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Sydney Valentine #4
False Claims
Detective Sydney Valentine chases down clues to uncover the identity of a physician's killer.The doctor is bludgeoned to death in his medical office. Without warning, Detective Sydney Valentine's lieutenant assigns her a new and annoying new partner. While the two detectives pursue the investigation into the bloody murder of this high-profile physician, they discover he's going through a nasty divorce.
When the body of a John Doe turns up in an alleyway and strange connections between the murders emerge, the likelihood of a simple case looks grim.
False Claims is the fourth book in the fast-paced Sydney Valentine murder mystery series. If you like bold and brassy cops, snarky humor, and complex twists and turns, then you'll love Danielle L. Davis’s pulse-pounding novel.
When the body of a John Doe turns up in an alleyway and strange connections between the murders emerge, the likelihood of a simple case looks grim.
False Claims is the fourth book in the fast-paced Sydney Valentine murder mystery series. If you like bold and brassy cops, snarky humor, and complex twists and turns, then you'll love Danielle L. Davis’s pulse-pounding novel.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 10, 2019
37 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Lenee Davis
8 books12 followersWhen you're not writing, how do you spend your time? Eating chocolate. Okay, seriously? I'm usually working at my day job, reading, or helping my daughter with her homework. People who know me know that I'm not kidding about the chocolate. :-)
How do you discover the ebooks you read? I search online or friends tell me if they've read something they enjoyed. Otherwise, I wait until a book title comes to me in a dream. Really.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote? Yes! I wrote it many years ago. It wasn't even a story. It was a scene and I thought it was great. It wasn't.
What is your writing process? When I come up with an idea, I do some research to flesh it out. If I decide it will make an interesting book, I start jotting down plot points. Once I get that, I note what I think should happen in each chapter. It's just a couple of sentences. Then, I elaborate on that and include a sentence or two about the scenes in the chapter. Okay, we're going back to the dream again, here. But, I'm serious this time. :-) Sometimes, when I'm driving to or from work, I sort of daydream. I think most of us do that. From time to time, when I daydream, thoughts of my book come to me and the characters start talking in my head. When that happens while I'm driving I grab my mini digital recorder and speak into it. I get the same thoughts when I'm in bed trying to fall asleep. I usually turn on the light and start writing. And there you have it.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you? Uh, no. No, I don't. Now that the question has been asked, I'm feeling a bit sad that I don't remember. Okay, life goes on. I'm over it. Next question.
How do you approach cover design? For my first cover, I printed out online book covers of the authors I enjoy reading. I looked at the covers of the books I own. I studied the opinions of book designers on what made a good cover. Since I'm sure nobody would take a second look at a book cover I drew, I browsed stock images. A LOT of stock images. I wanted an image that created an emotional reaction in me. I think if it does that for me, it may also do it for a reader browsing for books. I used a font that was recommended for the type of book I wrote. For the cover of my second book, I had an idea in mind and went back to the stock images. Hopefully, that book (Criminal Negligence) will be ready by the end of 2014. If it's not, well, then it's not. Shoot me.
What do you read for pleasure? Mysteries/Suspense. I like my heart to race. Well, except if it involves running. I don't want that. In a book, I like trying to figure out what's going on before the author tells me. If I can't figure out who did the dirty deed and the story is compelling, I'll read that author again. In fact, I'll seek out their next book and probably buy all of the series. I prefer to read series.
What is your e-reading device of choice? Currently, it's the Kindle 6" E Ink. The screen isn't very big, but you can only read one word at a time anyway, right?
Describe your desk. Huh? My desk? Really? Well, the surface is too small. I have an HP Notebook with a wireless keyboard and mouse. There's a lot of paper on the desk. Too much. There's also a smoke detector sitting on it that needs to be attached to the ceiling. I'm procrastinating. I may regret that. Note to self: Put up the smoke detector!
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing? I'm an Army brat and grew up all over, I guess you could say. I think the travelling enabled me to be around different types of people. That's a good thing. I'm observant of people and that helps with writing.
What motivated you to become an indie author? I never sent out query letters. Nor did I try to seek an agent. It's about control. I wanted to do the cover MY way. I wanted to make my own deadlines.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you? Telling stories. Solitude. Eating chocolate while I write. :-
How do you discover the ebooks you read? I search online or friends tell me if they've read something they enjoyed. Otherwise, I wait until a book title comes to me in a dream. Really.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote? Yes! I wrote it many years ago. It wasn't even a story. It was a scene and I thought it was great. It wasn't.
What is your writing process? When I come up with an idea, I do some research to flesh it out. If I decide it will make an interesting book, I start jotting down plot points. Once I get that, I note what I think should happen in each chapter. It's just a couple of sentences. Then, I elaborate on that and include a sentence or two about the scenes in the chapter. Okay, we're going back to the dream again, here. But, I'm serious this time. :-) Sometimes, when I'm driving to or from work, I sort of daydream. I think most of us do that. From time to time, when I daydream, thoughts of my book come to me and the characters start talking in my head. When that happens while I'm driving I grab my mini digital recorder and speak into it. I get the same thoughts when I'm in bed trying to fall asleep. I usually turn on the light and start writing. And there you have it.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you? Uh, no. No, I don't. Now that the question has been asked, I'm feeling a bit sad that I don't remember. Okay, life goes on. I'm over it. Next question.
How do you approach cover design? For my first cover, I printed out online book covers of the authors I enjoy reading. I looked at the covers of the books I own. I studied the opinions of book designers on what made a good cover. Since I'm sure nobody would take a second look at a book cover I drew, I browsed stock images. A LOT of stock images. I wanted an image that created an emotional reaction in me. I think if it does that for me, it may also do it for a reader browsing for books. I used a font that was recommended for the type of book I wrote. For the cover of my second book, I had an idea in mind and went back to the stock images. Hopefully, that book (Criminal Negligence) will be ready by the end of 2014. If it's not, well, then it's not. Shoot me.
What do you read for pleasure? Mysteries/Suspense. I like my heart to race. Well, except if it involves running. I don't want that. In a book, I like trying to figure out what's going on before the author tells me. If I can't figure out who did the dirty deed and the story is compelling, I'll read that author again. In fact, I'll seek out their next book and probably buy all of the series. I prefer to read series.
What is your e-reading device of choice? Currently, it's the Kindle 6" E Ink. The screen isn't very big, but you can only read one word at a time anyway, right?
Describe your desk. Huh? My desk? Really? Well, the surface is too small. I have an HP Notebook with a wireless keyboard and mouse. There's a lot of paper on the desk. Too much. There's also a smoke detector sitting on it that needs to be attached to the ceiling. I'm procrastinating. I may regret that. Note to self: Put up the smoke detector!
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing? I'm an Army brat and grew up all over, I guess you could say. I think the travelling enabled me to be around different types of people. That's a good thing. I'm observant of people and that helps with writing.
What motivated you to become an indie author? I never sent out query letters. Nor did I try to seek an agent. It's about control. I wanted to do the cover MY way. I wanted to make my own deadlines.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you? Telling stories. Solitude. Eating chocolate while I write. :-
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 19, 2018
Ms. Davis' Sydney Valentine stories are well written and truly enjoyable. The character reminds me of Detective Jane Rizzoli from one of my favorite TNT shows - Rizzoli & Isles. If you like police novels, especially those with a stong, independent female lead you won't be disappointed. Characters are well developed, making you feel as if you really know them. It's easy to follow along even if you haven't read the previous books in this series. However, since I'm a fan, I strongly suggest you read them all.
A Pediatrician is murdered in his medical clinic; an unknown dead man is found in an alley nearby. Are they connected? And if so, how, why? The first case is being investigated by homidide Detective Sydney Valentine and her long-time partner, Det. Russell "Bernie" Bernard. The latter by Det. Theresa Sinclair. Then suddenly, without explanation, Bernie is told to work with Theresa. Sydney asks what happened to her former partner, Pete Ramsey. The answer is vague and only makes her wonder more. Sydney's new partner is Megan, a rookie detective, who's rapid rise through the ranks & assignment to homicide is highly puzzling. The Lieutenant expects Sydney to mentor Megan, which would be fine if the raw, young detective wasn't so darn annoying. Kudos to Sydney for "biting her tongue" and keeping her temper under
control.
As the two cases are investigated, it's clear they're related. A witness to the John Doe's murder is someone from Sydney's past. Out of nowhere Jesse, Sydney's high school boyfriend, appears on her doorstep, wanting to rekindle their relationship despite his "ghosting" her for 10 years and potentially wreaking havoc on her relationship with her boyfriend, Brad. Shady dealings are uncovered, the suspect list for both murders narrowed down, until the surprising murderer is revealed.
Side note: It's amusing that 2 of the doctors who partnered with the deceased pediatrician are named Dr. Gold & Dr. Rush and they're located in California. Get it? California Gold Rush :-)
A Pediatrician is murdered in his medical clinic; an unknown dead man is found in an alley nearby. Are they connected? And if so, how, why? The first case is being investigated by homidide Detective Sydney Valentine and her long-time partner, Det. Russell "Bernie" Bernard. The latter by Det. Theresa Sinclair. Then suddenly, without explanation, Bernie is told to work with Theresa. Sydney asks what happened to her former partner, Pete Ramsey. The answer is vague and only makes her wonder more. Sydney's new partner is Megan, a rookie detective, who's rapid rise through the ranks & assignment to homicide is highly puzzling. The Lieutenant expects Sydney to mentor Megan, which would be fine if the raw, young detective wasn't so darn annoying. Kudos to Sydney for "biting her tongue" and keeping her temper under
control.
As the two cases are investigated, it's clear they're related. A witness to the John Doe's murder is someone from Sydney's past. Out of nowhere Jesse, Sydney's high school boyfriend, appears on her doorstep, wanting to rekindle their relationship despite his "ghosting" her for 10 years and potentially wreaking havoc on her relationship with her boyfriend, Brad. Shady dealings are uncovered, the suspect list for both murders narrowed down, until the surprising murderer is revealed.
Side note: It's amusing that 2 of the doctors who partnered with the deceased pediatrician are named Dr. Gold & Dr. Rush and they're located in California. Get it? California Gold Rush :-)
March 21, 2018
I just finished reading this book. I did not want to put it down.
It caught my attention from the start.
It was good to read another Sydney Valentine story.
I like how the scenes are described and the people that Sydney and her partner meet.
I did figure out what was happening and I kept reading to see if I was right and because the action kept building.
You will meet a few people from Sydney's past and see what is going on.
It caught my attention from the start.
It was good to read another Sydney Valentine story.
I like how the scenes are described and the people that Sydney and her partner meet.
I did figure out what was happening and I kept reading to see if I was right and because the action kept building.
You will meet a few people from Sydney's past and see what is going on.
March 22, 2018
This is another great murder mystery. Book four in the Sydney Valentine series. I just love feisty females. Read it in one day couldn’t put it down. Cannot wait for the next one. I am so glad I added this author to my must read list. Great police procedural. Highly recommended must read.
March 22, 2018
Sydney is back on the case again. In this one a doc is found dead in his clinic, no witnesses, and no cameras.
Sydney has to track through false leads and break in a newbie detective. Keeps you guessing to the end who did it.
I received a free copy of this book.
Sydney has to track through false leads and break in a newbie detective. Keeps you guessing to the end who did it.
I received a free copy of this book.
October 19, 2019
Watch out
This is another successful effort by Danielle. She kept me guessing and I never saw where this book was going. Each time I thought I had figured it out another death took place. This is one Author I will continue to follow. I will read everything she writes.
This is another successful effort by Danielle. She kept me guessing and I never saw where this book was going. Each time I thought I had figured it out another death took place. This is one Author I will continue to follow. I will read everything she writes.
March 25, 2019
I’m depressed. I’ve finished the series and I want more.
Excellent read.
Excellent read.
March 24, 2021
Getting better.
March 7, 2021
Book Four - False Claims, continues Detective Sydney Valentine's career and is an excellent read.
Sydney has a new, female partner, with whom she is obliged to work but is finding it extremely difficult to form a bond with.
Her private life is frought with problems and the new case is taking up most of her time.
Highly Recommend
Sydney has a new, female partner, with whom she is obliged to work but is finding it extremely difficult to form a bond with.
Her private life is frought with problems and the new case is taking up most of her time.
Highly Recommend
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews