Monday, November 21, 2016

Thanksgiving is coming...some new books to feast upon

In a prior post I mentioned the Maisie, Max & Brad Mystery series is now out on Amazon. For Mark Julian fans there are quite a few new books out this fall and two arriving in early winter{Dec & Feb.}.  For those interested they too can be found on Amazon. If you are enjoying my books please give a review on that site. I cannot tell you how much it helps and it only takes a few minutes of your time.

Below is a synopsis for the books. Happy holidays! Again, please spare a few minutes to do a review, okay.

Max, Brad, and Maisie Mysteries

Murder In The String of G: A Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery #1

Maisie was an irrepressible burlesque queen of the fifties who was a star in the Cassandra Theater. She was killed in what was initially ruled to be an accidental trip and fall down a spiral staircase. In fact, she knows it was a murder but, why was she killed and why the later cover-up? Unfortunately, however, what can a ghost to do about it? Andso, her shade haunts the theater hoping to find someone to help her.
It turns out to be a long wait. In two thousand and six two young wanta-be actors arrive at the newly restored Cassandra Theater to audition for a play. One is Max, who is gay, and the other is his roommate Brad, who is straight. For reasons unknown at first, Maisie finds she can connect with them both and seeks their help in proving she was murdered and who did it. After initial hesitations, the boys agree to help her solve her killing. The book follows the pair as they stumble towards finding answers while dodging a hired gun, a serial killer of young men and, for Brad, Maisie’s tendency to “fondle his rump” at inopportune times.

Murder in the Squared Circle: A Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery #2

Maisie’s favorite young pro-wrestler, Stan DaMann, is arrested for allegedly murdering his hated rival. Maisie is convinced of Stan’s innocence. Determined to find the real killer she convinces the hapless Max and Brad into posing as a new wrestling tag team. Out of their depth, they find themselves involved a murky world of underground sex bouts while facing off against two brothers who think vice may be nice but incest is best. As Max and Brad’s wrestling début approaches our trio is eager to find the killer before the killer finds them. Max has another problem in the form of a good-looking Australian wrestler named Liam. Could Max be falling for a guy who might turn out to be that killer?

Murder in Noir: A Max, Brad, and Maisie Mystery # 3

It seems as if Max and Brad’s dreams of a career in acting have finally arrived. The duo have been cast in the Broadway revival of that forties noir classic “Blood Fell onto my Window Pane”. Even more exciting, the production has movie stars Barrett Conover and his Italian wife Europa making their Broadway début. Max has had a huge crush on the husband ever since he saw the actor in the classic gay film “Going Tops for a Bottom”. As for Brad, he has been a fan of Europa ever since he saw her in the French classic comedy “Buxom Babes for Balzac.”
The play also has a rather lurid past. During its first run in 1948, two members of the company were victims in an unsolved murder. Maisie soon convinces the boys it would be fun to try and solve the decades old crime. What starts as a lark however, suddenly takes a unexpected turn as evidence of a blackmail scheme is revealed. Events soon turn deadly when the trio seeks to uncover who is being blackmailed and, critically, who is behind it. Hidden scandals, an attempted rape and murders both old and new are now part of the script for a, “Murder in Noir”


Mark Julian books:

The Case With The Feminine Touch: A Mark Julian Vampire P.I. Mystery #7


Werewolves assigned to New York City’s supernatural security forces are being snatched while on patrols with their new vampire partners. Worse, these vampires are unable to explain to anyone how the kidnappings occurred. Jean-Claude, the new chief executive of the supernatural council, is stuck in the middle of this rising tension. He ordered these “mixed” patrols, yet now it all seems to be going horribly wrong. Someone has to step in to stop the disappearances and find the missing werewolves. Unfortunately that someone cannot be Mark Julian since Jean-Claude fears having the vampire’s leader investigate the matter would only add to the werewolves’ fury. The circumstances are dire as a war threatens to erupt. Jaime, the shape-shifting sex demon wife of Jean Claude, decides to step in to solve the case. To do so she must reach out to her worst enemy for assistance. She understands this is a very delicate situation but is convinced a solution in this matter only needs just the right feminine touch. 




The Case of The Deadly Dish: (A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery #8)



New York City's supernatural community is ablaze with reports about an upcoming literary publication. An anonymous human, who claims they are intimately involved with a real life vampire, has written a new tell-all book. The work threatens to publically “out” New York City’s powerful vampires and “dish the dirt” on the goings on in their world. The entire vampire population is enraged. Many are demanding that the author be found and silenced. Some are also insisting that their collective safety requires that any human involved with a vampire be either executed or turned. Tortego insists this is a local matter which he can solve without outside help. Jean-Claude, however, as head of the entire city's supernatural community thinks otherwise. Mark and his friends are called upon to join forces to find the author and stop the book from being published before things spiral out of control. As vampire attacks in the city increase, the crafty Tortego devises a scheme to destroy both Mark and Jean-Claude. When more violence erupts and murder is committed, it becomes, “The Case of the Deadly Dish."





The Case of the Vengeful Virgin: A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery #9 {out Dec 31th, 2017}


Jean-Claude’s two French cousins are visiting with him and his family in New York City. It should be joyful occasion since Jean-Claude spent part of his teen years happily growing up with them in Paris. This visit, however, carries with it a dark cloud. Before they left France a young Vestal Virgin was murdered. Rumor has it that perhaps one of Jean-Claude's cousins knew the dead girl or her killer. 

Others have also slipped into New York City. One is a good friend of Mark's, an ancient vampire who is also a Senator of the Roman Imperial Court. The other is the Imperial Court's Chief Vestal. Are these two searching for the truth behind the virgin's death or merely seeking retribution without regard for guilt or innocence? 

Soon questions arise. How are one or both of Jean-Claude’s cousins involved in her death? Will these Imperial visitors simply be bringing more deaths with them? Even more troubling, will Mark Julian and his friends risk being dragged into something that will have heartbreaking ramifications for all of them? With plots and secrets abounding and a looming latter-day Iago scheme, strait out of Shakespeare’s Othello, Mark will discover there is nothing simple when it comes to a “Vengeful Virgin.”


The Case of the Parisian Vendetta: A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery #10 {out Feb 14th, 2017}


A war has broken out between the supernatural forces of Paris and New York City over Jean-Claude’s execution his cousin, the heir to the French branch of the Roué werewolf clan. So far the conflict has been going badly for New York City. With death and destruction taking place throughout the five boroughs many are grumbling about Jean-Claude’s leadership. If things continue, New York City may lose the fight to Paris. Some in the city government believe a traitor is feeding Paris critical information about New York’s war plans and defenses. When Mark is called in to discover the security leak he decides to combine that mission with one of his own. For some time Mark has been concerned about his friend, Jean-Claude. The werewolf has been exhibiting increasing bizarre behavior during government meetings. At times he appears to have lost touch with reality. Worse, an increasingly indecisive Jean-Claude has exhibited a growing dependence upon the crafty Spanish vampire, Tortego. Mark Julian knows the former Inquisitor is up to something. He is determined to discover what it is before Jean-Claude is ousted from office. With drugs, a deadly spy ring and an attempted rape the order of the day, the stakes are too high for Mark to fail. While the war rages around them all, it’s a race against time for him to find the answers he seeks.

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