In Pushover, the fifth in my Iris Thorne Mystery series, Iris’ ex-fiancé invites her to participate in a lucrative venture in the red-hot, emerging 1990’s Russian market where she quickly learns that every life has a price.

Pushover was my final Iris Thorne mystery and a turning point in my writing career. I loved Iris and the continuing characters in the series, but I was becoming weary of writing about an amateur sleuth. While the Iris Thorne books aren’t considered in the “cozy” sub-genre of mysteries, which have no bad language, sex, or violence on the page, I could not write them as dark as I wanted. I can still hear my editor’s voice in my ear telling me, “Iris would never do that.” Of course, he was right as he usually was (sometimes when we disagreed I was right).

The theme, setting, and characters in Pushover read much more like a thriller than a who-done-it mystery. After concluding my Iris Thorne series I went on to create my Nan Vining series, which features a haunted and possibly dangerous cop. Those books are dark indeed.

It’s hard for authors to pick a favorite among their works. Like choosing a favorite among your children, you love each one for their unique personalities, but Pushover does hold a special place in my heart. I hope you give it a read. Let me know what you think!