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9 Days: A DEE ROMMEL MYSTERY
A powerful family will stop at nothing to protect its secrets...“Dee Rommel is a tenacious, badass, justice-seeking, sleuth, who is recovering from a life-changing injury and amputation of her lower left leg she suffered while a member of the Portland, Maine Police Department. In 9 DAYS, the sequel to award-winning, crime, procedural, mystery, noir, suspense, thriller 10 DAYS, she only has one less day to break the case wide open and prove the innocence of a famous astrologist who has just confessed to murder. This book checks all the boxes for a witty female protagonist, fast-paced page-turner of a plot with unexpected twists and turns along the way as Dee peels back the convoluted layers of well-kept secrets to expose the dysfunctional, darker side of a prominent New England family.” – Billy Nogle, The One and Only Book Club
Famous astrologist Agnes Sants-Mekler, a member of one of Maine’s elite families, pleads guilty to murder. Her gifted, pre-teen son, Zar, says she’s lying and he wants Dee Rommel to prove that – in nine days.
Former policewoman Dee Rommel, not yet thirty, is dealing with a permanent, life-changing injury sustained while part of Portland’s police force. Her medical leave is up; she’s made a contested decision to delay her return to the department and continue working with her godfather, PI Gordy Greer. Dee discovers the police are content with Agnes Sants-Melker’s confession, but her intense curiosity – and need for justice – compels her to dig deeper to find the truth. As she sifts through the evidence, misdirections, and deceptions she finds that trusting the wrong person is unraveling a more devious plot – and leading to a life-threatening confrontation.
9 DAYS is the thrilling second installment in the award-winning Dee Rommel Mystery series. So thrilled to be back in the company of Dee Rommel and her gang of smart, singular, and flawed Mainers. This installment in the series dives into the intricacies of astrology and martial arts, and introduces members of the Portland upper crust, most notably Dee's newest client, an eccentric tween named Zar. We read on to find out what happens- but we also read on for the characters, one of whom is the city itself. Selbo's Portland is no sleepy seaside it is worldly, alive, and full of delicious local flavor. - Anne Elliott, award-winning author of The ArtStars
Female investigator Dee Rommel -- wounded and vulnerable under her tough, don't-touch-me exterior, tenacious as hell in the pursuit of justice for her clients - is superb as the lead in this suspense-filled page turner. 9 DAYS has it all - a compelling mystery, a ticking clock, and a cast of well-developed characters to both love and hate. Highly recommended. - Kerry Anne King, bestselling author of Other People's Things.
Famous astrologist Agnes Sants-Mekler, a member of one of Maine’s elite families, pleads guilty to murder. Her gifted, pre-teen son, Zar, says she’s lying and he wants Dee Rommel to prove that – in nine days.
Former policewoman Dee Rommel, not yet thirty, is dealing with a permanent, life-changing injury sustained while part of Portland’s police force. Her medical leave is up; she’s made a contested decision to delay her return to the department and continue working with her godfather, PI Gordy Greer. Dee discovers the police are content with Agnes Sants-Melker’s confession, but her intense curiosity – and need for justice – compels her to dig deeper to find the truth. As she sifts through the evidence, misdirections, and deceptions she finds that trusting the wrong person is unraveling a more devious plot – and leading to a life-threatening confrontation.
9 DAYS is the thrilling second installment in the award-winning Dee Rommel Mystery series. So thrilled to be back in the company of Dee Rommel and her gang of smart, singular, and flawed Mainers. This installment in the series dives into the intricacies of astrology and martial arts, and introduces members of the Portland upper crust, most notably Dee's newest client, an eccentric tween named Zar. We read on to find out what happens- but we also read on for the characters, one of whom is the city itself. Selbo's Portland is no sleepy seaside it is worldly, alive, and full of delicious local flavor. - Anne Elliott, award-winning author of The ArtStars
Female investigator Dee Rommel -- wounded and vulnerable under her tough, don't-touch-me exterior, tenacious as hell in the pursuit of justice for her clients - is superb as the lead in this suspense-filled page turner. 9 DAYS has it all - a compelling mystery, a ticking clock, and a cast of well-developed characters to both love and hate. Highly recommended. - Kerry Anne King, bestselling author of Other People's Things.
Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2022
About the author
Jule Selbo
26 books27 followersSO EXCITED! 6 DAYS, A Dee Rommel Mystery will be available August 5, 2026. It's the fifth in the series. The series begins with 10 DAYS, then comes 9 DAYS, then 8 DAYS (you see the pattern).
Jule Selbo rises an hour before sun-up, likes the fuel of caffeine, and loves to make up stories. She’s an award-winning screenwriter (Disney, Paramount, Universal, and more, including working with George Lucas on Young Indiana Jones Chronicles for five years, penning Ariel’s Beginning (Little Mermaid and Hunchback of Notre Dame Part Deux and more for Disney, tv shows like Melrose Place, Hercules, Space Above and Beyond and HBO’s Women Behind Bars).
She moved to Maine to write novels and short stories – focusing on her favorite genres: crime mystery and historical fiction. 10 DAYS, A Dee Rommel Mystery (2021) is the first of the award-winning series; it is followed by 9 DAYS. 8 DAYS, 7 DAYS and the new 6 DAYS.
Series’ kudos include: Silver Falchion, CIBA Best Series Finalist, nominations for the CLue Award and Foreward Review Award, Kirkus’ Top 5 Mysteries from Small Publishers and more.
Her historical fiction books include biographies of Italy’s John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) and Laura Bassi (first experimental physicist and first female professor at University of Bologna in the late 1700s). Her Find Me In Florence focuses on the country’s Mud Angels; they helped save priceless artwork and books after the 1966 flood.
Short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Magazine and Thriller Magazine.
Jule would love to hear from her readers!
Jule Selbo rises an hour before sun-up, likes the fuel of caffeine, and loves to make up stories. She’s an award-winning screenwriter (Disney, Paramount, Universal, and more, including working with George Lucas on Young Indiana Jones Chronicles for five years, penning Ariel’s Beginning (Little Mermaid and Hunchback of Notre Dame Part Deux and more for Disney, tv shows like Melrose Place, Hercules, Space Above and Beyond and HBO’s Women Behind Bars).
She moved to Maine to write novels and short stories – focusing on her favorite genres: crime mystery and historical fiction. 10 DAYS, A Dee Rommel Mystery (2021) is the first of the award-winning series; it is followed by 9 DAYS. 8 DAYS, 7 DAYS and the new 6 DAYS.
Series’ kudos include: Silver Falchion, CIBA Best Series Finalist, nominations for the CLue Award and Foreward Review Award, Kirkus’ Top 5 Mysteries from Small Publishers and more.
Her historical fiction books include biographies of Italy’s John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) and Laura Bassi (first experimental physicist and first female professor at University of Bologna in the late 1700s). Her Find Me In Florence focuses on the country’s Mud Angels; they helped save priceless artwork and books after the 1966 flood.
Short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Magazine and Thriller Magazine.
Jule would love to hear from her readers!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 10, 2026
I really enjoyed this mystery. The story kept me curious from beginning to end, with interesting characters, unexpected twists, and a strong sense of suspense. Dee Rommel is a compelling lead, and I liked how she kept pushing for the truth even when things became complicated. A fast-paced and engaging read for anyone who enjoys mystery and crime stories.
January 19, 2023
After reading 10 Days last year, picking up 9 Days felt like coming home to Maine. I've never been to Portland, but after reading reading the exquisitely drawn world of investigator Dee Rommel, I feel like I used to live there. Dee feels like an old friend, frustrating at times with her stubbornness, but loving her for it, too.
In 9 Days, former Portland police woman and now private investigator, is hired by a 12 year old boy to prove his mother didn't kill their gardener. But she was caught at the scene with the gun and confessed to the crime. It seems an open and shut case, but not everything is what it seems. Especially when the family comes from old money, there are 3 sons involved and an ex-husband who lives next door. When the ex-husband turns up dead, it gets even more interesting.
The mother is a famous astrologer who teaches that the stars set our personalities and push us in a particular direction, but we as individuals have to make our own decisions. The mother and young son provide hints and clues that Dee has to untangle, all the while wondering if she's letting her desire to help the innocent boy interfere with the obvious conclusion that the case is hopeless. Anyone else would give up, but not Dee Rommel. She keeps pulling at strings, annoying everyone around her, until she uncovers what really happened inside the complicated family.
It's worth noting that Jule Selbo comes from many years as a screenplay writer and it shows. The writing is highly visual and the story intricately plotted. As soon as you start reading, you know you're in expert hands.
In 9 Days, former Portland police woman and now private investigator, is hired by a 12 year old boy to prove his mother didn't kill their gardener. But she was caught at the scene with the gun and confessed to the crime. It seems an open and shut case, but not everything is what it seems. Especially when the family comes from old money, there are 3 sons involved and an ex-husband who lives next door. When the ex-husband turns up dead, it gets even more interesting.
The mother is a famous astrologer who teaches that the stars set our personalities and push us in a particular direction, but we as individuals have to make our own decisions. The mother and young son provide hints and clues that Dee has to untangle, all the while wondering if she's letting her desire to help the innocent boy interfere with the obvious conclusion that the case is hopeless. Anyone else would give up, but not Dee Rommel. She keeps pulling at strings, annoying everyone around her, until she uncovers what really happened inside the complicated family.
It's worth noting that Jule Selbo comes from many years as a screenplay writer and it shows. The writing is highly visual and the story intricately plotted. As soon as you start reading, you know you're in expert hands.
October 8, 2022
Excellent, excellent, excellent! Love these characters, plotting and location. I finished late last night and woke up so disappointed that I can't spend more time with Dee. Can't wait for the next book.
Read
December 31, 2022Dee Rommel is back and Jule Selbo followed her first Dee Rommel mystery "10 Days" with this new and exciting read... Dee is a smart, strong, yet vulnerable heroine... Perfect, fun reads to start the new year.
October 10, 2022
Dee Rommel is a tenacious, badass, justice-seeking, sleuth who is recovering from a life-altering injury and amputation of her lower left leg she suffered while a member of the Portland, Maine Police Department. In 9 DAYS, the sequel to award-winning, crime, procedural, mystery, noir, suspense, thriller 10 DAYS, Dee has one less day to break the case wide open and prove the innocence of a famous astrologist who has just confessed to murder. This book checks all the boxes for me: a witty female protagonist, a fast-paced, page-turner of a plot with unexpected twists and turns along the way as Dee peels back the convoluted layers of well-kept secrets to expose the dysfunctional, darker side of a prominent New England family.
With each installment we see this fascinating protagonist grow. Not only does she mature in her new role as a private investigator, which still isn’t quite official yet, but also we are allowed more glimpses into her private life and the obstacles she deals with daily due to her injury, and how she overcomes the what life had put in her way. Her life is more than survival. It’s learning to thrive. Selbo uses this connective tissue to bind the first and second books in the series, along with a returning cast of favorites. We expect it to continue as Dee’s character is further developed. As the series counts down to an inevitable mystery that Dee must solve in a single day, I wonder what sorts of mysteries are ahead and how many criminals the seedy side of Portland, Maine will throw at her. It’s not like the small city is renowned as a hotbed of crime, but it is a large enough community to share many of the same problems bigger cities face. There are hints in the first two books, though, about some of the directions Dee’s story may take as she struggles to reclaim the life she had before a notorious local bad guy robbed her of it. And for that reason, I will continue to follow this series to its conclusion and recommend you do the same. Although 9 DAYS stands alone well as a story and the plot points are resolved by its conclusion, you should start with Book 1 of the series and join me on this wonderful reading journey.
This Review is based on an author-supplied, pre-publication version which may not include some minor changes made during edits.
With each installment we see this fascinating protagonist grow. Not only does she mature in her new role as a private investigator, which still isn’t quite official yet, but also we are allowed more glimpses into her private life and the obstacles she deals with daily due to her injury, and how she overcomes the what life had put in her way. Her life is more than survival. It’s learning to thrive. Selbo uses this connective tissue to bind the first and second books in the series, along with a returning cast of favorites. We expect it to continue as Dee’s character is further developed. As the series counts down to an inevitable mystery that Dee must solve in a single day, I wonder what sorts of mysteries are ahead and how many criminals the seedy side of Portland, Maine will throw at her. It’s not like the small city is renowned as a hotbed of crime, but it is a large enough community to share many of the same problems bigger cities face. There are hints in the first two books, though, about some of the directions Dee’s story may take as she struggles to reclaim the life she had before a notorious local bad guy robbed her of it. And for that reason, I will continue to follow this series to its conclusion and recommend you do the same. Although 9 DAYS stands alone well as a story and the plot points are resolved by its conclusion, you should start with Book 1 of the series and join me on this wonderful reading journey.
This Review is based on an author-supplied, pre-publication version which may not include some minor changes made during edits.
October 29, 2022
4.5 stars
Jule Selbo is back with another Dee Rommel mystery and this time her client is a child who is desperate to clear his mother of the charge of murder but can a child being a client really ever be a good idea and especially when considering how biased their opinion is due to the situation they are in?
Dee Rommel is one of those characters who you truly buy into and thanks to the excellent writing by Jule you are able to be drawn in and have the visualisation of the story as you read.
This is an author who is highly recommended and the only little markdown is the editing towards the end of the book is somewhat frustrating and I feel for the author that it does have this as this is something that the publisher should be ensuring is right before the book is released.
Jule Selbo is back with another Dee Rommel mystery and this time her client is a child who is desperate to clear his mother of the charge of murder but can a child being a client really ever be a good idea and especially when considering how biased their opinion is due to the situation they are in?
Dee Rommel is one of those characters who you truly buy into and thanks to the excellent writing by Jule you are able to be drawn in and have the visualisation of the story as you read.
This is an author who is highly recommended and the only little markdown is the editing towards the end of the book is somewhat frustrating and I feel for the author that it does have this as this is something that the publisher should be ensuring is right before the book is released.
April 4, 2023
A fun read, well written
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews