Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Shadows of Frenchmen (Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery, #2) by Michael Rigg

SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN

by Michael Rigg

June 22 - July 31, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery

 

On a frosty Sunday morning in February, Dr. Jonathan Gray, Coroner of Orleans Parish, faces a gruesome sight. A dead man splayed against the circular steel and cut-glass blocks of the city’s AIDS memorial in Washington Square Park has strange symbols carved into his forehead and chest. A coded note—a cipher—has been placed under one hand. The body mutilation and note are hallmarks of a serial killer dubbed by the news media as the “Mardi Gras Sweeper,” because he strikes during Carnival season and leaves coded manifestos taunting police and giving hints about his next victim.

Hoping to avoid a panic during the city’s most profitable season, Mayor Max Jamerson asks Gray to investigate the murder “on the sly,” without formal assistance from the New Orleans Police Department. Time is of the essence as Gray races to figure out the cipher and track down the Sweeper in order to prevent additional killings—and save Mardi Gras.

Praise for Shadows of Frenchmen:

"A chilling, razor-sharp mystery set against the explosive energy of Mardi Gras. This cat-and-mouse hunt fuses cryptic clues, relentless suspense and rising terror into a tale that gives us a horrifyingly intimate glimpse into a killer’s mind. Dr. Jonathan Gray is a hero you won’t forget—and the Mardi Gras Sweeper is a nightmare you won’t escape."
~ Kathleen Antrim, Bestselling Author, President-Outliers Writing University

"Michael Rigg does it again, with another thrilling mystery that you won’t be able to put down featuring New Orleans Coroner Jonathan Gray. Shadows of Frenchmen takes readers into the darkest corners of New Orleans’ lush settings and spooky cemeteries as Gray and his colleagues hunt for a possible serial killer, all against the backdrop of raucous Mardi Gras celebrations. Rigg’s love for this extraordinary city shines through on every page, even as danger lurks among the Spanish moss and above-ground tombs."
~ Ellen Byron, USA Today Bestselling & Agatha Award Winning Author

"As a coroner, Dr. Jonathan Gray is the new Kay Scarpetta. In Shadows of Frenchmen, author Michael Rigg skillfully uses beads, beignets, bullets, bombs, and bodies to make New Orleans vivid and alive."
~ John DeDakis, Former CNN editor, writing coach, and author of the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series, at johndedakis.com.

"Great action from the get-go! Atmosphere, characters, and all the right ingredients. A great read by Michael Rigg!"
~ Heather Graham, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Featuring smart and complex characters, Shadows of Frenchmen pulses with energy, taking the reader on a breathless chase for a serial killer terrorizing the city in the days leading up to a city-wide Mardi Gras celebration. Fans of the intrepid New Orleans coroner Dr. Jonathan Gray will not be disappointed!"
~ K.L. Murphy, Author of the Detective Callie Forde Mysteries, The Great Forgotten, and the award-nominated Her Sister's Death

Shadows of Frenchmen Trailer:

Book Details:

Genre: Medico-Legal (Coroner) Thriller
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 979-8898202354
Series: A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery, Book 2
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads | BookBub | Level Best Books

Read an excerpt:

Chapter One

Alpha and Omega
Sunday, February 1, 2015 – 1:47 a.m.

Twenty-plus years with the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office taught Jonathan Gray to expect the unexpected. But Washington Square Park had always been a tranquil haven on the fringe of the French Quarter. So crime-scene tape draping the square’s wrought-iron fence presented the visual equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. Moonlight filtering through stately live oaks cast eerie—almost funereal—shadows, adding to the dissonance.

Fluttering in the nippy midwinter breeze, the neon-yellow ribbon communicated

a mute warning. On this side, normalcy. On the other, insanity. Stepping into the dysfunction never got easier. Regardless, turning back wasn’t an option. As if speaking the incantation aloud would immunize him against the unfolding drama, he repeated his trite pre-crime scene mantra: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” His breath lingered in the frosty air before evaporating.

After checking in with the uniformed officer monitoring access, Jonathan angled toward floodlights illuminating a temporary canopy above the city’s AIDS memorial. More tape—red as opposed to yellow—identified the innermost “Do Not Cross” perimeter. Crime scene technicians in white Tyvek protective suits busied themselves measuring and photographing what must be the reason he’d been summoned. A male corpse sitting upright on the ground—its arms and legs twisted at seemingly impossible angles—leaned against the memorial’s circular cut-glass and steel panels surrounded by a pool of thick, dark-crimson liquid.

A curved, nearly rectangular piece of wood with brass edges—most likely a knife handle—protruded from under the right side of the dead man’s rib cage. A portion of his intestines spilled out of the wound. A second knife—its handle and part of its blade visible—had been thrust downward into the soft tissue between the left collarbone and neck.

Cause of death seemed too obvious to require someone of Jonathan’s seniority. A first-year med student could have made the call. But markings carved into the dead man’s forehead and chest hinted at something more sinister. No wonder Mitch Broussard from NOPD had called him in the middle of the night. The man’s heavy flannel shirt lay open, exposing his chest and a series of

capital letters etched into his skin. The letters—G I D I A I D I V—made no sense, at least not in English. A folded piece of paper with similar letters and other symbols, not quite readable from that distance, lay under the man’s left hand. Lack of blood covering the letters in the chest signaled they had been added postmortem. Jonathan focused on two marks in the man’s forehead. An uppercase “A” and what looked like an upside-down horseshoe—the Greek letter Omega—apparently cut while the victim was still alive.

It couldn’t have been two years already. But there it was. Alpha and Omega. Jonathan bit his lip and cursed under his breath. Then, a silent prayer. Looked like the nightmare was about to begin—again.

One of the CSTs stood and raised her clear face shield. “Hey, Doc. Welcome to Funsville.”

Excerpt from SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN by Michael Rigg. Copyright 2026 by Michael Rigg. Reproduced with permission from Michael Rigg. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Agatha and Anthony-nominated author Michael Rigg, a lawyer for more than four decades, writes mysteries and thrillers set in two very different locations: Virginia Beach (where he lives) and New Orleans (which he visits as often as possible “for research,” including participation in three Mardi Gras Krewes). He is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and a retired civilian government attorney, formerly working for the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and both the Sisters in Crime national organization and its Southeastern Virginia Chapter—Mystery by the Sea.

Catch Up With Michael Rigg:

www.MichaelRigg.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @michaelrigg716
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Threads - @michael.rigg716
X - @MDR102030
LinkedIn
Facebook

 

Review:

5 stars!

As Mardi Gras rolls on, a killer stalks the streets of New Orleans. 

Shadows of Frenchmen is the second book in author Michael Rigg’s atmospheric Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery series, and this time a killer stalks the streets as the city gears up for its fabled Mardi Gras festivities. Only weeks after replacing his deceased mentor and friend as the Coroner for Orleans Parish, Dr. Jonathan Gray, M.D. faces a new challenge when called to the scene of an enigmatic murder. It has all the markings that a serial killer, the Mardi Gras Sweeper, has returned on his murderous biennial killing spree; however, it was believed that he’d been killed when he fell to his death into the Mississippi River two years earlier. Hobbled by the mayor’s restrictions to keep this new murder under wraps and out of the media and short-staffed at the Coroner’s Office, Gray cuts a deal to bring in suspended NOPD Detective Lieutenant Betsy Sprance. Together, his new team works to decode a cipher left behind at the murder scene and stop the killer before he strikes again. 

What a fast-paced and action-packed story! I was well and truly hooked from the start by the engaging Dr. Gray and the first shocking crime scene. Gray, still trying to get his footing as the new coroner after the death of his former boss, doesn’t let on to anyone how difficult his transition from deputy to chief has been. In his mid-50s, there are plenty of people throwing shade that he’s past his prime to take on the job. Also, personality issues between some of his staff members aren’t making things any easier. 

The New Orleans setting is wonderful with numerous mentions of iconic locations and streets, familiar libations and treats, and the activities of Mardi Gras. I enjoyed the inside peek at preparations for the parades and krewes. There’s nowhere else like this city, and readers are treated to a close-up, personal armchair visit as the action and investigation quickly escalate. Nothing is as it seems, with scenes that had me confounded about what was really going on and what was really at stake, and plot twists that definitely surprised. 

I recommend SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN to readers of mysteries, especially those who would enjoy the New Orleans during Mardi Gras setting.

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Beads, Beignets & Bookish Bounty

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Michael Rigg. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

SHADOWS OF FRENCHMEN by Michael Rigg | Gift Cards

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Book Review: The Bone Nest by Shanessa Gluhm

The Bone Nest by Shanessa Gluhm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was their final summer together, and nothing would ever be the same.

The Bone Nest is a suspenseful and cleverly plotted murder mystery by Shanessa Gluhm and set in Blusummer, Texas, where almost 40 years earlier, a serial killer had committed a string of murders of young local women, strangled and photographed, the bodies of the first three never found. That summer was the last one that Hayes Sheridan, Chantilly Price, Troy Terrell, and Greer Collins would have together before the four split up to follow their post-graduation college and work plans. But the 4th of July would see the group destroyed as one would die and another would be accused of murder.

Fast-forward to 2024, where a young criminal defense attorney, Joaquin Ramos, out to enervate his new practice and make a name for himself, would take on the death sentence case of Troy Terrell, the convicted serial killer known as "The Songbird Strangler," whose punishment was scheduled to be carried out after the New Year. Working to overturn Troy’s conviction at the behest of the Death Penalty Abolition Program, Joaquin and his team have an uphill battle as the previous petitions on Troy’s behalf have failed.

The story unfolds in dual timelines (1986 and 2024) and from multiple points of view, giving readers a front-row seat to the events of both the past and the present, and personal insight into the characters involved. Because we know Troy Terrell is on death row, with his time running, and that he was there for the murder of his friend, Tilly, the buildup to the night of July 4, 1986, is breath-stealingly suspenseful. There are secrets among all the friends, which develop later into several plausible motives for Tilly’s murder. I was completely certain I knew who the killer was SEVERAL times, only to have one theory after another kicked to the curb by the plot, which would take spectacular turn after spectacular turn.

The resulting tale is full of missed connections and choices that led to unfulfilled dreams and futures that never lived up to expectations. The main female character, Greer Collins Sheridan, one of the four teenagers in 1986, had loved Hayes Sheridan all her life but only got him by default. She gets the life she dreamed of, only to face tragedy and the knowledge that she was always his second choice. Hayes follows his parents’ plans for his future rather than his dream of becoming a farmer. Troy, who just wanted to get out of Blusummer, gets his wish, but life on death row for a murder he swears he didn’t commit was a devastatingly cruel plot twist. Even the attorney, Joaquin, who dreams of winning big in court and is not afraid to put in the work to achieve it, faces a personal roadblock. His attraction to Melrose Reed, the paralegal on Troy’s defense team, feels wrong, and as her boss, it is inappropriate as long as they work together. But he hopes with all his heart that after the case is settled, he can finally approach her as a regular man interested in a legitimate romantic relationship.

With its strong and interesting character development and clever, twisty plot, I recommend THE BONE NEST to readers of suspense, mysteries, and thrillers.

View all my reviews

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Alive by Proxy (Proxy Legal Thriller, #3) by Manning Wolfe

PROXY LEGAL THRILLER SERIES

by Manning Wolfe

June 8 - July 17, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

 

ALIVE BY PROXY

 

Can attorney Quinton Bell hang on to his new life, as he hides in plain sight, in this lawyer-on-the-run suspense thriller?

Alive By Proxy takes readers on a heart-pounding ride through the life of a criminal defense attorney whose world was wiped out by the very client he tried to save. After faking his own death and stepping into the life of his deceased best friend, Quinton walks a razor-thin line every day to keep his past buried and his future intact.

When Houston Wildcatters linebacker Marcus Hale is charged with the brutal murder of his agent, the case detonates into a media firestorm. As the defense digs deeper, the murder case opens into something darker with buried secrets, dangerous leverage, and hidden lives that refuse to stay in the shadows.

As the courtroom battle intensifies, so does the danger beyond it. Unseen eyes track Quinton’s every move. Old ghosts stir. The identity that has kept Quinton alive begins to feel more fragile than ever.

Every witness, every revelation, and every step closer to the truth threatens to expose both Quinton and his client. Will Quinton find a way out, or will he forever be a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

Praise for the Proxy Legal Thriller Series:

"A riveting read that expertly teams courtroom drama and legal maneuvering with imminent danger, spine-tingling suspense, a touch of romance, and non-stop action. Talk about an adrenaline rush!"
~ Reedsy

"Can a woman write a thriller book that leaves you going, 'Wow, how did I ever miss this author before?' Yes, she can. Fist bumps and high fives to author, Manning Wolfe on this fantabulous thriller!"
~ Forgotten Winds

"I love the whole book! From beginning to end, it was a roller coaster ride! From New York to Texas, With incredible character development, and plot twists from beginning to end! Looking back, there were subtle clues, but not until the very end was there a resolution. I would highly recommend this book!"
~ Susan Riley, Amazon Customer

"Manning Wolfe just put herself on my list of must-read authors!"
~ John Ellsworth

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thriller
Published by: Starpath Books, LLC
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Number of Pages: 327
ISBN:9781944225629 (ISBN10: 1944225625)
Series: Proxy Legal Thriller Series
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Proxy Legal Thriller Series

DEAD BY PROXY Book 1 Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

HUNTED BY PROXY Book 2 Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

ALIVE BY PROXY Book 3 Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Lightning slashed the Houston sky, illuminating the street for a fraction of a second before plunging it back into darkness. Rain hammered the pavement, pooling in gutters and rising fast. The bayous were already swollen, their muddy currents surging over the banks, consuming roads, homes, yards, everything in their path.

Daniel Price stood at his townhouse window, watching the water creep up his driveway. The power had gone out over an hour ago, leaving him in the dim glow of a flickering candle. A sharp knock at the door made him turn.

He wasn’t expecting anyone, especially at this hour and in this weather.

Another knock. Louder this time.

Urgent.

He unlatched the door and pulled it partially open.

A figure in a dark blue, rain-soaked poncho stood on the threshold.

“Jesus, you’re soaked,” Price said. “Get in here.”

The blade flashed in the candlelight.

Chapter 2

On the 610 Loop, Quinton Bell hustled into his office and dropped down behind his large wooden desk. He’d finished a hearing in the downtown courthouse and had hurried to get back to his office before rush hour hit.

The Law Office of Quinton Lamar Bell had only been open for about a year, and he was already turning away clients.

But Quinton Bell was not his real name.

It was Byron Douglas.

When Quinton opened his Houston office, he thought he was the only person alive who knew he had faked his own death in New York and stepped into the life of his dead best friend. He had taken the face, the name, and the future of Quinton Bell.

Now he lived each day alive by proxy, hiding in plain sight.

The phone rang.

Cassidy West was calling from jail.

Her client, Houston Wildcatters linebacker Marcus Hale, was being questioned for the murder of Daniel Price.

Chapter 3

Sheryl Benton sat in the dimly lit viewing room, her hands folded tightly in her lap. On the other side of the one-way glass, five men stood shoulder to shoulder in matching gray sweats.

Marcus Hale stood in slot number three.

Officer Gere’s voice was calm. “Take your time, Mrs. Benton. If you recognize anyone, just tell us.”

She leaned forward, uncertainty settling into her chest.

“Third from the left,” she finally whispered. “Maybe.”

That one word changed everything.

Behind her, Detective Clive Broussard stiffened.

And in the corner, Quinton Bell adjusted the cuffs of his tailored suit and watched the lineup begin to tilt toward disaster.

***

Excerpt from ALIVE BY PROXY by Manning Wolfe. Copyright 2026 by Manning Wolfe. Reproduced with permission from Manning Wolfe. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

MANNING WOLFE, an award-winning author and attorney residing in Austin, Texas, writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers and crime fiction. Manning was recently featured on Oxygen TV’s: Accident, Suicide, or Murder.

Manning's legal thriller series features Austin attorney Merit Bridges, including Dollar Signs, Music Notes, Green Fees, Chinese Wall, and Killer Weed.

Manning's new Proxy Legal Thriller Series features Houston attorney Quinton Bell and includes: Dead By Proxy, Hunted By Proxy, and Alive By Proxy.

Manning is co-author of Killer Set: Drop the Mic, and twelve additional Bullet Book Speed Reads.

As a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front-row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.

Catch Up With Manning Wolfe:

ManningWolfe.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @manningwolfe
BookBub - @ManningWolfe
Instagram - @manningwolfe
X - @ManningWolfe
Facebook - @manning.wolfe
YouTube - @starpathbooksllc1763
Pinterest - @manningwolfe
BlueSky - @manningwolfe.bsky.social
TikTok - @manningwolfe

 

Review:

5 stars!

Quinton Bell defends a pro football player accused of murdering his agent. 

Alive by Proxy is the third book in veteran author Manning Wolfe's riveting Proxy Legal Thriller series, and the suspense in this one is killer! Houston Wildcatter lineman, Marcus Hale, accused of murdering his agent one dark and stormy night, proclaims his innocence and retains Quinton Bell to defend him. But Quinton's past is just about to catch up with him, as someone who knows his true identity leaves him taunting notes and souvenirs, which soon escalate to more deadly hints. Quinton must decide whether to stay the course and do what he can for his famous client or cut and run for his life once again. 

In this latest case, Byron Douglas has settled into his new persona as Quinton Bell, the identity and life of an old friend who died, and has built a thriving law practice with an eminently competent and dependable staff and loyal colleagues. He's moved into his work-in-progress fixer-upper home in Houston and regularly visits the Bell family home in Galveston, but he still feels like he's being watched. He's not wrong. With his anxiety pinging off the ceiling, he manages a thorough trial prep while convincing his client to come clean about the awful secrets he's keeping. 

The descriptions of Houston are vivid and transport the reader to the humid, sauna-like city that is the largest in Texas. Quinton's trips to Galveston and, later, through north Texas to the casino across the Red River paint a picture of the state's size and the region's diversity. The long nighttime drive from Oklahoma south back to Houston captured the reality of the journey and the feelings of remote isolation and empty darkness. 

The plot covers the defense's careful investigation of the murder before trial and the suspense of the courtroom proceedings. The author underscores the role of the defense attorney, regardless of the client's guilt or innocence. The appearances by the individual who is watching Quinton are creepy and full of tension. He so easily becomes invisible, able to quickly and quietly melt away out of sight. The author does a wonderful job building suspense throughout the story, and the scenes with the watcher had me on the edge of my seat. 

I recommend ALIVE BY PROXY to readers of legal mysteries, thrillers, and courtroom dramas.

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Reasonable Doubt You’ll Want To Miss This? None.

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Manning Wolfe. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Proxy Legal Thriller Series by Manning Wolfe | Gift Card

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Deadly Gold Rush (Indie Retirement Mystery, #2) by Landis Wade

DEADLY GOLD RUSH

by Landis Wade

May 18 - June 26, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

THE INDIE RETIREMENT MYSTERY SERIES

 

Murder, mines, and missing millions—retirement just got interesting.

When a shady real estate developer is found murdered beneath Harriet Keaton’s family home—shot, stabbed, and surrounded by rare 1830s gold coins—her estranged twin brother Joey is the prime suspect. He insists he’s innocent...but won’t name the real culprit.

With Joey refusing to talk and millions missing from the retirement accounts, the future of the Independence Retirement Community is suddenly on the line. Now, whip-smart Harriet and her sleuthing partners—Craig Travail (savvy lawyer, reluctant romantic) and Yeager Alexander (conspiracy theorist, resident rabble-rouser)—must dig into the past to solve the crime.

Their best lead? A decades-old memoir from Harriet’s treasure-obsessed father and whispers of a long-lost gold hoard.

But treasure has a way of attracting trouble. As fortunes vanish and suspects multiply, the trio must untangle two decades of betrayal—before the killer strikes again.

Murder, mayhem, and the Carolina gold rush: welcome back to the Indie, where retirement is anything but quiet.

Praise for Deadly Gold Rush:

"Deadly Gold Rush is a satisfyingly complex entwining of events and personalities that proves hard to put down."
~ Midwest Book Review

"Deadly Gold Rush caught my attention from the first sentence and kept me transfixed to the very end. Couldn’t put it down."
~ Readers’ Favorite Reviews

"Lively mystery bubbling with unforgettable characters and historical spirit."
~ Booklife Reviews

"Mystery fans who love Richard Osman’s cozy Thursday Murder Club books will enjoy the similarly energetic take on mystery-loving retirees."
~ Kirkus Reviews

DEADLY GOLD RUSH Trailer:

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Legal Thriller, Historical
Published by: Lystra Books & Literary Services, LLC
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
Number of Pages: 378 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 979-8992136357, Paperback
Series: The Indie Retirement Mystery Series, Book 2 | Each is a Standalone Mystery
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

Chapter One

Death in the Passage

The narrow alleyway walls muffled the gunshot as uptown Charlotte slept. It was one thirty in the morning on Tuesday, April 1.

The phone call didn’t last long.

“It’s me,” the caller said. “I need your help.”

“I’m listening.”

“I have a body.”

“Whose?”

“Chance Landry.”

“Where are you?”

“Lincoln Street. Inside the Rivafinoli Passage in South End. Next to the Queen Charlotte mural.”

“Anyone with you?”

The caller explained who else was still there.

“You leave. Tell them to stay with the body and wait for my call. I need to think.”

Three minutes later, the call was made to the only living person remaining in the passage who could help.

“I am going to text you an address.” Next, they explained what to do with Landry’s body when they got to the address.

“Are you kidding? He’s already dead.”

But the person giving instructions had no sense of humor. “Just do it.”

A text message followed with the address.

The person who received the message knew how to follow directions and did as they were told.

Chapter Two

Vengeance is Sweet

The 11:15 p.m. email on Craig Travail’s phone read: Your friends are about to suffer financial ruin, untold heartbreak, and trials and tribulations. You have only yourself to blame.

What?

Travail read the email again, slower this time. He read it twice more. There was no author name. Just an unknown vengeanceissweet email address.

Travail exhaled. His email checking practice was a bad habit, a routine held over from his career when clients expected their lawyers to be available 24/7.

Nothing good ever came of his itch to scratch his email in-box for late-night messages, like now, when it would be twice as difficult to sleep after watching the late night local news—with its smorgasbord of crimes, collisions, and natural disasters—and reading this email.

One news story was about elder fraud, a reminder of how susceptible retirees are to financial fraud schemes. Was that what was coming for his friends at the Independence Retirement Community, which everyone called the Indie? Were the residents about to suffer financial ruin because of risky investments? If so, he’d be angry at the perpetrators for their heartless guile and frustrated with his friends for being so gullible.

The television show made the point, though, and he agreed, that adults spend most of their lives collecting assets to make retirement possible and the rest of their days worried if their accumulated treasure will last as long as they do, leading some retirees to make risky and uninformed choices with their nest eggs. Was that what his friends had done? Made bad choices with their money? Is that what the emailer taunted him about?

Travail’s instinct was to fire off a harsh response to the email with some choice lawyer-like words and warnings, but he ignored the bait—he suspected they wouldn’t respond anyway—and he punched the remote control instead.

The television screen faded to black, and his den fell silent, save for Blue’s rhythmic snores and his jerking legs. Travail’s black and tan coonhound must be dreaming, chasing ducks along the lake behind Travail’s cottage, as he was apt to do in real life, and as usual, failing to catch the waterfowl before they darted back into the water. Travail leaned over his club chair’s arm and let his free hand graze on Blue’s back until his pet stopped running in his sleep.

Maybe the email was a prank. Maybe, like him, a friend had become bored with life at the Indie. And yet, the email bothered him.

Whose lives—which friends’ lives—were about to be shattered? And how? And for that matter, why? And what did he have to do with it?

Since moving a year earlier into the Independence Retirement Community, Travail had made two best friends, Harriet Keaton and Yeager Alexander, and several other good friends. He’d met many other retirees, some whose company he tolerated and some whose company he could do without. Either way, he didn’t want to see anyone hurt. He certainly didn’t want his close friends to suffer, and he didn’t want to be the person responsible for their pain.

The flame on the candle he’d lit this morning was down to the base of the wick. He turned away from it, detesting the severe loneliness of March 31.

There was no logic for feeling so alone—what with all the crimes, court cases, and historic mysteries Harriet, Yeager, and he navigated since he arrived at the Indie and the time they spent together—but it was hard to control his feelings, especially the feeling of being by himself. A Jewish resident told him about the tradition of lighting a candle on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. It felt loving to strike the match in Rachael’s honor, but as day became night, Travail’s mood shifted. It had been three years to the day.

The flickering light had a strobe-like effect on the things that reminded him of Rachael: her furniture, her quilts, her artwork, her pictures. Travail missed Rachael’s kindness, her playfulness, her creativity, and the rituals they shared. The flicker made the past too present, making him long for another night and morning and day together. She was here, there, and everywhere, but nowhere at all.

Assertive is what he’d needed to be in the moment that changed everything. He and Rachael were in the mountains at a high-elevation rental for a getaway when a freak storm rolled in and dumped six inches of snow on the ground. Rachael decided to drive to the local general store to stock the pantry for their cozy weekend together. He had a work call and offered to go with her after he finished.

“It’s just snow,” she’d said.

“Okay, but be careful,” he’d responded.

“Always, dear.” Then she kissed him on the mouth, patted his bottom, and walked out of his life forever.

The news came in a phone call from the local police. First came the shock, then the grief, and then the Monday-morning quarterbacking. He should have insisted Rachael let him drive her. He should have done more to protect her. If he had, maybe she would still be here. Maybe the out-of-control delivery truck that hit the black ice would have killed him instead of her, or maybe Travail could have prevented the accident.

Spring in North Carolina was supposed to be about new beginnings, not endings, with the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom, but his eyes grew wet from the memories, and he felt a sudden heaviness in his body.

He looked at the email again and became resolute. For sure, he would not make the same mistake twice with the people he cared about. He would protect them.

But who was behind the email?

Whoever wanted sweet vengeance against his friends wanted vengeance against him too, because their pain would be his pain. The question for his lawyer brain—used to solving riddles for years—was: who despised them and him that much?

Like an unexpected electric shock, the answer startled him. This email was exactly the kind of plot his nemesis, Robert Elkin, would conjure. If Elkin hurt Harriet, Yeager, and his other close friends, he hurt Travail worse.

But wasn’t Elkin no longer a threat? They’d exposed his concealment of the truth about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, avoided death at the hands of his father, pushed him out of his Big Law leadership position, and seen to it that the state bar took his law license. Elkin no longer had big-time lawyer power. The only thing he had was anger, resentment, and a low-paying job as a paralegal with a former client, though Travail didn’t know the client’s name or their business. It was a sharp drop from the level of influence that had made the man dangerous, and yet, there was reason to be cautious. Elkin was cunning and would hold a grudge till death do they part.

Travail leaned his head back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and pondered the text again: financial ruin, untold heartbreak, and trials and tribulations.

Harriet was too smart to get caught up in a financial scam. Not so with Yeager. He was impulsive, likely to jump at the chance to possess something shiny because it might become shinier.

Travail pulled an olive-colored sweatshirt over his t-shirt, woke Blue, and took him into the backyard to do his business under the stars. While he waited, Travail glanced across Lost Cove Lake to Harriet’s cottage. He inhaled the fresh night air, and he marveled at the main building’s reflection on the lake’s surface. Harriet’s lights were out. She, an early riser, must be asleep.

Seeing Harriet’s peaceful cottage raised a question he’d been pondering. Should he ask her on a date? Carrie Roberts, the Indie Gossip Queen, thought so and often shared her opinion.

Most days, it seemed like the right decision not to ask Harriet—or anyone else, for that matter—on a date. Three years wasn’t that long, really, since Rachael died. And yet, here he was, caught in a web he’d spun for himself, trapped somewhere between what he no longer had and the companionship he wanted but resisted. Harriet was his friend. Should he keep it that way?

Harriet would most likely turn him down anyway. He was a project, and he knew it, starting with the lesson she’d had to teach him last year that retirement living is not life’s dead end but a fresh path forward. And now, with him being a sixty-six-year-old widower afraid to address his feelings, she’d be quick to beg off.

Blue finished up, and the two headed inside. His watch told him it was a new day. He blew out the dwindling flame on the candle and headed to his bedroom, where Blue was already curled up on the end of Travail’s queen-size bed. Wearing only striped boxers and a white cotton t-shirt, Travail pulled the covers up to his chin. With a good night’s sleep, he’d be fresh in the morning to put his effort into stopping Elkin. He still had his law license, after all, and as Yeager would tell him from time to time, “You ain’t dead yet.”

He closed his eyes and imagined tying a dry fly rig with two nymphs on a dropper line, the key to catching river trout on and below the surface at the same time. This falling-asleep system was better than counting backward from three hundred by threes. It worked its charm in less than five minutes.

Travail didn’t know when he dozed off that the murder train had left the station. He didn’t know when he began to snore that someone had already set the trap for his friends. And he didn’t know when he fell into a deep sleep that when the sun came up, he would ponder, and not for the first time, how he could have been so wrong to believe retirement living would ever be boring or lonely.

***

Excerpt from Deadly Gold Rush by Landis Wade. Copyright 2026 by Landis Wade. Reproduced with permission from Landis Wade. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Landis Wade is a recovering trial lawyer turned author who writes award-winning mysteries and legal thrillers with a historical bent. His publication credits include six works of fiction, eight non-fiction writing books, many short stories, and a podcast that produced 400 episodes of author interviews and writing discussions. His first novel in his Indie Retirement Mystery series, Deadly Declarations, won ten awards and Kirkus Reviews said of his second in the series, Deadly Gold Rush, that “Mystery fans who love Richard Osman’s cozy Thursday Murder Club books will enjoy the similarly energetic take on mystery-loving retirees.” Landis splits his time between Charlotte, Durham, and the North Carolina mountains. He is the recipient of the 2025 Founders Award for service to the Charlotte Writers Club and the literary community.

Catch Up With Landis Wade:

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Review:

4 stars!

With its complex, compelling plot and engaging, lovable main characters, I was absorbed in the story from start to finish. 

Deadly Gold Rush is the second book in author Landis Wade’s gripping Indie Retirement Mystery series featuring the residents of a senior living community in Charlotte, North Carolina, who are trying to enjoy their lives but are kept busy solving one mystery after another. In this latest adventure, Harriet Keaton’s twin brother, Joey, is released from prison after serving 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit. However, he soon finds himself behind bars again when the body of one of the men framed him all those years ago is found in the basement of his family home, and the floor above it collapses, revealing the dead man covered in gold coins. Harriet enlists the aid of her friend, Craig Travail, also an Indie resident and attorney, to help her brother, who knows more about the murder than he’s saying. 

With its complex, compelling plot and engaging, lovable main characters, I was absorbed in the story from start to finish. I enjoyed the retirement community setting, with its cadre of older, and sometimes more mature, characters and the many experts in various areas of knowledge among the group, some only a couple of years removed from the workforce and careers in those specialties. I enjoyed how many of the characters had evolved into free spirits, depending on the freedom granted them by their advanced age or their marginalization in society as the forgotten elderly. Several romances are blossoming, as well as a slow-burn romance between Harriet and Craig that I was definitely rooting for. And who knew North Carolina was the epicenter of a gold rush before California’s? 

The plot moves steadily forward as Harriet, Craig, and their friend, Yeager, attempt to prove Joey’s case while Joey himself steadfastly refuses to tell all he knows. The investigatory phase of the story gives way to a riveting courtroom drama as Craig and another Indie resident and former judge unite as Joey’s legal defense team. Complicating life for everyone are a series of calculated financial shenanigans aimed at the Indie and the residents by the powerful Standish Corporation and their legal tool, Robert Elkins, who is out for revenge against the trio who caused him to lose his license to practice law in book one. I was glued to the story, wondering if they would be able to get to the bottom of things, find justice, and save the day for the Indie and their friends. 

While this is the second book in the series, readers do not need to have read the previous one to enjoy it. Enough backstory is mentioned to set the stage for the present tale without spoiling the first book for those who are enticed to look it up. 

I recommend DEADLY GOLD RUSH to fans of cozy mysteries with historical storylines.

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Book Review: Hunted by Proxy (Proxy Legal Thriller, #2) by Manning Wolfe

Hunted By Proxy: A Lawyer On The Run Action Suspense Thriller by Manning Wolfe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series just keeps getting better!

Hunted by Proxy is the second book in author Manning Wolfe’s excellent Proxy Legal Thriller series, featuring the hiding-in-plain-sight criminal defense attorney Quinton Bell, and what a fabulous follow-up to its debut it is! From its heart-wrenching opening to its dazzling surprise of a conclusion, I was riveted by this exciting and absorbing story.

Quinton Bell is a complex character, to say the least. Living a lie to escape his past, he’s endured a lot and is feeling the stress of maintaining his masquerade as a dead man. The author gets us right inside Quinton’s head, and you can almost feel the pressure he’s under, especially with the knowledge that someone out there knows his secret and is using it to toy with him. His legal work is fascinating to read, even the requisite administrative hearings, and the author clearly knows her way around a courtroom and how to convey that to the layperson reader.

Soon into the story, it is revealed that someone knows who Quinton Bell really is, and naturally, he’s spooked. But as days passed and things began to happen, such as the odd sightings of people that quickly disappeared, I, too, started to get the willies. When Quinton said he felt like he was being watched, I knew exactly how he felt. The reader is privy to the thoughts and actions of this stalker but not who is pulling his strings, and when that big reveal happened, I was fully and completely surprised. The story sets up for a next book, and I, for one, am already waiting.

I have to mention the opening sequence, a massive traffic accident on the I-10 between Houston and Katy, was horrifyingly real – a slow-motion rendering of certain death, critical injuries, and destruction. The author gives the perfect introduction to the main characters involved, so I was immediately engaged and already cared about these people when the scene unfolded.

I recommend HUNTED BY PROXY to mystery and thriller readers who enjoy legal dramas, secret identities, and mob-related stories.

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Review Tour & Giveaway: Caio (The Limerent, #1) by L.S. Delorme

CAIO

The Limerent, Book One

by

LS Delorme

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by

Goddess Fish Promotions.

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Paranormal romantic legal thriller

Publisher: Limerent Publishing

Publication Date: November 1, 2024

Page count: 298 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

Sarah Baker is a paralegal in a law firm in modern day Brooklyn.

 

Her life is bouncing between her abusive lawyer boyfriend, the voices she hears in her head and her soul sucking work at the law firm. On a New York spring day, she meets Caio as he plays basketball on a court near her house.  He is alluring, intriguing and young. Yet that's the least of his mystery, for Caio was beaten, thrown into a hole and left to die…in 1905.

 

As Sarah tries to understand this enigmatic stranger she must juggle the increasingly dubious ethics of her law firm and ghosts in her head. Struggling with loss, grief, love, beauty and lawyers, she will need to summon the strength to break all of society’s rules, save several lives and step into a new, potentially magical life.

 

Caio is the opening book of the Limerent universe, a series of supernatural romantic thrillers that will pull on your heartstrings, challenge your perceptions and lead you on a singular journey of discovery and revelation.

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ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

On top of all that, just as the day was ending, her boyfriend Karl had called to break up with her, because it was her birthday.

 

“So, was that the annual breakup call?” Angela asked, turning to her with a smile that would have been more fitting on a hyena than a human.

 

Angela was one of the other paralegals in the office. She had mouse-blonde hair, a large beak nose, and a grovelling, subservient manner anytime an attorney or partner was around. Around other administrative staff, she was all smiles and sweetness, until you found the knife in your back. Then she would look at you with a condescending smirk that said You mean you weren’t smart enough to see that coming? Angela may have looked like a mouse, but she was actually more like a trapdoor spider. She was an ambush predator. Sarah had had the good fortune of sitting in the cubicle just next to hers for the past five years.  At the moment, Angela was faking sympathy during what was actually a probe for weaknesses.

 

She needs to probe? asked the voice of Sarah’s mother in her head. Sarah winced internally, as she always did when her mother’s voice spoke. Her mothers was one of the nastiest voices that inhabited her head.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lexy Delorme is a wanderer and storyteller at heart. Raised as a “military brat” by United States Navy Captain, she has lived on three continents, across four countries, nine states, and 21 cities. Now based in Paris with her charming French husband and two very cool sons, she is a full-time author—a journey that has taken her from being a rock musician to a science graduate to an attorney at law.

A passionate fan of fantasy and science fiction, Lexy created the Limerence universe, which includes Caio, Bright Midnights, Fanning Fireflies, and Ghosting Academy. Her book Bright Midnights was named a Publishers Weekly (BookLife) “Editors’ Choice Pick” and was a finalist Golden Wizard Award Competition in 2024. She is currently working on the latest instalment in the series.

Lexy is an active member of the British Fantasy Society, the Science Fiction Writers Association, the Horror Writers Association, IBPA, and ALLi.

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REVIEW:

5 stars!

Dark, shocking, and exciting debut for the Limerent series! 

Caio is the first book in author L.S. Delorme’s Limerent dark fantasy series and really sets the tone, pace, and a high bar for what’s to come in the following novels. With its engaging, sympathetic main character and compelling plot, I was completely drawn into the protagonist’s life and couldn’t look away if I wanted. 

Sarah Baker is the main character and is a paralegal by trade, though a fully qualified attorney before the story even starts. Hers is a tale of a depressing, downtrodden life, the result of the abuse of those who should have had her best interests at heart and known better. She is a doormat, and her gradual growth after Caio enters her life is ultimately a story of redemption and success. However, there are several tough topics encountered along the way that readers sensitive to these issues should be aware of. 

The author’s writing is compelling and so easy to read, and I was absorbed by this story and this very realistic heroine. The supernatural and magical elements were creative and elevated Sarah’s tale to one that was even more special and unpredictable. The scene descriptions were vivid, and I could practically see the action unfolding as I read. I am still somewhat surprised by how I sank into this story, and time passed by without me realizing how long I’d been reading before I needed to take a break. Of course, I must read the next in the series as soon as I can! 

I recommend CAIO to readers of dark fantasy and tales of the paranormal.

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Killer Weed (Merit Bridges Legal Thriller, #5) by Manning Wolfe

KILLER WEED

by Manning Wolfe

July 29 - August 16, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Merit Bridges Legal Thrillers

 

GET READY FOR A LEGAL SHOWDOWN, LIKE NO OTHER, IN MANNING WOLFE’S GRIPPING THRILLER, KILLER WEED!

Austin attorney, Merit Bridges, steps up to defend a client whose twin sons are targeted in a fiery attack on a lucrative medical marijuana field. Once again, Merit is thrust into a dangerous game of deception with a corporate giant pulling strings. With their ruthless hired gun, Raiden Prince, eliminating obstacles with chilling precision, Merit finds herself in a high stakes battle for justice.

As Merit thwarts the ambitions of the dangerous corporation, Prince turns his sights on her. With his mastery of disguise, he lurks in the shadows. But Merit, her clients, and her trusted team aren’t going down without a fight.

Can Merit navigate a labyrinth of legal issues, protect her client, and survive Raiden Prince?

Prepare for a twisty confrontation that no one can see coming.

From award winning author Manning Wolfe comes the fifth installment in the electrifying Merit Bridges Legal Thrillers. Can be read in any order.

DIVE IN TODAY! Killer Weed will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thriller
Published by: Starpath Books
Publication Date: July 25, 2024
Series: Merit Bridges Legal Thriller, Book Five
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Raiden Prince prowled the field on foot, a solitary figure moving purposefully in the dark through the field of tall green leafy stalks. The summer night wrapped around him like a shroud, making his eyes appear as black as pools of Texas crude oil and concealing his clandestine mission. In the velvet light, only the shape of the vegetation was visible, but the outline of the three-pronged leaves was unmistakable. He threw gasoline from a red gas can onto the field of hemp, backing up as he worked, so as not to soak his jeans or work boots with the flammable liquid. He returned the red can to the bed of his pickup, retrieved another gas can and moved to the opposite side of the field. There, he emptied the flammable liquid onto a greenhouse made of a steel frame and plastic sheeting, filled with high grade medical marijuana plants, some labeled Peanut Butter Breath, and others Blue Dream.

The silence of the night was broken only by the rhythmic chirping of dog-day cicadas, and Prince’s off-key rendition of Red Headed Stranger. He did his best Willie Nelson imitation in his practiced backwoods Texas accent. He mimicked the elastic voices, that he’d heard most Texans use, by eliding certain syllables. All the vowels were stretched out in the middle of each word, and the end of them clipped, especially ones ending in ing. The music was just to set the mood for the evening’s tasks. He preferred rap.

After he’d soaked the greenhouse, Prince backed toward the two lane county road as he threw the last of the gasoline. He then moved out of the field, onto the caliche roadbed, where he walked back to his old rusty pickup truck and placed the second gas can in the bed beside the first.

#

Brad and Thad Lane, each on an ATV with custom paint jobs and extra-large wheels, cut across the pasture from their picturesque home on the hill above the expansive farm owned by the Lane family. They often rode late at night when they could sneak out without waking their mother, Gladys. She was a heavy sleeper, as the pure of heart often are, but she was still a protective mother and didn’t like the twins roaming the acreage in the dark.

Brad, the larger of the two, now shirtless, and already tan, played defensive end on the local high school football team, the Giddings Buffaloes. Thad, three minutes younger, wearing a white wife-beater undershirt, played tight end and was the more talented of the two. He was often compared to Travis Kelce because he was fast and often carried the ball in for the team’s touchdowns under Friday night lights, a Texas passion.

Riding around the family farm was not an issue for the seventeen-year-olds, even at night. They knew every inch of the family property, as they’d been using it as their personal playground since they could walk. They had certain hiding places for their special crops. Not marijuana, there was plenty of that. Their secret was growing small patches of maize or clover near their bird blinds so they could enjoy a good season of dove hunting in the fall. It was called baiting, and was illegal, but this was their land, and they didn’t follow many rules once they entered the gate to the property they called home.

The twins cut low into a narrow creek bed caused by hundreds of years of rain runoff, then peaked again at the top of a low mound overlooking the growing fields. From their vantage point atop the rise, Brad spied a solitary figure below, near the county road, his movements casting eerie shadows against the moonlit landscape.

Brad’s brow furrowed in confusion as he pointed out the intruder to his brother. “Who is that?”

Thad’s eyes narrowed as he squinted into the darkness, his instincts going on high alert. “Don’t think I know him. What the hell is he doing?”

They watched the intruder move further onto the country road, then recede, taking a squarish object that appear to be a gas can with him. The man placed the can in the back of a pickup and returned to the edge of the field. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and just as he was about to thumb the heel, the twins came tearing down the rise, bearing down on the intruder on their ATV’s, while shouting obscenities.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“This is private property, Asshole.”

At that moment, Prince thumbed the wheel, sparking the flint, and tossed the flaming Zippo, lighting up the edge of the field. The fire caught and expanded flaring toward the twins. They zigged and zagged, skirting the field and avoiding the flames by driving through a wet creek at the edge of the heat. Marijuana smoke puffed out of the burning field and then the greenhouse, the plants expelling gases that smelled sweet and exotic.

Prince moved back toward his pickup, placing his right hand in his pocket and grabbing his keys to expedite his exit. He moved quickly, but the twins were quicker. Thad bounded his ATV up out of the creek bed and headed straight for Prince. Thad knocked Prince down with the front bumper, and Brad came charging up behind Thad. Prince pulled himself up, dropping his truck keys in the onslaught, and picked up a large limb that had fallen from a nearby oak. He swung it over and caught Brad across the chest with the heavy weapon before Brad could come to a complete halt, knocking him from the ATV. The machine continued into the roadbed and across to the neighboring fence, where it was caught by barbed wire and abruptly died.

Thad did a wheelie in the road, turned back, stopped his ATV, and jumped off to help his brother. While he was bending over Brad, Prince came up behind him and slammed the same offending tree limb into the back of Thad’s head, knocking him out cold. Prince went down again as his right leg gave way from the injury caused by Brad’s ATV. Prince got up, limped nearer to the twins, and hit them again, although they were both already unconscious.

“Stay down.”

Prince sat down on a nearby rock outcropping to catch his breath and assess the situation. The fire popped and flared as he watched and listened for fire trucks that might have been dispatched. The two young men had seen his face and his truck. He could not risk their exposing him or his employer to scrutiny. Feeling the urgency to leave the scene of his crime, he made a decision. He limped back over to the bodies and dragged each twin in turn to the edge of the flames, leaving first Brad, and then Thad to be consumed by the fire.

Prince then returned to his truck, but when he put his hand in his pocket to fetch his keys, there was nothing there. It was only then that he remembered dropping them when the first boy’s ATV had taken him down. He limped back to the area where he had been hit and searched the leaves, grass, and waning Bluebonnets with the flashlight on his phone. His search was in vain, and when he heard the siren of an approaching fire truck, and the grinding sound of another ATV coming closer from the direction of the farmhouse, he jumped into his truck and jerked the wires from beneath the dashboard. He hot-wired the engine, and it sparked and sputtered to a start. Prince threw gravel on his exit from the roadside and headed down the county road, leaving a trail of white caliche dust to mingle with the smoke from the burning field.

***

Excerpt from Killer Weed by Manning Wolfe. Copyright 2024 by Manning Wolfe. Reproduced with permission from Manning Wolfe. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

MANNING WOLFE, an award-winning author and attorney residing in Austin, Texas, writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers and crime fiction. Manning was recently featured on Oxygen TV’s: Accident, Suicide, or Murder.
* Manning's legal thriller series features Austin attorney Merit Bridges, including Dollar Signs, Music Notes, Green Fees, and Chinese Wall.
* Manning's new Proxy Legal Thriller Series features Houston attorney Quinton Bell and includes: Dead By Proxy, Hunted By Proxy, and Alive By Proxy.
* Manning is co-author of Killer Set: Drop the Mic, and twelve additional Bullet Book Speed Reads.
As a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front-row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.

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Book Blast & Giveaway: Hide and Be (Dr. Lisbeth Socorro, #1) by Gary L. Stuart

Hide and Be

A Dr. Lisbeth Socorro Novel

by

Gary L. Stuart

Crime fiction / Legal drama

Publication Date: February 7, 2024

Page count: 300 pages

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

SYNOPSIS:

Twin brothers Arthur and Martin suffered horrible abuse as children, forcing them to survive by seamlessly assuming each other’s identities. Living each other’s lives provides protection from the trauma of their past. But when tragedy strikes, one of the brothers plummets into a dissociative crisis that leads him down a murderous path.

As the body count rises, two cases end up in the courtroom, where judges, lawyers, and psychiatrists try to piece together which twin is the suspect and which is the victim. Everyone in the courtroom strives to bring the victims to justice–but how can justice be served when no one is sure who the defendant truly is?

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READ AN EXCERPT:

United States Magistrate Judge Eli Hightower’s entrance into the courtroom had instantly hushed the small group of lawyers huddled near the podium. A plain but hardly simple man, he always walked to his bench without the usual pomp attached to the comings and goings of judges. As he climbed the single step up to the clerk’s platform and then the second step up onto the judge’s bench, everyone in the room could hear him wheeze. At two-hundred and fifty-five pounds, Judge Hightower was a force to reckon with, both physically and intellectually. His long-standing battle with cigars accounted for the wheeze, and his fondness for Snickers bars and A&W Root Beer mocked his daily promise to lose weight.

“Take your seats, please,” he said in a voice that softened the scowl on his face. “I thought, with sixteen years under my belt, or should I say under my robe, I’d heard it all. But the docket calendar says we’re here to conduct an identity hearing. Whose identity is at question here? And better yet, why is there nothing in my bench book that lends the slightest clue as to what an identity hearing is? My clerk tells me that this is a joint request by the government and the defendant.

“Your Honor, we are here because we are not in agreement about the identity of the defendant. If I might, Judge, maybe I could summarize the situation. I represent the government in its case against Martin Cheshire on the arson murder of his brother, Arthur Cheshire. Martin Cheshire was initially arrested by the FBI in Portland, Maine, seven weeks ago on an embezzlement charge. His statement in that case led the FBI to open a second investigation. The defendant denied he was Martin Cheshire. He told them he was Arthur Cheshire, Martin’s twin brother. But Arthur Cheshire died, as we contend, in an arson fire in Mexico, fifty-six miles from here eight weeks ago. The FBI believes that Martin Cheshire killed his brother, Arthur, to cover up the embezzlement in Maine. But before we can proceed with an indictment, Mr. Kemper and I agreed that the confusion and doubt about exactly who the defendant is warrants this court’s intervention. We’ve discussed it in chambers with Chief Judge Sharp, to whom this case is assigned. He sent us to you. We need this court to order a psychiatric evaluation to establish the actual identity of the defendant. That’s why we agreed with the defense that the first person you should hear from in this case is Dr. Lisbeth Socorro.”

FROM THE AUTHOR:

I am a retiring lawyer, a working author, and a preserving blogger. I was a full-time trial lawyer for thirty-two years in a large Phoenix firm. I was a part-time law professor for the last twenty-nine years. As of summer, 2023, I am writing, publishing, and blogging full time. My first book was a textbook published by the Arizona State Bar Association. My first novel was published by the University of New Mexico Press. I’ve written ten novels and eight nonfiction titles as of July 2023.

From the day I entered law school, I’ve been reading cases, statutory law and writing about legal conundrums and flaws in our criminal and civil justice systems. I’ve always read novels, nonfiction, and historical fiction by great authors who were never corrupted by the staid habits of trial lawyers. I write long-form, interspersed with the occasional blog, op-ed, or essay. One of the unexpected benefits of reading the law is learning how to write about it. Somewhere along the trajectory from a baby lawyer to a senior one, I became intoxicated with blending nonfiction with fiction in books, rather than legal documents. After spending thirty years in courtrooms trying cases, I started writing about them. That led to writing novels while borrowing from famous historical settings and lesser-known characters. My courtroom days were chock full of ideas, notions, and hopes about ultimately becoming an author. I organized and memorized critical information for judges, juries, and clients. Now I use that experience to write vivid fiction and immersive nonfiction. I moved away from trial practice to teaching law students how to use creative writing techniques to tell their client’s stories, in short form.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” The same could be said of my transition from trying cases to writing crime fiction. I’ve been holding my breath for twenty years waiting for galley proofs and book reviews. Anais Nin spoke for all of us when she said, “We write to taste life twice.”

My first novel, The Gallup 14, won a coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly. I won a Spur Award from Western Writers of America in 2004 for my first nonfiction book (“Miranda, The Story of America’s Right to Remain Silent”). I won the 2010 Arizona Book of the Year Award, The Glyph Award, and a Southwest Publishing Top Twenty award in 2010, for “Innocent Until Interrogated—The Story of the Buddhist Temple Massacre.” My third nonfiction title (“Anatomy of a Confession—The Debra Milke Case”) was highly acclaimed. My nonfiction title “CALL HIM MAC—Ernest W. McFarland—The Arizona Years” was widely and favorably reviewed. My latest nonfiction crime book, “Nobody Did Anything Wrong But Me, was published by Twelve Tables Press, one of America’s most distinguished publisher of law books about important legal issues. No New York Times bestsellers, yet. I can be reached via email at Gary@garylstuart.com.

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