Dead Last: A Detective Jack Harney Murder Mystery (Book Five)

Under the Moonlight #5

by MaryAnn Kempher

Watch your back. I'm coming for you!Every year Reno hosts a huge bicycle race, hundreds enter. When Max Holland, the man everyone is betting on to win the ten thousand dollar purse, is shot dead in Jack’s office, there’s concern that racers are being targeted. Jack makes it his mission to find the killer. Max was not a popular guy; there are no shortage of suspects. When Victor Burch stopped by the bakery to drop off a box for Mr. Bryan, he had no idea he was about to go on a treasure hunt with, of all people, Nene Albright. This unlikely duo will follow one clue after another to find an unknown prize—which they’d find a lot sooner if they’d quit stopping for food. On her own, Gaga Albright has her own problems. She has reason to believe that somehow she’s managed to rent the upstairs apartment to weirdos, again. What? She wonders. Am I some sort of magnet for perverts? While the lady of the “house” is away, the husband is playing around with a leggy blonde. Will Jack find Max’s killer before another racer loses more than a race? Will Nene and Burch find the treasure, or just have another snack? And Gaga—will she turn a blind eye to the cheating hubby upstairs, or kick some butt and take some names?

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2016

About the author

I get most of my exercise these days by shaking my head. Unknown author.

Boy, can I relate, but I try to focus on what's in front of me, usually cake. Da Dum Dum.

Anyway, I'm obviously an author. I served 20 years in the US Air Force and soon after retirement came up with the idea for my first book--which I promptly discarded. It was about insurance fraud and trust me, they make it very hard to steal their money, so I had to come up with a different idea.

Book one is mostly a romantic comedy with a murder mystery thrown in, and while I think it's pretty good especially for a first book, I discovered I enjoyed writing the mystery of the book the most.

So, books two through eight are mysteries.

All the books have a lot of humor in them.

With the exception of book two, which takes place on board an ill-fated cruise ship, my books are set in Reno NV where I spent my teenage years, or some of them anyway.

Enjoy!

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Cozy Mystery!

I've been reading this series from the beginning. The first in the series, Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder has always been my favorite, until now!
This series follows Jack Harney, an ex-cop gone private detective with his own detective agency. Trouble always finds him and his partner Curt, and the two old spinster sisters that own and work in the pastry store next door are a riot and add so much to these mysteries.
The author has done an excellent job of developing the characters in this series and I feel like I know all of them and miss them if they're gone too long!
I highly recommend this book but must tell you that in order to really know the characters, you should start with the first in the series. You won't be disappointed, I know I wasn't!!
Great job MaryAnn!!!

[Yvonne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a bike race comes to Reno, a couple of the guys stop by to see Jack. During their visit Max Holland is shot and killed and Jacks partner Curt, is shot and is in critical care. While Jack investigates Max ' s murder he finds that he is not a very liked. Seems everyone would like to see Max dead.
Later a box is dropped off for Mr Brian it sends Nene and Victor Burch off on a crazy scavenger hunt. These two are so much fun!!
Such a surprising end!!! This book was AMAZING!!! Loved every page of this book!!!