Suspicious Circumstances — Sandra Ruttan

A suspicious death. A missing baby. A corrupt police department. When a man shows up in reporter Lara Kelly's office with a video that appears to show a woman falling to her death, Lara is intrigued but suspicious. The man claims he went to the police, but that they refused to investigate. Under pressure from her editor to use the video to build a story about the incompetence of the local police captain, Lara gathers enough evidence to print a story about a suspected suicide. Detective Tymen Farraday, the newest cop in a precinct plagued by scandal, is ordered to investigate and discredit the reporter if necessary. When potential evidence is stolen and Lara is attacked, Farraday is forced to put his grudge against reporters aside and work with the journalist to solve the murder while trying to protect her from the killer. Just when they think they have the evidence to arrest a suspect, two more murders turn the investigation in an unexpected direction. The guilty have already shown that they'll stop at nothing to protect their secrets. In a town where one person holds all the power, not even the police can be trusted. And the prime suspect isn't the only person Lara and Farraday need to worry about. (Advanced Praise for Suspicious Circumstances) "..there is never a dull moment. It's a hard book to put down."" Tony Hillerman, Edgar Award-Winner and New York Times Bestselling Author "Suspicious Circumstances has to be one of the most satisfying mysteries going that grips the reader from beginning to end." Clive Cussler, NY Times Bestselling Author, Acclaimed worldwide as the Grandmaster of Adventure "Here is the new voice, and what a voice! Eloquent, sassy, compassionate and written with a style so assured it's hard to believe it's a debut... This is talent writ huge." Ken Bruen, Shamus Award-Winning Author of The Guards "Sandra Ruttan's SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES is crime fiction with booster jets--a white-hot blazing ride sure to slam you down some of the darkest, twistiest back alleys that ever corrupted a small city's secret heart." Cornelia Read, Author of A Field of Darkness "Secrets and lies, new murders and old, all unravel and unwind within the pages of SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES to create a complex and compelling crime-fiction debut. Sandra Ruttan has a keen eye for description, a wonderful ear for dialogue, and an acute instinct for the nuances of characterization. " Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Hush "Sandra Ruttan's Suspicious Circumstances soars. It is complex, exciting, and elegant. In musical terms, it's listening to Bach. I'm in love with Lara Kelly, the smart, strong, vulnerable protagonist. Her detective lover better move fast or I'm in there. A gripping adventure, a large cast of marvelous characters, and twists that follow turns. Read it. You'll love it too." Robert Fate, Author of Baby Shark "A well executed procedural with a spark between our protagonists, an excellent feel for political machinations on a small town scale and a plot that twists and turns like a bad tempered rattlesnake." Russel D. McLean, Crime Scene Scotland (About the Author) Sandra Ruttan had her first newspaper column at the age of thirteen. She studied journalism and communication theory before focusing on special education. She spent several years working with children with learning disabilities while completing a creative writing diploma. Sandra is co-founder and submissions director for Spinetingler Magazine. Her short fiction has appeared in Crimespree Magazine, Spinetingler, Demolition, The Cynic and Flashing in the Gutters. She lives in western Canada with her husband, two dogs and too many cats.