Today's excerpt is from a new mystery, "Bad Publicity" by Joanne Lessner. Joanne Sydney Lessner is the author of BloodWrites Award-Winner and Awesome Indies Mystery Pick "The Temporary Detective", which introduces Isobel Spice, aspiring actress and resourceful office temp turned amateur sleuth. Isobel’s adventures continue in Bad Publicity. Joanne’s debut novel, "Pandora's Bottle" (Flint Mine Press), which was inspired by the true story of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine, was named one of the top five books of 2010 by Paperback Dolls. No stranger to the theatrical world, Joanne enjoys an active performing career, and with her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, has co-authored several musicals, including the cult hit Fermat's Last Tango and Einstein's Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman. Her play, Critical Mass, received its Off Broadway premiere in October 2010 as the winner of the 2009 Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition.
Find Joanne Online:
Website
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EXCERPT
Isobel Spice stared at the handsome young man slumped over his coffee cup and thought desperately: not again.
She carefully set her tray of melon chunks and assorted pastries on the credenza at the side of the windowless conference room and tiptoed over to the solitary figure at the large oval table.
He’d probably just dozed off. Or maybe he’d passed out. There was no reason to think he was dead just because she’d stumbled across a dead body in an office once before.
But something about the angle of the young man’s body was just plain wrong. Isobel gingerly pressed her fingers against the pale, slender wrist. She’d never been good at locating a pulse, even on herself—she’d lied to many an exercise instructor over the years—but somehow she knew that in this case, if there were a pulse to be found, she would be able to find it.
There was nothing. Not even the faintest throb.
Isobel let the man’s hand drop back onto the table. His gold signet ring cracked loudly against the wood, startling her. She turned his hand over and was disproportionately relieved to find the ruby-colored stone still intact within its school crest. Isobel gently released his hand and slipped out into the hallway, her panic rising as she gathered steam and burst into Katrina Campbell’s office.
“Your client is dead!”
EXCERPT
Isobel Spice stared at the handsome young man slumped over his coffee cup and thought desperately: not again.
She carefully set her tray of melon chunks and assorted pastries on the credenza at the side of the windowless conference room and tiptoed over to the solitary figure at the large oval table.
He’d probably just dozed off. Or maybe he’d passed out. There was no reason to think he was dead just because she’d stumbled across a dead body in an office once before.
But something about the angle of the young man’s body was just plain wrong. Isobel gingerly pressed her fingers against the pale, slender wrist. She’d never been good at locating a pulse, even on herself—she’d lied to many an exercise instructor over the years—but somehow she knew that in this case, if there were a pulse to be found, she would be able to find it.
There was nothing. Not even the faintest throb.
Isobel let the man’s hand drop back onto the table. His gold signet ring cracked loudly against the wood, startling her. She turned his hand over and was disproportionately relieved to find the ruby-colored stone still intact within its school crest. Isobel gently released his hand and slipped out into the hallway, her panic rising as she gathered steam and burst into Katrina Campbell’s office.
“Your client is dead!”
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Publisher: Dulcet Press
Series: Isobel Spice #2
Genre: Mystery
Format: Paperback, ebook
Release Date: April 4, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* *affiliate link; clicking & purchasing results in a small commission for the blog | Barnes & Noble
Blurb from the author ~
In the world of PR, there’s only one crime worse than killing a deal—killing a client.
Aspiring actress and office temp Isobel Spice finds a warm welcome at Dove & Flight Public Relations, thanks to her old school friend Katrina Campbell. However, the atmosphere chills considerably when Isobel unwittingly serves an important client a deadly dose of poisoned coffee. Her stalwart temp agent, James Cooke, rushes to her aid, but balks when he learns that the victim was the fraternity brother who got him expelled from college. News that Dove & Flight is being acquired by an international conglomerate quickly supplants the murder as the hot topic of office gossip, but Isobel is convinced the two events are related. When all roads of inquiry lead back to Katrina, Isobel is forced to consider the possibility that her friend’s killer instincts go beyond public relations.
Please note: this is a cozy mystery with an edge; contains some adult language.
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TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY
Joanne will be giving away the following prizes: At each stop, one ebook copy of her novel "Pandora's Bottle", inspired by the world's most expensive bottle of wine. A grand prize of a $25 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.
I'm assuming that the ring has some great significance, that only time, and reading on, will tell.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Thank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteThe ring? Hmm...maybe :) Thanks for hosting me today, Bea!
ReplyDeleteI love the name Isobel Spice, it's very catchy. The book sounds like a good mystery, I can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Sounds like a great read!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Thanks for sharing the blurb! I'm excited to hear more by following the tour!
ReplyDeleteandralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
Okay, that looks interesting. I tend to think of PR partly in terms of the old movie, "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying."
ReplyDelete