Oh boy. Jordan Bingham here. You may know me from Victoria Abbott’s four (soon to be five) book collector mysteries. It’s a wonderful life being in these books: I enjoy the historic house in upstate New York. I revel in the wonderful meals prepared by Signora Panetone, the live-in cook. And, of course, I love my job, helping my book collector boss improve her fabulous collection of first edition mysteries from the Golden Age of Detection. I have even become fond of that same boss, Vera Van Alst, although she’s a total curmudgeon and the most hated woman in Harrison Falls, NY. Never mind, we have found common ground and achieved peace, most days. Have I mentioned lovable Walter the Pug? What about not always lovable Good Cat and Bad Cat? They make life interesting too. I am also blessed (and possibly cursed) to have an on-again, off-again relationship with Officer Tyler “Smiley” Dekker. As I am the first person in my family to go straight, adding a cop to the mix has distressed my relatives. In their eyes, it’s just plain wrong, not to mention inconvenient. It was a waste of all that training when I was young (Thanks for all the lockpicks and balaclavas, Uncle Mick!) and the lovingly transmitted family legends of crimes gone by. With all this in the mix, it’s hard for Tyler and me to trust each other and share, but we’re working on it.
All to say, usually it’s easy to write about a day in my life as Dru has asked. But this time and for this book—The Hammett Hex, the fifth book collector mystery—all bets are off. In an effort to help up work through our issues, Tyler has sprung for airfare (non-refundable) and accommodations for the two of us in San Francisco, the fabled city of Dashiell Hammett and a place I’ve always wanted to visit. Golden Gate Bridge! Cable Cars! San Francisco Bay! I’d be happy to recount a typical day in my life there, but so far on this trip there’s nothing typical. At all. This day in my life is like no other, ever!
For one thing, I’ve not only been pushed out of a cable car, but I’ve also discovered that an entire bookstore can vanish and I’ve learned that “Smiley” has been keeping a BIG secret from me. Nobody in San Francisco seems to be who they appear. And, as in those great books from Dashiell Hammett, no one can be trusted, no matter how sweet and innocent they look. I get the shivers just thinking about it.
Maybe we can work it all out, but first we have to stay alive. One good thing, those skills and all the Kelly family legends are going to get a work-out as I try to stay alive and make sure other people do too.
In the meantime, ‘a day in the life’ might turn out to be ‘a day in the death’. Wish me luck, lovely readers. I will need it.
Hope you get to read this latest adventure. Then we can talk about what’s happening. Oh yes!
The Hammett Hex came out on October 4, 2016. We’ll see if Jordan makes it. Victoria Abbott is happy to give one brave commenter a copy of the The Hammett Hex, wherever you live.
The Hammett Hex is the fifth book in the Book Collector mystery series, published by Penguin Random House, October 2016.
The national bestselling author of The Marsh Madness takes rare book collector Jordan Bingham on a trip to San Francisco—home to Dashiell Hammett’s hard-boiled heroes—where nothing is as it seems.
On a getaway to the City by the Bay, book collector Jordan Bingham becomes entangled in a mystery with more twists than Lombard Street. . .
Jordan has been able to swing a romantic trip to San Francisco with Officer Tyler “Smiley” Dekker on one condition—she must return with a rare copy of Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest for her irascible employer, Vera Van Alst. For his own part, Smiley is full of surprises. He’s a Dashiell devotee himself—excited to be in the city of Hammett’s hard-boiled heroes like Sam Spade and the Continental Op—and also announces he plans to visit his previously unmentioned estranged grandmother, who lives in an old Victorian in Pacific Heights.
But the trip goes downhill fast when Jordan is pushed from a cable car and barely escapes death. And when a dark sedan tries to run the couple down, it’s clear someone’s after them—but who? Just like in Hammett’s world, nothing is quite what is seems. . .
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About the authors
That shadowy figure known as Victoria Abbott is a happy collaboration between the artist, photographer and short story author, Victoria Maffini, and her mother, Mary Jane Maffini, lapsed librarian and award-winning author of three mystery series and two dozen short stories.
Their contemporary and humorous book collector mysteries draw from the beloved authors of the golden age of detection. There is no extra charge for the crooked Irish uncles or the pug. The good news is that while they’ve written five books together, they haven’t killed each other. Yet.
In other good news, their fourth book collector mystery, The Marsh Madness, won the 2016 Bony Blithe award for ‘mysteries that make us smile’.
You can find more at: www.victoria-abbott.com or www.maryjanemaffini.com.
You can sign up for their e-newsletter (contests, book news, dog fashions, nonsense and recipes) through either website.
All comments are welcomed.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win. The giveaway ends October 8, 2016 at 11:59 AM EST. Good luck everyone!
This sounds a marvelous read! It would be fun to win this book!
I would love to win and read this. Thanks so much for the chance!
lindaherold999@gmail.com
Book Collecting, a pug and a mystery! Who could ask for more.
I love this series! The criminal uncles are a hoot and the other characters just as intriguing. I’ve always gotten the books from the library, so I’d love to own one.
Gosh I need to start this series. Thank goodness its cold weather reading time. I can get more reading done. Thank you for the giveaway.
Love reading about Jordan’s antics with her boss and her family members. Can’t wait to read about her goings on in San Francisco.
Adore this series! Want to win this one.
The best thing about this series is how it has made me want to go back and read some of those Golden Age authors! Thanks for the chance!
Thank you for keeping us on top of the goings on of Jordan. Your series is exciting to read and I’m sure I will enjoy the current one too. Thanks for the opportunity to enter your giveaway. robeader53@yahoo.com
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of this book.
wfnren at aol dot com
Thanks for this great giveaway. Love this series.
This is one of my favorite series! I LOVE Jordan and the uncles (as well as their business/house) and all that they have taught Jordan! I enjoy the mystery, but most of all the laughs (usually at Uncle Kevin’s expense) and realistic characters! In short, great series! Thanks Dru Ann for today’s blog! <3 🙂 Thanks to the Maffini ladies for the opportunity to win a copy! 🙂
Such a fun series–one of my favorites. Thanks for a chance to win a copy of The Hammett Hex. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
I haven’t read any of this series yet but they are all on my wish list. Time to shopping at Amazon.
Poor Jordan. Nothing is as it seems would be most unsettling. Haven’t read any in this series yet. So hope this will be a start to what promises to be an exciting read
Sounds like a fabulous read.
What a wonderful idea–working on a series together.
I love this series. Anything to do with antique or rare books are my fave!! Thank you for the chance
I hope the trip to San Fran ends up being a fun time—-after the murder is solved, of course.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Hope Jordan manages to have some fun in San Francisco.
Love these books and these ladies.
They are the best!
Oh, I would really love to read this book! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
Oh my, up to #5 already…may I never catch up!
This series has it all–books, mystery, romance, and cats and dogs. Looking forward to the nest installment.
I have the rest of this series and I am excited about this one!
jmcgrath221@hotmail.com
I haven’t read this series yet, but given the locale, I diffently want to try this one!
Great series! Thanks for this chance.
I love love love this series. And we are going to San Francisco. What fun!!!
Can’t wait to read about Jordan’s trip to San Francisco. Great post.
Sounds great. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.
Thank you so very much dear Dru and Victoria for the chance to win this awesome new book!!! I have thoroughly enjoyed the first four books in this series and am so excited to read this one!!! Sounds like a super duper awesome mystery….and love, love, love the cover!!!! God bless you girls!!!!
I haven’t had the opportunity to try this series yet, but it sounds great! Thanks for a chance to win!
Love this series, thanks for the chance to win.
This sounds like a good mystery and very intriguing.
I’m really excited to read this book! This series is new to me!
I love this series. Thanks
Love new releases! What a fantastic week for good books. Thanks Dru Ann for bringing us another funny and creative author. I appreciate the chance to win.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Love to read this…I have only read one of these and I loved it so I need to catch up. Thanks for the chance.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com