Take a Number (The Jeri Howard Series Book 3)

Description

Oakland P.I. Jeri Howard dives right into the middle of a brutal womanizer’s divorce proceedings—and murder mystery—in the third installment of Janet Dawson’s compelling female detective series. And in this particular whodunit, the list of who would gladly have done it just keeps growing.

When Ruth Raynor—the mousy soon-to-be ex-wife of an abusive sailor—calls up Jeri Howard to take on her divorce case, Jeri has reservations. For one, the celebrated Bay area PI has never been a fan of petty divorce investigations. Plus Ruth’s sleek divorce attorney . . . isn’t exactly Jeri’s cup of tea. But Ruth just happens to be the daughter of a former client. And Jeri is as loyal as she’s bold.

Sam, the soon-to-be ex-husband, is a smart, slick, cocky piece of work—and a mean drunk to boot—who basks in attention (especially from women) like a lizard on a rock. Sam at first comes across as dangerously attractive, except for his pale blue, emotionless eyes—a cold, dead giveaway. Turns out Prince Charming broke his wife’s wrist, gave her a black eye, kept their small daughter hungry and in rags—and hid $100,000 when Ruth filed for divorce.

When Sam winds up with a bullet in his back, the prime suspect, naturally, is Ruth. But Jeri, working hard to keep her client out of jail, discovers a line of suspects so long someone who wanted to kill him would have to take a number and get in line.