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Sticks and Stones

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Sticks and stones may break my bones—or they might actually kill me.

What does a woman do when she discovers her husband is an incurable cheater? If she's Cat DeLuca, she launches the Pants on Fire Detective Agency. Now Cat does what two years of unholy matrimony taught her to do: she catches cheaters. When a client, Cleo Jones, shoots her cheating husband's bum full of buckshot, he disappears, taking her money, dog, and sister with him. Private Investigator Cat DeLuca promises to retrieve the dog and money if her client stops shooting at Walter. Cleo agrees. The detective finds the dog and a mysterious bag full of cash. And then she finds Walter. His very dead body is still warm.

The case is a slam dunk for the cops who arrest Cleo for the killing. She had motive and opportunity, and a dozen witnesses heard her scream bloody murder. One even made a video.

Cat DeLuca is determined to prove her client's innocence, and it's not an easy job. Walter was an unsavory character. Over the years he had acquired numerous enemies. Now, Cat will have to sift through all the ones who didn't pull the trigger. Her investigation leads to four players with secrets: a childhood friend, a gambler, a construction tycoon, and a legendary Chicago designer.

When forensic evidence suggests the detective knows more about the murder than she's telling, Cat faces the certain loss of her agency.

Cat DeLuca is smart and charming, but she's an unlikely heroine, and her partner, a beagle named Inga, is quite likely to eat the evidence. Sticks and Stones delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud humor for a wickedly delicious read.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 14, 2011
      In Larsen’s engaging second mystery featuring Chicago PI Caterina “Cat” DeLuca (after 2010’s Liar, Liar), Cat goes after Walter Jones, Cleo Jones’s no-good ex, who’s stolen Cleo’s money as well as her Tibetan terrier, Beau. Cat, trailed by a furious Cleo, finds Walter’s bloody body, still warm, in his suburban house, plus a bag of money and Beau. With perfect timing, the police show up and arrest Cleo—who’s threatened Walter loudly and publicly—for murder. Determined to prove Cleo innocent, Cat turns for help to a number of friends, notably Chance Savino, her FBI agent lover, while evading the police to track suspects and hiding Cleo, after she’s released on bail, and Beau in her home. It’s a plus that Cleo is a great cook. Janet Evanovich fans will relate to the humor and crazy characters, but under the fun is a well-crafted plot with all the elements of a classic whodunit.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      PI Cat DeLuca launches the ÒPants on Fire Detective AgencyÓ to catch cheaters after two years of Òunholy matrimonyÓ with an incurable cheater husband of her own. When Cat's assistant, Cleo Jones, shoots her husband Walter's backside full of buckshot, Cat agrees to take the case if Cleo agrees to stop shooting. Vanessa Hart's fresh, animated narration captures the zany comedy and drama of this mystery--which is reminiscent of Janet Evanovich's work. Hart combines authentic sound effects with comedic timing to portray Cat's consternation when she finds Walter's still-warm body--and a mysterious bag of cash. Larsen's laugh-out-loud story is enhanced by Hart's delightful depiction of Inga, Cat's evidence-eating beagle. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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