Devil's Gold by Author Amanda McKinney: Death and darkness are the norm at Black Rose Investigations - Excerpt - Giveaway

Devil’s Gold
Amanda McKinney
Publication date: February 13th 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller


Despite being chronically late, occasionally disheveled and a tad disorganized, Dixie Knight is one of the top private investigators in the country, and when a young woman goes missing in the small, Southern town of Devil’s Den, Dixie takes the case. She expected it to be another ordinary missing person case—until Lizzie Meyers is found naked and beaten to death at a local, seedy motel.

While visiting relatives on his two-week leave, Marine Liam Cash bumps into Dixie at the local bar, and his attraction to her is immediate. When Liam connects Dixie’s current case to two unsolved murders in his hometown, he steps in to help find the killer, and keep her safe, whether Dixie wants him to or not.

After another woman is found brutally beaten, Dixie turns the town upside down trying to solve the mystery—could it be the rumored witch that lives in the mountains; the rich, neurotic doctor’s wife; or the perky, blonde receptionist at the local medical clinic?

Time is running out and Dixie knows she has to put the pieces of the puzzle together before another body turns cold in Devil’s Den.

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Excerpt

Liam stepped out of the shadows; his tall, muscular body fitting in with the tall pine trees. Snowflakes speckled his dark hair.

She released the grip on her gun. “Good thing I’m not trigger happy.”

“Good thing I’m not a murderer—your parking spot says come get me.”

She relaxed her stance and tried to calm the rush of adrenaline flowing through her—her body’s response to simply being in his presence.

“Well, you wouldn’t be the first murderer to hang out here in the last few days.”

“Found Lizzie, huh?”

She nodded.

“Bludgeoned to death.”

She narrowed her eyes and glanced toward the woods. “Doing a little snooping, huh?”

“I have my sources. Any suspects?”

“That’s confidential.”

He smirked.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you doing out here?”

“Just taking the scenic route home.”

She glanced at the snow sliding down his windshield. “Not the best night for a leisurely drive.”

“My truck can handle the mountain roads better than yours.” He nodded toward her tires. “Your tires are bald, you need to get new ones.”

“Do you make it a habit of following women to murder scenes and assessing their vehicles?”

“Only the beautiful ones.”

She grinned.

He took a step forward, closing the inches between them.

The butterflies tickling her stomach turned into a fluttering flock of birds as she looked up, into his dark eyes. He stared down at her with a gaze that sent her heart thudding in her chest. There was an intensity in his eyes that made her senses peak—an intensity that told her he had something on his mind.

“Let me take you to dinner.”

Her eyebrows shot up, her eyes rounded. “Are you serious?”

He nodded.

“Liam, I just saw the body of a woman who was beaten to death. I’m…” she shifted her weight, “I don’t have an appetite. And, it’s late anyway.”

Without missing a beat, he responded, “Tomorrow.”

She stared up at him, baffled. Baffled by the moment; his boldness; his confidence; and baffled that she couldn’t seem to find her words. She opened her mouth to say something—anything—but was silenced when he leaned down, and pressed his lips to hers.

Like a shot of lightning, tingles surged through her body, and her stomach fell to her feet. His lips were full, soft, and commanding as he kissed her—took her.

And left her completely breathless.

Just as her head began to spin, he pulled away, leaving her weak in the knees and bracing the truck behind her.

The snow swirled between them as he looked at her, his eyes rounded, his chest rising and falling heavily. The slight look of surprise on his face faded quickly as the corner of his lip curled up, into a cocky smirk. “Tomorrow, then?”

She blinked—dazed—and shook her head in disbelief of what had just happened.

He smiled. “Tomorrow, then.” He turned, got into his truck, and after sending her another smoldering glance, he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

She watched his taillights fade into the distance and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

What the hell just happened?

About the Author

Amanda McKinney, author of Sexy, Suspenseful Mysteries wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. When Amanda isn’t tending to her two beautiful boys, she’s hidden behind her computer screen crafting page-turning murder mysteries, peppered with titillating love scenes. Having been born and raised in the south, Amanda’s books are set in small, country towns and reflect southern culture at its finest.

Amanda’s debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, was released in January 2017, followed by the first two books in the BERRY SPRINGS SERIES, THE WOODS and THE LAKE. The third book in the series, THE STORM is scheduled to be released in the Winter of 2017.

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