Date Published: 04-15-2025
Publisher: SparkPress
When an illusionist joins the Pines & Quill writing retreat, one of the owners vanishes without a trace in the middle of everyone, but the surrounding would-be witnesses don’t see or hear a thing. That’s when crime boss Georgio Gambino makes a checkmate move against his nemesis, Sean McPherson. He forces a writer in residence to kill another writer and frame McPherson. In a video call, Gambino warns the writer, “If you don’t follow orders, your daughter will die.” Then, he pans the camera to prove access to her college dorm room.
McPherson discovers that Carmine Fiore, Gambino’s second in command, covets his boss role and is staging a coup. As Gambino’s soldiers traffic drugs, weapons, and humans, Fiore plants incriminating evidence against the notorious Sureños gang. Can McPherson leverage that knowledge for a temporary truce and the gang’s help?
The writers in residence—a former NASCAR driver, a professional triathlete, an architect turned house flipper, and a world-renowned magician who may not be who she appears to be—band together with McPherson to create the illusion of a lifetime.
Gambino picks up his cell phone and makes another call. His heart races with anticipation. When the recipient answers, he says, “If you hang up, I’ll kill your child. Do you understand?”
"Is this some kind of sick joke?”
"I assure you this is no joke. When I disconnect, you’ll receive a video call from my associate. He’s visiting your child's class—Market Power in the New Economy. If you don’t do what I say, it will cost the life of the person you love most.”
"Who is this? What do you want from me?”
"I’m the person who’s going to kill your child if you don’t do what I say. In two days, you’re heading to Pines & Quill writing retreat. While there, you will frame Sean McPherson for murder.”
"Frame someone for murder? What do you mean?”
"No, not just someone. You’re going to frame Sean McPherson. You’re going to kill one of the other writers in residence. I don’t care which one, nor do I care how you do it. You’re a crime writer. Figure it out. You arrive at Pines & Quill on October first and leave on the twenty-first. You have three weeks to accomplish the task.”
About the Author
As a novelist, photographer, and voracious reader, she never travels without three essentials—a laptop, a camera, and a book.
Growing up, she dreamed of being a magician, an international spy, and a mad scientist. There’s still time!
Her writing studio is the hayloft of a historic carriage house in the Pacific Northwest, where creativity thrives. Her husband, Len, a private pilot, and Henry, their not-so-standard Standard Poodle, join her on daily walks. She always carries a camera because sometimes, the best word choice is a picture.
A journey that left an indelible imprint on her was a 20-day, 211-mile trek across the majestic landscapes of Scotland. She, her husband, and their son hiked from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, with the pinnacle being the climb of Ben Nevis at the midpoint of their adventure, the highest point in the British Isles.
"My writing goal is simple: to leave you wanting more." —Laurie Buchanan
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