Part of Series
Charlie receives an assignment to drive a teen runaway girl back to her home in Arizona. It’s about a six hour drive each way, and all she has to do is deliver the girl back to her mother, enjoy a night in a nice hotel, turn around and drive back. She’ll be home in plenty of time to bake the Thanksgiving pies with Elsa and settle into the holiday season back in Albuquerque. Or not. From the get-go, the trip is fraught with problems. Traffic is horrible, weather is moving in, and the only motel they can get into is a dump. Sophie is a 13-year-old with attitude, challenging Charlie to keep her cool at every step. Basically, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, and the quick job turns into a stress-filled trip. And then there’s a murder. The girl’s mother is a no-show and the dead guy is mom’s boyfriend, leaving Charlie to figure out what she’ll do with this obstinate teen. Things brighten up when Charlie meets a group of five Arizona women who have a bit of experience at the mystery game themselves. The Heist Ladies are on a case with tentacles that overlap with Charlie’s. Working together, can they find the missing mom and get the young teen settled, and will Charlie make it home in time for the holiday? Praise for this USA Today bestselling “Charlie is just what readers want.” –Booklist “The Heist Ladies series is going to be off the charts! Thank you Connie Shelton for such an awesome book.” – 5 stars, Goodreads reviewer “A page turner!” - K. Coonce, 5 star review (for Escapes Can Be Murder) “I always love Charlie’s escapades. She keeps me glued to the story, unable to put it down. Love the mixture of humor and suspense. Can’t wait for the next adventure!” – Meg, 5 stars on Amazon “Each book in the series just keeps getting better and better.” – Vine Voice reviewer on Amazon “Charlie is a fabulous amateur sleuth!” – Midwest Book Review
Author
My love of books started with weekly trips to the library as a child and from the moment I learned to read I can't remember a time that I didn't have at least one book going. For the past 25 years, that list has grown to include what I'm reading and what I'm writing at any given time. I began writing my Charlie Parker series when my husband and I lived on Kauai, then continued them in my home state of New Mexico. Charlie lives in Albuquerque and manages to travel to a variety of locations, wherever her investigation business and her husband's helicopter business take them. My second series featuring Samantha Sweet, the 50-ish woman who breaks into houses for a living, is set in Taos, New Mexico. In addition to reading and writing, I've traveled quite a lot, taught writing courses, and been a speaker at a whole lot of mystery conventions and writing conferences. In my spare time I also love to paint, draw, cook and spend time at the beach. Series: * Charlie Parker Mystery
