Killer Debt

Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mystery #4

by Suzanne Adair

You can’t judge a man by the color of his coat.

A slain loyalist financier, a patriot synagogue, a desperate debtor. And Michael Stoddard, who was determined to see justice done.

If you like Diana Gabaldon, Bernard Cornwell, or Jim Butcher, then you'll love this fast-paced, tension-filled detective novel.

July 1781. The American Revolution rages in North Carolina. Redcoat investigator Captain Michael Stoddard is given the high-profile, demanding job of guarding a signer of the Declaration of Independence on a diplomatic mission to Crown-occupied Wilmington. When a psychopathic fellow officer with his own agenda is assigned to investigate a financier's murder, Michael is furious. The officer's threats to impose fines on the owner of a tavern and link her brother to the financier's murder draw Michael into the case—to his own peril and that of innocent civilians. For neither killer nor victim are what they first seem.

“Loved the entire book, from setting to plot to characterization. I'll be picking up the first in the series and making this author an auto-buy.”—Kari Blackmoore, judge for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense

Buy Killer Debt, book 4 in the Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mystery series and Daphne du Maurier Award finalist, and leap into adventure, intrigue, and peril!

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction

250 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2018

About the author

Award-winning novelist Suzanne Adair is a Florida native who lives in North Carolina. Her mysteries transport readers to the Southern theater of the American Revolution, where she brings historic towns, battles, and people to life. She fuels her creativity with Revolutionary War reenacting and visits to historic sites. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and hiking. In 2018, she was appointed by North Carolina’s Daughters of the American Revolution to a state-wide committee formed by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to help share information about and coordinate events of America's upcoming Semiquincentennial. She was also awarded a Professional Development Grant from the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.

Check her web site and blog for more information. Or hop over to her Facebook and Twitter pages to say “hi.”

Books by Suzanne Adair

Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mysteries
-- Deadly Occupation
-- Regulated for Murder (a Suspense Magazine "Best of 2011" book choice)
-- A Hostage To Heritage (winner of the Indie Book of the Day Award)
-- Killer Debt (nominated for Daphne du Maurier Award)

Mysteries of the American Revolution
-- Paper Woman (recipient of the Patrick D. Smith Literature Award)
-- The Blacksmith's Daughter
-- Camp Follower (nominated for Daphne du Maurier Award and Sir Walter Raleigh Award)

Reviews

[Courtney Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm amazed at how historical fiction writers are able to weave in their own characters' experiences through actual past events. This Revolutionary War series is set in a city that I don't recall being mentioned in my high school history classes - Wilmington, North Carolina. How did I not know that the British occupied this area for as long as they did?

'Killer Debt' is my favorite installment of this series so far. I love reading about the crime scene techniques that would have been used at that time, before the advent of modern forensic technology, and I can't wait to see what's next in store for our favorite Redcoat investigator!

(As a fan of Suzanne Adair's Michael Stoddard series, I was delighted to receive a copy of her latest book before publication to read and give her my opinion. I was not required to leave a public review, but am glad to do so.)

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suzanne Adair has written another absorbing novel in her series about the Revolutionary War in North Carolina featuring protagonist Michael Stoddard. This one starts with the burned home of a financier, a missing slave, and a murder with similarities to murders he suspects his nemesis, a fellow officer, has committed. The protagonist, Michael Stoddard is determined to investigate, but is given the job of guarding a signer of the Declaration of Independence on a diplomatic mission, and his nemesis, Officer Fairfax, is assigned to investigate the financier's murder. As events progress, the owner of a tavern and her brother are drawn perilously close to Fairfax's investigation, upping the stakes as Stoddard determines to see justice done and innocent civilians protected, no matter the cost to him personally.

The novel is fast-paced, full of tension and suspense, and full of historical details that help the reader live this era of history. We learn more of Michael Stoddard's past and the intricate connections and personal history that bind him into an ever-deepening web. Adair's research is detailed, and the historical details are engrossing. I've read all of the Michael Stoddard novels so far, and although they are a series, each is able to fully stand alone.

[K.D. Carter]

I found this to be a very interesting story, and think some of the descriptions were beautiful! Unfortunately, there was also a gruesome murder scene, the descriptions might put a sensitive reader off. I was okay with it. The best thing about this book is that it's the fourth in a series, but the author left enough breadcrumbs so that I didn't feel lost. It's quite likely that I'll pick up the first three in the near future, and certainly will keep an eye out for book 5!

[Ellen Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Stoddard returns in this new thriller, which puts you back in the humid, dangerous Carolinas during the American Revolution. Dangerous especially if you a British soldier, wearing the woolen scarlet of the king. I really felt like I was back in the day, hearing, smelling and seeing the world from a completely different point of view.
I'm not one to give a synopsis in a review, but I will say it's an excellent murder mystery, taking place in a fascinating period of our country. I've been unfamiliar with this front in the war, but Suzanne Adair has brought it brilliantly to life. Although this books stands alone, it is even stronger when place within the framework of Adair's other novels. Her characters range from stalwart hero to despicable villain, but all ring true in this well-written book.
I purchased this book at full price and did not receive a free copy for the review.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Adair certainly knows how to combine the two in an intriguing fashion. Included in that is her ability to weave in the personal stories of her characters -- Michael Stoddard's growing awareness of how his fellow soldiers feel about their loved ones, for instance.

Also enjoy the historical notes at the end, telling more of the background of the story. Her research is exemplary.

The war is slowly drawing to an end, and we know what's coming. How will the Stoddard and Fairfax final confrontation play out? Because there has to be one. Can't wait to see how that goes. Looking forward to more in the series!

[Frank Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to read about North Carolina in the Revolutionary War from a fictional setting? Check out Killer Debt and other titles in this series by Suzanne Adair. Learn a little history while following a mystery.

[Dana Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

As always a great read. A history lesson hidden in a detective mystery. Only problem is that you are left wanting more.