Barking Rain Press, a non-profit fiction publisher, today announced the paperback and eBook release of "The Hatbox Murders: An Elliott Bay Mystery," the first in a new series of historical murder mysteries set in 1950s Seattle. "The Hatbox Murders" is author Jennifer Berg's debut novel. Based in San Diego, California, Berg is already hard at work on the second book in the Elliott Bay mysteries series, "The Charlatan Murders: An Elliott Bay Mystery," which will be published in 2018 by Barking Rain Press. A promotional novella, "The Tugboat Murder: An Elliott Bay Mystery," will also be offered as a free eBook download starting in April 2017.
Inspector Michael Riggs doesn't believe in "woman's intuition," but when head stenographer Margaret Baker insists that her friend and co-worker, Ruby Pike, most certainly did not jump off a bridge to end her life, Riggs reluctantly agrees to re-examine the closed suicide case. He quickly learns that Ruby's mousy cousin hated her while her rich uncle adored her, showering Ruby with expensive gifts. Her shady boyfriend had good reason to be rid of Ruby, but he also has an alibi for the night of her death. Add to that a tight-lipped boss facing financial ruin, a jealous wife, and a bitter landlady whose heirloom jewelry was pilfered, and it doesn't take long for Riggs to realize that Margaret's feminine intuition might be right.
Unfortunately for Riggs, the only clues he can find are a gold watch with a cryptic inscription, a photo of a missing dress, and a pink hatbox. As the police chief starts to boil over, Riggs decides to call on Victoria Bell, an alluring Prussian librarian with a knack for solving crimes who has helped him with other cases. But this time, Victoria is determined to stay out of the limelight. She only agrees to help with the case if her assistance remains a secret. But when the murderer strikes again, Victoria realizes that she'll have to risk the spotlight if she's going to help Riggs catch the murderer.
Ask for "The Hatbox Murders: An Elliott Bay Mystery" at your favorite independent bookstore, or buy it online at the Barking Rain Press website, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Powells, Waterstones, and many other online bookstores. It is also available as an eBook through Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Content Reserve/Overdrive, the Barking Rain Press website, and many other outlets worldwide. Interested readers can read the first four chapters for free by visiting the Barking Rain Press website at BarkingRainPress.org.
The Hatbox Murders: An Elliott Bay Mystery
BISAC Genre Codes:
FIC022040 - Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
FIC022100 - Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth
FIC022060 - Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Historical
BIC Genre Codes:
FF - Crime & Mystery
FFH - Historical Mysteries
LCCN: 2016961731
Trade Paperback (198 pp)
ISBN-13: 978-1-941295-70-0
ISBN-10: 1-941295-70-3
Retail Price: $13.99 USD
Distributors: Ingram, Bertram Books, Gardners Books
eBook (ePub, Kindle, PDF)
ISBN-13: 978-1-941295-53-3
ISBN-10: 1-941295-53-3
Retail Price: $5.99 USD
Distributors: Content Reserve/Overdrive, Ingram
About Barking Rain Press
Barking Rain Press is an imprint of the BRP Publishing Group (BRP), which is a non-profit publisher located in the greater Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area - a thriving hub for independent publishers, writers, and literary venues. BRP currently operates three imprints, including Barking Rain Press, Virtual Tales, and Nitis Books. Find out more about the BRP Publishing Group at their website, BarkingRainPress.org.
