In the South, the past is never past.
Tai Randolph doesn't want to hear about homicide. She's had enough of the dark and the dangerous and decides some time out of Atlanta is exactly what she needs to put the recent spate of corpses behind her. It's an idyllic vision: selling her wares at the Savannah Civil War Expo, attending a few Confederate reenactments, and perhaps a little romantic rendezvousing with Trey, who has agreed to put aside the corporate security agent routine and join her for a long weekend in her hometown.
But in the South, the past is never truly past; it tends to rise again. In Tai's case, it shows up as her tattooed heartbreaker of an ex-boyfriend desperate for her help. He spins a tale of betrayal, deceit, and a stolen Civil War artifact that Tai agrees to help him recover. As it turns out, Trey's on the case too, representing a wealthy competing client after the same prize. As the lovers square off against each other, Tai discovers that her complicated boyfriend makes an even more intriguing adversary when he reveals the ferociously competitive streak under his cool Armani exterior.
But where there's money, there's usually murder--this time involving the KKK and Tai's unapologetically unreconstructed kinfolk. As she unravels the clues to a 150-year-old mystery, she digs up secrets from her own past and Trey's, forcing a confrontation with a ruthless killer--and with her own willingness to do whatever it takes to save everything that matters.
About the Author :
Tina Whittle is a mystery writer living and working in southeastern Georgia. Her short fiction has appeared in the Savannah Literary Journal, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and Gulf Stream Magazine, which selected her story "Lost Causes and Other Reasons to Live" as the 2004 winner of their mystery fiction contest. She is also a columnist and feature writer for a local alternative newspaper and is a professional tarot reader.
Renée Raudman is an actor and Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator. She has performed on film, television, radio, and on stage and can also be heard in several video games and hundreds of television and radio voice-overs.
Review :
"Tai Randolph gets mixed up in the world of fanatical collectors in Whittle's lively third mystery featuring the Atlanta gun shop operator...As the action shifts unpredictably and the prize turns out to be quite different than either Tai or Trey supposed, Whittle skillfully shows her characters discovering how much they can trust each other."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Tai Randolph, the cutest amateur sleuth to come along since Stephanie Plum stuck her nose in everyone's business, rouses the ire of the KKK...The plot is as deftly convoluted as ever, but this time, most everything takes a back seat to Tai's rapture over Trey. And who could blame her? He's one hell of a catch."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Tai's knowledge of Savannah and her reconnection with her powerful but ailing ex-con uncle, Boone, add texture to this third series entry, but its greatest asset is the exploration of the relationship between frequently foolhardy Tai and cool, collected, and brain-damaged Trey; as more secrets are revealed, the relationship reaches new depths...Whittle's snappy prose and nonstop action revolving around these fascinatingly flawed characters combine to make this series a must."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
"Tina Whittle is that rare writer who can produce exquisite mysteries. Her novels are a mix of Pat Conroy writing and Dashiell Hammett storytelling. In Tai Randolph she has created a unique and fascinating heroine and with Blood, Ash and Bone, Whittle has established herself as one of the top mystery writers working today."
-- "Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author"
