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Broken Trust And Secrets
Hot House is the story of Mari E.’s adventure as a private investigator. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I love stories about corruption, because at the heart of them are always stories of broken trust and secrets, and secrets have so many juicy different layers, and so much power. So the original idea was someone investigating the blackmailing of a federal judge, which is pretty high profile. Then the investigator, Mari, was targeted, which was an indicator that she was getting close to a truth someone wanted to protect.
Mari and Derek are interesting and well developed characters. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Facing fears, building trust in relationships, hiding from the past, and family connections
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Lost and found was a theme I explored – lost family members as Mari’s father has been missing for the past two years and that creates the backdrop mythology to her personal story.
Personal safety is another theme – Mari was shot in the line of duty when she was a CIA operative, chasing a formidable adversary that still haunts her now. Jacques Martel is the antagonist that propels the story forward through all three books in the series – he’s her nightmare and her nemesis.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Books 2 and 3 of the E&A series are complete and I’m now working on a new standalone thriller. I’m not sure yet whether the next published book will be Book 2 in the series, entitled “Salt Island”, or the standalone thriller. But I hope the next book will be available end of 2022 or early 2023.
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Hot House
Marissa Ellwyn, or Mari E. as she prefers to be called, has her hands full. She holds down two full time jobs even though her family’s wealth would seem to dictate that she doesn’t need either of them. Art gallery owner and private investigator are almost two hats too many for this determined woman who is on the verge of being in over her head. When Mari is followed by a mysterious van and soon after the victim of breaking and entering, she begins to examine any and all connections to her current case. Throw a new partner and former LAPD detective, Derek Abernathy, into the mix and you have quite the thrill ride of intrigue, suspense, and humor.
Hot House, by Lisa Towles, is the story of Mari E.’s adventure as a private investigator. Against her family’s wishes, she has continued to pursue a life on the edge and really wouldn’t have it any other way. Her current case involves the blackmail of a high profile member of the court system. In addition to solving his case, Mari is battling her own demons as she fights to find her own father who disappeared over a year ago.
I love this book! Mari is a firecracker of a character and delivers one highly-relatable quip after another. I felt her struggle in my soul–every frustration with those around her who just “don’t get it,” and each time she muttered under her breath with exasperation. As main characters go, Mari has it all. She wraps readers around her little finger, and she has a past. Don’t we all love some interesting baggage when it comes to our main characters? Mari has it in spades.
Towles has produced a knockout novel with Hot House. There is virtually nothing missing from her writing. Towles’s plot is as twisted and unpredictable as you would ever want a thriller to be. If I am not kept guessing, I lose interest quickly. Towles kept me holding on for dear life as I continued to try to stay one step ahead of Mari and Derek and failed miserably. It’s this kind of action that will keep readers engaged in this suspenseful crime novel.
Nowhere will thriller fans find a more engaging keep-you-on-your-toes read. If you are looking to try out a new author, I cannot recommend a better investment than Lisa Towles’s E & A Investigations series.
Pages: 287 | ISBN: 978-1-64456-421-9
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