The bust had gone down like clockwork. Moving through the deserted warehouse she found a set of stairs that led down. She heard a haunting sound coming from the depths of the building. Taking a deep breath, she descended a set of stairs and rounded a stack of metal cages. There, chained to the floor with heavy iron links, was a dragon. A real-life, scaled, and winged dragon.

Mystery novelist and member of the Mystery Writer’s Murder Club, Jessica Murdoch, heads off for a staycation at a bed and breakfast in her hometown of Badger’s Drift, Maine for some rest and relaxation. When a murder takes place in her luxurious suite, she figures it’s up to her to uncover the town’s secrets and find the killer. Thorn Wilder, of the Major Crime Unit of the Maine State Police, is assigned to investigate the murder.

Nicole is done with men. Her husband left her for a thinner and younger model and never looked back. She has worked hard to be an independent, successful woman without a man. Although she is still a curvy woman, she is healthy and loves outdoor activities. Climbing Pyramid Mountain is the next adventure on her list of things she wants to accomplish. So why does she feel drawn to Asher, the know-it-all US Forest Ranger telling her she can’t make her climb?

Serious, focused, and surly are just a few of the things Cooper has been called since he left the Seals and started working at Cerberus’ black ops security firm. He continues to have recurring nightmares and often questions his own judgment, especially when it comes to women. His preference is casual, no strings attached relationships. What he got was a sassy spitfire with fire in her eyes. He knew from the moment she ran into his arms that she wasn’t anything like his other clients and her case would be his.

Five years ago, I drove away from my birthday party, my father, and his mafia organization. I’ve been living off the grid in Moab, Utah. When my father is brutally killed, I am suddenly a wanted woman by various entities, including the Feds, the Cartel, my father’s odious second-in-command, and the head of the Gateway Syndicate, Nolan Hamilton, none of them good.