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Searching for Secrets
Christa Heckertt was surprised to interrupt someone trying to steal parts from the computers her class had won in the mayor's competition. Kirk Reynolds did not want to be called from drug surveillance to investigate an attempted burglary at Buckingham Elementary.
But thieves still want the newly won computers. They kidnap Kirk's niece and demand the computer hard drives in exchange for her–-and they want Christa to make the exchange. Later, they chase Christa from her apartment to an abandoned cellar and shoot at Kirk's truck. An encoded file on one computer’s hard drive--which Christa has secretly traded for her own to outwit the kidnapers--lets them know that the thieves are expecting to trade a "delivery" for $400,000 deposited in a local bank. The suspect is a local meth dealer, but he has help. Will they find out how to stop them before their Halloween delivery date?
But thieves still want the newly won computers. They kidnap Kirk's niece and demand the computer hard drives in exchange for her–-and they want Christa to make the exchange. Later, they chase Christa from her apartment to an abandoned cellar and shoot at Kirk's truck. An encoded file on one computer’s hard drive--which Christa has secretly traded for her own to outwit the kidnapers--lets them know that the thieves are expecting to trade a "delivery" for $400,000 deposited in a local bank. The suspect is a local meth dealer, but he has help. Will they find out how to stop them before their Halloween delivery date?
ebook
First published June 27, 2002
About the author
Elaine Orr
41 books262 followersAlso published as Elaine L. Orr
Elaine L. Orr has authored 35 works of fiction, including five mystery series. They include the fourteen-book Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series, which is set at the Jersey shore. "Behind the Walls" was short-listed for the 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards. "Demise of a Devious Neighbor," second of the River's Edge series, set in Iowa, was a Chanticleer shortlister in 2017.
The Western Maryland mountains host the five-book Family History Mystery Series, which began with "Least Trodden Ground." The "Unscheduled Murder Trip" received a B.R.A.G. Medallion in 2021. Small-town Illinois is the setting for the Logland Series, which features Police Chief Elizabeth Friedman -- a police procedural with a cozy feel.
Elaine also writes plays and novellas, including the one-act, "Common Ground," published in 2015. Her novella, "Biding Time," was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's first fiction contest, in 1993. "Falling into Place" is a novella about family strength as a World War II veteran rises to the toughest occasion. "In the Shadow of Light" is the fictional story of Corozón and her family, who are separated at the U.S./Mexico border.
A member of Sisters in Crime and the Independent Book Publishers Association, Elaine grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994. She now lives in Springfield, IL.
Elaine L. Orr has authored 35 works of fiction, including five mystery series. They include the fourteen-book Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series, which is set at the Jersey shore. "Behind the Walls" was short-listed for the 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards. "Demise of a Devious Neighbor," second of the River's Edge series, set in Iowa, was a Chanticleer shortlister in 2017.
The Western Maryland mountains host the five-book Family History Mystery Series, which began with "Least Trodden Ground." The "Unscheduled Murder Trip" received a B.R.A.G. Medallion in 2021. Small-town Illinois is the setting for the Logland Series, which features Police Chief Elizabeth Friedman -- a police procedural with a cozy feel.
Elaine also writes plays and novellas, including the one-act, "Common Ground," published in 2015. Her novella, "Biding Time," was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's first fiction contest, in 1993. "Falling into Place" is a novella about family strength as a World War II veteran rises to the toughest occasion. "In the Shadow of Light" is the fictional story of Corozón and her family, who are separated at the U.S./Mexico border.
A member of Sisters in Crime and the Independent Book Publishers Association, Elaine grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994. She now lives in Springfield, IL.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 18, 2026
The storyline was intriguing; however, I found the typographical, punctuation, and grammatical errors were excessive and numerous inconsistencies were quite distracting. Also has some adult language that's usually not found in cozy mysteries,
January 9, 2016
A fun little romantic mystery. At times both main characters seem a little fickle but probably because I'm old. Quite a complicated plot.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews