Monday, March 3, 2025, is the release date for my latest novel, a mystery/romantic suspense titled SLEIGHT OF HAND by USA Today Bestselling Author Shawna Delacorte. Published by The Wild Rose Press. Excerpts and other information available on my website. www.shawnadelacorte.com
This is the story of Huntington Wolfe III, international playboy born into a wealthy socially prominent family, a man with a secret past and a job to do. And Aurora Brentano, a woman on a mission to discover the truth behind her father's death and prove him innocent of the crime he was accused of doing.
He is suspicious of her activities, can he trust her? She has him at the top of her suspect list, can she trust him? When they team up, it's murder.
Excerpt #2:
“If Quentin is dead, it certainly came at an extremely
convenient time. Add to that the woman working for Prestige Caterers at last
night’s soirée, wearing a name tag that said Gwen but drove away in a car
registered to Aurora Brentano, and…”
“You think this guy is still alive? It seems to me if he
faked his own death to get the cops off his back, it would be stupid for him to
continue ripping off jewelry—at least in the same part of the country where he
had been plying his trade. If it was me and I’d just faked my death, I’d be out
of town so fast you wouldn’t even see my dust. I sure wouldn’t stick around so
I could pull more jobs in the same place following the same pattern.”
“Yeah…me, too. Just one of several inconsistencies that
don’t make any sense.”
“So, any preference about where you want me to start, or
can I handle it at my discretion?”
“First on the list is Aurora Brentano. The car registration
shows a San Francisco address. Find out when she left San Francisco, whether
she was anywhere else between leaving there and ending up here, or if she came
straight to Seattle. I need to know where she’s staying. Scope out her father’s
house in Bellevue. That’s the most logical place for her to be.”
“Unless she’s in hiding and staying off the grid.”
“If that’s the case, then it seems to me she wouldn’t be
driving her own car with the California license plates. I’m guessing she’s
being cautious but doesn’t think anyone’s actually looking for her.”
Johnny nodded. “If her father’s house doesn’t pan out, I’ll
check the utilities to see if there’s anything in her name in the greater
Seattle area and surrounding towns. If that doesn’t turn something, I’ll hit
the motels that rent suites on a monthly basis.”
“Check both names…Aurora Brentano and Gwen York. All I have
for Gwen is a pager number that Charlie Gorman gave me, no phone number.
Apparently, not even a disposable cell phone. At least not one that Charlie
knows about. Locate an existing phone number, and see if you can track a
location for her through the GPS chip and cell towers from her phone calls. If
that doesn’t work, maybe you can find a local address through Gwen’s pager.”
Hunt texted the pager number to Johnny.
After Johnny left, Hunt refilled his coffee mug and stepped
out on the terrace again. He stared at the water. Closing his eyes, he sucked
in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then slowly exhaled. No matter
where in the world he traveled, to what exotic location, it always soothed his
soul to return home. He took another deep breath, then once again turned his
thoughts to the business at hand.
There’s a lot more going on with this case than just the
theft of some high-dollar jewelry. But what? Could the police theory be right?
Quentin Brentano did it and now his partner is continuing with the thefts? A
partner who just happens to also be his daughter?
The image of delectable Aurora played across the screen of
his mind. His breathing quickened. He might have been doing a number on Charlie
Gorman in order to get the information he wanted, but he couldn’t deny the way
she made his pulse race or the serious impact this woman had on his libido.
No question about it, she
represented a definite obstacle to his investigation.
Excerpt #3:
On-going tension churned inside Aurora, and a new wave of
anger surged through her body reinforcing her determination. During her San
Francisco calls with the obnoxious Lt. Montrose, he had made it clear he held
her father responsible for the stolen jewelry and refused to give it further
discussion. Her primary objective was to clear her father’s name, but she
couldn’t deny being compelled to also bring down Montrose’s smug arrogance and
make him publicly eat his words about her father.
She returned her thoughts to her current plan of action. Step
one is to figure out how to make personal contact with Huntington Wolfe III
without making him suspicious. Establishing some sort of personal connection
with him will make my investigation easier.
She had even scaled the wall surrounding his estate hoping
to get some kind of information she could use. A cold shudder assaulted her
senses as she recalled the moment she saw a man emerge from the house and stand
on a second floor balcony. She had bolted toward the wall surrounding the
grounds with only one thought in mind—make it over the wall and to her car
before someone saw her and called the police. Or worse yet, before someone took
a shot at her. Ending up in jail or the hospital, neither had been on her
agenda.
Reality had surprised her when her primary suspect suddenly
showed up at the Swanson’s party. Doubt pushed at her followed by a rush of
uncertainty. It’s too late now, but I should probably have been more
receptive to his obvious flirting rather than being all business.
She once again tightened her jaw. No one would ever
convince her of her father’s guilt. Lt. Montrose had literally hounded her
father to his grave. A wave of despair washed over her, but she quickly wiped
away the tears welling in her eyes.
Correction—hounded him to his death. They never recovered
his body. He doesn’t have a grave. No place where I can go and be close to him.
She would find the person responsible for the thefts and
make Montrose look like the despicable fool she knew him to be, no matter how
long it took.
Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Sleight-Hand-Shawna-Delacorte-ebook/dp/B0DQQFLBMR/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleight-of-hand-shawna-delacorte/1146673688?ean=2940184576602
And other online vendors.
Available in both ebook and print.
Blurb:
Six years ago, Huntington Wolfe III, heir to a fortune
and with a reputation as an international playboy, was a jewel thief. Now,
he uses his skills and knowledge as a freelance insurance investigator to
recover stolen jewelry, and he has a new case. But when he encounters a
beautiful pickpocket at the scene of the next heist, he sets out to discover
her identity and what other secrets she might be hiding.
Devastated by her father’s death during a high-speed police chase, Aurora Brentano goes undercover to prove his innocence. At the top of her suspect list is Huntington Wolfe III...until he catches her red-handed in her quest for clues and suggests they work together. She's not sure she can trust him, but they say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
As their unexpected alliance leads to an undeniable attraction, can they bring the true thief to justice, or will they be caught in a web of danger and deceit?
Check back on my blog next week (Saturday, March 1) for a character interview with Hunt and Aurora.
Shawna
Delacorte website: www.shawnadelacorte.com
Shawna Delacorte blog: https://shawnadelacorte.blogspot.com
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