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Four years ago, a beautiful young heiress survived an attack that claimed the lives of both of her parents. The crime made headlines all over Los Angeles, both for the vicious nature of the killings and the seemingly random nature of the attack: nothing was stolen, and the van Aust family had no obvious enemies. Melia van Aust fled the city soon after the murders – which were never solved – but her brother Jasper has not been seen since.
After a childhood spent in the shadow of her famous parents, Rainey Hall understands the dynamics of a dysfunctional family. She still hasn't recovered from a tragedy that tore her own family apart six years before. It's part of the reason why she started her own private investigation agency—to aid victims of crimes that might otherwise go unsolved.
When Melia returns to Los Angeles and moves back into her family home, someone begins sending her increasingly violent messages that allude to the killing of her parents. She hires Rainey to track down the culprit and find her missing brother. Touched by the similarities between their lives, Rainey feels compelled to protect Melia, even when it becomes clear that their relationship has become more than professional.
Soon, Rainey finds herself falling down the rabbit hole of Melia's life. Her quest to find Melia's stalker will bring her in contact with disgraced royals, seedy neighbors, violent ex-boyfriends and former staff, each one with their own set of secrets. As the threats against Melia escalate and the two women are drawn together, it's only a matter of time before another victim turns up.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
October 4, 2022 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781639362257
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781639362257
- File size: 4204 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from August 29, 2022
Hollywood PI Rainey Hall, the narrator of this seductive neo-noir from Barry (Windhall), harbors a dangerously soft spot for certain vulnerable-seeming clients—especially ones as alluring as Melia van Aust. Four years after the notorious, never-solved attack at Melia’s wealthy family’s hillside home that left her parents butchered, Melia, now 22, approaches Rainey with what seems a simple request: find out who’s been sending her the increasingly threatening letters she fears might be coming from her fugitive younger brother, Jasper, who disappeared the night of the murders. It emerges there’s little straightforward about either the case or Melia herself—and that Rainey may be putting not only her heart but her life in jeopardy. Rainey’s clouded personal history, including both her past as a globe-trotting violin prodigy and the aching void left when her artist-mother vanished when she was 15, adds intrigue. And she has a gift for tossing off memorable lines such as the observation she remembers her late conductor-father once making: “Los Angeles is a place of dead poetry.” This evocative novel demonstrates that both the city and its magic remain very much alive. Agent: Annie Bomke, Annie Bomke Literary. -
October 1, 2022
Rainey Hall grew up in the shadow of her famous parents, both musicians. Rainey was a musical prodigy herself, but when her mother disappeared, she withdrew from that life and now works as a PI in Los Angeles with two partners. Her latest case involves heiress Melia Van Aust. The only known surviving member of the Van Aust family, Melia is scarred, both physically and mentally, from the vicious attack that took both of her parents. Her brother, Jasper, disappeared after the murder. Then Melia receives a threatening letter, convincing her that Jasper is alive and may mean her harm. Rainey is pulled into Melia's world, soon finding herself lost in another life, one that she's not sure she can escape. The plot of this exhilarating and intricate novel ebbs and flows between fast-paced action and relaxed moments of narrative exposition. Rainey is a formidable protagonist, and her steadfast and honest relationships with her two female partners are well developed and refreshing to read. Recommend this one to fans of Robert Galbraith and Jennifer Wolfe.COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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