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168 pages

English

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Midnight on the Mississippi begins the new Secrets of the South Mysteries from bestselling author Mary Ellis. These complex crime dramas follow an investigator's quest to make the world a better place...solving one case at a time.New OrleansHunter Galen, a stock and securities broker, suspects his business partner, James Nowak, may be involved in embezzling their clients' money, but he's reluctant to jeopardize their friendship based on suspicion alone. After James turns up dead, Hunter realizes his unwillingness to confront a problem may have cost James his life.Nicki Price, a newly minted PI, intends to solve the stockbroker's murder, recover the missing millions from the client accounts, and establish herself in the career she adores. As she ferrets out fraud and deception at Galen Investments, Hunter's fiancee, Ashley Menard, rubs Nicki the wrong way. Nicki doesn't trust the ostentatious woman with an agenda longer than the Mississippi River. Ashley seems to be hiding something, but is Nicki's growing attraction to Huntera suspected murdererher true reason for disliking Ashley?As they encounter sophisticated shell games, blackmail, and murder, Nicki and Hunter's only option is to turn to God as they search for answers, elude lethal danger, and perhaps discover love along the way.

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Publié par	Harvest House Publishers
Date de parution	01 août 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780736961707
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0480€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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BOOKS BY MARY ELLIS

S ECRETS OF THE S OUTH M YSTERIES
Midnight on the Mississippi
What Happened on Beale Street
Magnolia Moonlight
Sunset in Old Savannah
C IVIL W AR H EROINES
The Quaker and the Rebel
The Lady and the Officer
T HE N EW B EGINNINGS S ERIES
Living in Harmony
Love Comes to Paradise
A Little Bit of Charm
T HE W AYNE C OUNTY S ERIES
Abigail s New Hope
A Marriage for Meghan
T HE M ILLER F AMILY S ERIES
A Widow s Hope
Never Far from Home
The Way to a Man s Heart
S TANDALONES
Sarah s Christmas Miracle
An Amish Family Reunion
A Plain Man
The Last Heiress
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Cover by Lucas Art and Design, Jenison, Michigan
Cover photos Larry Mulvehill, 13/Gary Faber / Ocean / Corbis
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
MIDNIGHT ON THE MISSISSIPPI
Copyright 2015 by Mary Ellis
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ellis, Mary,
Midnight on the Mississippi / Mary Ellis.
pages ; cm. - - (Secrets of the South mysteries ; book 1)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6169-1 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6170-7 (eBook)
1. Women private investigators-Louisiana-New Orleans-Fiction. 2. Murder-Investigation-Fiction. I. Title.
PS3626.E36M53 2015
813 .6-dc23
2015000616
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my parents,
Elizabeth and Steve.
Where would I be if you hadn t picked me out from the other squalling infants?
Contents
Books by Mary Ellis
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Discussion Questions
Secrets of the South Mysteries
More Books by Mary Ellis
About the Author
About the Publisher
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to my darling husband, Ken, who helped me prowl the streets and alleys of the French Quarter and travel the back roads of Cajun Country and upstate Louisiana. A better research assistant has never lived or breathed. Without you I would have driven straight into a bayou and drowned long ago.
Thanks to James at the Stonewall Range for answering my questions about firearms, and special thanks to Deputy Janise of the St. Landry s Parish Sheriff s Department for your procedural help.
Thanks to Joe Stopak, retired fire chief and arson investigator for Richfield Village, Ohio. Your patience with answering my questions was only exceeded by your expertise.
Thanks to Peggy Svoboda, who took the time to proofread a printed copy of this manuscript with her eagle eye.
Thanks to my lovely agent, Mary Sue Seymour; my fabulous editor, Kim Moore; and the wonderful staff at Harvest House Publishers. Where would I be without your hard work?
ONE
Yacht Queen Antoinette
Somewhere on Lake Pontchartrain
W hat? I still can t hear you, James! Hunter Galen shouted into the mouthpiece. Call me back in a few minutes. I m going on deck. Maybe the signal will be stronger. Ending the call, he headed for the doorway of the grand dining salon. Around him, the birthday party was in full swing. He glanced across a room filled with smiling faces, assured that the party had been a great idea. His mother, still stunning at sixty years old, was dancing with the senior partner of the law firm that had represented Galen business interests for years. Was something going on between them-more than just a slow waltz between old friends? Maybe, but he wouldn t worry about it tonight. His mother and everyone else were enjoying themselves. In addition to delicious catering and plentiful libations, two bands-zydeco and swing-provided entertainment, with even a DJ between sets to keep the younger generation happy.
From the corner of his eye, Hunter spotted his girlfriend, soon-to-be fianc e, clinking champagne glasses with his sister, Chloe, and his sister-in-law, Cora. Together the three looked like a blonde, brunette, and redhead hair color advertisement. While he watched, Ashley Menard glanced his way, her face lighting up with a Miss Louisiana smile. That s what she once had been-or, at least, first runner-up. Tall and reed slim, Ashley s cool composure stemmed from the belief that everything she touched would turn to gold. And it usually did. She lifted two fingers in a wave before refocusing on her future sisters-in-law.
Don t even think of getting down on one knee until you ask Daddy, Ashley had warned him. Daddy. Twenty-six years old and owner of a chain of hair salons, yet she still referred to her father with a juvenile moniker. Well, this still was the old South, after all.
When the vibration of his phone jarred his attention from the party, he saw on the screen that it was James again. Sighing, he headed up the stairs for better reception. On the promenade deck above, Hunter sucked in a lungful of humid air and leaned over the polished teak railing. Hello, James, he spoke into the mouthpiece.
Hunter, we have to talk. This is important. I know you re tied up right now, but I had drinks tonight with old man Morrison at the bank. He wants to talk to us about the credit advance I requested. He refuses to extend the corporate credit line until we both come to his office. That tight-fisted-
His colorful description of their banker became garbled as James s voice rose with agitation.
Shaking his head, Hunter gazed out at the dark water of Lake Pontchartrain. A nearly full moon reflected off of the glassy surface. Although the breeze on his skin felt cool, his anxiety level kicked up a notch. Don t blame Mr. Morrison, James. Having us both present was my idea. You re getting us in pretty deep. Let s sit down tomorrow and crunch the numbers, but I think-
Apparently James Nowak wasn t interested in either crunching numbers or the financial solvency of the firm. Hunter could hear him shouting but fortunately couldn t discern much of what he said.
James! You keep breaking up. Let s talk tomorrow. You know I m on a boat in the middle of Lake Pontchartrain at my mother s birthday party-
The line went dead. Hunter probably would have tossed the phone into the waves if his older brother hadn t crept up behind him.
Something wrong, little brother? Ethan Galen spoke with his smooth-as-cream accent. Funny how three siblings could be raised together, yet only one, Ethan, could speak fluent French that even a Parisian wouldn t find fault with. Hunter and Chloe must have spent too much time in front of the TV instead of talking to Grandp re.
No, said Hunter. Just business as usual in Galen-Nowak Investments. If James keeps this up, we ll have to sail the Queen Antoinette to Costa Rica to hide from our creditors. He laughed with little humor.
Ethan offered a halfhearted grin. If there s any way I can help, call my office in the morning. Right now Mother is about to address her adoring fans. I didn t think you d want to miss that. He opened the vapor lock door leading back to the party.
While Hunter had been arguing with his partner for the one-millionth time, his family and friends-everyone in the world he cared about-were waiting for him. Go on down. I ll be right behind you.
Right. I ll keep the party moving along. Ethan studied his brother for a moment and then ducked his head under the bulwark.
Staring at the fishing boats bobbing on the surface, Hunter took stock of what a fortunate man he was. For the moment, all family members were speaking to one another, he had a gorgeous girlfriend, and he worked in a profession that thrilled and challenged him every day. He was no ordinary stockbroker. On behalf of his clients, he wheeled and dealed in initial public offerings, emerging markets, real estate investment trusts, aggressive sector funds, and volatile stocks that would cause the average investor to faint dead away. Fortunes were made and lost similar to a Vegas game of Texas hold em. His clients weren t senior citizens who lived off income generated by their portfolios. Volatility, even wild gyrations, came as no surprise to those who trusted him and invested with his firm. Hunter loved the game and always would. The buying and selling of securities made his heart pound and his blood race through his veins.
With little alternative, he shook off his argument with James and hurried back downstairs. There wasn t a business in the world that didn t run into snags every now and then. The two o