation, so Chloe decides to pursue the truth on her own.
The story cleverly unfolds through the viewpoints of father
and daughter, with his narrative providing the backdrop for her account of the
events of the present. Unbeknownst to Chloe, Dean Cowyn had been keeping a lot
of secrets from her regarding their past, and those secrets were just about to
come out into the open in a very dangerous way.
Chloe is a strong and determined 16-year-old, and she never
wavers in her belief that her father’s death was caused by someone else in the
cemetery that night. During times of stress, which is practically the entire
book, Chloe figuratively turns to her guardian angel, Leb, for comfort, which
is promptly given. Described as a loving presence and a warm, comforting hug,
the invisible Leb has been a part of Chloe’s life for as long as she can
remember. While they do not communicate per se, he is always there when she
needs him and ready to provide mental and emotional support. As for Dean, he’s
a dedicated father, trying to keep his daughter safe, which also means
oblivious to what really happened the night of the house fire that took a life
and caused the terrible scars on the lower half of her body. But while Dean
kept those secrets from his daughter out of love, her ignorance of the truth puts
her at a terrible disadvantage and her life in jeopardy.
A third narrator, The Watcher, provides stalkerish
commentary about Chloe’s movements, and this adds to the tense and creepy
atmosphere of the entire story. The Watcher’s identity is kept hidden,
and I speculated throughout the book about who it was, thinking it was first
one person and then another until, in one of many surprising plot twists, they
and their motives are finally revealed.
The plot is fast-paced and compelling, and I was completely consumed
by the story from the moment I began reading it. I could feel Chloe’s frustration
with the lack of police action and her rising panic when she was unable to
contact Maggie, her only other relative, forcing her to lie to and dodge the
county’s social worker. The pressure increases when she realizes her sources of
ready cash are gone and the city has given her a quickly approaching deadline
to pack and vacate the cemetery house to accommodate the newly hired caretaker.
While readers will be fairly certain they know who the killer is, it is the reason
why and what comes next that drives the story.
I recommend BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE: THE SECRET KEEPER’S
DAUGHTER to readers of young adult/adult mysteries and thrillers, especially
those who enjoy a little paranormal element in their stories.
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Murder and chocolate once again go hand-in-hand in this latest Bean to Bar Mystery!
Vanishing Into the 100% Dark is the eighth novel in author Amber Royer’s delightful Bean to Bar Mystery series, which is normally set in Galveston, Texas. This time, Felicity, her new fiancé, and several friends travel to Tokyo for a chocolate festival and trade show, where, unfortunately, murder and chocolate go hand-in-hand. Felicity finds herself investigating the death of a stuntman whose body she discovers sprawled on the floor of the set where he had been working on a modern-day monster movie. With her teenage charge Chloe’s fingerprints on the murder weapon, Felicity and her friends must pull out all the stops to clear her name.
Felicity is honored to have been invited to participate in the Tokyo chocolate festival and to present a class on how she creates her own products, but she feels a little intimidated by the other renowned guests. Still, she looks forward to sharing her experiences and learning from others, as well as visiting the exotic cosmopolitan city of Tokyo. Thankfully, several of her friends decided to tag along on the trip to help staff the booth during the trade show because Felicity and Logan are both pulled in different directions, her looking into the murder and him helping out a former client who is in trouble.
Felicity is dedicated in her pursuit of the truth and conducts a careful, step-by-step investigation, starting with interviewing those involved in the film with a possible reason to want Noel Bell dead, including the film’s director, who has an obvious but unrequited crush on the victim’s wife, a stuntwoman also working on the film. She is hampered in her investigation by the language barrier and a lack of access to the official police investigators and their information; however, both Logan and Arlo have local contacts they call on for some assistance. Additional storylines complicate the case but seem to tie in early on, multiplying the motives and suspects. The foreign setting is fun, and the author includes a lot of details about daily life there from an expat point of view rather than from a touristy perception, adding to the authentic feel of the novel.
With its puzzling murder mystery, unexpected intrigue at the chocolate festival, and the delight and comfort of so many familiar, recurring characters on hand in Tokyo, I recommend VANISHING INTO THE 100% DARK to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the previous books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.
Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots: A Small Town Romance Anthology Annie Carlisle, C.A. Miconi, Delta James, Irene Lawless (Pelican Point, #1) Publication date: March 14, 2025 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Welcome to Celtic Knot Winery, where the lush vineyards are ripe with secrets, and love is as rich and complex as the finest vintage.
In Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots, four intertwined romance stories unfold against the enchanting backdrop of rolling hills and grapevines. Each tale weaves its own unique tapestry of passion, betrayal, and heartwarming redemption, proving that amidst the beauty of the vineyard, anything is possible.
Pour a glass and lose yourself in Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots, where every story uncorks a new journey of the heart. Amidst secrets and seduction, these tales remind us that love is the most intoxicating wine of all.
Included in the anthology:
Love’s Hidden Knot by Annie Carlisle
Love Undercover by Irene Lawless
Love Me, Love Me Knot by CA Miconi
Love’s Twisted Knot by Delta James
👉 Enemies to Lovers
👉 Billionaire
👉 Alphahole
👉 Grumpy/Sunshine
👉 Second Chance
👉 One Night Stand
👉 Love Against All Odds
“He’s here.” Brennen says in a panic, his face draining of color. “I’ll go greet him.”
“That’s my cue to leave.” Sophie waves to us as she leaves through the fermentation room door.
“Wait…” I frown up at Brennen. “Shouldn’t Sophie be here for this? She is the winemaker after all.”
Brennen scoffs. “No. Sophia refuses to be part of this because she didn’t make the wine. I think her exact words were that she wouldn’t serve this swill to pigs.”
I roll my eyes – that sounds exactly like Sophie. The girl is great and all, but she is the epitome of an elitist wine snob. But that is why we hired her.
As the actual winery owner, Brennen has taken the reins of our family business and spent years trying to fix what our father did to our family name, not to mention creating a rift between my two brothers with me playing referee.
As the attorney for both, I’m able to keep one business separate from the other — Brennen’s winery and Ryan’s conglomerate. If Brennen ever found out that I was working for Ryan too, he’d disown me just like he has Ryan. Fortunately, he doesn’t know. Thank god for client confidentiality laws.
“He’s been crazy all morning,” Isabella says under her breath.
We can hear as Brennen and the critic enter the front doors, “Here we go.” I say out loud.
I stand beside Brennen, offering a professional smile as the critic approaches. But the moment Mr. Dawson looks up, his eyes meet mine, and the color drains from my face.
No. It can’t be.
No.
No.
No.
His mouth opens in shock, too, his gaze flicking over me as if trying to process what he’s seeing. My heart stutters in my chest, my pulse thundering in my ears.
It’s him.
The man from last night. The one I left sleeping in that hotel room this morning. The man whose name I never got because we agreed there was no reason for names. But I know every inch of his body. And he knows mine.
Mr. Dawson—the world-renowned wine critic Miles Dawson—is my one-night stand.
Exciting and intense thriller that will keep readers turning pages!
Gunbarrel Highway is a new thriller by Texas author Sean Bridges that features a wild manhunt for a lawyer falsely accused of killing the wife of a congressional hopeful in a traffic accident. Non-stop action, shocking betrayals, and unimaginable plot twists kept me riveted to this story from start to finish.
Attorney Daniel Morrison is a man on the run. After Claudia Grant drives her bright red convertible head-on into his SUV, he runs from the scene, afraid the police will think he’s at fault because of the blue pills he shouldn’t have, which now littered the floor of his vehicle. While Claudia was the cause of the crash, her husband announces a million-dollar bounty for his capture, dead or alive, at a press conference at the hospital. Now, everyone in the region is on the lookout to bring Daniel in by whatever means necessary.
Daniel was already having a rough day, what with his hangover and the early morning verbal sparring with Judy, the wife he was in the middle of divorcing. Late to work and on his boss’s bad side for some legitimate shortcomings, it was hard feeling much sympathy for him initially. However, as this tragedy of errors, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations unfolded, he started to grow on me, and I needed for him to be vindicated.
The story is populated by a plethora of great characters, many of whom are incredibly unlikable, such as the smarmy television reporter and the new widower, to name a few. The plot moves swiftly, even as the author is setting up the scene and the individuals involved in the upcoming accident. From that point, the action is non-stop, with Daniel just trying to get home to surrender and plot twist after plot twist, making that goal seem less and less likely ever to happen. I know I gasped out loud a couple of times and absolutely couldn’t put this book down until I finished it!
I recommend GUNBARREL HIGHWAY to readers of thrillers and suspense, especially those who enjoy a Hill Country/South Texas setting.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.
Recovering from the emotional and physical damage of his last case, Ronan McCullough is trying to put his life back together. But when a federal agent's charred remains surface, linked to a professor's encrypted money laundering scheme, Ronan becomes embroiled in a high-stakes game of life and death with someone who is willing to kill everyone that knows anything about the encryption codes.
Ronan soon uncovers several dark secrets and learns that nobody is being honest with him, including the people he trusts the most. When the encryption codes are stolen and Ronan learns their real purpose, he finds himself in a race to stop a plan that will make it nearly impossible to stop the funding of dangerous crimes.
As the body count rises and secrets are unearthed, Ronan must navigate a web of deceit to uncover the truth. How will Ronan succeed when the main suspect is a set of numbers?
Eliot Parker is the author of five thriller novels and two collections of short stories. His latest thriller, DOUBLE CROSSED, won the American Writing Awards award for best mystery/thriller in 2024. His thriller A FINAL CALL was named a "Best Book to Discover of 2022" by Kirkus Magazine and a finalist for the Hawthorne Prize in Fiction. Eliot has won the West Virginia Literary Merit Award as well as the PenCraft and Feathered Quill Book Awards for his works and been a finalist for the SIBA Book Prize in 2016. He hosts the podcast program "Now, Appalachia," on the Authors on the Air Global radio network that profiles authors and publishers from the Appalachian region. He teaches writing at the University of Mississippi.
In the summer of 1941, Hollywood heats up again when Humphrey Bogart arrives right after a female corpse with a dead bird stuffed inside her overcoat topples into the office of B. Norman Investigations. While filming The Maltese Falcon, Bogie found a mysterious ancient Egyptian hawk artifact on his doorstep containing a mummified black bird. Someone with dark intentions threatens the main cast, one by one, leaving dead birds, from crows to falcons, as their calling cards.
While more murders pile up, jeopardizing the film from being finished, Bogie hires private eyes Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, infuriating his volatile third wife, Mayo Methot, or Sluggy, as she’s known in some circles. Unraveling the personal lives of Mary Astor, John Huston, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook, Jr., Peter Lorre, and Jack L. Warner in their quirky, humorous way, the PIs turn the underbelly of Tinseltown upside down to stop the crazed killer from claiming another victim.
Praise for Bye Bye Blackbird:
"No author can seamlessly blend Hollywood history with and engaging mystery yarn better than Elizabeth Crowens. It’s a jaunty tale that could have been lifted from a Warner Bros. screenplay with all the principals from the studio’s famed stock company: The Maltese Falcon, Bogie, Mary Astor, Greenstreet, John Huston, and Jack L. Warner. Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride through 1940s Hollywood!" ~ Alan K. Rode, film historian and author, Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film
"Crowens does it again with Bye Bye Blackbird. Babs, Brandt, and Bogart make this rocking novel the stuff dreams are made of." ~ Reed Farrel Coleman. New York Times bestselling author of Blind to Midnight
"It’s like someone shook a movie projector and out tumbled Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and a duo from a struggling PI agency bringing all the lighthearted fun of a 1940’s Hollywood mystery. That someone is Elizabeth Crowens." ~ Tom Straw, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
"A creative twist on The Maltese Falcon: Dead birds show up on doorsteps. Humphrey Bogart assumes the role of a real-life Sam Spade, and two young PIs rescue every oddball animal as they investigate. Even the mogul of a major movie studio is no match for a wisecracking myna bird who sounds like a Warner Brothers cartoon. If you’re a fan of Turner Classic Movies and the Golden Age of Hollywood, Bye Bye Blackbird will be sure to entertain." ~ Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Tracy Crosswhite Mystery Series
"Elizabeth Crowens’ Bye Bye Blackbird is a welcome addition to the Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery series. Set during the Golden Age of Hollywood and brimming with depictions of its personalities, Crowens succeeds in bringing Old Hollywood to life and offering readers another thoroughly entertaining installment to this series." ~ Annette Bochenek, Ph.D., author of the Hometowns to Hollywood series
"A delectable mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, Elizabeth Crowens Bye Bye Blackbird is a fantastic addition to her Babs Norman series with a treat of a cast featuring Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and other screen legends from the era brought to stunning life." ~ Lee Matthew Goldberg, award-nominated author of The Great Gimmelmans and The Mentor
Bye Bye Blackbird Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Golden Age of Hollywood Private Investigator novel with satire Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: January 28, 2025 Number of Pages: 340 Series: Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery, Book 2 | Each is a Stand-Alone Mystery Book Links:Amazon | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Chapter 1
Look at the Birdie!
Hollywood 1941
On Friday, July 4th, only the most essential, dedicated, or insane Los Angelenos punched the clock. Established businesses that usually stayed open closed early that afternoon. For the fledgling ones, like the young private detectives at B. Norman Investigations, there would be no weenie roasts, barbeques, or national holiday celebrations. Death would soon follow. Every electric fan they owned hummed its own tune. Between the fan blades whirring and the cats purring, panting dogs, who could qualify as hotdogs, an injured pelican with its wing in a sling, and their janitor’s wisecracking myna bird, the whole kit and caboodle at Hollywood Boulevard and N. Sycamore resembled a cross between the Humane Society and the Griffith Park Zoo.
Guy Brandt, more detective-partner than secretary, manned the desk upfront. On top of it: a shoebox of magazine clippings, scissors, and a stack of The Times and Herald-Examiner. He undid one more button on his clammy, sweat-stained shirt, flung his tie onto their hat rack, and took a swig of his warm Nehi orange soda, already flat. He hoped to find new clients from newspaper leads but wasn’t getting anywhere. Babs Norman, who always had every pin curl in place, patted off her sticky forehead with a handkerchief. Way beyond a simple touch-up with powder and fresh lipstick, only a masterful makeup wizard, like Perc Westmore, could bring new life to this wilted flower.
“Wouldn’t it be fine and dandy if we could afford to run an ad at least once a week saying that we’re private detectives, specializing in discreet celebrity cases?” she asked.
An adventurous kitten, who strayed from the pack, latched on to Guy’s sock and started to climb his leg. “Maybe we should ask if we can put a note in the downstairs lobby that we’re also a pet adoption service.” He unhooked its claws, returning him to his mama.
“You think that would pay off our debts?”
“Do you always have to sound like a broken record?” An Irish Wolfhound, in need of a bath, sauntered in from the doorway between the two offices. He went up to Guy and plopped his oversized, hairy head into his lap. “Dog days not agreeing with you, Sir Henry?” After rubbing the furry beast’s head, he went to their icebox and plopped chunks of ice in the various water bowls scattered around both rooms. Several prostrated cats laid on their backs, trying to find coolness on the linoleum floor.
From under his pile of clippings, he fished out a copy of Black Mask. Babs, with a wooden clothespin clamping her nostrils shut and carrying an odiferous box of shredded newspapers, walked into his office and stopped short when she caught him reading the pulp. “You think we’re going to find our next client from detective fiction? We need another high-profile case like when we rescued Asta, so MGM could go into production on their next Thin Man film. They paid us an unheard-of amount of money…until you lost it all.”
“Stop being such a sourpuss.” He refused to give her eye contact.
“Do you think I’m enjoying spending time in our stifling office? I’d rather be at the beach with the man of my dreams.” Her inflection had a hint of sarcasm.
“Who’s the lucky fella?”
She went over to their monstrous dog and kissed him on the nose. “Looks like it’s you, Sir Henry of the Baskervilles. Instead of my frog prince, you’re my dog prince. Ah, you’re such a good boy.” She stared at the bulldog in the corner. “But we really need to paper-train Bruno.”
Their adopted bulldog whined. “You hurt his feelings,” Guy said. “Give him a good scratch behind his ears and apologize.”
She scowled. “I’ll give him two more weeks, and it’ll be your job to train him. Otherwise, he can go back to Wiggins, and I don’t care if one of his kids breaks out in hives.” She headed out the door to dump the litter.
* * *
“Our phone rang twice while you were out,” Guy said. “But Wiggins’ stupid bird answered before I could.”
“Hello, sucker!” the myna bird cackled. “Down for the count…1…2…3. Knocked him in the kisser, didn’t ya?”
“By the time I picked up the receiver, whoever it was hung up,” he explained.
“It’s hard to believe a bird can be so smart,” Babs muttered.
“Smart-mouthed is more like it,” he said. “Sounds like Jimmy Cagney, who he’s named after. Maybe we should let him earn his keep. The bird can impersonate him at parties.”
Babs stared at the troublemaker. “The person on the other end probably thought it was a prank.” She looked around the room. “Keep it up and…I got a lot of hungry cats and canines who wouldn’t mind a bowlful of myna bird stew.”
Wiggins, the building janitor, propped their front door open, causing their ginger tomcat to disappear into the hallway faster than gunfire. “My wife said the same. What are the two of ya doing here on Independence Day? With the tenants gone, I heard yer bickering all the way in the basement. Sounded like a married couple in divorce court. How did ya get in?”
“We had an extra set of keys,” Guy said.
Wiggins planted his hands on his hips. “More like makin’ a copy of my set while my back was turned. There’s no foolin’ me. Come on now. Who’ll be the first to confess?”
Both detectives buried their noses in their newspapers.
“All right, if none of ya willin’ to come clean, why aren’t you out having fun?”
“Paying our overdue office rent is my idea of fun,” Babs replied.
Wiggins looked confused. Guy explained, “We’re hurting. Nothing but small potatoes since retrieving our dognapped canine stars.”
“We might be forced to move out, if we don’t land a decent case,” said Babs. “I’m not looking forward to setting up shop at my house.”
Wiggins inhaled but choked. “You make sure you keep this place spic-and-span. If your neighbors start belly achin’…”
From inside his desk, Guy took out a sardine from its wax paper wrapping and tossed it to their pelican.
“Sniff…sniff… If you don’t get rid of this stench,” Wiggins continued, “my boss’ll make sure he throws you out on your arse.”
She plucked a bottle of cheap toilet water from her purse and spritzed the room. “Better now?”
Wiggins pointed toward the exit. “Goin’ after that mouser. Left the back door open to the alley downstairs. He’s liable to slip out and get lost forever.”
Babs handed her partner a feather duster. “Do something.” Then she returned to her lair with a stack of discarded tabloids to make fresh litter and to do her own skewed interpretation of housekeeping.
Guy reset their wall clock, which was a few hours behind the last time they had a power outage, and gave the reception area the minimal once-over by removing accumulated grime from the top of file cabinets. He was just about to straighten the frame displaying his private investigator’s license, when out of the side of his eye, he noticed a shadow. A large, irregular object leaned against the pebbled glass window of their front door. At first he paid it no mind and continued his cleanup crusade.
When minutes passed and it hadn’t budged, he called out just above a whisper, “Do you mind coming over? Make it quick, but be quiet.”
A startled canary flew out their open transom as Babs breezed toward the front. Guy pointed to the silhouetted figure. “I tidied up, like you asked, but don’t recall hearing anyone approach. This thing…it appeared out of nowhere and hasn’t moved since.”
Babs called out to see if it was Wiggins, but whomever it was didn’t respond. She inquired again. “The door is open. Come on in. We’re too hot and tired for practical jokes.”
With a nod, she gave Guy the go-ahead to open the door, but when he did, a young woman they’d never seen before, wearing a hat and an oversized coat despite the heatwave, fell face-forward onto the floor.
“The casting office is on the fourth floor,” Babs said, until she realized the lady hadn’t moved or said a word. Horrified, she squealed and froze in place.
Guy, also shaking, reached for the phone and called Wiggins’ downstairs office. His voice broke up. “Come up—pronto!”
As soon as he put down the receiver, she demanded he call the cops. Without thinking, she leapt up on a wooden chair as if she’d seen a mouse. Her legs wobbled, and she continued to holler.
Wiggins returned, heaving as if he had skipped waiting for the elevator and sprinted up the stairs. He had the missing tomcat draped over his shoulders. “Heard screams echoing down the hallway. You better keep better tabs on your tabbies. What the blarney did ya think was so important—Holy moly! Mary, Mother of God!”
Guy poked the stranger with his feather duster. Not having any luck, Wiggins, who was bigger than the two detectives combined, got a firm toehold with his work boots and rolled her onto her back. All three stared at the stiff.
“Oh, she’s dead alright,” Wiggins assured them. “Ever seen her before?”
Both PIs shook their heads. Guy tiptoed around the corpse and closed the front door. Wiggins fended off their curious menagerie.
“Something dark and…fea-ther-y is protruding from her coat. Like she was trying to conceal whatever she was carrying.” Babs wrinkled her nose. “Smells like she or someone else doused her with…men’s cologne. Not flowery enough to be one a lady would wear. Wiggins, how do you think she got in?”
“Through the back-alley door, I suppose, ’cause I locked the front. Could’ve snuck in and been here a while. Maybe passed out in a stairwell while my back was turned and crawled up to your floor before she expired.”
Guy paced the room and checked the clock. “The cops seem to be taking their time.” He pulled a flask from his file cabinet and took a swig. He offered some to Babs, but she declined.
Wiggins wrested the flask out of Guy’s hand and finished it to the last drop. “Sure as hell, this would have to happen on a holiday when the police are short-staffed.” He took a swatter from off the wall and clobbered a pesky fly that landed on the stranger’s ear. Babs trembled.
“She can feel it no more than if you were all doped up at the dentist,” Wiggins said.
Babs commented that the police could examine the body. She wasn’t touching it.
Guy suggested to Wiggins to wait for the cops downstairs. “They’ll need you to unlock the building.”
Keeping his distance, Guy asked, “Babs, how do you think she died?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” She made it clear she wasn’t even interested in slipping on gloves to search for an ID.
He suggested that this could be the lead they’ve been looking for. She didn’t see it that way. “This is no way to spend a holiday. Let the police and the medical examiner do their jobs. They’ve expressed they don’t want us meddling in their homicide cases, anyway. I just want her out of here.”
Soon, they heard footsteps and the sound of crunching paper. She took for granted the cops had arrived. “Come in. It’s unlocked.”
She and her partner didn’t make a move until the front door creaked open.
Instead of the police, Humphrey Bogart stood there holding a parcel haphazardly wrapped in brown paper and twine. “I called twice. Assumed you had an answering service to leave a message. Dialed the right number, but someone with a peculiar voice like a Warner Brothers cartoon picked up. When I tried to explain my predicament, he mocked me and cracked a few jokes. Figured I better stop over.”
“How did you get into our building?” Guy asked.
“Your janitor recognized me. When I asked to see you, he figured I was harmless. He said he was waiting for—” Babs interrupted his train of thought. Still standing on the chair, she covered her eyes with one hand and pointed to the floor without making a sound. Bogie backed up. The blood drained from his face. “Whoa! Guess he wasn’t kidding when he said he was expecting the cops.”
A black cat jumped on top of the victim and started making biscuits. “Oh, no, you don’t.” Guy bent down to throw him off.
“Wh-a-a-t happened?” Bogie’s words came out choppy.
Babs regained her voice, which, at first, came out in squeaks. “Not sure. What brings you here?”
“I’m looking for a private investigator. You came highly recommended as some of the best private dicks in town.”
Babs flushed. She preferred a more ladylike elucidation. With no further introductions needed, she ushered Bogart into her office, and Guy followed, grabbing a notepad off his desk. Even though she hated staring at the corpse, she kept her door open to keep an eye out for the police. She kept reminding herself to take deep breaths and not to panic.
“Do you mind clearing your desk?” Bogie held out his parcel. “I’d like to show you what I found on my doorstep this morning.”
With one fell swoop of her arm, the papers went into a spare box, which Babs said she’d sort through later. Bogart put his parcel down on her desk and fanned out his jacket.
“I guess we can skip formalities when the weather beats us into submission. Mind if I take this off?” His shirt was soaked. “This has been one of those days where I’ve felt like an omelet slapped on the Devil’s griddle.”
Babs identified his mysterious object as a museum replica of an ancient Egyptian canopic jar of Horus, the Hawk, the offspring of Isis and Osiris.
“This is much smaller and lighter than the falcon prop in our movie. Ours is about forty-seven pounds of lead. If you dropped it, you could break someone’s toe.” Bogie lifted its lid and revealed a mummified object. Taking special care, he unwrapped its gauze, stained but far from looking ancient, to reveal a sizable dead crow.
“I have no idea what this is supposed to symbolize, but now it looks like I’ve got competition from what’s in your front room as to which gives me the worst case of the heebie-jeebies,” Bogie remarked.
Guy pulled the privacy shades down on the pebbled glass windows on the walls and door separating the front office from her inner sanctum. “One would presume to find a dead falcon, not a raven, considering you’re in the middle of production for The Maltese Falcon.”
* * *
Excerpt from Bye Bye Blackbird by Elizabeth Crowens. Copyright 2025 by Elizabeth Crowens. Reproduced with permission from Elizabeth Crowens. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth Crowens is bi-coastal between Los Angeles and New York. For over thirty years, she has worn many hats in the entertainment industry, contributed stories to Black Belt, Black Gate, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazines, Hell’s Heart, and the Bram Stoker-nominated A New York State of Fright, and has a popular Caption Contest on Facebook.
Awards include: Leo B. Burstein Scholarship from the MWA-NY Chapter, New York Foundation of the Arts grant to publish the anthology New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst (no longer in print), Eric Hoffer Award, Glimmer Train Awards Honorable Mention, Killer Nashville Claymore Award Finalist, two Grand prize, six First prize, and multiple Finalist Chanticleer Awards. Crowens writes multi-genre alternate history and historical Hollywood mysteries.
A bizarre mystery and murder set during Hollywood's
Golden Age threatens the filming of The Maltese Falcon.
Bye Bye Blackbird is the second in author Elizabeth
Crowens's Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery series featuring
PI partners Babs Norman and Guy Brandt. The story opens on July 4, 1941. The
war is on in Europe, and principal photography on the film, The Maltese
Falcon, has just started when a dead woman tumbles into the reception area
of B. Norman Investigations. As Babs, Guy, and Wiggins, the property
caretaker, await the police, Humphrey Bogart arrives with a bizarre mummy-wrapped
crow in an Egyptian canopic jar that was left at the front door of his home
that morning. A similar bird is found to be tucked inside the dead woman's
clothing, and the following day, Mary Astor, Bogart's co-star in the film, receives
one at her home as well. Babs and Guy are hired to discover who is behind the
creepy deliveries and why.
Babs and Guy, the two friends and partners, are a fun duo to
watch as they conduct a well-structured investigation on their way to finding
the truth. Babs still struggles to be taken seriously as a PI (even by her
mother), while Guy is constrained from revealing his true nature. I enjoyed
their brother-and-sister style relationship, their closeness, camaraderie, and constant
bickering. I worried about Bab's decision to get involved with Detective Felix
Allgood to gain him as a sympathetic source of insider information eventually.
He was smarmy and more, and something just didn't feel right.
The plot moves steadily forward as Babs and Guy must work
their case around the activities of the two Hollywood police detectives, and
there are few clues to jump-start the process. Starting from scratch, they
interview Bogart's fellow castmates and others involved with the making of the
film as the dead birds and the appearance of the dead woman seem to mirror
aspects of its story. Their suspect list reads like a Hollywood's "Who's
Who," and the individual interviews, with the likes of John Huston, Sidney
Greenstreet, and character actor Elisha Cook, Jr., to name a few, are full of
Hollywood gossip, trivia, and history. Slowly but surely, the story comes out.
I recommend BYE BYE BLACKBIRD to readers of historical cozy
mysteries, fans of the previous novel in the series, and those who are
interested in stories featuring filmmaking or the Golden Age of Hollywood.
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