Rough Ride in Vegas — Donna Mabry

It's National Finals Rodeo week in Las Vegas, and even more people than usual are traveling to Sin City in hopes of fulfilling their dreams. There's Sonny Monroe, a country music superstar clinging to the edge of disaster. Ferlin and Patsy want to be married by an Elvis impersonator. Lil'bit Meade wants to win the barrel racing title. Charles Driscoll is starting a new job and wants to prove he has what it takes. Sandy Novarro plans on winning the Megabucks jackpot. Inquizitor, the meanest bull in rodeo, wants the chance to kill another human being. When one of the new arrivals winds up dead, casino owner Alexandra Merritt and homicide detective Mike Simmons have a case to solve, and must do it before the suspects all leave town. There's only one murderer, but everyone involved will find that it's a Rough Ride in Vegas. Donna Mabry journeyed to Las Vegas to design costumes and was immediately intrigued by the characters she met and the stories she heard. They led to her Alexandra Merritt mystery series, starting with The Last Two Aces in Las Vegas.