DERAILED:
A P.I. KELLY
PRUETT MYSTERY
By Mary
Keliikoa
Private detective Kelly
Pruett is about to join ranks of mystery’s most clever and crafty female sleuths,
such as Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum or
Alexander McCall Smith’s Precious Ramotswe.
Pruett reflects the
real dilemmas of modern women in DERAILED: A P.I. Kelly Pruett Mystery (Camel
Press; May 12, 2020). Pruett must balance between being a single mother to her
deaf daughter and following in her father’s footsteps as a private
investigator.
After years of being
her father’s apprentice, Pruett has inherited the family private detective
agency. Dad never trained her for a major murder investigation; serving divorce
papers and long stakeouts with her basset hound are more her speed. Her ex-husband—and
his mother—think her work is too risky. But detective work is in her
blood; puzzles are her passion. When a grieving mother begs her to investigate
her daughter’s death, how can she refuse?
As Kelly sets out to
prove herself, and find something to call her own outside of marriage and
motherhood, she realizes she’s being stalked. Taking a frying pan to the face jars
her into the realization that she’s stronger than anyone believes—even herself.
Dad wasn’t the only Pruett with pit bull tendencies when it comes to solving a
case, including one with ties to Portland’s BDSM subculture. As sordid secrets
emerge, she must decide: is justice worth it?
Purchase your own copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
MARY KELIIKOA is a former
legal secretary who uses the legal system as a lens to discover what makes
people tick. From the first petition filed to preparation for trial, she takes
legal maneuverings to a new level as her characters overcome obstacles to find
meaning and purpose in a crazy world.
DERAILED:
A PI Kelly Pruett Mystery
By Mary
Keliikoa
Camel Press;
May 12, 2020
Trade paperback: $15.95; Kindle $5.95
Pages: 236;
ISBN-13: 978-1-60381-706-6“Keliikoa offers believable characters,
valid motives, a shifting cast of suspects, and an appealing protagonist, who
balances her life as a divorced mother of an eight-year-old daughter with her
increasingly chaotic career. This is definitely a series to watch.”
— Publishers Weekly
"It's that perfect blend of personal and
professional that makes Derailed a welcome addition to the genre. I
can’t wait to follow both Kelly and Keliikoa’s careers."
—Kellye Garrett, Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty
Award-winning author,
Hollywood Homicide
“Derailed has it all: an engaging
heroine, a twisty, twisted crime, and plenty of food for thought about families
and their secrets. I loved this debut and can’t wait to read about Kelly
Pruett’s next case.”
— Kristen Lepionka,
Shamus Award-winning author,
the Roxane Weary mystery
series
“Mary Keliikoa’s debut novel is an
important addition to the PI genre – strong with voice, a compelling
protagonist in Kelly Pruett, and unforgettable family secrets. Derailed was
hard to put down - and I can’t wait to read the next book in this crackling new
series.”
— Alex Segura, author,
Blackout and Miami Midnight
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