Dead Man Hand

Ghosts With Six-Shooters in Dead Man Hand, a Murder Mystery from T. M. Simmons

-Red Dollar, New Mexico-

Alice, Twila, Granny, Jack, Trucker, and Miss Molly are smack dab in the middle of another murder investigation, this time in a haunted hotel in Red Dollar, New Mexico. The villain is armed with Black Magic, and there's no escape for anyone during the ice storm.

Alice keeps telling herself this is Twila's gig, and she's only here to back up her aunt and mentor as they discipline some rowdy ghosts. But she, Granny, and the pets are on their own when Twila's plane gets delayed. It's not the ghosts she's worried about, though. It's when she discovers the newly-dead woman in the hotel and realizes someone has stolen the poor woman's hands.

Twila rides in to do her share about the same time as Jack, Alice's ex. The villains are forced to step up their pace, though, with a homicide detective on the premises and a handless ghost who might expose their dastardly plans.

T. M. Simmons lives in a haunted house on the edge of the East Texas Piney Woods, which she and her husband share with a variety of pets and paranormal residents. In between writing cozy mysteries and other stories, she delights in scaring herself silly during otherworldly encounters and visits haunted buildings and graveyards during both dark and full moons. Her husband goes along sometimes to protect her from the bumps in the night, although he's been known to spy a ghost and retreat rather than confront. She also pursues paranormal entities with her own real-life Twila, Aunt Belle Brown, and they are Lead Investigators of the Supernatural Researchers of Texas paranormal investigative team. SRT's motto is, "Leave Peace Behind," and the team seeks to leave peace for the people who are dealing with troubled hauntings, as well as for the ghosts. Simmons is extremely willing to discuss her experiences with anyone she can corner.