Hi. Phoebe here. Not Aunt Phoebe. Just Phoebe. The only one who insists on calling me that is my nephew, Al DeLucia, Jr. He seems to think tossing around “Aunt” earns him some slack. It doesn’t.

He’s renting the apartment over my garage while he’s up from Savannah, supposedly to help Abe Cromwell, a local with a real knack for trouble. Al and Abe clash like mismatched gears. Still, Abe insists they’re full brothers. Not half. Full. Same mother, same father. Claims he’s got the DNA to prove it.

Al’s not buying it. Before heading south to take over Big Al’s Blue Palmetto Detective Agency (don’t ask, long story), he was a New Haven cop. He figures Abe’s just looking for a break on his legal problems. Al’s more interested in proving Abe’s a liar than saving his skin.

Do I believe it? I’m not saying I do. And I’m not saying I don’t. In a place like Sachem Creek, family lines are more tangled than fishing line in a kindergarten derby.

Technically, I’m retired. I handed over the keys to the Sachem Creek Garage to a kid in his sixties who still calls me “Boss,” even though I haven’t signed a paycheck in five years. But if you think that means I’m spending my days flirting on senior dating sites, think again.

Al brought his father Big Al, north with him. He used to be a sharp PI. Some days, he still is. Other days, he calls me by my late sister’s name, his wife’s. I’ve been trying to reconnect with him and help him manage while Al Jr. has been kayaking more than helping out Abe.

But just this week, I was sipping my morning coffee on the porch with Big Al when we found out that Al Jr. had found a body while training for the Fourth of July Cross-Sound kayak race.

When I said I hoped Al stayed out of it, Big Al, still sharp when it counts, just looked out at the Sound and said, “A cop don’t get used to murder. If you do, you’re in the wrong line of work.” Then he went back to eating his toast like he hadn’t just dropped a truth bomb.

Al Jr. might not wear a badge anymore, but he’s still a cop at heart. No way was he walking away from a dead body—not with those instincts. The problem is, those instincts are a little off lately. His ex-wife’s getting remarried, and his girlfriend, Maxine, who also works for the agency, is rethinking the whole “future together” thing.

And me? I may be done fixing cars, but I’m still pretty good at keeping people from blowing a gasket. Around here, news spreads faster than 10W-30 on a hot driveway. Everyone in town thinks they know everything. Trust me. They don’t. What they don’t realize is that I’m the one who knows where the real bodies are buried. Figuratively speaking. Mostly.

So yeah, that’s a day in my life. Not glamorous. Definitely not boring.

Blood Ties and Deadly Lies – A Blue Palmetto Detective Agency Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Private Investigator Mystery
Release: July 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Al DeLucia suspects that Abe Cromwell, a childhood bully, is claiming he has DNA proof that they’re brothers to dodge arrest for threatening a lawyer in Connecticut. Al returns to his hometown of Sachem Creek from Savannah, more eager to settle an old score in an upcoming kayak race than to help Abe. However, when Al learns that Abe has been swindled out of his farm, he reluctantly agrees to assist. While training for the race, Al discovers the lifeless body of the lawyer Abe had threatened, plunging him into a homicide investigation. When Maxine Brophy, senior investigator at the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency and Al’s girlfriend, travels north to assist, their already complicated relationship faces new challenges. Together, they unravel a complex web of lies involving gentrification schemes, ancient maps, and shocking truths about the community. In the end, Al and Max confront the true culprit, bringing closure to the murder mystery while uncovering long-held family secrets and highlighting the resilience of Sachem Creek’s community.

About the author
Ang Pompano is a mystery author, editor, publisher, and food blogger. He writes the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency, and the Reluctant Food Columnist series, both published by Level Best Books. In addition to his writing, Ang is a co-founder of Crime Spell Books and serves as co-editor of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist, and their two rescue dogs.