Derailed
When Kelly Pruett’s dad dies of a sudden stroke, turns out he’s left her his PI business. But she’s only ever done skip tracing and document searches —he never got around to training her to be an investigator.
Then a woman named Georgette shows up, asking Kelly to investigate her daughter’s death. And Kelly’s dad had left a letter saying that if someone by that name asks for help, Kelly should comply, no questions. And as the mother of a deaf eight-year old, she can imagine how devastating it would be to lose a child.
So she begins investigating. Even though her ex-husband and former mother-in-law object: will an investigation mean long hours, taking away time from her own daughter? And worse—will it mean putting herself in danger?
Kelly discovers that the dead woman had a lot of secrets. For one thing, she hasn’t been living at the apartment her parents think was hers. And she was spending a lot more money than she could have made at her accounting job.
The investigation does indeed take a lot of hours, not always predictably. And it does put Kelly in danger. But she’s learning the ropes of being an investigator, and she’s stubborn. She’s determined to get to the bottom of whatever has been going on, even if it means risking everything important to her..
This is Mary Keliikoa’s first published book, but she started writing mysteries in her twenties while working as a legal secretary. This is actually her fourth novel (the first three didn’t catch a publisher’s eye); she had put it aside for several years while building a business. Then in 2016 she returned to writing; she polished the novel, successfully pitched it to a literary agent and found a publisher.
Unfortunately the book’s scheduled launch – in May 2020 -- was in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, so it’s been a virtual launch, not a public tour or event. But that will come, and as the book cover announces, this is #1 in a series featuring Kelly Pruett. Keliikoa will continue writing as she alternates between Washington State and the Hawaiian Big Island with her husband and family.
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