The Value of Discretion

Following on the heels of Tumbling in the Downdrift, The Value of Discretion finds Carla Harper—with one solved case under her belt after losing her friend, partner, and husband—as she tries to figure out her new “normal.” Dividing time between her calming Florida beach cottage and her new lead role at the New Orleans consulting firm she and Marty ran before he died, she thinks she’s headed in the right direction.

But when Carla reluctantly agrees to help an acquaintance of her mother’s in a ritzy Florida resort town, she quickly finds herself embroiled in a case of shocking photos and deadly vengeance. What begins as a simple search for the source of the scandal leads to a much larger, much more dangerous case: the cover-up of a huge environmental disaster. And to top it all off, an old client requests Carla’s help to find his missing daughter, posing another thrilling investigation.

Don’t miss T. K. Hatfield’s thrilling continuation of her beach mystery series in this fun read complete with unexpected turns with the ever-engaging investigator Carla Harper at the helm.

T. K. Hatfield is a senior US Coast Guard officer and a national technical expert in its marine safety program. Born and raised in Homestead, Florida, during the heyday of the cocaine wars and the Mariel boatlift in the 1960s, she worked two jobs to put herself through college before opting to join the US Coast Guard instead. After her first tour, she returned to college and graduated from the University of West Florida with a degree in environmental studies. When 9/11 struck, she was called back to active duty, on which she has remained ever since. She has responded to Hurricane Katrina and Deepwater Horizon among other events, handling port security, planning, marine inspections, and investigations over the course of her career.

Hatfield and her husband divide their time between New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle. They have five children and four adopted dogs, and they are avid supporters of PAWS and the LA-SPCA.