Fire And Lies:

by Pamela Cowan

Emma Richland, hurting from a recent divorce, needs to prove her competence as a private investigator. Her sister, Ellen Richland, a retired military investigator, wants to find her place in the civilian world. When an arson investigation leads to murder, and Emma needs help, who better to turn to than family? Together, Emma and Ellen uncover the truth and confront a killer—while a hidden enemy watches every move they make.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2020

Reviews

[William Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK. This is not your “sisters cozy mystery.” Author Cowan has filled her story with unsavory characters doing nefarious deeds, including a cringe-worthy scene near the beginning that I’m glad was not more graphic. The writing is edgy and unsettling, lending a kind of “noir authenticity” to the characters and the rural countryside they inhabit. If you like your coffee black in the morning and your bourbon neat at night, this might just be the novel for you. It’s the first in the author’s new series, and the second book is already out there. The game is afoot. Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

[James McCracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

​Thrilling and intense.
Cowan is a master at creating believable characters that feel so real and then putting them in situations that keep you on the edge of your seat. Several times I wanted to put the book down, but couldn’t. I had to find out what was next. Fire and Lies is a story of two sisters: Emma, a recent divorcee turned private investigator, who needs to prove her competence not only to herself but to her ever protective sister, and Ellen, a retired military investigator turned new business owner. When a case of arson turns to murder, Emma can’t walk away. She turns to her sister for help. Together they dig deeper until they uncover the truth and confront the killer, unaware that a hidden enemy is watching their every move.

[Heather Ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel starts off with a bang and never stops. Many twists and turns I didn't see coming, and I'm a fellow mystery writer. Emma is determined to be her own woman and step away from her sister's influence and assistance as she forges her own career as a private detective. She becomes entangled in a case that appears first to be a simple (or not so simple) arson, but morphs into a murder in a rural area where cell service is spotty and the inhabitants of the area are even spottier in character. People aren't who they seem, their livelihoods aren't what they seem, either, and knowing who, why and when becomes a matter of life and death, most particularly for Emma. The opening of what looks to be an intriguing series.