Someone is trying to kill Liz Johnson and it’s up to
quirky private investigator, Erica Coleman to find out who. Erica is no
stranger to murder and mystery, which is why her best friend’s daughter, Megan,
turns to her when unaccountable and potentially fatal “accidents” threaten her
roommate’s life.
Once Erica arrives at the
ramshackle old mansion known as Crooked House, matters go from
disturbing to deadly as it becomes clear someone is trying to kill Liz. As
Erica begins to unearth secrets, she discovers a twisted web of love,
money, greed, and deception. Although the police and friends sometimes
find Erica’s OCD annoying, its
those
very traits that help her sift through evidence and see clues that others miss.
Erica must draw upon her all her investigative prowess to keep Liz safe
and unmask the killer before he can accomplish his deadly objective.
With a dash of romance and surprising
twists, this thrilling mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the
very last page. As with all Erica Coleman mysteries, ten delicious
recipes are included.
Excerpt:
“I’m scared.”
Erica’s heart turned over when she
heard the quaver in her young friend’s voice on the phone.
Then Megan asked, “Can you come?”
“Of course.” Erica’s reply was
automatic. She would do anything she could to help.
Although she often received
emotionally-laden phone calls in her job as a private investigator, there
was a difference when the call came from the teen-aged daughter of her best
friend. The very fact that Megan—who was usually so calm and
composed—sounded frightened out of her wits, put Erica on high
alert.
“I think someone’s trying to kill my
roommate, Liz,” Megan said.
“What makes you think that?”
Erica asked. “Has someone threatened her?”
“No, but Liz has had a couple of
serious accidents lately—at least she says they’re accidents, but either
one of them could have killed her.”
Erica made an effort to reel in her
skepticism. “Tell me about them.”
“First, someone tampered with her car.
The brakes went out and Liz ended up driving across someone’s yard and hitting a
tree. Fortunately, she was okay. The second one happened downtown. Liz was
on the sidewalk waiting for the bus when someone shoved her. She fell
into the road. A truck was coming and if a guy hadn’t pulled her back, Liz
could have been killed.”
Still, they could have been accidents,
Erica thought, at least until the third one occurred—this time at Crooked House...
To get your own copy visit your local
Deseret or Seagull Book or it's available online. Happy Reading!
Author Biography:
Marlene Bateman was born in Salt Lake
City, Utah, and graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in
English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan. Her hobbies include gardening,
camping, reading, and enjoying her four cats and three dogs.
Marlene’s first novel was the
best-selling Light on Fire Island. Her next novel was Motive for
Murder—the first in a mystery series that features Erica Coleman, a quirky
private eye with OCD. The next book in that line, (they do not have
to be read in order) is A Death in the Family.
Marlene has also written a number of
LDS non-fiction books under the name Marlene Bateman Sullivan. Those books include:
Gaze Into Heaven; Near-death Experiences in Early Church History,
which is a fascinating collection of over 50 documented near-death experiences
from the lives of early latter-day Saints, Heroes of Faith, and
Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines. Marlene also wrote three books
about documented accounts in early LDS church history when a person either
saw or heard an angel; Visit’s From Beyond the Veil, And There Were Angels
Among Them, and By the Ministering of Angels.
