Being a female detective in Chicago is no walk in the park. In my time as an LEO, that’s professional speak for law enforcement officer, I’ve worked over 100 homicides, countless thefts, aggravated assaults, and God only knew how many rapes. I’ve worked more major crimes than that, and each one has taken a little piece of my soul.

As a cop, I’ve learned to compartmentalize it all. If I didn’t, I’d end up drinking to dull the pain, and that never worked out for anyone.

As hard as it was, I knew my place in Chi-town. I knew the department. I knew what guys I could trust and who would stab me in the back the minute I turned around. The corruption there was like cancer, slowly attaching itself to the good cops until it killed every ounce of humanity they had.

I wanted out. I needed out. Too many memories, no amount of compartmentalizing could handle.

I thought my move to the small southern town called Hamby, Georgia, as a detective for their local PD would be a breeze.

I was wrong.

I was naïve to think Hamby would be some sweet little Hallmark town. It was ridiculous for me to think small town politics weren’t as intense as the big city or that they wouldn’t play a role in my job.

I’d been restricted to lecturing kids on minor crimes patrol should handle, and I wasn’t even allowed to charge them. Why? Because the mayor wanted a seat in Congress, and he needed a clean record for that to happen. A crime-free city would secure him the position in his eyes.

On the night the local hotel maid found the body of city councilman Troy Light, I jumped at the opportunity to work the case. I guess I didn’t realize how much I’d missed using my head to put the pieces of a puzzle together.

I knew from the moment I saw the man lying on the hotel bed, he didn’t cause his own death. The problem was, I didn’t have a say in the matter. A murder investigation was too big of a mark on the mayor’s record. His best buddies, the coroner and my chief made sure it was listed as a suicide.

Unfortunately for them, once I see a puzzle, I’m determined to finish it.

Damaging Secrets by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, Rachel Ryder Thriller #1
Genre: Thriller
Release: January 2021
Purchase Link

New to town and a little rough around the edges, Detective Rachel Ryder finds herself on the receiving end of a suspicious person’s call in Hamby, Georgia. When the call turns out to be a dead body, the medical examiner is quick to rule the death a suicide. But was it something more sinister?

Everyone in the small department believes the case is closed—except for Rachel. The sudden passing of a local politician during the mayor’s run for Congress strikes her as a little too coincidental, and Rachel is eager to follow her instincts. Her partner, Rob, a 30-year veteran, isn’t the type to disobey his boss or ruffle any feathers, but he can’t convince strong-willed Rachel to let it go.

Obsessed with finding out the truth, Rachel begins to examine the evidence and drags her reluctant partner along for the ride. But the clues are confusing. Nothing is adding up.

Puzzled and running out of time, Rachel and Rob rush to work every angle and bring the elusive killer to justice before someone else ends up dead.

About the author
USA Today Bestselling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson writes cozy mysteries and thrillers featuring strong female leads. Her stories shine through her dialogue, which readers have praised for being realistic and compelling. Her first novel, Unfinished Business, An Angela Panther Mystery was a Reader’s Favorite finalist and reached the top 100 Kindle books sold on Amazon.

Prior to writing fiction, Carolyn was a freelance journalist covering local and national affairs in the metro Atlanta area.

Now an empty-nester, Carolyn lives in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband, two Pit Bull-Boxer mix dogs and two cantankerous cats, but you’ll often find her at a local coffee shop people watching and listening, plotting her next novel.

Watch for Carolyn’s upcoming crime thriller series releasing in winter, 2021.

Find Carolyn on Facebook, BookBub, and visit her website and sign up for her newsletter at carolynridderaspenson.com.

All comments are welcomed.