Suspects abound when an unscrupulous blackmailer is found dead by a private eye and her histrionic assistant. Caterina DeLuca's Pants on Fire Detective Agency, meant to catch cheaters, is charged with an investigation that may be beyond its means when Cat's assistant/partner (depending on who you ask) Cleo Jones is charged with murder. It all starts with Cleo's cheating husband, Walter, who hasn't bothered to wait for his divorce to take up with Cleo's sister. When Cleo brings Cat along to do a bit of B & E at Walter's place and rescue Cleo's pooch Beau, the two find the last thing they expected: Walter home and stone-cold dead. Now Cleo is prime suspect and Cat is looking at accessory after the fact, a status not even her connections at the police department can wrangle her out of. Cat thinks her only way out is to identify who really killed Walter, but with the dead man's unscrupulous ways, including adultery, blackmail and embezzlement at a minimum, it's hard for Cat to imagine who wouldn't want Walter dead. While Cat craves support from her FBI boyfriend Chance Savino, she's seen more of her Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker lately than she has of Chance. As Cat investigates the murder of a man the world may be better for having lost, she debates whether finding the truth is as important as staying out of trouble. It's only logical that Cat's second case (Liar, Liar, 2010) is a bit disjointed, since the author is a nom de plume of three sisters. Tighter editing might return the series to its former glory.
Sticks and stones may break my bones-or they might actually kill me.
What does a woman do when she discovers her husband is an incurable cheater? If she's Cat DeLuca, she launches the Pants on Fire Detective Agency. Now Cat does what two years of unholy matrimony taught her to do: she catches cheaters. When a client, Cleo Jones, shoots her cheating husband's bum full of buckshot, he disappears, taking her money, dog, and sister with him. Private Investigator Cat DeLuca promises to retrieve the dog and money if her client stops shooting at Walter. Cleo agrees. The detective finds the dog and a mysterious bag full of cash. And then she finds Walter. His very dead body is still warm.
The case is a slam dunk for the cops who arrest Cleo for the killing. She had motive and opportunity, and a dozen witnesses heard her scream bloody murder. One even made a video.
Cat DeLuca is determined to prove her client's innocence, and it's not an easy job. Walter was an unsavory character. Over the years he had acquired numerous enemies. Now, Cat will have to sift through all the ones who didn't pull the trigger. Her investigation leads to four players with secrets: a childhood friend, a gambler, a construction tycoon, and a legendary Chicago designer.
When forensic evidence suggests the detective knows more about the murder than she's telling, Cat faces the certain loss of her agency.
Cat DeLuca is smart and charming, but she's an unlikely heroine, and her partner, a beagle named Inga, is quite likely to eat the evidence. Sticks and Stones delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud humor for a wickedly delicious read.
Sticks and stones may break my bones-or they might actually kill me.
What does a woman do when she discovers her husband is an incurable cheater? If she's Cat DeLuca, she launches the Pants on Fire Detective Agency. Now Cat does what two years of unholy matrimony taught her to do: she catches cheaters. When a client, Cleo Jones, shoots her cheating husband's bum full of buckshot, he disappears, taking her money, dog, and sister with him. Private Investigator Cat DeLuca promises to retrieve the dog and money if her client stops shooting at Walter. Cleo agrees. The detective finds the dog and a mysterious bag full of cash. And then she finds Walter. His very dead body is still warm.
The case is a slam dunk for the cops who arrest Cleo for the killing. She had motive and opportunity, and a dozen witnesses heard her scream bloody murder. One even made a video.
Cat DeLuca is determined to prove her client's innocence, and it's not an easy job. Walter was an unsavory character. Over the years he had acquired numerous enemies. Now, Cat will have to sift through all the ones who didn't pull the trigger. Her investigation leads to four players with secrets: a childhood friend, a gambler, a construction tycoon, and a legendary Chicago designer.
When forensic evidence suggests the detective knows more about the murder than she's telling, Cat faces the certain loss of her agency.
Cat DeLuca is smart and charming, but she's an unlikely heroine, and her partner, a beagle named Inga, is quite likely to eat the evidence. Sticks and Stones delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud humor for a wickedly delicious read.
Sticks and Stones: A Cat DeLuca Mystery
Sticks and Stones: A Cat DeLuca Mystery
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169837179 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 02/07/2012 |
| Series: | Cat DeLuca , #2 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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