Hot Flash

“Explodes like a shot to the heart.”—Lisa Black,  New York Times  bestselling author In this thrilling debut novel from Carrie H. Johnson, one woman with a dangerous job and a volatile past is feeling the heat from all sides… READY, AIM… She sweats every detail as a forensic firearms specialist—and as a forty-something single mother. She’s got more responsibilities than she can count, more baggage than she wants to claim, and way too many regrets. But Muriel Mabley will do whatever it takes to put Philadelphia’s most vicious killer in lockdown for good… BURN… Until her troubled younger sister in witness protection receives a terrifying warning—and Muriel’s long-time partner, Laughton, reveals he knows more than he should about her and Muriel’s shattered past. And when Laughton’s ex-wife and her new husband turn up dead, his own secrets will send Muriel down a twisted trail of lethal leads, disappeared witnesses, and the ultimate wrenching betrayal…  “A lively and clever novel that will dare you to put it down. The reader will leave fingerprints pressed into the cover of this one. Top of the ‘must read’ list.” —John Lutz,  New York Times  bestselling author “Muriel Mabley has hot flashes, a hot new love, and a heap of deadly cold secrets that will destroy everyone she loves. A gripping, fast-paced debut novel.” —Valerie Wilson Wesley, author of The Tamara Hayle Mysteries “A heartfelt, well-crafted read! Muriel is the perfect combination of vulnerability and intelligence.” —Anika Nailah, author of  Free & Other Stories “Hot Flash  left me breathless and blown away from page one!”  —Karen Holmes Ward, Director of Public Affairs/Host of CityLine, WCVB Channel 5 Boston