by Hannah Howe
by Hannah Howe
“I love breaking the rules.” – Cardiff Jack
Someone was murdering prostitutes, placing their bodies in the Bay and covering them with roses. To the media, he was ‘Cardiff Jack’, to the rest of us he was a man to avoid and fear.
Meanwhile, I was searching for Faye Collister, a prostitute. Why was Faye, a beautiful woman from a privileged background, walking the streets? Why had she disappeared? And what was her connection to Cardiff Jack?
As questions tumbled into answers, I made a shocking discovery, a discovery that would resonate with me for the rest of my life.
Ripper – the story of a week in my life that reshaped the past, disturbed the present and brought the promise of an uncertain future.
THE HERMIT OF HISARYA
by Hannah Howe
Some people will stop at nothing in their pursuit of wealth and power. Indeed, the greedy will often resort to murder.
“You’ve been through a stressful time recently,” my fiancé, Dr Alan Storey, said. “I’m off to Bulgaria to attend a psychology conference so why don’t you accompany me and we’ll throw in a holiday as well.”
Great idea, I thought. However, when I arrived in Bulgaria my inquisitive nature compelled me towards a mystery dating back to the Second World War. That mystery involved Emil Angelov, the Hermit of Hisarya. As I delved into the past, I stirred up some ghosts, which led to murder and the prospect of spending the rest of my days in a Bulgarian gaol.
The Hermit of Hisarya – a story of corruption, of murder, of a woman and her seventy-year-old dream, offering proof that the past, the present and the future are all intrinsically entwined.
SECRETS AND LIES
by Hannah Howe
Suicide or Murder?
Most of the people I encounter are hiding a secret and many of them are adept at telling lies. However, how do you learn the truth about someone who’s no longer with us?
Author, Barclay Quinton wrote Fabringjay, the story of a man leading a secret life during the Second World War, which was well received by the critics, but was ignored by the readers, and Illicit Lust, a book he hated and wrote purely to satisfy his agent and publisher. Illicit Lust became a bestseller, a fact that annoyed Barclay. However, its success did open doors and he set about researching his next novel, the story of an ageing mobster. Barclay’s research brought him into contact with many unsavoury types, including villains, shady private eyes and managers of strip clubs. The official report into Barclay’s death stated that he committed suicide. However, a close friend insisted that Barclay was murdered and I was hired to investigate.
Meanwhile, closer to home, I discovered a secret, and the truth, about my long-term partner. Was he the man of my dreams, or was our relationship about to end?
Secrets and Lies: a story of love, of deceit, of the many faces we all possess – the public face, the private face and the deeply personal.
FAMILY HONOUR
by Hannah Howe
When the biggest villain in the country makes you an offer you can’t refuse, what should you do? In my case, I decided to accept that offer, made by Mr Vincent Vanzetti. Vanzetti hired me to find his missing daughter, Vittoria, while threatening reprisals should I fail in my task. While searching for Vittoria, I had to deal with other members of the Vanzetti clan: Sherri, Vanzetti’s second wife, at twenty-two the same age as Vittoria. Sherri was an ‘actress’, a porn star with ambitions to appear on Reality TV; Catrin, Vanzetti’s granite-hard ex-wife, the power behind his criminal empire; and V.J. Parks, Vittoria’s boyfriend, a boxer, a young man in his prime, in training for a shot at the world title.
Meanwhile, closer to home, it was decision time for yours truly and my lover, Dr Alan Storey. Alan was keen on marriage while I was still coming to terms with my past and years of physical abuse. Could I find the courage to finally lay the ghosts of my past and pledge my future to Alan?
Family Honour, the story of a villain and his family, the story of a moral dilemma. Should I kill in the name of justice, or should I allow a villain to walk free? In answering that question, I discovered a lot about myself and the person I longed to be.
Web Links
For details about Hannah Howe and her books, please visit http://hannah-howe.com
For more details about Sam the Private Eye, please visit http://sam-private-eye.com
To listen to audio book samples from the Sam Smith Mystery Series please visit
https://www.youtube.com/user/goylake
Praise for Hannah Howe
and the Sam Smith Mystery Series
“Hannah Howe is a very talented writer.”
“I cannot recommend this author strongly enough.”
“A gem of a read.”
“Sam is an endearing character. Her assessments of some of the people she encounters will make you laugh at her wicked mind. At other times, you’ll cry at the pain she’s suffered.”
“Sam is the kind of non-assuming heroine that I couldn’t help but love.”
“Sam’s Song was a wonderful find and a thoroughly engaging read. The first book in the Sam Smith mystery series, this book starts off as a winner!”
“Sam is an interesting and very believable character.”
“Gripping and believable at the same time, very well written.”
“Sam is a great heroine who challenges stereotypes.”
“Hannah Howe is a fabulous writer.”
“I can’t wait to read the next in the series!”
“The Big Chill is light reading, but packs powerful messages.”
“This series just gets better and better.”
“What makes this book stand well above the rest of detective thrillers is the attention to the little details that makes everything so real.”
“Sam is a rounded and very real character.”
“Howe is an author to watch, able to change the tone from light hearted to more thoughtful, making this an easy and yet very rewarding read. Cracking!”
“Fabulous book by a fabulous author – I highly recommended this series!”
“Howe writes her characters with depth and makes them very engaging.”
“I loved the easy conversational style the author used throughout. Some of the colourful ways that the main character expressed herself actually made me laugh!”
“I loved Hannah Howe’s writing style — poignant one moment, terrifying the next, funny the next moment. I would be on the edge of my seat praying Sam wouldn’t get hurt, and then she’d say a one-liner or think something funny, and I’d chuckle and catch my breath. Love it!”
“Sam’s Song is no lightweight suspense book. Howe deals with drugs, spousal abuse, child abuse, and more. While the topics she writes about are heavy, Howe does a fantastic job of giving the reader the brutal truth while showing us there is still good in life and hope for better days to come.”
