It is my pleasure to shine the spotlight on
WILDCARD (JAX DIAMOND MYSTERIES)
by Gail Meath today!
About WILDCARD
WILDCARD (JAX DIAMOND MYSTERIES)
Cozy Mystery/Thriller
8th in Series
Setting -Niagara Falls
Publisher : Independently Published (March 31, 2025)
Paperback : 206 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8315596820
Digital ASIN : B0DDHJKV3T
The honeymoon begins with a dead body in the bedroom…
Niagara Falls, 1923. Traveling out of the city isn’t PI Jax Diamond’s cup of tea, but when he and Laura along with their courageous companion, Ace, head to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon, they’re on cloud nine. That is, until Jax carries his new bride over the threshold, and there’s a corpse in their bed that looks to have been there since the dawn of time.
A ten-year-old unsolved murder sets off a string of others with victims plunging to their deaths over the falls, and all the evidence is pointing to nightclub owner and their good pal, Orin Marino, as the killer.
Jax, Laura, Ace, and friends risk their lives trying to solve a crazy riddle and stop a killer before the next victim takes the plunge. But every step forward sends them two steps back. It’s a wild and crazy ride with twists, turns, and belly flops in this fun and fast-paced 1920s cozy thriller.
Easily reads as a standalone.
I can’t say enough good things about the author’s talent for creating lifelike characters as well as a twisty mystery! I highly recommend it! 5 Stars!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
“Jax, I have something to tell you,” Laura said as they stood on the patio. “Remember when you and Officer Elvery were in the bedroom after we found the skeleton in the bed? Ace was acting up, and you tried to quiet him. He found something. Something we missed when we searched the room.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ace was sniffing the mattress, and I saw something sticking out from under it. I didn’t want to say anything with Officer Elvery there. When you both went over to answer the telephone, I went into the room. Someone tucked an envelope under the mattress. If it weren’t for Ace, we never would have found it.”
“Where is it?”
She pulled it out of her pocket. “I haven’t had time to look at it. I know I got mad at you for taking evidence, but I couldn’t help it.”
Jax leaned over to kiss her. “You’re terrific, Laura! I couldn’t have asked for a better…” He suddenly backed away from her. “What’s that awful smell?”
She held up the envelope. “Someone sprayed it with really strong cologne.”
“Well, no wonder Ace found it. As I said, it seems like this was all staged for our benefit. Someone put the skeleton in our bed, left the gold cross behind from a school in the Bronx, and hid a note saturated with cologne so Ace would find it.”
“Let’s see what’s inside this envelope.” Excitedly, she began opening it, but Jax reached over and took her hand in his.
“Are you sure you want to do that now?” He kissed the back of her hand and gazed at her. “We were supposed to have a romantic honeymoon, and that sure as heck got spoiled fast. Now that we’re settled into this snazzy suite, maybe we should hold off.”
“You want to wait until tomorrow?”
“That’s up to you, sweetheart.”
She knit her brows together and stared at the envelope. “I don’t think I can wait that long.”
He laughed. “I love you, Laura.”
“I love you, too.” She quickly lifted the flap and took out a piece of paper. “It looks like a poem.” She held it out in front of her and read it out loud,
“Six fun-loving rabbits went hopping away,
Sneaking around for games they could play.
A thief and his puppet, a glutton, a clown,
An egghead, and clever one, wearing a frown.
Grazing and gazing, they walked on the goat.
A spectacular ride on the old ferry boat.
Then it all went awry, but who is to blame?
The dead man whose family knows not his shame?
A secret is kept for years it does seem,
But the killer still lurks – which one of the team?
The answer is tricky and not what you think.
Go back to the start and try not to blink.”
Goosebumps ran up and down Laura as she stared at the paper. “I’m sorry I opened it now. This is even more frightening than finding a skeleton in our bed.”
Jax took it from her and read it again. “Whoever wrote this belongs in a loony bin. Six rabbits, a puppet, a clown, and they all walked on the goat? What the heck is he talking about?”
“At first, I thought it was a children’s rhyme…until I got to the part about a dead man and a killer still lurks.” She slowly looked up at Jax. “I think you need to call Tim now.”
About Gail Meath
Gail Meath is the author of the multi-award-winning Jax Diamond Mysteries, a fun 1920s series about wise-cracking PI Jax Diamond, his courageous German Shepherd partner, Ace, and Broadway star Laura Graystone, as they, along with a crazy group of friends, solve some of the toughest crimes in New York City. She is alternating that series with her new 1930s Golden Age of Hollywood mysteries series, Stone & Steele, starring Vivian Steele, a widow seeking justice, and Preston Stone, a playboy vigilante.
In both series, the author challenges readers to identify the villains before she reveals them:)
Gail also has a list of other award-winning historical romances, westerns, and fictional biographies of true heroines. She lives in a small village in Upstate New York with her husband and sweet Boston Terrier, and she spends loads of time with her grandchildren.
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June 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
June 5 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
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Sounds like a great read.
An intriguing mystery with a captivating and wonderful locale set during a fascinating era.