Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Oceanview Publishing, via Edelweiss Plus, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own
Perfect for fans of Elmore Leonard and Gillian Flynn
When Colleen Hayes, an ex-con who killed her husband, is hired to solve the decade-old murder of a wealthy man’s daughter, she has little to go on. But she does understand the criminal mind and fearlessly searches the underbelly of San Francisco for a link to the brutal murder at Golden Gate Park. Then a song on the radio makes her wonder ... could others have missed a clue? Can she survive long enough to find out?
Synopsis:
Between fending off a lecherous parole officer and trying to get by in 1978 San Francisco, private investigator Colleen Hayes struggles to put her life back together so she can reconnect with her runaway teenage daughter. Then her life changes dramatically. She accepts a case from wealthy, retired industrialist Edward Copeland. The old man is desperate to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, a murder that took place in Golden Gate Park eleven years earlier—during the Summer of Love. The case has since gone cold, her murderer never found. Now, in his final days, Copeland hires Colleen to find his daughter’s killer in hopes he might die in peace.
Colleen understands what it means to take a life—she spent a decade in prison for killing her ex. Battling her own demons, she immerses herself in San Francisco’s underbelly, where police corruption is rampant. Her investigation turns deadly as she pries for information, yet there is little to go on. However, a song on the radio makes her wonder—did the murdered girl leave any clues that others may have missed?
Review:
Reading a mystery set in 1978 definitely tends to place it in the noir category, and this book straddles the line between it and what would become the modern mystery, with a strong independent female lead. It's an off niche, but perfectly done. How can you close a cold case, old school style? In this book you find out. This is the first book in the series, and even though I'm not a fan of noir detectives, I'm quite happy to read the next book in the series. Colleen is scarred, tough, and smart. She's a character who is relatable via her faults and her 'issues', yet you understand what drives her and what helps her to solve the case. You might just be surprised at the ending too! if you're looking for something different, then this is the book for you!
About the Author:
Born in San Francisco, with its rich literary history and a public transport system teeming with characters suitable for crime novels, the stage was set for Max Tomlinson to become a mystery writer. However, his time abroad has also inspired a variety of flavors in his writing. His published work includes a crime series set in South America, an international espionage series, and now Vanishing in the Haight, the first of the Colleen Hayes mystery series, set in his hometown.
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