When two authors are murdered, will street-smart Frances Paige exploit her family’s ties to Boston’s criminal underworld to track the killer? Of course. Frances’s father is the kingpin of Boston’s Irish Mob and, tragically, one of the dead authors was her best friend.
Heartbroken over her friend’s brutal murder, Frances follows the leads from swanky Back Bay watering holes to the hidden coves and waterfront bars of Gloucester. She soon discovers Boston’s shady worlds of antiques selling and drug smuggling collide. When a Beacon Hill antiques dealer abducts her for poking around where she doesn’t belong, she suspects he’s the murderer. But, then, perhaps it’s the Gloucester fisherman—the alleged drug dealer to the dead authors—who’s tailing her all over town. Or, is it the rival publisher who’s trying to seduce her?
A shocking explosion at the offices of Harpoon Books leaves everyone running for cover. Except Frances. She continues to search for clues, eventually forcing the murderer to tip his hand. Astonished by her discovery, Frances leads Detective Joe Grady of the Boston Police Department to the murderer, unraveling the mystery in a dramatic confrontation, narrowly escaping a bad ending to her own story.
The supporting cast of characters are unforgettable in this hold-your-breath page-turner. Confidant Mackers Moran—the fresh-off-the-boat, Belfast bartender at Frances’s hangout, The Sevens on Charles Street. Frances’s quirky, stuck-in-the-Eighties boss, Donna DeMille. And Harpoon’s preppy president, Grenier Brent, who’s always angling to make a deal.
After a good night’s read, will you walk the streets of Boston alone again?
* * * * * Five Stars –Emily Thompson, Goodreads