Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do . . .
It’s hard to that believe kidnapping wasn’t a national offense until 1932, when President Hoover signed it into law. Until then, authority was held at the state level, which is why these Baby Alice Spenser case notes are so sketchy.
Sit down. Take a load off. I’ve got a few minutes before I need to catch the Island Air shuttle. Boston traffic’s not too bad this time of day.
I’ve got the report analyzing the ransom note, only nowadays, because of the new technology the scum bags text messaged it. Go figure. I emailed the text to a friend of mine who’s a profiler at Quantico. I can’t wait to share what she had to say. Sometimes, it’s like voodoo science, the things she comes up with, but she’s always so right on. It’s spooky.
Of course, I heard about Nantucket, as soon as I transferred to Boston. I knew it was an island thirty miles off the coast, down near Martha’s Vineyard and the Cape. I’ve also heard it was quite a playground for the rich and famous back in the day, filled with shingled summer homes and great shops and restaurants. From what I’ve heard, the foodies are still eating those up. Pun intended. I just never had a reason to visit Nantucket before, until those two state archaeologists dug up the steamer trunk in the dump, and all hell broke loose.
Anetta Nunn called me in to support the investigation. Anetta is Nantucket’s new Chief of Police. She and I go way back, to New Orleans, when Katrina ripped the roof off the Bureau’s office on Simon Boulevard, and all of us first responders had to scramble for cover. It’s a real tragedy what happened to her husband, and her young son. You’ll never meet anyone more passionate about law enforcement than Anetta is. She’s the real deal. That Nantucket Council sure grabbed a tiger by the tail when they hired her.
Me? I’m the CARD team leader for the Boston Bureau. CARD is FBI shorthand for Child Abduction Rapid Deployment. My job is to facilitate access to the Bureau’s in-house behavioral analysts, but my special focus is DNA analysis. I love DNA, because DNA doesn’t lie. Good thing, because from what I’ve seen so far with this crazy cold case, figuring out just who the players are is going to be the real challenge.
Anetta has assigned two detectives to the case. I’m having some fun with one of them. CJ Allamand is purely local talent. I don’t think CJ’s been off that island for more than six months in her whole life. CJ’s their CSI contact, and she’s very intelligent. I think CJ’s smarter than she thinks she is. CJ seems to have a real nose for following the evidence trail, and for logical thought. We may have to find room for her here, with the Boston team.
The other detective, the lead, is this guy named John Jarad. Anetta is having some trouble with him. Jarad seems to be having an issue following orders. I don’t know if that’s because Anetta’s a woman, or if it’s because this Jarad guy was demoted and Anetta got his job. Either way, it makes for a prickly situation, because Jarad knows Nantucket inside and out. That gives him a solid advantage when it comes to interviewing local witnesses, especially since it seems like he’s related to nearly every one of them. It’s not fair, but the truth is that family members will tell him something they’d never share with a mainland law dog like me.
What? Uber’s here? Great. I’ll be right out. Hand me my hat, will you? You’ll be hearing plenty more about the Baby Alice Spenser kidnapping. This one has media frenzy written all over it. Catch you later.
You can read more about Cesar in No Rest For The Wicked, the third book in the award-winning “Nantucket” mystery series.
When state archaeologists lift the lid on a suspicious steamer trunk buried in Nantucket’s landfill, Detective John Jarad’s world explodes. The trunk’s contents reactivate intense interest in the island’s most notorious cold case crime, the Baby Alice Spenser kidnapping in 1921.
Sarah Jarad has a slightly different life focus. Halfway through a twin pregnancy, Sarah is convinced that she is losing her mind. She can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. She’d like to blame her paranoia on raging hormones, but that doesn’t ring true. Sarah fears that her control freak ex-fiancée Mason has finally tracked her down, and that Mason is on Nantucket, plotting revenge.
As John pursues the Baby Alice investigation, myriad family scandals emerge from the Spenser’s privileged and gilded past. Events flare white-hot when a copycat criminal snatches a second child. John and Sarah must race against the clock to unmask the kidnapper and expose these modern day threats.
Offering an array of colorful island characters and an intricate plot filled with surprising twists and reveals, No Rest For The Wicked promises to be the perfect summer beach read.
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Meet the author
Martha Reed is an award-winning, independently published Pittsburgh-based crime and mystery fiction author. Book one in her Nantucket Mystery series, The Choking Game, was a 2015 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion nominee for Best Traditional Mystery. Book two, The Nature Of The Grave, won an Independent Publisher IPPY Honorable Mention for Mid-Atlantic Best Regional Fiction.
Martha recently completed a four-year term as the National Chapter Liaison for Sisters in Crime, Inc. She loves travel, big jewelry, and simply great coffee. She delights in the never-ending antics of her family, fans, and friends, who she lovingly calls The Mutinous Crew. You can follow Martha online at reedmenow.com or on Twitter @ReedMartha.
All comments are welcomed.
The Nantucket Mystery Series is available in trade paperback and e-book formats from Amazon and other retailers. Support your local bookstores!
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a signed copy of No Rest For The Wicked. US entries only, please. The giveaway ends March 23, 2017. Good luck everyone!
Wow! I’m new and I want to read this book! Also the first two! Thanks for the chance to own it.
Thanks for reading. Good luck with the giveaway!
A new series to add to my reading, how wonderful! Thank you for a chance to win a copy of this one.
Hi, Ida – I hope you enjoyed meeting Cesar, and the rest of the Nantucket force team. Good luck with the drawing!
This series looks like my cup of tea! Would love to get one of her books. Fun to see you again on the Islands, Dru!
Hi, KSue! Congratulations! You won the drawing for a signed copy of NO REST FOR THE WICKED. I’ll put it in the mail first thing tomorrow. Thanks for participating – I hope you enjoy meeting the Nantucket Mystery crew.
Welcome, all! I hope you enjoy meeting Cesar Mayas, and the rest of the Nantucket force crew. Nantucket is filled with many charms, and the perfect setting for this high-profile crime. Family secrets never sleep!
I enjoyed reading this post. Sounds like a great series to checkout–heading over to Amazon to add it to my wish list.
The setting is a location I want to visit so I’m interested in it.
Hi, Nadine – Yes, Nantucket is a wonderful place to visit. Make sure you take the ferry over – there’s something special about crossing Nantucket Sound to get there. And surprisingly, because of the Gulf Stream current, October is a great month to go. Still warm, gorgeous colors on the moor, the summer tourists are gone and prices are (relatively) reasonable. I hope you make the trip.
New author, new series. So exciting. The synopsis on all the books look great. On my TBR. Hope this will be a start sooner. Rather than later.
Hi, Della – I hope so, too. LOL. Have a great day.
I enjoyed reading that. Would like to read the book.
Hi, Caitlin – thank you. Cesar is one of my new favorite characters. He has a rather large role in NO REST. Good luck with the drawing!
Love the setting and the fact that the FBI is involved! So glad to hear of this series.
Hi, Lesley – Agent Mayas was a lovely character to write – he arrived on the scene fully formed. (That doesn’t happen often). In spite of the fact that Detective John Jarad wanted to see him as a rival, he turned into a friend. He also popped up in a short story I just submitted to the Crimebake anthology. I’m afraid he wants his own book!
Thanks, Cesar (and Martha!) I’m looking forward to reading your latest!
Hi, Tory – good morning! Isn’t he a hoot? I can’t wait to hear what you think of him.
As always, I just found that neither of the local area county libraries have any of this author’s books in circulation so toss my name into the Magic Hat please Dru.
The book title is my tag line since I’m in charge of clearing out FIL’s apartment and prepping my own for the coming redo. Of course I’m the only one doing any of the work, hence the use of the book title as my tag.
What fun to be inside Cesar’s head for a little while! If I hadn’t already read this book, I’d want to read this book.
Hi, Ramona – You laugh to hear that he turned up in one of my short stories, too. I’m starting to think it’s all one big story broken into different little pieces.
Sounds great-and one of those stories sure to have more twists and turns than expected. Thanks Dru Ann for the introduction to a new series! Thanks Martha for the generous chance to win a copy. 🙂
Hi, Barbara – best of luck with the drawing! I hope you enjoy meeting the Nantucket crew!
Your blog is a blessing for learning about authors I have never read and their books. I am anxious to find out more about this book and author so thank you Dru Ann.
Thanks for your interest. There’s more information under the BIO tab on my website. What a long, strange trip it’s been.
Sounds like a great series. Thanks for a chance to win a signed copy.
Hi, Elaine – one thing I tried with NO REST was digging deeply in to the past (1921) on the cold case. Researching the Roaring Twenties was great fun.
A captivating feature and giveaway which I would enjoy. Thanks.
Sounds like a great book. I’m looking forward to it.
Good luck with the giveaway! I hope you enjoy meeting the Nantucket cast of characters. It’s a motley crew.
This post has caught my interest and my booklist has grown by one. Looking forward to reading this book!
Thanks, Jane! There’s a link on my website; please keep me posted, and let me know what you think.
Thanks for introducing me to this series! The characters are varied and interesting.
I agree. Special Agent Mayas is getting all of the attention today, but Chief Anetta Nunn is equally fascinating, with her New Orleans back story.
thanks for the chance. sounds interesting
Hi, Judy – This one has a lot going on, but I loved how it all wrapped itself up in the end. Enjoy the read!
what a great sounding read. Have not read this author before but I am very intrigued now.
Hi, Johnna – I hope you enjoy meeting the Nantucket crew. Here’s a link to a free sample: http://j.tinyurl.com/mc55u8t
Enjoy the read!
It’s funny, seeing all of the interest in Cesar. He’d love that!
Sounds like a perfect read.
Hi, Karen – please see the link above for a sample. I hope you enjoy meeting the Nantucket crew. It’s a very magical place.
We’re always on the hunt for a good psychological thriller. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of your book, Martha.
I’ll check out that link first chance I get. Thanks.
My pleasure. Good luck with the giveaway.
Loved the sample, would love to read the whole novel. embam1969@comcast.net
Read the series! There’s a huge ARC payoff in book 3.
This book sounds like my kind of read. It is interesting to tead about kidnapping and that it wasn’t a national offense until 1932. Looking forward to reading.
If you like more fact than fiction, pick up KIDNAP by George Waller. It’s the true crime story of the Lindbergh kidnapping case. Fascinating to read what forensic tools the detectives had to work with back then.
New author and series to read – enjoyed the post.
Mary, hi – I’m so glad. Good luck with the drawing!
What a great sounding book. I have added Martha and Nantucket series to my TBR list. Fingers crossed/
Hi, Vicki – I’m glad you liked it. Good luck with the drawing!
What an intriguing sounding read. I’d like to see if it is as good as it sounds. I’m from New England now living in Michigan, and it wound be great to read this series.
Hi, Pauline – I went to school in Boston (which is where this all started). Loved living in New England, even with the winters! Good luck with the drawing.
Sounds like a fascinating read. Thanks for the giveaway.
Doward, hi. I had a lot of fun writing this one. It’s loosely based on stories my grandfather used to tell me about the Roaring Twenties. I hope you like it! Best of luck with the giveaway!
Sounds intriguing! Another series to add to my wish list.
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
Hi, Karen – I hope you enjoy meeting the Nantucket crew. It’s quite a cast of characters!
Sounds like a good read. I love the cover.
Hi, Annette – That is Karen Phillip’s work. I love her designs. She’s done the covers for all 3 Nantucket Mysteries.
This sounds like a great book and series. Thank you for this review and giveaway.
Connie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi, Connie – It’s been great fun with these 3, and I’m already looking forward to starting Book 4. Thanks for the kind words!
**** WINNER ****
of No Rest For The Wicked by is KSue Anderson
Congratulations!
Congratulations, KSue, on winning the drawing for the signed copy of NO REST FOR THE WICKED! And thanks to everyone else who entered. I hope you enjoyed hearing about the John and Sarah Jarad Nantucket Mystery series. More to come!