City of Deadly Dreams: Mystery by Elyse Douglas
Publisher: Broadback (May 1, 2021)
Category: Hard-Boiled Mystery, Private Investigator Mystery
ISBN: B08Y86X4B3
250 pages
Dane Cooper, an NYC Hell’s Kitchen private detective, is hired by a Tennessee man to find his handsome, 20-year-old son named Elvis, who has been missing for several months. Though hesitant at first, Dane takes the case because he needs the money. Dane soon learns that the case centers around a beautiful, mysterious blonde, named Darcy. Against his better judgment, he falls for her, believing she might lead him to Elvis. Her dangerous secrets trouble him, and he realizes he can’t trust her.
Dane’s investigation turns deadly when he learns that Elvis has left a trail of pregnant young girls, unhappy husbands, and vengeful women. Dane becomes a target as he struggles to find Elvis and save him from the killers who are closing in. Can Dane save Elvis and himself, or will Darcy’s secrets get them all killed?
Guest Review by Katy
A unique mystery with a noir style! ‘City of Deadly Dreams: A Mystery,’ by the husband and wife writing team of Elyse Douglas is unlike any mystery I have ever read.
A seamless blend of noir and 21st century crime solving that kept me guessing the whole way through, this novel gave me a new standard for storytelling.
The mystery centers around a young man named, of all things, Elvis. Elvis Lipps is a 20 year-old man who was seemingly on his way to rock and roll stardom when he disappeared suddenly.
Enter private detective Dane Cooper, a former policeman with a penchant for witty repartee and a dark past. Elvis’ father, Abner seeks out Cooper’s help in finding his lost son. Abner believes that Elvis is the reincarnation of the King himself, Elvis Presley, and he has been trying to get the young man into the music industry for his entire life.
Although Cooper doesn’t believe the reincarnation story, he agrees to look for Elvis in the unkind streets of New York City. But there is another aspect of Elvis’ story that Cooper must investigate, the teacher that he reportedly had an affair with while he was still in high school. In meeting the teacher, a beautiful young woman named Darcy, Cooper ends up getting caught up in more of a tangled web than he asked for, and he begins to fall for the woman himself.
The writing in this was superb as well as the sense of place and atmosphere. I loved the noir-like style that reminded me of some of the classic detective movies from the 20th century. Dane Cooper is a great POV character and I would love to read more books with his character. I hope that they decide to turn this into a series!
About the Author
Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse grew up near the sea, roaming the beaches, reading and writing stories and poetry, receiving a master’s degree in English Literature. She has enjoyed careers as an English teacher, an actress and a speech-language pathologist.
Douglas has worked as a graphic designer, a corporate manager and an equities trader. He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and played the piano professionally for many years.
Website: elysedouglas.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglaselyse
Facebook: facebook.com/elyse.authorsdouglas
Giveaway
This giveaway is for 1 ebook copy to 2 winners. It is open to the U.S. only and ends on July 1, 2021,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
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Praise for Daring Summer by Elyse Douglas
“Daring Summer by Elyse Douglas is a well-crafted tale that will keep you reading as you need to know the outcome. This story aptly epitomizes the saying by Confucius, ‘’before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves’’.
An interesting cast of characters that helped to drive the plot. It was fun getting to know each of them. Their thoughts and the events that drove their actions stood out making it easy to connect to them.
Daring Summer was an interesting and riveting read. I enjoyed the courtroom drama and loved how the events in that regard that unfolded. The story delivered a perfect blend of romance and suspense. The story had depth and was well developed.”-Nadene, Totally Addicted To Reading
“Oooo romantic AND suspenseful! A very exciting, emotional, twisty, and a little scary story line. The thing is. You really do know “who done it” kind of right from the beginning. But, even with that knowing – Did I have doubts? yep. Did I want to believe it might be someone else? well… kind of. And I just kept wondering – Are they going to catch him? Wait… wasn’t it him? Maybe.
All those twists and turns is what makes this a great book and loads of fun to read. Seriously, right up until the end I was unsure if they were going to be able to prove it! It ended up being one of my favorite books of the year!”-Wall-To-Wall Books
“Daring Summer is a very well written book. Although you pretty much know how it’s going to end the author still manages to keep you thoroughly captivated. The characters are well developed and interesting. Overall I really enjoyed this book. 5 Stars”- J. George, Amazon: Vine Voice
“Emotional, exciting, sexual, and suspenseful! Exceptional characters that will have you on the edge of your seat and best of all the ending is one that you will never see coming. A great read any time of the year, just be sure to make time because you will not be able to put this down.”-Dee, Donadee’s Corner
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