THE PORN STAR, THE MURDERER, AND THE DISAPPEARING WIFE…

Those are just a few of the family members Oakland P.I. Jeri Howard finds herself investigating in a puzzling missing persons case that sprawls throughout the grittier sections of Northern California. For a woman who told her husband she had no relatives, Renee Foster’s actually well-stocked with them….and doozies at that. The whole family—criminals, abusers, and kindly aunts alike– comes alive in Janet Dawson’s first novel, prompting the New York Times to hail it as “a welcome addition to this tough genre.”

There’s clearly a lot more here than the simple matter of a wife disappearing with the grocery money. Smelling a rat or two right from the beginning of this complex and intriguing mystery, the red-haired private detective follows many a twisty trail as Dawson weaves an equally twisty tale, which, to the reader’s delight, just keeps winding back on itself, revealing brand new secrets as fast as ancient skeletons can fall out of closets.

Marc takes the proverbial road less traveled, going from life as a frustratingly floundering defense attorney to that of a celebrated criminal lawyer, while representing a handful of colorful clients running the gauntlet from vigilante to psychopath. And Marc deftly adapts to each of them.

BOOK ONE – THE KEY TO JUSTICE

Financially embarrassed, getting a divorce, living in a shabby apartment, and distinctly short of clients, Marc Kadella’s beginning to question why he ever went into the law when a friend brings him the case all Minneapolis is watching–defending an accused serial killer. If he wins, it could turn his life around— if he blows it, he better go into sales.

When someone goes off the deep end…
Sometimes what appears to be an accident, could be murder.
Event planner, Penelope Wilks stays busy with parties, even throughout the Jersey shore’s often blustery winter. Her business, Parties on the Pier, manages to thrive, with holiday celebrations and other occasions keeping her on her toes.
A tragic accident occurs during the peak of the holiday party season, and Penelope just can’t shake the idea the something feels ‘off’ about the whole set of circumstances. Her inquisitive nature takes over, and she digs deeper, finding an astonishing maze of intrigue and sabotage.
Will the curious, and determined, amateur sleuth be able to hunt down a killer? What peril will she encounter while on her quest for answers?

After too many years on the battlefield, Merrick de Beaucourt is looking forward to a simple life of peace and quiet with a docile wife at his side. But when he finally fetches his bride-to-be from a secluded English convent, he finds he needs more than his knight’s spurs to bring order to his life.

When betrothed at fifteen to the legendary English knight she had never met, Lady Clio of Camrose believed that love was something magical. But her youthful hopes faded as she languished in a convent for six long years, never hearing a word from Merrick. Weary of war, Lord Merrick finds little peace guarding the wild Welsh borders, and even less with the wife whose trust he destroyed. But as Lady Clio comes to understand the dark knight she so blindly wed, she sees a chance to make her dreams come true.

A spinster lady in waiting…

After four broken betrothals, Elizabeth Fraser believes her father’s political ambitions will keep her from ever finding a husband. Content to be considered on the shelf, Elizabeth would rather be left in peace as one of the queen’s ladies in waiting than engage in flirtations that lead nowhere. She never expected one chance encounter months ago would alter the future she had accepted. Will Elizabeth give Edward a second chance to prove he wants more than a dalliance?

A warrior wanting to return home…

Edward Bruce, the adopted younger brother of King Robert the Bruce, is tired of fighting the English in Ireland. Loyal to his brother but homesick, Edward returns to Robert’s Scottish court in hopes of settling down once more in the Highlands. Edward recognizes the beguiling Lady Elizabeth from a brief meeting that involved one dance and a rushed conversation on the terrace. He still can’t believe the rumor she started to protect her friends. Drawn to her dry wit and independent nature, Edward realizes that his new home will require one particular lady of the keep.

An arranged marriage is my family’s last chance… I have to marry a ruthless stranger to save them.

Billionaire Atticus Price wants my father’s struggling empire. Even worse, he wants me. Immediately. Irrevocably. He isn’t a man who accepts no for an answer.

This is a hostile takeover, and somehow I’ve become the price.

I’ll protect the people in my father’s company, even as my father sells it to the highest bidder–along with me. That doesn’t mean I’ll be the meek bride he expects.

It’s a sensual battle of wills. He’s the king of the boardroom, and he’ll make me his queen. At any cost. Falling for him is a weakness I can’t afford.

The first time I met Travis Maxwell, he thought I was a damsel in distress. We spent a glorious week together, knowing that we’d go our separate ways in the end.

One month later, two blue lines turn my life upside down.

I’m pregnant. And the number Travis gave me is no longer in service.

Hurt and shocked, I do the right thing and track him down. We agree to be friends, nothing more, and to raise our child. Easier said than done.

Travis transforms from a master flirt to a caveman, intent on protecting me, and our unborn baby. He spoils me and tends to all my cravings: including supplying my favorite cupcakes on demand and watching Netflix with me.

As we bicker about which season of Bridgerton is better, he suddenly tells me that he wants me.

Kyle Spencer is the king of country music.
She’s the city girl, sent to talk him into returning to the stage…

Piper Egan landed her dream job straight out of college—working at Empire Records. But instead of discovering new talent and changing lives, like she’d hoped, her time is spent taking meeting notes and catering to spoiled celebrities. When the chance to change that finally appears, she should be thrilled.

Unfortunately, Piper’s promotion involves the charming cowboy she’s spent years attempting to avoid. And flying to middle of nowhere, Texas, in a desperate attempt to talk the king of country music into returning to the stage.

It’s a work trip with no boundaries. Piper is determined to head back to New York with a signed contract in hand, no matter what it takes. But that plan becomes complicated when she’s greeted by a scowl instead of Kyle’s trademark grin. Becomes challenging when she glimpses the genuine guy beneath the superstar. Becomes impossible when she learns the reason he walked away from the spotlight.