- Print Length: 336 pages
- Publisher: Down & Out Books (February 10, 2020)
- Publication Date: February 10, 2020
- Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
When Anderson West takes on the pro-bono case of Jessica Smith, a twenty-something restaurant hostess being stalked, the last thing he expects is for his investigation to spiral into breaking and entering, assault, and legal threats from the suspects and the victim.
But that’s what happens when you run a private investigation firm with your rule-breaking, loose-cannon sister at your side.
While Anderson spends his time deducing and interviewing possible suspects, Carrie handles interrogations in her own unique—and personal—fashion. And it seems like everyone is a suspect. There are Jessica’s ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend, her incredibly creepy boss and the suspicious reverend at her church who definitely seems to be hiding something.
Or someone.
The closer Anderson and Carrie get to an answer, the more danger Jessica finds herself in. Her stalker’s notes become increasingly more threatening, trading the scary phone calls and text messages for terrifying photographs and notes at her gym, work, and home. To make things even more complicated, Jessica’s backstory begins to unravel, and the secrets of her past could potentially solve everything...if only she’d let Anderson and Carrie in.
With time ticking down, will the brother-sister investigative team be able to solve Jessica’s case before she tries something foolhardy, like facing up to the tenacious bastard on her own, armed only with a handgun and a prayer?
But that’s what happens when you run a private investigation firm with your rule-breaking, loose-cannon sister at your side.
While Anderson spends his time deducing and interviewing possible suspects, Carrie handles interrogations in her own unique—and personal—fashion. And it seems like everyone is a suspect. There are Jessica’s ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend, her incredibly creepy boss and the suspicious reverend at her church who definitely seems to be hiding something.
Or someone.
The closer Anderson and Carrie get to an answer, the more danger Jessica finds herself in. Her stalker’s notes become increasingly more threatening, trading the scary phone calls and text messages for terrifying photographs and notes at her gym, work, and home. To make things even more complicated, Jessica’s backstory begins to unravel, and the secrets of her past could potentially solve everything...if only she’d let Anderson and Carrie in.
With time ticking down, will the brother-sister investigative team be able to solve Jessica’s case before she tries something foolhardy, like facing up to the tenacious bastard on her own, armed only with a handgun and a prayer?
THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
I loved this Private Investigator thriller that caught my attention right from the beginning. Anderson West and sister Carrie run a PI firm, West Investigations. They take on a pro bono, and what seems to be a straightforward case of stalking from a young woman, Jessica Smith. But of course, Olaf delivers a thrilling ride to discovery.
I fell in love with the characters right away. Anderson West is kind, charming and so unlike his sister Carrie who was a renegade/ vigilante detective that will stop at nothing to find the information she needs. Both these characters balance each other out and made for a fun sibling banter.
I found that Orloff’s writing was clear, easy to read and follow, and kept my interest and excitement to turn those pages. I thought that I had enough suspicious characters to keep me guessing who would be stalking Jessica, who turns out to have quite a history and made her the unreliable victim.
All in all, this was a great thriller read with an amazing duo of characters I would love to read more of in the future for a great start of a series.
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:
Alan Orloff is one of a rare breed—a native Washingtonian. Born in D.C. and raised in the Maryland suburbs, he received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland (GO TERPS!) before hitting the road to work for General Electric.
After a few years touring the country (Syracuse, NY; Tewksbury, MA; Richmond, VA; Newport News, VA; Louisville, KY:), he decided engineering wasn’t his thing and attended business school, earning an MBA at MIT/Sloan (GO BEAVERS!). Upon graduation, he returned to the Washington area and made the arduous trek across the Potomac River into the Virginia suburbs, where he’s been living ever since.
Throughout his eclectic career, Alan has worked on nuclear submarines, supervised assembly workers in factories, and stacked washing machines three high in a warehouse with a forklift. He worked at a newspaper company (The Washington Post), for a marketing research firm (Arbitron), and at a hardware/software systems developer (Odin). He even started his own newsletter business, educating the public about the benefits of recycling and waste reduction (GO EARTH!).
Years later, though, he decided business wasn’t really his thing either. Buoyed by the support of his wife, he started writing fiction. Miraculously, he didn’t get bored; in fact, he actually enjoyed writing. This would have made his late father, a former English teacher, very proud.
When he isn’t busy writing, he can be found teaching fiction-writing workshops at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Alan is a member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA), International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and he has completed the Herndon (VA) Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Academy.
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