Bossa Nova

FREE BONUS STORY - This edition includes Saline Solution: An Ian Thompson Story

Justice is a matter of perspective.

A pleasant Sunday dinner at an Italian restaurant takes a nasty turn for Detective Erin O'Reilly when the waiter slits the throat of a long-time patron. It's an open-and-shut case, but this murder is only the beginning. All across New York, captains in the Lucarelli Mafia family are being picked off in a series of carefully-orchestrated hits.

Erin and her K-9 Rolf, still recovering from the trauma of their last case, jump back into the action. They'll need to stay sharp, especially since this isn't the first time they've tangled with the new boss of the Lucarellis, slick mafioso Vinnie Moreno. "The Oil Man" has a knack for slithering out of trouble, and he's not alone. The Mafia has deep roots in New York City, some of which have insinuated themselves into the ranks of law enforcement.

Street justice is the rule of the day. Amid conflicting codes of honor, Erin finds herself questioning what justice really means, and whether it's possible to take down the bad guys while staying on the side of the angels. And in the end, as she runs out of options, Erin may be in the most danger from herself.

BONUS - Saline Solution: An Ian Thompson Story

The road home is rough

Cassie Jordan understands war. As a rehab nurse working with wounded veterans, she sees the aftereffects of combat every day. She's also still reeling from the loss of her husband, a Marine killed in Iraq. Now she's trying to balance her grief with the need to take care of her young son, all while holding down a job. The simple business of day-to-day living is all she can handle.

Then a very unusual warrior limps into her life. Ian Thompson is a former Marine whose wounds came after his war was supposed to be over. But as Cassie gets to know Ian, she realizes that like her, his war is still raging. Under his calm exterior is a pain he carries close to his heart. She can help him heal his body, but some wounds go much deeper than the flesh.

Neither of them know what they want. Both have learned not to rely on hope. But as they try to find their way toward a home they can scarcely imagine, the damaged Marine and the grieving widow will learn that when you can't go on alone, the only thing you can do is find someone to walk beside you. Are grief and pain too strong to overcome, or can two broken people make one another whole?