Dead Man's Hand by Catherine Dain — Catherine Dain

A FASCINATING CHARACTER...THOROUGHLY LIKABLE.—award-winning author MARCIA MULLER DEAD BODIES, SUFFERING SOULS Freddie didn't mean to kill the mugger—she barely had time to think. But when it was over, her boyfriend was in the hospital and the teenaged assailant was dead. Now, trying to cope with aggressive reporters, inquisitive cops, concerned relatives, and her own nagging conscience, Freddie finds one source of solace: the strength and comfort offered by Mike Danken, an ex-cop- turned-minister. But when Danken suggests that Freddie can soothe her guilt feelings by using her P.I. skills to help out a member of the dead mugger's family, she suddenly finds herself involved in a murder—and wondering if it's true that no good deed goes unpunished...LIKE SUE GRAFTON AND SARA PARETSKY, Catherine Dain has created a private eye with heart and lasting power.—Michael Connelly, author of The Concrete BlondeA FREDDIE O'NEAL MYSTERYFor fun, she likes a game of Keno. To relax, she'll hang out with her cats. And for excitement, nothing beats piloting a plane. But when it comes to crime—in a gambling town like Reno—Freddie O'Neal is all business.