Book Title: Zig Zag Woman Series:
Author: Roberta Tracy
Publication Date: April 16, 2024
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 248 pp.
Genre: Historical Mystery
The last thing LAPD Detectives McManus and Tyson expect to find behind Pantages Theatre is a body rolled up in a blanket. The last thing Margaret Morehouse, one of the city's first policewoman with arrest powers, expects to do is join the investigation.
When a deadly explosion at the L. A. Times derails their efforts, Margaret finds herself at a crossroads and strikes out on her own, a path leading to delusion and self-discovery on a vaudeville stage.
Her husband's nephew Leland further complicates the situation by sharing a ransom note and confiding his failure to report his wife's disappearance at the Dominguez Air Meet.
A brief stint as a magician's assistant takes Margaret to Chicago, where she almost signs on as a zig zag girl, the term used for ladies performing in the "cutting-a-woman-in-two"illusion. Instead, Margaret returns to the tumultuous world of early twentieth century Los
Angeles.
Reunited with McManus and Tyson, she confronts prejudices and societal norms in efforts to identify a body, clear Leland's name, and topple the stranglehold one powerful, amoral person has over many lives.
Their efforts lead to dead ends and misconceptions before truth comes to light. Love is rekindled and danger uncovered in unlikely places. Margaret goes from Zig Zag Girl to Zig Zag Woman, no longer cut in two but headed on a clearer path.
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mvLBY6
ZIG ZAG WOMAN
EXCERPT 3
Margaret was in no such mood. Her late-night wanderings might well test Edmund’s patience to the limit. She boarded the Olivet and showed her badge to the surly conductor.
Worried the creak of hardwood floors would awaken Edmund and Cushman, she unlaced and removed her shoes when she reached the doorstep. From faraway came a distinct pop! Less than a second later, something buzzed overhead, bounced off the upper brass door hinge, ricocheted against the jamb, and clattered to the porch so loudly she barely heard sounds of feet and hooves running off into the night.
Peeling off a glove to feel around, Margaret half expected to find a dazed bird or bat. Her fingers came upon a metallic object, cylindrical and burning hot. She picked it up gingerly and went inside. Under the dim light of the lamp Cushman had left by the window, she saw it was a large leaden bullet.
A degree in nonprofit management led her to work situations where newsletters, grant proposals, and business correspondence took precedence. Still, she wrote poetry, some of which won prizes and publication, and children’s books set in worldwide locations. Recently, she co-authored Come Dream With Me, a part travelogue, part hippie nostalgia work of creative nonfiction, detailing the adventures of colleague Inese Civkulis.
No matter what writing projects unfold in the future, she'll never find enough words to thank family and friends for their inspiration and encouragement.
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Website: https://www.robertatracy.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/RobertaTra72258
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556591057891
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberta.tracy.24/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roberta-Tracy/author/B0D2PR17RV
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8101746.Roberta_Tracy
Thank you very much for featuring Roberta Tracy with her fabulous mystery, Zig Zag Woman, today.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xo
The Coffee Pot Book Club
You are welcome!
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