No Regrets, No Remorse (Sydney Simone Mysteries) - Hardcover

Sharp, R F

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1464200416 ISBN 13: 9781464200410

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, 2012

Synopsis

No Regrets, No Remorse, winner of the first Poisoned Pen Press Discover Mystery Contest.

Sydney Simone, wounded herself, is dedicated to helping via a cloaked website and identity those whose wrongs can't be righted by orthodox means. First she verifies the client's story; then she accepts payment: half up front, half on completion of her work. Usually it's a form of human pest control.

For cover, Sydney works as an assistant at the Rose Madder Gallery in West Palm Beach run by Oscar Leopold. Oscar, a sculptor, has left his law practice behind. But now his former partner Roy is arrested for murdering Big Jack, an attorney with a sleazy television advertising presence. At the same time Sydney is dealing with a client who has seemingly penetrated her defenses and demands she complete a job--rubbing out Big Jack.--an assignment where she has accepted, and pocketed, an unusually large fee. So now Sydney the client gives Sydney a new target and Sydney switches gears: dedicated to saving herself, Oscar, and Roy, even as she continues to operate HumanPestControl.com.

Teaming with Oscar isn't easy since she can't tell him all she knows, but soon their investigation leads to a complex insurance fraud scheme that implicates Roy - perhaps he really is guilty. But Oscar becomes an investigative target himself and is arrested, then kidnapped and assaulted as he tries to find the true killer.

The story ranges from the corporate offices of South Florida to the backwaters of the panhandle. The bad guys are dangerous and desperate to keep their careers, their freedom, even their lives. Oscar and Sydney, their own lives and livelihoods at stake, must up their game--Sydney may even have to reveal her game--to survive.

About this title

About the Author

Ronald Farrington Sharp practiced law for 34 years and has been a professional sculptor for even longer. He now writes and sculpts in his studio on the beach in Florida where he lives with his wife, the artist Susannah Keith, and their standard poodle, Puccini. His sculpture is featured in the collections of two dozen major universities throughout the country. He is also the author of two non-fiction books in the legal field, Winning the Divorce War, and Living Trusts for Everyone.

Reviews

Lawyer and now art dealer Oscar Leopold is called upon to defend his former partner, Roy Flagler, who has been arrested for murdering sleazy lawyer Big Jack Gamble. Oscar searches for the real killer, with the help of his assistant and former lover Sydney. However, unbeknownst to Oscar, Sydney is a hit woman who only accepts cases in which the victim has committed heinous crimes; she was hired to kill Gamble, but someone beat her to it. When Sydney learns that her cover has been blown, she must decide how much to share with Oscar while they work to clear Roy and find Gamble’s killer. Complicating matters, Oscar must defend himself from charges brought by a prosecutor, a former girlfriend. Fast pacing, multiple plotlines, and the complexity of Oscar and Sydney’s relationship will draw readers into the story. A series to watch. --Sue OBrien

Edition details

• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1464200416
• ISBN 13: 9781464200410
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 250