Sharp Steele
Author: E M Richmond
Links: Amazon, Kindle, Smashwords, Kobo,
Summary: "You seriously want me to work with him? He’s a troglodyte!”
Nineteen-year-old Amanda Steele wanted to become a cop, like her police detective father, but she misses out on entry to police college and told to get some 'life experience'.
Much to her annoyance, she is forced to take a job as a 'Girl Friday' for a small firm of private investigators, run by old friends of her father's.
Then a high school principal hires the firm to investigate stories of drugs within the school. It's the perfect opportunity for Amanda to go undercover.
Her father chooses one of his own colleagues, a newly-transferred Detective Constable Jim Andersen, to be her liaison. He wants Jim to keep an eye on his daughter and make sure things don't get out of hand.
Jim considers Amanda to be spoiled and more than a little too big for her boots.
Amanda is no fan of his either. Yet when the case takes a turn for the worse, they are forced to work even more closely together.
Sparks will fly, in more ways than one.
Available in: Softcover, e-pub, Kindle
Genres: Crime, mystery
Notes about book: Published in May 2017.
I am a bit of a fan of Robert B Parker novels (the Spenser series). I've been reading mystery novels since I was a kid (Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, Famous Five, etc). The one thing that bugged me was, I wanted to know how the detective became a detective. There are hints throughout the series, but no details.
Anyway, I came up with this scenario back when I was a teenager but I don't think I had the maturity to write it well. Plus, like my character, I was lacking a few 'life skills'.
Let me just say that Amanda is a bit of a spoiled brat. She's sheltered and very naive in this first novel and gets in over her head. This is intended to be a series, and I'm currently writing the next one in the series.
As for Jim, I've worked with police in my capacity as a reporter so I know a little bit about police work. It's not the way it is in America.
While it is a crime novel, there's a mix of humour, a bit of flirtation between the two protagonists and a little bit of character growth on Amanda's part. Another fun novel for me to write. I seriously get a kick out of the way these two bicker.