In this electrifying new J.J. Graves mystery, New York Times bestselling author Liliana Hart weaves a heart-stopping tale of greed, loyalty, and survival, where fighting dirty is the only way to win. In the shadowed corners of Bloody Mary, Virginia, where secrets fester like old wounds, coroner J.J. Graves and Sheriff Jack Lawson uncover a brutal truth that hits too close to home. When a young boxer is found dead in an abandoned warehouse, his body battered beyond the ring's rules, J.J.'s autopsy reveals a chilling he was drugged to throw a fight, and someone cashed in on his last breath. The trail leads to an underground fight club operating beneath the town's historic docks, where Bloody Mary's elite wager fortunes on blood and betrayal. As J.J. and Jack infiltrate a world of rigged bets and broken bones, they discover the syndicate's roots trace back to a Prohibition-era scandal that still haunts the town. When a second murder points to a trusted mentor from Jack's past, the couple faces a gauntlet of lies, fists, and hidden agendas. With a ruthless kingpin calling the shots and the next fight rigged to kill, J.J. and Jack must go all-in to bring justice—before they're counted out for good.
Author
Liliana Hart spent five years teaching music in the public education system. She molded America’s youth, busted kids for smoking pot in the restrooms, and broke up illicit affairs behind the stage on a regular basis. (Liliana’s Addison Holmes Mystery Series, about a small town teacher who gets into a whole lot of trouble, is somewhat autobiographical, but she won’t confess to which parts). Liliana began reading romance novels with all her new found free time, and when she ran out of things to read, she decided to write her own novels. The result was a 150,000 word thriller—a dazzling adventure—where the heroine was a thirty-year-old virgin assassin (Yes, you read that right). She couldn’t imagine why people weren’t knocking down her door to read it, but she persevered and began writing a second book. She finally got the hang of things, and eventually learned that losing one’s virginity wasn’t all that romantic after all. All of her books involve some kind of suspense (she just can't help herself), laughter, and a lot of steamy sex. Since the failure of her first attempt, Liliana’s books have won awards such as: The Daphne Du Maurier, The Suzannah, The Linda Howard Award of Excellence, The Maggie, and many others. Her affiliations include Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America. Liliana loves to cook, and is addicted to reading, Internet Boggle, kickboxing, and Bones. She lives in a big, rambling house in Texas with a couple of cats to keep her company. She loves to get emails from readers. Enjoy the Adventures!
