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Calling for the Money by Cathy Perkins
A Holly Price Mystery Book 5
Red Mountain Publishing • June 25, 2020
Holly Price has it all—or does she?
Holly finally has the dream job at the top of her field, the money and prestige she’s worked so hard to attain. But when a friend disappears while Holly is working a make-or-break career assignment, she’s drawn into another criminal investigation. A ruthless con ring will stop at nothing to extort its victims and her friends are directly in their cross-hairs.
While she’s searching for her missing friend, behind the scenes she’s wrestling with a backstabbing boss, a hurtful family situation, and the devastating worry she’s made a massive life choices mistake. When the gangsters target Holly, however, facing certain death has a way of making her reevaluate her life.
Now Holly must confront her painful past in order to redefine her future…and hope she lives long enough to see it.
Relationships – They’re Complicated
The Fourth of July was mercifully quiet this year, with the guy across the river only blowing up one or two baskets of who-knows-what. Even the town’s fireworks were restrained, with most viewers socially distancing by staying in their cars.
Other holidays can generate a different kind of fireworks. Take Valentine’s Day. The fireworks there can be sparkly or explosive, but doesn’t that holiday capture the good, the bad and the ugly in a relationship? Hopefully it’s all good, but so often the best words to describe a relationship are, “It’s complicated.”
Earlier this year, my husband and I ran errands on Valentine’s Day. We watched with amusement as people made mad dashes into Edible Arrangements, CVS, and the grocery for last minute candy, cards and flowers. It took two seconds to make up stories about the couples and their relationships. The wonderful part—from a writer’s perspective—is how deliciously complicated relationships can be.
“It’s complicated.”
What a wonderful relationship description. Messy, imperfect, human. The term implies a hint of mystery, half a cup of vulnerability, the other half, trust. Heartache tossed with belief.
Can you think of any relationship in your life where “it’s complicated” hasn’t applied at some point?
Beyond (my wonderful) husband, there are parents (don’t get me started on my father), children, siblings. Friends who’ve held and broken my trust. Pets who own pieces of my heart. I love them all but the currents, subtext, history and mutual flaws has woven a multi-dimensional tapestry that is still evolving.
Relationships have been a major subtext in all the Holly Price mysteries, and that’s certainly the case with Calling for the Money, the most recent of the series. While the who-dunnit is front and center in the story, the relationships drive the story. The conflict between and with Holly’s parents, especially her strained connection with her father, takes center stage, while she also wrestles with herself and her own complex relationship with her career. And of course, Holly’s relationship with JC Dimitrak takes yet another curve because… Well, it’s complicated.
What about you? Do you like your relationships stress-free or complicated? Real life vs. stories?
About the Author
An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories. When not writing, she does battle with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs, and the resident deer herd. To learn more about Cathy, please visit her website (https://cperkinswrites.com) or follow her at BookBub (https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cathy-perkins).
Social Media
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCathyPerkins
Twitter: @cperkinswrites
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathyperkinswrites/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5367341.Cathy_Perkins
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Cathy-Perkins/e/B006K0IKUQ
Website: https://cperkinswrites.com
New author and series for me, sounds good!