Title: Always a Suspect
Author: Susan Vaughan
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
Prequel to the Task Force Eagle Trilogy
Persecuted widow Claire Saint-Ange thinks the P.I. she hired is her defender, here to clear her name and protect her from anonymous threats, but instead he was sent to this coastal Maine town to uncover her darkest secrets—and maybe put her behind bars. Two tragic losses cause federal agent Michael Quinn to submit his resignation, but he’s forced into one last gig—spend Christmas investigating the widow’s connection to her last husband’s drug smuggling. He thinks she’s a criminal, but her gentle soul and passion make him long to believe in her innocence. The frozen Maine landscape, deadly attacks, and shocking revelations test Claire and Michael at every turn—but it's the blazing desire between them that threatens their very lives.
Excerpt:
Busying herself with the grinder and the drip coffeemaker, she fought to suppress her awareness—heat suffusing her blood, heart hammering. She’d buried all that, hadn’t she?
But her insides softened to pudding at the sight of Quinn’s broad shoulders and rugged face.
Mon Dieu, not him, of all people.
“Anything I can do to help?”
At the rumble of his deep voice close behind—again—she bobbled the two coffee mugs she was removing from a high shelf.
Instantly, his arms surrounded her. Quinn caught one mug, and she the other.
“You sure spook easy.” Remaining with his arms caging her, he set the cup on the granite counter.
“I’m not accustomed to having people sneak up on me,” she said between gritted teeth. She pivoted to face him.
His glower matching hers, his sandy brows beetled.
Glaring at him was both easy and difficult because he didn’t budge. Arms as hard and thick as marble pillars still bracketed her. His wide torso, oozing heat and power from every pore, blocked her.
She smelled the fresh scent of his soap. If she advanced a millimeter, her breasts would brush his chest. Before she was tempted to do that or more, she leaned against the counter’s sharp edge.
“Did you really come out here to offer help?” she said. “Or did you think I’d dump arsenic in the cream?”
“Isn’t it only husbands and fiancés you kill?”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Always-Suspect-Task-Force-Eagle-ebook/dp/B0168ROE7I?ref_=ast_author_dp
Barnes & Noble: (Print only) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/always-a-suspect-susan-vaughan/1122766488?ean=9781517778248
Share a holiday family tradition:
On Christmas morning, we have popovers for breakfast as we open gifts. The popover recipe is from Acadia National Park’s Jordan Pond House, a favorite from many visits to the park. Hot from the oven, with butter and my homemade raspberry jam, it’s our first Christmas present!
Why is your featured book perfect to get readers in the holiday mood?
After the loss of a fiancé and her husband, my heroine, Claire, is struggling to maintain normality by decorating her house and Christmas tree. She feels little of the Christmas spirit, but the arrival of Michael, who she thinks is a PI there to help her stop threats, brings to her a reason for moving ahead and then celebrating.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon gift card
Open internationally.
Runs December 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on January 2, 2024.
Author Biography:
Occasional bouts of insomnia led to Susan Vaughan's writing career. When she couldn't sleep, she made up stories to fill the long, dark nights. Her stories throw the hero and heroine together under extraordinary circumstances and pit them against a clever villain. Besides curling up with a good mystery or romance, Susan enjoys walking her dog, boating, traveling, and volunteering. A former teacher, she is a West Virginia native, but she and her husband have lived in Maine for many years. Susan is the author of 16 novels and one children’s book. Find her at www.susanvaughan.com.
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @shvaughan or https://twitter.com/SHVaughan