The New Noir

Dead Soon Enough

By Steph Cha

                The Juniper Song book series is written with a contemporary twist that adds dimension to the shadows inherent in a noir mystery story, while still paying homage to the great authors who created a masterful body of works in the genre’s beginnings. This newest book has a case that is a fast paced read. You’ll be intrigued as Private Investigator Juniper Song finds a victim could be found Dead Soon Enough.

                Steph Cha writes what she describes as Korean-American feminist noir. I’d add that her Private Investigator novels are mystery filled with thrills. These situations and characters appeal to a broad audience regardless of gender or background. Her books are spiced with thought provoking references to Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, and then transcend that epic to make this urban noir her own. Treat yourself to a real action packed PI series with titles Follow Her Home, Beware Beware, and Dead Soon Enough.

                In this third book of the series the case concerns the mystery of a woman’s disappearance and the experiences of the Armenian-American community in Los Angeles. The search for the missing woman uncovers her activist embroiled efforts in an ugly and public battle over the erection of an Armenian genocide memorial. While handling the sinister side of Los Angeles, other issues with the client bring up questions surrounding surrogate pregnancy. The investigation also tests Juniper Song’s satisfaction with her noir lifestyle.

                This author creates a cast of characters who are all intriguing and fascinating. You really don’t know what they will do next, and the emotions that drive them are described intently and bring a meaningful dimension to the story. We all have beliefs and causes and people that we believe in, and this book explores what people will do for those. What extremes will their actions reach? In the work of this author, she writes so sincerely about raw, human emotion that will have you on the edge of your chair. That creates a fun adventure to read and also presents memorable and haunting ideas.

                And if you want to hear more from the author listen to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Steph Cha

Author K. J. Howe and The Freedom Broker

The Freedom Broker

By K. J. Howe

                Thea Paris is The Freedom Broker in K.J. Howe’s new kidnap-and-ransom thriller novel. Ripped from the headlines, this evil crime of kidnapping has become a dark, international financial exploitation. The protagonist in this fast-paced, forceful novel is one of the good guys who fight for captured victims. In addition to incredible actions scenes, and tense strategic maneuvering, this novel reveals the physical and mental injuries inflicted on kidnapping on the victim, as well as their family and friends. The story emphasizes the harrowing fears of death, of suffering, of helplessness, and even more deeply engrained intangibles.

                Jump straight into action right from page one, as Thea Paris and her team are dropped into Nigeria at night on a clandestine mission to free kidnapped petroleum engineer worker in a camp where he is held captive for a three million dollar ransom. As is noted, danger is everywhere on these missions, “If the mission failed, no one would retrieve her body. She’d be left to rot in the jungle unidentified and forgotten.” High stakes for all involved. And this is just the beginning of this story.

                Thea Paris vowed to become The Freedom Broker after her brother, twelve years old at the time, had been kidnapped and returned many months later. The impact of this abduction left lasting scars on her brother Nikos and his family and friends. The tragedy altered lives, just look at how it impacted Thea’s choice in her adult lifetime work.

                Now Thea and her family have no idea what lies ahead. Ironically Thea can’t stop the dramatic kidnapping of her father, Christos Paris on the verge of his sixtieth birthday. Now the time is ticking to try to find him and to try and save him, if he isn’t already dead. The author creates a suspect rich story for the reader to ponder.

                Author K. J. Howe is a three time Daphne du Maurier writing award winner and is the Executive Director of ThrillerFest, the annual conference of International Thriller Writers. She enjoys travel very much, and treats her readers to some incredible and exotic destinations as settings in her book. She became fascinated by the kidnap-and-ransom world after meeting Peter Moore, a British computer consultant who became the longest-held hostage in Iraq and the only person to survive of the five men who were taken on that day. Reading through the acknowledgements for her book you’ll see how very well researched this fictional thriller is.

                Join Thea Paris and her team as they fight in dire situations to save kidnap victims from dangerous, diabolical schemers. It’s a glimpse into what can happen in our real world.

And watch for Thea Paris' next adventure in Skyjack available April 10th.

And to hear more from the author, catch Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with K. J. Howe