GYPSIES ARE FOREVER. AND SO HELPFUL IN A FAMILY MURDER! Once you marry into a gypsy clan, just try to get out! Annie Szabo loved her husband, but after his death, she was only too happy to leave his outrageous clan behind, especially her pushy mother-in-law, Madame Mina. But Mina wasn't just any pushy relative. As the heart of the close-knit Szabo family, she was also powerful, stubborn, and devoutly to be avoided. Well, too bad for Annie! When her oldest friend, Jerry, turns up dead, she’s plunged back into the family she tried to leave behind. She knows Jerry was murdered, but how is she supposed to prove it? Easy, if you’ve got a gypsy family. Or anyway, easier. So before you know it, Annie’s knee-deep once again in ancient curses, petty theft, and, everyone’s favorite—love magic. All thanks to Madame Mina’s psychic skills and a certain wildly sexy gypsy and his shady P.I. father.

Sexy, smart and fun, the feisty Szabo women join forces once again. Annie is the heroine who must walk a treacherous tightrope to save her home and family. Her audacious Gypsy mother-in-law, Madame Mina, uses cures and curses to cover Annie’s back. Engaging and exotic! “Over-the-big-top characters keep the plot spinning, and the mystery pays off with colorful atmosphere, eventful storytelling, and a dramatic finish.” – Mystery Scene The indomitable Annie Szabo has lost too many friends and loved ones, so the death of Margo Spanger hits hard. Margo, Annie's neighbor and close friend, was a cultural icon with money and fame—maybe too much . . . Margo used one of her projects, a New Age cirque, to fund a women's shelter. She is found dead on the property, and there’s not one clue about the killer’s identity. When Margo's partner, Lili, goes missing the day of Margo's death, the circus and shelter fall into disarray. It turns Annie's own world upside down, too—her daughter is a resident of the women's shelter and could become the next victim. Aided by an ex-cop and Mina's plant medicine, Annie uncovers Margo's past. She had rattled a lot of the wine country’s power elite; one sexy trapeze artist; a jealous lover; a captain of industry; her long-lost son; and an ice-blond philanthropist. As Annie delves into their surprisingly tangled lives, one thing becomes clear—the killer is a master of disguise, and time is running out. The Szabo women learn that, under or outside the big top, anything and everything may be an illusion, and justice sometimes wears a surprising mask. REVIEWS “Blevins blends a wild story, wonderful wit, and great characters. THE VANISHED PRIESTESS features idiosyncratic characters, sharp-tongued wit, and wild plot peregrinations. And the exotic embodiments of Gypsy lore and culture add immensely to the mix.” —starred review, Library Journal, which also named ‘The Vanished Priestess’ ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST FIVE MYSTERIES. “In this unique mystery, Blevins creates a Gypsy world unlike any other depicted in mysteries before. Annie is funny, strong and, above all, she will do anything to take care of those she loves. Lively and real characters jump off the page, the mystery is well constructed, and it’s fascinating to see how Annie solves it.” – Romantic Times Book Club “What sets Blevins’s mysteries apart is the fabulously mixed cast of characters and a Gypsy sensibility in the writing. It’s difficult to describe, but it is odd thoughts, abbreviated sentences, a unique turn of phrase. “It would be easy to go for broad Janet Evanovich-style humor when one is writing about fortune tellers and trapeze artists and 350-pound brothel madams, but Blevins resists the temptation. There is humor, but she gently pokes fun at her characters’ eccentricities while letting the reader know she has a great affection for them. Although, Madame Mina (not to be confused with Juanita the madam) is a piece of work!” – World-Herald “This is a book for those of you who like off-the-wall characters and different settings... What follows is a story of murder, of love gone sour in more than one case, and a story of hope. Peopled with outlandish characters, this book is one of a kind, made equally captivating by a strong plot.” – Mystery News

"Blevins succeeds in weaving humor, zany characters, and the occult into an entertaining mystery with serious undertones.” — Publisher’s Weekly “Great plot and insight into Gypsy culture!” ~ Library Journal, starred review. The spicy Szabo women would like to kick back with a lover, a good movie, and a few laughs, but life has something else in mind. One meeting with an extraordinary boy leads them headlong into another wild, and hair-raising, adventure. Annie Szabo has discovered a miracle—Jimmy Qi, a kid from Chinatown with the power to heal using music. He’s dazzling, he’s a scoundrel, he is sensitive, and he makes a great newspaper article. But now? Everyone wants Jimmy. Feeling responsible for creating San Francisco’s latest hot commodity, Annie enlists her mother-in-law, the audacious fortune-teller Madame Mina, to help keep Jimmy safe from his avid an evangelist; an ex-hero with a troubled past; the tongs; a CDC doctor; a dolphin fanatic; and an FBI agent who seems too good to be true. A set of aging twins with a vivid past and a dubious future offer Annie protection. The women have powerful alliances, and they like Annie’s style. She has reservations, but after an afternoon spent slamming back Bombay Gin with the ladies, Annie accepts their help. And then the bodies start turning up. Annie grabs Jimmy and runs, luring the killer through a tangle of Chinese New Year celebrations and north, up the deserted California coast, where she and Madame Mina force the killer to face justice. “A madcap dash through San Francisco’s Chinatown and the crumbling Haight-Ashbury district with a cast of bona fide eccentrics!” ~ Kirkus Reviews “The Red Hot Empress is witty, clever, and slyly wise—all at the same time. No doubt about it, Meredith Blevins is a magician who changes words into music.” Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author of ‘Wife of Moon’ “A roller-coaster thrill-ride through San Francisco’s Chinatown. Sexy, colorful, and just plain fun.” Denise Hamilton, bestselling author of ‘The Jasmine Trade.’