Cold Trail

February 23, 2015
In Dawson’s exciting 11th Jeri Howard mystery (after 2011’s Bit Player), the California PI is relieved to discover that a burned body—shot through the chest—
is not that of her school teacher brother, Brian, who’s gone missing. Since Brian’s MedicAlert bracelet was found near the corpse on a burned boat in rural Sonoma County, the police suspect Brian is the killer. Brian’s wife only knows he was planning a solo weekend camping trip in Sonoma County. But there appear to be problems in their marriage. Was Brian a witness to murder, or is he running from a tough personal situation? It soon becomes clear that his life is in danger, but from whom? This may be the toughest case in Jeri’s career. Not only is it family, but she has no idea what she’s investigating. Dawson keeps the suspense high as Jeri seeks to find her brother before it’s too late.

March 1, 2015

Oakland-based PI Jeri Howard tackles her most personal case yet in this 11th series installment (following Bit Player). The most crucial time in a missing-persons case are the first few hours, but Jeri doesn't hear that her brother, Brian, is gone until four days after his disappearance. The discovery of his medical alert in a boat alongside a corpse leads the cops to believe he committed murder and then skipped town.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
When there's evidence that a PI's brother has disappeared, her professional world turns personal as she uses her skills to uncover the truth about his life. The Sonoma County Coroner's office calls in Jeri Howard to identify a John Doe; though Jeri is a private investigator by trade, the case is personal as the body was found near a bracelet belonging to her brother. Jeri is relieved to report to her family that the body is not Brian's, though it doesn't solve the mystery of where he has been since leaving on a hiking trip the week before. Jeri tries to find out more information from Brian's wife, Sheila, but starts to get more than she'd bargained for when Sheila discloses her fear that Brian has been having an affair. Seems like this is not the only secret Brian may be hiding as Jeri digs deeper into her brother's life. Maybe there was a reason for Brian's quickie move from Sonoma to Petaluma other than just getting a new teaching job. Will a search into the true identity of the body on the boat lead Jeri to her missing brother? Is Brian's involvement not as a victim but as a potential suspect for murder? It almost feels like the more Jeri uncovers, the less she knows.A gentle murder mystery, if there is such a thing. Dawson's series continues with a softer side to Jeri and the Oakland scene (Bit Player, 2011, etc.).

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