Introducing William Gensburger
Where did the idea for the story come from?
The main character, Detective Maxie Michaels, originated from a composite of people I have met. I like strong female leads, not flat characters, and strong support characters, as well. The story came from the news headlines about crime increases since Covid, although I did not use Covid in the story.
Give a quote from the books, one that says little but speaks volumes.
Toscana aimed the gun at Devin’s head, but Devin shifted position again so his head was behind Tony. Toscana fired. The bullet hit Tony in the head, slamming Devin back to the ground and releasing his grip.
Summarise your book in ten words or less.
Celebrity detective Maxie Michaels struggles to solve a murder tied to a larger crime wave.
Give a short summary of what the book is about.
Devin Parker is called in by Detective Maxie Michaels to identify a dead body—a family member. This launches an investigation that drags them into a sinister plot to overwhelm the city, and a race against time to avoid being killed.
What genre is it?
Mystery
How many pages is it?
279
Why do you think the readers will want to read it?
Interesting characters that the reader will love. Page-turning action to see how it will unfold. A gripping conclusion that will keep you reading until the end. These characters will become friends that you will want to read more of in the next book. (Spoiler: there will be a book two, currently being completed titled ‘American Dead’.)
Where are you located?
Corpus Christi, Texas.
Description
A series of murders in Corpus Christi leaves residents uneasy. All the victims were shot in the back of the head. But when a prominent financial genius is also found murdered, and not in the same way, celebrity detective Mackenzie ‘Maxie’ Michaels and her partner Kobe Jameson, must race to find the person responsible before more murders occur. As they uncover clues, the mystery deepens, dragging in powerful people, and threatening to erupt in a full-on war.
Excerpt
Jameson had the CCTV footage on the computer when Maxie returned from a coffee run. She handed him his cup, then sat down and sipped at her latte. He thanked her and stared at her. She looked back at him.
“Yes, I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. The office coffee tastes like crap, and no self-respecting person should drink it,” she said with a smile and took a sip. “All better now?”
He laughed. “So, what did you think of the cousin and the business partner?”
“What did you think, Kobe?” she fired back.
Jameson looked thoughtful. “The cousin was genuine. I do not think he was involved. The business partner….”
“Yes, go on….”
“Something was not right.”
Maxie nodded. “Agreed. Not only that, but what are the chances that they would have a break-in with nothing stolen, just as we are starting our investigation?”
“Are you saying that it was staged?”
Maxie shook her head. “I’m just saying—no such thing as a coincidence, Kobe. There is more to this. And I will discover it.”
“You always do,” he replied, turning back to start the video footage.
“What have we got?”
The video was shot from a camera across the alley. The field of view showed the street and the alleyway. A light-colored car pulled up. A man got out of the driver’s side and went to the passenger side. He opened the door and pulled out a body—Curtis—and dragged him into the alley. Then he left. The darkness impeded facial recognition. The video was grainy. There would be no enlarging it.
Karen J. Mossman 