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THE LAIR
A Sinner's Grove Novel
A.B. Michaels
Released June 16th, 2015
Red Trumpet Press
The Lair follows on the heels of
Sinner’s Grove, a contemporary suspense novel centered around the fictional
artists’ retreat on the northern California coast known as “The Grove.”
Dani Dunn, the local innkeeper, has
just learned of her famous father’s death and must travel back to her home
country of Italy to attend the funeral. To say she’s not looking forward to it
is an understatement. In fact, she’s petrified. The estate she grew up in holds
terrifying memories that she knows she’ll have to confront if she’s ever to get
on with her life.
Complicating matters is the fact
that her flirtatious friend, Detective Gabe de la Torre, is coming along for
the ride – without being asked. However, as Dani discovers the true evil that
awaits her, Gabe proves he’s much more than a friend – he’s a sworn protector
who may lose his own life in the process of saving hers.
Author's Note: THE LAIR deals with a very real, but sensitive subject, human trafficking. It may be disturbing to some readers.
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EXCERPT
The nerve of
Gabriele. For the past fourteen months, ever since he’d joined the Marin County
Investigation Division, Detective de la Torre had made it his life’s work to
get under Dani’s skin. Well, perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but
still. First he’d tried to come on to her, using their shared heritage as a
line. They were both from northern Italy; surely they could get together some
evening and talk over their shared cultural roots? Fortunately she’d put a stop
to that pretty quickly. In no uncertain terms she’d told Mr. Dolce &
Gabbana that although he seemed like a nice enough man, he held no physical
attraction for her whatsoever. It was a lie, of course, but she wasn’t about to
share why they couldn’t make a go of it.
Her brush-off was a gamble. Gabe was single
and didn’t like eating by himself, so he was a regular at her restaurant, part
of the inn she owned in Little Eden. She didn’t want to lose his business, so
she had tried to be firm but not rude.
It appeared to be working. He still ate at her place without seeming to
harbor any bad feelings.
Oh,
who was she kidding? Gabe had dropped any romantic interest in Dani in a
flash—so quickly that she wondered if she’d imagined his interest all along. He
still flirted with her, but there was a slightly mocking tone to it, as if he
dared her to take him seriously. Of course, she didn’t. She couldn’t. Now he was simply a friend who
liked to tease her—a good friend most of the time, and a meddling friend at
times like these.
Dani
glanced at the businessman, who had asked the flight attendant if she had any
Italian newspapers. She came back with a copy of Corriere della Sera. As Don Juan leafed through it, a photo on page
three caught Dani’s eye; it was a stock shot of her father, Armando Forcelli.
The headline read, drug use suspected in
fatal joyride of hotel heir. Immediately, tears began to well up and Dani
quickly fumbled in her bag for some tissue, hoping neither of her seat-mates
would notice.
Several days
earlier she’d learned that her father, the son of one of Italy’s most famous
hoteliers, had died in a boating accident. As his sole beneficiary, she was in
fact headed to the Forcelli family compound in Verona to attend her father’s
funeral and sign some papers pertaining to his estate. She told herself there
was no logical reason to feel so emotionally vulnerable. She’d seen her father only a handful of times
over the past dozen years, ever since … ever since she left Italy. Yet it was
as if her feelings had climbed aboard a roller coaster and wouldn’t get off the
tracks. She’d be fine for a while and then a memory would skirt by of her babbo carrying her on his shoulders down
the long picture gallery … or taking her to a special place in the old city he
said had the best gelato in all of Italy. She’d remember the scent of his
cologne, just a hint of lemons and spice … and the feel of her small hand encased
in his big warm one. Then the tears would start to flow and she’d wonder,
panicked, if they would ever stop.
CAT'S REVIEW
I have to say - this one rocks! "The Lair" was so much more than I expected it to be. There is so much mystery and intrigue, I was guessing the whole time and couldn't wait to turn the page to see what would happen next and who it was! It's a rollercoaster ride, never know what the next turn of the page will bring. The main characters were quite likable and together they were terrific. I loved how Dani tried to deny the romance, wanting to handle things on her own. And Gabe was great! He's a flirt but really a good guy that cares for Dani. I am very impressed with Ms. Michaels' writing style and imagination and look forward to reading her other works in the future. Although "The Lair" is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. I have not read the other books in the series yet but look forward it to doing so. For readers that enjoy mystery and romance, this is one that I highly recommend! (received copy for honest review)
★★★★★
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A.B. Michaels' dual-genre series "Sinner's Grove"
follows the family, friends and associates connected to a world-famous artists'
retreat on the California coast. While The Lair is
a contemporary novel of romantic suspense, The Depth of Beauty (soon to be published) is historical fiction, set
at the turn of the twentieth century. Both San Francisco and the retreat of
Sinner's Grove are featured in the story.
To read a free sample, visit https://kindlescout.
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Born
and raised in northern California, A.B.
Michaels holds master's degrees in history and broadcasting, and worked for
many years in the public relations and marketing fields. An avid quilter and
bocce player, she currently lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two
furry "sons" who don't seem to realize they're just dogs.
Thank you so much for hosting THE LAIR today! Great review!
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