For the past 20 years, Agatha Cardiff has lived a secluded life on the outskirts of D.C. She was once the chief of staff for Congressman Paul Paxton. But after covering up a potential scandal for him, one that would have ruined Senator Harrison Clark's career, she left politics and swore to never get into… Continue reading The Slate by Matthew FitzSimmons
Former cop Dylan Fisher is now a private investigator with a reputation for being the best. But when his ex-wife and homicide detective Rose Doucette asks to meet him at a hotel, he’s surprised and confused, to say the least. Turns out she needs Dylan’s help with a murder investigation that she’s not allowed to pursue. After leaving the meeting, Dylan notices a suspicious car following Rose. He tries to warn her but is too late. Rose is gunned down and killed by the driver – who also knocks out Dylan. He comes to and contacts the authorities, but the situation doesn’t look good for Dylan. He was at the scene and his fingerprints are on the murder weapon. The police – and Rose’s widower, defense attorney Tito – are convinced Dylan did it. In order to prove his innocence, Dylan has no choice but to find the killer himself. And somehow he and Tito team up to investigate. What is Rose’s connection to her original investigation? How does that connect to her own murder? What is the killer trying to hide? The Life and Death of Rose Doucette by Harry Hunsicker is a crime/mystery novel that uncovers layers of corruption with ties to a 20-year-old crime that haunts its victims to this day. Read more
Martin Wade is a former front man of the band The French Letters. Now he is a licensed private investigator who mostly handles low-profile cases such as unfaithful spouses and rebellious thieves. His assistant, Valerie Jacks, was (and still is) running from a dark past but is nonetheless an attentive and persistent force in her own right. When his latest client, Janice Archwood, needs assistance with an estranged and overbearing father, Martin can’t help but feel like he knows her from somewhere. Upon further investigation, he realizes that she is the daughter of his former bandmate, Ron Carlock. Unsure about the conflict of interest and potential reunion with someone from his past, he declines to take on the case. However, when Janice turns up dead shortly after, Martin is stunned, grieving, and forced to reconnect with this old friend. He also wants to distance himself from the case. Valerie, on the other hand, isn’t convinced that her death was suicide. After gathering information from those close to her, she realizes that Janice lived a double life. As she and Martin discover more details and secrets, they realize there’s a bigger picture years in the making. Negative Girl by Libby Cudmore is a crime fiction novel in which Martin and Valerie face demons new and old in order to seek justice for a potential murder, hoping not to become the next victims.
