“Dear Killer” by Linda Lovely

Marley Clark is a recently widowed, bored, former Army intelligence officer who takes on a job as a security guard for a Dear Island community in order to stay busy.  The gig is mostly routine until one night, she discovers the naked body of a local resident, floating face down in a vegetable-crammed Jacuzzi. Nearby, a message is scratched into a palm tree pot: “STEWED.”

The locals are not equipped to handle one murder, let alone the others that follow in rapid succession in "Dear Killer." A deputy arrives from the mainland to help out with the sleuthing. Who would want these people dead? Why stage the crime scenes in such bizarre fashion? And what ties them all together? Clark, the deputy, and friends work together to stop the mayhem, despite repeated threats and close calls.

As romantic suspense dictates, the deputy becomes Clark’s boyfriend. A boyfriend who is hot, younger and might not be interested in a one-night stand. And, because this is adult romantic suspense, Clark has some vivid fantasies that eventually lead to actual sexual interludes and some self-doubt about whether she can move on after a year in mourning.

In her debut novel, Linda Lovely was on a campaign to let readers know that the over 50 year old crowd is alive and well, sexually active, vital to the community, and lovin’ it. Lovely succeeded in "Dear Killer" and had great fun with her lead character along the way. Clark’s best pal is a snarky, free-spirited gal with a sailor’s vocabulary. This is not your grandmother’s cozy read. The bad guys are sleazy, the murders grisly, the similes and adjectives fly, and the clues are pun-filled.

Lovely has penned a novel set in the Low Country of South Carolina. Dear Island itself may be fictional, but descriptions of the area’s history, food, lifestyle and geographical character are authentic. Other readers who live in that section of South Carolina say it’s all spot-on.

Go to www.lindalovely.com for more information about Linda Lovely, her dedicated work in the writing community, and her recent books.

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