Cassie Woods yearns to be a real journalist. But in 1880s New York City, her only assignments are women's interest stories. Until, that is, a cookbook author she's meant to interview goes missing and Cassie finds herself in the midst of a police investigation involving one of the city's major crime families. Surly but handsome Detective O'Neill threatens repercussions to her career if she continues to interfere. Will Cassie get in over her head or will she save the day and solve the mystery?This collection contains seven connected stories, each centered on an exciting new case for Cassie to solve while navigating the highs and lows of her relationship with Detective O'Neill.
I’ve been living with the main characters of Crimes and Crevices of the Heart, Cassie Woods and Detective, O’Neill for quite a while.
When I first started writing the Cassie Woods, Reporter historical mystery romance series I wasn't entirely sure where it would go. I liked the short story format, but due to the length of the stories, individual print versions weren't feasible.
The stories also translated well to audiobook "episodes," and I had the pleasure of working with a great narrator, Jama Smith, who really brought the characters to life. She recorded the first couple stories when I still had a few left to write, and I found myself hearing Cassie’s speak in Jama’s voice for her as I wrote the later stories—something Jama took as a huge compliment!
But I still felt like there was more in store for this series. At a book festival last year, someone asked me if I had copies of the series available. I realized that there was a demand for a print collection. Now that I've wrapped up the series with book 7, I've brought them all together into a collection titled Crimes and Crevices of the Heart, available in both ebook and paperback.
I will miss these characters I've lived with the past two years, but I feel like this collection gives them a fitting conclusion. I'm looking forward to having copies at festivals this fall so when someone asks for them I can say "yes!"
When Cassie arrived at the factory’s address late that afternoon, the quiet surprised her. At this time of day, a garment factory should be noisy, machines running and girls tending to their work. The factory was a small building on a side street, but still. Something was off.
A man walked out and leaned against the doorjamb. He slowly lit a cigarette, watching her the whole time. It looked suspicious to stand in the street staring back, so Cassie forced her feet into motion. As she neared him, she saw the man had a long, jagged scar crossing one cheek.
Before she reached him, a group of men walking casually down the street surrounded her, dragging her along with them. When they reached an alley, one of the men grabbed her elbow and shoved her down the narrow passage. The rest stood behind her, blocking the exit.
“What are you—” She halted as a man emerged from the shadows. He strode toward her, hands in his pockets. A slice of light fell across his eyes.
She relaxed.
“Detective O’Neill. What on earth is going on? Your men—”
“My men just saved you, Miss Woods. You don’t want to draw the attention of one of the Tiatelli henchmen.” He took another step closer. She smelled a faint waft of cologne. “I thought I told you not to interfere in my investigation.”
“I’m not interfering—”
“What do you call waltzing into the middle of my stakeout, then?”
Beth Ford writes historical and time travel stories that transport you in time. She is the author of the novels In the Times of Spirits, Love Between Times, Love Across Time, and After the Spirits Come: A Continuation of Dickens's A Christmas Carol. She also writes the Cassie Woods, Reporter historical mystery romance novella series. Her work has also appeared in a variety of literary journals. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
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In 1870s New York, Detective George Breeden begrudgingly investigates a female con artist seducing and stealing from the city's most elite bachelors—but she fancies herself a female Robin Hood.
Thank you for featuring CRIMES AND CREVICES OF THE HEART today.
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