New Release - The Shadow Cabinet by Harol Marshall #firestarpress #prairierosepub #thriller

What if the greatest conspiracy theory of all time became reality? A take-over of the United States government could never happen…or could it?

Secretly appointed by Congress and housed underground at FEMA’s Mount Weather facility, members of the Continuity of Government initiative prepare to carry on government functions in the event of a catastrophic national emergency. 

But COG President Fred McGuire has other ideas for THE SHADOW CABINET. His thirst for power translates into a cold-blooded plot—one that will certainly end in murder… 

Agent Dan Chavez will do whatever it takes to prevent the intricate plan from reaching the inevitable, unthinkable end—a power grab that would be the greatest political coup in history. But will he be able to stop McGuire and THE SHADOW CABINET from seizing control of the most powerful country in the world?

EXCERPT

     He’s talking to me like he’s a damned therapist and I’m his patient.
     “I did a workaround,” Malcolm took a deep breath, hoping Shotgun wouldn’t report his hacking of Agency files, “which gave me access to some of the files, but not all. I think we’ve got an honest-to-god conspiracy emanating from inside the Agency,” Malcolm took an anxious breath, “aimed at political targets.”
     This seemed to catch Shotgun’s attention. He sat forward leaning closer to Malcolm. “A conspiracy. What kind of conspiracy?” 
     The comforting therapist voice again. “Assassination plot.”
     “An assassination plot hatched inside the Agency. Is that what you’re telling me?”
     Malcolm found Shotgun’s response unsettling. Did he already know about the plot? Were his people investigating it? If so, I can keep it under wraps until he decides to release the information. If that’s what he wants, he should say so. Disconcerted, Malcolm hesitated. “Are you sure I can’t get you a drink?”

     

New Release -- Adieu at the Zoo (A Jefferson Zoo Mystery) by Harol Marshall #firestarpress #prairierosepubs #cozymystery

The discovery of a dead body in Jefferson County Zoo’s new Wetlands exhibit turns the life of Horticulture Curator Samantha Clark upside down. Worse than that, she and her Hort tech, Jodie, find themselves implicated as possible suspects—until someone runs them off the road in an attempt to see them dead, also.

Sam believes she may be on to a trail of clues when she’s approached by one of the zoo’s wealthy private donors in what seems to be an attempt to draw her into the illegal sale of rare and endangered plants. With the help of Dan Saunders, the zoo’s Head of Security, Sam devises a plan to get to the bottom of what looks to be a murder, a suspicious disappearance, and her own near-death.

The mystery deepens when one of the zoo’s security guards goes missing. Will another dead body turn up? As things heat up between Sam and Dan, they realize they could lose everything if they can’t solve these mysteries before another murder takes place.

EXCERPT

     I parked my cart at the edge of the marsh and tromped up the boardwalk. “Hey, Jo, what’s up?”

     She leaned over the wooden railing and pointed to the concrete catch basin that traps refuse and keeps detritus from contaminating the lake when the waters overflow.

     “Have a look,” she said.

     I bent over the railing and blinked wildly. A large sheet of black plastic tied with strands of rope stuck halfway into the catch basin. A few inches of water lay in the bottom of the trough. Protruding from the far edge of the plastic I could see a pair of mottled, purplish-gray human feet. An Eastern Box Turtle nibbled away on the big toe of the left foot. Jodie pried the turtle off with the handle of her rake and moved it away, but the stubborn creature crawled right back and snagged another toe.

     “What the—” I nearly bit off my tongue for the second time that evening.

     “Yeah,” Jodie said, with a grim shake of her head, “see why I told you we had an emergency here?”

     

New Release -- The Case of the Lost Trophy Wife (A P.I. Berger Mystery Book 3) by Harol Marshall @prairierosepubs #mystery

 When prosperity gospel preacher Harvey Kow’s beautiful wife, Holly, goes missing in Tinseltown, P.I. Polly Berger’s investigative firm is hired to find her—and prove the Right Reverend Kow is innocent of any wrongdoing. 

But the wealthy preacher’s wife has some secrets of her own that come to light when one of Polly’s former clients, Cinda Mae Bradbury, divulges the past occupation of the missing woman. Did Holly Kow run away? Has she been kidnapped? Or, has something worse happened in Hollywood Hills?

With a killer on the loose, Polly is nearly murdered in a drive-by shooting, and the tarot card reader in Polly’s building mysteriously disappears after making a dire prediction for Polly’s ex-husband, Johnny’s future.

Can Polly, her assistant Bunny, and Johnny find Holly Kow before it’s too late? Their time is up, and their very survival depends on solving THE CASE OF THE LOST TROPHY WIFE…  

EXCERPT

     A minute or two after I’d informed Bunny of my decision to take the Kow case, I remembered the invoice I forgot to give him. I headed out to his desk with a copy of a statement from the L.A. Department of Power and Water.

     “One more bill to pay,” I said. “The best reason of all to work with a shyster like Bugsy.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth when all hell broke loose.

     “Holy sh—! Get down, Polly,” Bunny yelled, tackling me and dragging me behind his desk as a flurry of gunshots rang out.

     “What the—” I’d barely hit the floor when our building exploded in a fusillade of flying bullets and shattering glass and metal. The cannonade rivaled the Fourth of July at Dodger Stadium. I hoped our building’s earthquake fortifications were up to code, because there was a whole lot of shakin’ going on and not of the Jerry Lee Lewis variety. I listened for screams, wondering if anyone downstairs had been hit, but the only sounds reaching my ears were of the non-human variety.

     

New Release — The Case of the CatWalk Saint (A P.I. Berger Mystery Book 1) by Harol Marshall @prairierosepubs #firestarpress #mystery

When stripper Cinda Mae Bradbury walks into private investigator Polly Berger’s Hollywood office, she brings a dazzling smile and a whole lot of trouble with her! Polly is always up for a challenge, and the gorgeous entertainer at the nearby CatWalk strip club brings Polly a case she just can’t resist jumping into with both feet. 

But Polly and her stand-up comic secretary, Bunny, barely scratch the tip of the iceberg before things turn deadly. What’s happening with the strange Señora at the Botanica de Angeles, the Mass of Santa Muerte, and the dead bodies that keep turning up?

When bullets fly, Polly could never guess she’d be so glad to have her ex-husband, Johnny Birdwhistle, helping out on the case. A crack detective with the Hollywood Police Department (HYPD), Johnny has his own reasons for lending a hand. But can Polly go back into a relationship—business or otherwise—with Johnny? Polly finds herself knee-deep in one of the most dangerous cases she’s ever taken on—one that involves murder and human trafficking…and it all started just down the street at The CatWalk.

EXCERPT

     “You’re the P.I.?” My visitor’s question sounded like an accusation. “P.I. Berger?”

The door to my office framed a silhouette Bunny would kill for. I looked her over. Long blonde hair flowed over her shoulders like cheese sauce over nachos. My stomach grumbled as she entered the room, her red knit dress locking in curves better than a Ferrari at the Grand Prix. I had her number already.

     “That’s me, how can I help you?”

     “You got credentials?”

     I pointed to the certificates hanging on the wall behind my desk. She sauntered over for a look, all hips and plenty of cheek. “I got a question,” she drawled, surveying the certificates, “are you a real P.I. or are those just your initials?

     I sighed. “Both.”

     “Did you make up that name ‘cause you’re a detective or did you decide to be a detective ‘cause that’s your name? I mean Pauline Isabel Berger ain’t your normal everyday detective name.”

     “I agree, it ain—er, isn’t. Can I help you with something?”

     “That’s why I’m here. What do I call you, Paul or Pauline?”

     “I go by Polly.”

     She grinned. “You wanna cracker?”

     Her wit lacked creativity, but I smiled anyway. “You know how many times I’ve heard that?”

     “Yeah. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Wasn’t that the name of an old timey movie star? Polly Berger?”

     “Bergen.” I said. “With an ‘n.’”

     “Well, I guess nobody’s gonna mix you up with her, anyway.” She shrugged, sending me an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean that that the way it sounded. Polly Berger’s been in heaven for a while now, I think.”

     I held my tongue. These days I couldn’t afford to be fussy about new clients. As my secretary liked to remind me, “lose your patience, lose your patients.” Bunny found that funny. I didn’t, but I had to admit it helped me hold my temper.