Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones may break my bones—or they might actually kill me.

What does a woman do when she discovers her husband is an incurable cheater? If she's Cat DeLuca, she launches the Pants on Fire Detective Agency. Now Cat does what two years of unholy matrimony taught her to do: she catches cheaters. When a client, Cleo Jones, shoots her cheating husband's bum full of buckshot, he disappears, taking her money, dog, and sister with him. Private Investigator Cat DeLuca promises to retrieve the dog and money if her client stops shooting at Walter. Cleo agrees. The detective finds the dog and a mysterious bag full of cash. And then she finds Walter. His very dead body is still warm.

The case is a slam dunk for the cops who arrest Cleo for the killing. She had motive and opportunity, and a dozen witnesses heard her scream bloody murder. One even made a video.

Cat DeLuca is determined to prove her client's innocence, and it's not an easy job. Walter was an unsavory character. Over the years he had acquired numerous enemies. Now, Cat will have to sift through all the ones who didn't pull the trigger. Her investigation leads to four players with secrets: a childhood friend, a gambler, a construction tycoon, and a legendary Chicago designer.

When forensic evidence suggests the detective knows more about the murder than she's telling, Cat faces the certain loss of her agency.