Private eye Veronica "Ronnie" Ingels is shocked when her husband of one year cheats on her. The real shock is his murder, with the local lawman pegging her as the prime suspect.
Excerpt
He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "Ma'am, is Mark Ingels your husband?"
"Ye--es."
"I'm sorry to be blunt, but it so happens he died last night of a gunshot wound to the head."
"No." I gasped. Despite my anger, I couldn't deny my deep feelings for Mark. That's why his betrayal hurt so badly. "Wa... was it a robbery?"
"It doesn't appear to be. On the surface, it looks like suicide, but that could've been staged. On the other hand, it might be a professional hit, as y'all say where you come from."
Jack's joking around yesterday flitted into my mind, and I pushed it away. This wasn't funny. Not at all.
"I can't believe this." I hugged myself as a shiver raced down my back. Was the deputy trying to rattle me? If so, he was doing a good job.
"Cassidy Renault, owner of the bridal shop in the Mall of Abilene, says you're an excellent shot." He removed his hat, revealing a full head of thick, wavy brown hair.
"I'm trained with weapons. It goes with my profession." My mind ran through every possible scenario and immediately ruled out suicide. This had to be a random shooting, a matter of extremely bad luck. What else could it be?
He grinned but the effect was mirthless. "Ah, yes, a New York City lady PI."
Heat flamed my cheeks. He'd obviously interviewed my nemesis and come away with the wrong impression. "Sounds like Cassidy told you a lot about me."
He hiked one shoulder in a noncommittal half-shrug. "You were once sorority sisters in college?"
I let out a sigh that seemed to come up from my toes. "And best friends. Inseparable, actually. Then my family finances took a down turn… mom's and mine that is. I had to leave college here in Texas and go back home."
"Ms. Renault said your parents divorced."
Anger lodged in the back of my throat choking me. I swallowed twice. "She had no trouble airing my family's dirty laundry, did she?"
He offered a wan smile. "By the story she told, I'd guess she's not your biggest fan."
Professional Reviews
Humour plus grit equals a great read
Ronnie Ingles is a toughened PI from Brooklyn who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation in Texas. Unfortunately for her, its her own cheating husband who has been murdered. She and Deputy Dawson Hughes team up to solve the case, albeit sometimes reluctantly, but not before another murder happens and Ronnie’s own life is put in jeopardy. This engaging ‘who-dun-it’ is unconventional in that it is told in first person from both Ronnie and Dawson’s point of view. The characters are quirky, charming, and often humorous, and there is plenty of action and grit. I highly recommend this story for readers who enjoy a good detective story, well rounded yet fallible characters, and vivid descriptions. As a side note, ‘foodies’ will like this one, too.
I am Hooked
This is my first time to read Nike Chillemi and I am hooked. The main characters, New York private investigator Veronica “Ronnie” Ingles and Texas Deputy Sergeant Dawson Hughes are a delightful duo. What I really enjoyed was the author did not make the story about how different they were, pitting NY street smart against Texas hick. Yes the story is about their personality and background, but humor and a good story line highlights how much they have in common as together they take on a murder and a crime much bigger than a small Texas town
Excellent 'Clean' Read
She finds much more than she bargained for and seems to be irritating Deputy Hughes on a regular basis. This is not just a murder mystery, there’s laughter as Ronnie meets Hoot and Bertha, Deputy Hicks and other equally quirky characters. There is also a romance in bloom as Ronnie and Dawson find their initial revulsion to each other rapidly disappearing.
This is also an unusual story in that the POV, or point of view, is in the first person, from the two protagonists. Each chapter has a heading telling you which character is doing the talking. As any author will tell you, POV can make or break a story. This unique approach is brilliant and lets the reader literally ‘read’ the minds of the two main characters.
The story is ‘clean’, meaning no profanity, gratuitous sex or extreme violence. This allows the reader to concentrate on the mystery, laughter and romance. There are more stories to come in this series, and I cannot wait. Solid 5 Stars
Book eight in my Belinda Lawrence Classic Mysteries. Mysteries confront amateur sleuths, Belinda Lawrence and Hazel Whitby in the Somerset village of Milford.
Among the eccentrics is the shadowy Madam Malefic.
