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Silk & Slippers
Death twitches my ear. “Live,” he says. “I am coming.” —Virgil
Whiskey River’s medical examiner Jack McCloud has PTSD, a dark sense of humor, and an even darker mystery surrounding his autopsy table. The body of a redheaded forensic science major collegiate has been found hanging from a second-floor railing with a peculiar set of clues near the scene.
Jack and Mercedes, his unwanted new assistant, determine it's not suicide, and when they team up with the Whiskey River Police Department to investigate the college girl’s case, the consensus is homicide.
As the body count continues to rise, Jack and Mercedes race to put an end to this vicious serial killer, even as they are drawn inexorably toward each other. But their fragile romance may be the very thing that undermines their efforts, especially when the tangle of clues point a deadly compass their way.
With their own lives—and the life of Mercedes’s baby son—at stake, they must use every forensic skill they possess to solve and stop the murders before the killer comes for them.
Whiskey River’s medical examiner Jack McCloud has PTSD, a dark sense of humor, and an even darker mystery surrounding his autopsy table. The body of a redheaded forensic science major collegiate has been found hanging from a second-floor railing with a peculiar set of clues near the scene.
Jack and Mercedes, his unwanted new assistant, determine it's not suicide, and when they team up with the Whiskey River Police Department to investigate the college girl’s case, the consensus is homicide.
As the body count continues to rise, Jack and Mercedes race to put an end to this vicious serial killer, even as they are drawn inexorably toward each other. But their fragile romance may be the very thing that undermines their efforts, especially when the tangle of clues point a deadly compass their way.
With their own lives—and the life of Mercedes’s baby son—at stake, they must use every forensic skill they possess to solve and stop the murders before the killer comes for them.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2023
2 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Claire O'Sullivan
5 books41 followersClaire O'Sullivan is a native of Oregon and her debut novel, "Romance Under Wraps" was published on Oct 29th, 2020.
When she's not fingerprinting her house at midnight or using alternative light sources, or making her browser history raise brows in the criminal justice community, she can be found with a cup of coffee and a good read. Or plotting her next murder. On paper.
She is an avid gardener and amateur ham radio enthusiast, and believes that God is for real and He even has the book to prove it.
When she's not fingerprinting her house at midnight or using alternative light sources, or making her browser history raise brows in the criminal justice community, she can be found with a cup of coffee and a good read. Or plotting her next murder. On paper.
She is an avid gardener and amateur ham radio enthusiast, and believes that God is for real and He even has the book to prove it.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 31, 2025
Wow!
Very hard to stop reading this book. Relatable characters, well-paced plot. Police, a medical examiner, adorable one-year-old, and romance. Claire knows her stuff--hospitals, morgues, and writing fiction.
Very hard to stop reading this book. Relatable characters, well-paced plot. Police, a medical examiner, adorable one-year-old, and romance. Claire knows her stuff--hospitals, morgues, and writing fiction.
December 28, 2024
In Silk and Slippers, Claire O’Sullivan keeps you riveted as you follow the Medical Examiner of Whiskey River in his search for the killer of a young forensic student, as more bodies keep piling up and an even deadlier danger stalks him.
Full of suspense, likeable characters, vibrant dialogues, and romance, Silk and Slippers is hard to put down. I highly recommend it for fans of mysteries with a touch of romance.
(Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publishers. My comments are an independent and honest review.)
Full of suspense, likeable characters, vibrant dialogues, and romance, Silk and Slippers is hard to put down. I highly recommend it for fans of mysteries with a touch of romance.
(Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publishers. My comments are an independent and honest review.)
June 26, 2025
First Impressions: The first sentence puts the reader right smack inside the first-person point of view of the medical examiner, Jack McCloud. The descriptions were vivid and the reader could almost smell the room. The rest of the many character’s POV are in third person. It has a good setup for the story, but it seems to move a little slowly as we go over all the evidence.
Action: Most of the action occurs in the morgue or at the various crime scenes. Unbeknownst to both Mercedes and Jack, they have a stalker who is hell bent on killing them. They are on the lookout for their own stalker but not prepared for if or when the stalker does the complete sideswipe from their blind spots. Reader beware.
Adventure: At each crime scene and during the autopsies, the reader is given medical terms, descriptions, and procedures. The reader dons the special protective gear from head, gloves, to booties before looking at the evidence. Time is of the essence to discover the identity of the serial killer attacking redheaded college students in Whiskey River. The detectives are entrenched in the fact finding and suspect interview race along with the forensic team. Jack and Mercedes can’t help but act like detectives as the puzzle pieces are found. Who is the sinister monster behind these vicious deaths?
Romance: The romance starts as soon as oatmeal encrusted hands grip Jack’s face, falling in love with his new assistant Mercedes’ infant son, Jonah. The spark of romance soon follows between Jack and Mercedes. They have various things in common, including PTSD.
Religion: Most of the good guys are Christians and there are often references to their faith and the Bible. These are not overdone and become clear it’s just the way of life for the characters.
Art: Photography and reenacting the crime scenes become an art form. We also learn fascinating things about silk and glass slippers, hence the title.
Final Thoughts: There are numerous characters telling the story, both good guys and bad guys. Also, a ton of suspects to keep track of too. Jonah is the most adorable child and tries new words on a daily basis and seems to respond so well to Jack that he develops remarkably well by going from a wobbly stand and hanging onto a table to running across a wide space in a short amount of time. During the unfolding of the story, the reader is left to wonder how wealthy Jack is and where his wealth came from. He never blinks or gives much thought into lavishing monetary blessings onto those he comes into contact, including outrageous tips to fast food servers and building a mini apartment inside his own dwelling. He is extremely loving to a child that he has only known for a short time and then his heart immediately opens up to a woman he barely knows. I found that refreshing. Mercedes arrives with a lot of baggage in the way of loser ex-husband, military background, and trying to prove herself in the forensics community. She waltzed in with a wheelbarrow full of degrees and training to do a lab assistant job just to make a fresh start. The mystery is good, suspense well done, and romance just right. You will enjoy this book.
Action: Most of the action occurs in the morgue or at the various crime scenes. Unbeknownst to both Mercedes and Jack, they have a stalker who is hell bent on killing them. They are on the lookout for their own stalker but not prepared for if or when the stalker does the complete sideswipe from their blind spots. Reader beware.
Adventure: At each crime scene and during the autopsies, the reader is given medical terms, descriptions, and procedures. The reader dons the special protective gear from head, gloves, to booties before looking at the evidence. Time is of the essence to discover the identity of the serial killer attacking redheaded college students in Whiskey River. The detectives are entrenched in the fact finding and suspect interview race along with the forensic team. Jack and Mercedes can’t help but act like detectives as the puzzle pieces are found. Who is the sinister monster behind these vicious deaths?
Romance: The romance starts as soon as oatmeal encrusted hands grip Jack’s face, falling in love with his new assistant Mercedes’ infant son, Jonah. The spark of romance soon follows between Jack and Mercedes. They have various things in common, including PTSD.
Religion: Most of the good guys are Christians and there are often references to their faith and the Bible. These are not overdone and become clear it’s just the way of life for the characters.
Art: Photography and reenacting the crime scenes become an art form. We also learn fascinating things about silk and glass slippers, hence the title.
Final Thoughts: There are numerous characters telling the story, both good guys and bad guys. Also, a ton of suspects to keep track of too. Jonah is the most adorable child and tries new words on a daily basis and seems to respond so well to Jack that he develops remarkably well by going from a wobbly stand and hanging onto a table to running across a wide space in a short amount of time. During the unfolding of the story, the reader is left to wonder how wealthy Jack is and where his wealth came from. He never blinks or gives much thought into lavishing monetary blessings onto those he comes into contact, including outrageous tips to fast food servers and building a mini apartment inside his own dwelling. He is extremely loving to a child that he has only known for a short time and then his heart immediately opens up to a woman he barely knows. I found that refreshing. Mercedes arrives with a lot of baggage in the way of loser ex-husband, military background, and trying to prove herself in the forensics community. She waltzed in with a wheelbarrow full of degrees and training to do a lab assistant job just to make a fresh start. The mystery is good, suspense well done, and romance just right. You will enjoy this book.
August 28, 2023
Silk and Slippers has likeable, engaging characters. I especially enjoyed people reacting to a completely different Jack after he became a Christian. And, of course, baby Jonah is a heart-stealer. The banter between the characters adds a touch of humor to this romantic suspense. There's a great HEA.
The plot has twists and turns filled with mystery and suspense that kept my interest level high.
My only complaint about the book was that I had trouble keeping the characters straight. Of the four adult central characters, there were three names that started with a C. Sometimes the characters are referred to by first name and other times by their last name. Once I got them straight in my mind, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to romantic suspense readers.
I was given a complimentary copy and am sharing my opinion of this exciting and well-written book.
The plot has twists and turns filled with mystery and suspense that kept my interest level high.
My only complaint about the book was that I had trouble keeping the characters straight. Of the four adult central characters, there were three names that started with a C. Sometimes the characters are referred to by first name and other times by their last name. Once I got them straight in my mind, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to romantic suspense readers.
I was given a complimentary copy and am sharing my opinion of this exciting and well-written book.
September 6, 2023
I started to read and was hooked in the first page. The author paints vivid characters and scenes. Following characters from the first Whiskey River book, she expands some and brings them to the forefront. The mystery builds as all sorts of unimaginable things happen and things from the characters past bubble to the surface, things that were forgotten. Relationships grow and are changed. It was hard to put down. Looking forward to the further adventures of members of the Whiskey River police force. Good thriller, with all kinds of twists and turns. Kinda like riding Space Mountain at Disneyland, you know there are curves ahead but you don't see them coming.
October 4, 2023
Another Whisky River gem!
Set in Whiskey River, this exciting mystery (with a touch of romance and humor) hooks from page one. The action rolls along as medical examiner Jack McCloud works to solve the murder of a college student with the help of newcomer Mercedes Hall. Even with the baggage they both carry, Jack and Mercedes learn to trust each other, realizing they have no other choice as the danger escalates and the past returns to become a present threat.
Loved meeting the new characters and catching up with favorites from Book 1! Highly recommended!
Set in Whiskey River, this exciting mystery (with a touch of romance and humor) hooks from page one. The action rolls along as medical examiner Jack McCloud works to solve the murder of a college student with the help of newcomer Mercedes Hall. Even with the baggage they both carry, Jack and Mercedes learn to trust each other, realizing they have no other choice as the danger escalates and the past returns to become a present threat.
Loved meeting the new characters and catching up with favorites from Book 1! Highly recommended!
October 11, 2023
A smart and fun read. Loved the addition of Mercedes and Jonah to the Whiskey River team. Suspense, humor, romance, interesting forensic information, dark and dangerous pasts, they’re there between the pages. The plot jumps around a bit and the character names can be a little hard to follow, but the individuals themselves are engaging and show their humanness outside of their jobs.
Note: I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publishers. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Note: I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publishers. My comments are an independent and honest review.
October 23, 2023
The perfect follow up to Romance Under Wraps. A sizzling, smart romantic suspense in Whisky River with all the feels and tension and unexpected twists. The cast of characters are snappy and intelligent. Appreciated the author's ability to take her own experience with forensic science and weave a tale that kept me wondering through to the end. Great read. Highly recommend this one!
November 27, 2023
I was impressed by the good grammar, complex characters and believable actions of the first mystery I have read in a long time. I knew little about how autopsies are done and was glad to learn a lot about the procedure. Claire O'Sullivan has added to my knowledge and vocabulary. I recommend her books.
November 23, 2023
Hold on to your hats
A great book.from start to finish. A must read and don't start it before bedtime or you will be tired the next day.
A great book.from start to finish. A must read and don't start it before bedtime or you will be tired the next day.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews