The Scheme

 

 

THE SCHEME

Amethyst Drake

GENRE:  Mystery

 

 

BLURB:

Katherine Carson, a former intelligence operative turned private detective, has never been in it for the money. But when a desperate CEO offers double her usual fee to find his missing daughter, she can't refuse.

Set in Baltimore, 2009, what begins as a simple missing person inquiry transforms into a complex case of espionage, financial crime, and deep-seated grudges. For Katherine, this case strikes a personal chord, stirring up haunting memories from her own past. As unexpected connections emerge, she must confront her unresolved guilt.

Can Katherine and her team of private detectives solve the case before it's too late, or will the turmoil of her past consume her?

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Lee reached up and felt the top of the door frame. “No key. I guess Ames forgot to leave it.”

“He has his own key. He just said Olivia keeps it up there.” Katherine bent down to flip back the welcome mat. Still no key. She sighed. “Should we see if the manager has a spare?”

“The manager isn’t on site.” Lee slouched against the wall. “If only we knew someone who could pick a lock.”

Katherine rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. “Breaking and entering could lose me my license.” Lee and Jake liked to tease her about some of her skills, although they always stopped short of mentioning the Espionage Services Agency.

“Sure, sure. But we do have permission to enter. And we’d have to drive to Wilmington to get another key from Mr. Ames..." Lee let his voice trail off and studied his fingernails.

Katherine chuckled and pulled out her pocket knife. “You know I don’t carry picks anymore.” She opened the knife and carefully slid the high carbon stainless steel blade between the door and the striker plate. Finding the latch, she pushed it out of the door jam and opened the door. 

“Don't tell Sammi.”

“Never.” A huge grin spread over Lee’s face.

About the Author:

Amethyst Drake is a passionate storyteller. She excels at crafting delightful characters and enjoys developing com-plex relationships among them. Mystery has always been her favorite genre to read, making it a natural choice for her writing. She aims to blend her personal experience with mental health and the moral complexities of intricate interpersonal relationships into engaging novels.

Amethyst loves reading all kinds of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers and enjoys watching classic detective and espionage dramas like "Murder, She Wrote," "Perry Mason," and "Mission: Impossible." 

She also loves hearing from readers! Connect by signing up for her newsletter at amethystdrake.com or email amethyst@agswordsmiths.com

Q & A with Author Amethyst Drake

Q: What is something unique/quirky about you? 

A: I am allergic to my favorite fruit! Pineapple was always my favorite fruit. I even used to ask for fresh pineapples for my birthday. But a few years ago I developed an allergy. It’s very sad. I try to sneak a piece every once in a while, but my husband watches out for me and takes it away. (My new favorite fruit it golden kiwi.)

Q: What was your inspiration for writing this book?

A: The main character in this book has been my (imaginary) friend for years. She began as a blend of myself and all my favorite characters from books and movies. I’ve written a lot of random scenes and short stories with Katherine over the years. She had grown and changed with me, but sometime in my twenties she had been pretty well crystallized in my mind. Last year, I decided to bring her world to life and share it with others.

Q: How did you come up with the name of this book?

A: Title are hard for me. This novel went through several working titles from “Where Envy Ends” and “Wealth and Woe.” I wanted a short, catchy title that would grab a potential readers attention. I wanted it to hint and plot of the book with giving anything away. I settled on “The Scheme” because there are at least SEVEN schemes happening in the book at the same time! (I’m not going to tell you which one is “THE” titular scheme.)

Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book? 

A: My favorite part is writing the characters. I love figuring out how each unique character would react in a certain situation and why. For this book, I especially enjoyed fleshing out the back up characters like Ms. Nichols, Jonathan Ames, and Gordon Jones. When I started writing this book, I already knew almost everything about my four main characters. Discovery the personalities and motivations of the other characters in the novel was a lot of fun.

Q: What is your writing Kryptonite? 

A: Not getting enough sleep. When I am tired, the brain fog sets in and the words don’t come. It’s hard to feel confident in my storytelling when I’m groggy. When I’m well-rested, the ideas come alive. When I’m not, it’s like trying to write through a thick haze.

Q: Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

A: Yes! The second book in the Carson Crime Files series is on my plate. The prologue for Framed is included as a final chapter at the end of The Scheme. This time Carson Investigations will be investigating a murder and trying to prove the accused widow is innocent.

I am also working on a companion story to The Scheme. This novellete will feature Margaret Mitchell, a lawyer who is also Katherine’s best friend. This will be a cozier read that focuses on the secondary plot introduced in The Scheme. We will also get to learn more about the potential relationship between Margaret and Jake.

Q: What Are Your Top 10 Favorite books/authors? 

A: 

And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie)

N or M? (Agatha Christie)

Murder on the Orient Express (Agatha Christie)

The ABC Murders (Agatha Christie)

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Arthur Conan Doyle)

A Study the Scarlet (Arthur Conan Doyle)

The Tragedy of X (Ellery Queen)

To Catch a Thief (David Dodge)

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the making of the Princess Bride (Cary Elwes)

How to Be Everything: A guide for those who (still) don’t know what they want to be when they grow up (Emilie Wapnick)

These books are in the order that they came to mind when I sat down to write the list. Agatha Christie is clearly my favorite author! There is one other book that I would consider a favorite because it had a profound impact on me as a young reader. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the title or author! But the story of a young American woman in Nazi occupied France whose passport is stolen has stayed with me for over twenty years.

Q: Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

A: I’m so glad you stopped by to check out this interview! If you are interested in following my progress on future novels, please follow me on Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter. The newsletter comes out twice a month. One focuses on news and updates, and the second features a book themed puzzle or activity that hope you will enjoy!

Links

Author Website https://amethystdrake.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amethystdrake.author

Amazon https://amzn.to/3M5lmJO

Barnes and Noble https://bit.ly/3Z3VsOv

GIVEAWAY

Amethyst Drake will award a $25 Amazon GC and a signed book to one randomly drawn winner, a $10 Amazon GC and a signed book to a second randomly drawn winner, and a signed book to a third randomly drawn winner. Please be sure to visit the other tour participants for more opportunities to win!

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