Optical Delusions in Deadwood

by Ann Charles

  “Yep,” Eddie confirmed.

  Harvey reached for the paper sheet covering the corpse’s jewels again.

  I turned toward the door, my stomach clenching. Another glimpse of the dead guy’s package and I’d never be able to have sex again. “If we’re done here, Detective, I’d like to go to work.”

  “You’re free to leave.” He came around the corpse and walked me to the door, holding it open for me. “You aren’t planning any trips out of state, are you?”

  I stopped on the threshold and frowned up at him. “Are you asking me that as my client?” Cooper had hired me to sell his house a couple of weeks ago. The plan was to put it on the market this week.

  “No, I’m asking on behalf of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.”

  “Are you working for the Sheriff on this?” I pointed in the general direction of the body. Detective Cooper worked for the City of Deadwood and was hired out to Lead, but last I’d heard he only played poker, not cops and robbers, with the local sheriff.

  “Not officially. But until we figure out who this guy is and how he lost his head, you and Uncle Willis both need to stay close.”

  The sound of that made the hairs on my neck bristle. “Are you saying we are suspects in his murder?”

  “Not suspects, just persons of interest. So stick around.” His gunslinger squint returned. “And keep your big nose out of this case.”

  Connect with Me Online:

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ann.charles.author

  Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/DeadwoodViolet

  My Main Website: http://www.anncharles.com

  My Deadwood Website: http://www.anncharles.com/deadwood

  BIO:

  Ann Charles is an award-winning author who writes romantic mysteries that are splashed with humor and whatever else she feels like throwing into the mix. When she is not dabbling in fiction, arm-wrestling with her children, attempting to seduce her husband, or arguing with her sassy cat, she is daydreaming of lounging poolside at a fancy resort with a blended margarita in one hand and a great book in the other.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  It is amazing how many people it takes to get a book from a blank page with a blinking cursor to a published book. For me, it’s a small village-worth of helpers. It takes another group of folks to help take that published book and make it fly. I’m going to try to thank some of the brilliant people involved in both parts of this book business.

  To start, thank you to my husband for your help with brainstorming and critiquing. Without you, not only would the story not be as entertaining, but I’d starve and have twigs and leaves in my matted hair after just a week, and the kids would wear burlap bags for clothes and carry their homework to school in Crown Royal liquor bottle bags.

  Thanks to Corvallis Press for allowing me to try this publishing venture yet again.

  Thank you to my agent, Mary Louise Schwartz of the Belfrey Literary Agency. You have stuck by me for years during highs and lows. Here is to many more highs!

  Thanks to my brother, Charles Kunkle, for allowing me the opportunity to see some of my crazy ideas on paper. Your artwork never ceases to amaze me and I love having it on my book’s cover and inside its pages.

  Thank you to Mona Weiss for your talented graphic artist help with making the cover really “pop” and for all of your ideas about promotion.

  Once again, I have to bow to Margo Taylor for all of your help in spreading the word about this second book, and to Dave Taylor for making sure she stayed in one piece during her trips to and fro during the process. I also have to thank Judy and Frank Routt (and Jessica and James) for sharing the book in Northwest Ohio.

  Now, for the readers and critiquers. Thank you to the following for reading this book time and again and giving me the feedback I needed to make it shine: Wendy Delaney, Beth Harris, Marcia Britton, Mary Ida Kunkle, Amber Scott, Paul Franklin (for edits and research help), Jody Sherin, Renelle Wilson, Robin Weaver, Marguerite Phipps, Denise Garlington, Stephanie Kunkle, Thea Taylor, Sharon Benton, Heidi Mott, Susan Schreyer, Margo Taylor, Nancy Goebel-Fehr, Kim Rupp, Carol Cabrian, and Cammie Hall.

  Thanks to Nancy Goebel-Fehr and Justin Harvey for not stoning me when I forgot to include their names in the Acknowledgements for Nearly Departed in Deadwood. Also, for all of the coffees and laughs that kept me awake at work after late nights of writing.

  Thanks to Christy Karras of Proof Positive for your thorough, yet entertaining edits.

  Thanks to Mimi “The Grammar Chick” for your final editing polish and always making me laugh.

  Thanks to Stephen Harris for his wonderful talent with his camera and actually making me look ten pounds lighter on film just as I’d requested.

  Thanks to the magnificent reviewers who offered their time to read and comment about this book; and to the amazing authors who gave me incredible cover quotes.

  Thanks to the Deranged crew: Jacquie Rogers, Wendy Delaney, and Sherry Walker for years of friendship and patience with me. Thanks to the columnists and crew at 1st Turning Point for years of teaching and generosity. Thanks to Gerri Russell, Joleen James, and Wendy Delaney for keeping me neck deep in weekly goals. Thanks to the AuthorUp crew (Amber Scott, Susan Schreyer, and Deena Remiel) for not allowing me to be a slacker.

  Thanks to Amber Scott for your never-ending support and ingenious ideas. You and me, woman, poolside with margaritas!

  Thanks to my friends and fans for your continual support and tireless help in spreading the word about Violet and her friends. You all make my day every day!

  Thank you to my coworkers for the continual cheers and excitement every time I share more news with them.

  Thanks to Bill Durning for making my Kindle dreams come true and to Vickie Haskell for the tons of shipping help and laughs while doing it.

  Thanks to Neil McNeill for his excellent classes on paranormal investigation.

  Thanks to my siblings and step-siblings, and your fantastic spouses, for talking me up around town.

  And finally, thanks to Clint Taylor, for hanging out with me day-after-day in the Black Hills when we were kids. I’m sorry I strangled you way back then. I was doing it out of love. Ha!

  From Deadwood, I’d like to thank the following for all of the help in spreading word about the Deadwood Mystery Series:

  Kim Rupp from Executive Lodging of the Black Hills, the Adams Bros. Bookstore, the Homestake Visitor Center, the Lead Chamber of Commerce, the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, the Pack Horse Liquor & Convenience Store and crew, the congregation of the Nemo Church, Janelle Andis from Custer Crossing Store and Campground, and Mary Abell.

  Thank you to the people of Lead and Deadwood for your wonderful support.

  Five Fun Facts about Ann Charles

  1. Three of my favorite parks or recreation areas in the United States are The Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Leslie Gulch Recreation Area in Oregon, Badlands National Park in South Dakota. (It appears I am attracted to the visible effects of erosion.)

  2. Three of my favorite movies are The Mummy, Tremors, and Twister. I’ve watched each of them easily over fifty times.

  3. I love classic Detroit steel and muscle cars. One of these days, I will have my own fixed-up classic car, and it will be painted dark purple, and I will crank Steppenwolf’s song, Magic Carpet Ride, while cruising in it.

  4. The illustrator and cover artist for my books, C.S. Kunkle, also happens to be my older brother, who began putting up with me when he was four years old and our parents forced him to share a room with me and my crib.

  5. I love taking long road trips, stopping at odd tourist attractions, and finding out what is around the next bend ... and the next.

  Praise for Ann Charles’

  Optical Delusions In Deadwood

  “What a voice! Hilarious, original, and genuinely wonderful. This fresh and feisty mystery will instantly win your heart. Loved it!”

  ~Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity winning author />
  “One part Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, one part ghostbusters, and one part Nancy Drew, sexy, spunky Violet Parker will blow you away.”

  ~Lucy Burdette, author and past president of Sisters in Crime

  “Ann Charles writes a top-notch mystery that is fast-paced, complex, and laugh out loud funny! A genuinely exciting and sexually suspenseful mystery, Charles delivers in her second Violet Parker novel set in Deadwood, South Dakota. Fast-moving with twists even a seasoned Mystery Reader won’t see coming, this is a can’t-put-it-down book.”

  ~Mary Buckham, award-winning Romantic Suspense author

  “A smart, sassy, sexy and wonderfully resourceful heroine. Move over Stephanie Plum—Vi Parker is here!”

  ~John Klawitter, Tinseltown writer/director, and author of the award-winning Hollywood Havoc action thriller novels

  “... mystery, humor, romance, and fun all wrapped up in a great book.”

  ~BooksRUs Reviews

  “Another fun read that left me smiling. Bravo, Ann Charles for your wit and humor. Your masterful storytelling makes this a gem to read. I give it 5 fairies. I recommend this book to readers who like mysteries, romance, with a dash of paranormal.”

  ~Earth’s Book Nook Reviews

  What Authors and Reviewers are saying about Ann Charles’ first book:

  Nearly Departed In Deadwood

  “Full of thrills and chills, a fun rollercoaster ride of a book!”

  ~Susan Andersen, New York Times Bestselling author of Burning Up

  “Smooth, solid and very entertaining, Nearly Departed in Deadwood smartly blends all the elements of a great read and guarantees to be a page-turner!”

  ~Jane Porter, award-winning author of She’s Gone Country and Flirting with Forty

  “Nearly Departed in Deadwood is a delightful mix of on the edge suspense and laugh-out-loud humor. An impressive debut. Ann Charles is a star in the making!”

  ~Gerri Russell, author of Seducing the Knight

  “Ann Charles has written an intriguing mystery story laced with a wicked sense of humor. Her dialogue sparkles, her characters are quirky fun, and the storyline keeps you turning the page to see what is going to happen next. Watch out Stephanie Plum, because Violet Parker is coming your way.”

  ~Deborah Schneider, author of Promise Me and RWA Librarian of the Year 2009

  “Both barrels loaded with offbeat charm, Nearly Departed in Deadwood aims to entertain and never misses the funny bone.”

  ~Terry McLaughlin, author of Built to Last series.

  “Nearly Departed in Deadwood is an exciting, fast-moving story with fantastic characters and a riveting plot. This is Ann Charles’ debut novel and she couldn’t have started it off better. This is a must read that I highly recommend.”

  ~John Foxjohn, Bestselling author of Tattered Justice

  “Vicariously living Violet Parker's escapades through Deadwood feels like being with a best friend. You fret, you nod, you laugh out loud, and the secrets you find out might put you in the grave, too! Yep. I'm completely addicted.”

  ~Amber Scott, author of Play Fling and Love Lust

  “Ann Charles has truly done it. She plunges you into the story from the very beginning and keeps you there every page. Even at the end you're begging for more! It's no wonder Nearly Departed in Deadwood was chosen as best overall for the 2010 Daphne Award!”

  ~Susan Schreyer, author Death By A Dark Horse and Levels of Deception

  “Mystery, humor, and romance—a fabulous book from a talented author that you’ll be hearing about for a long time!”

  ~Jacquie Rogers, award-winning author of Much Ado About Marshals.

  “If you like boring mysteries, then you won't like Nearly Departed in Deadwood.”

  ~Elena Gray, Author

  “This gem has a bit of everything ... mystery, romance, comedy, suspense, and even a bit of the paranormal. Ann Charles has done a terrific job showing how difficult it is for a single woman to juggle life at work and home, while still having a bit of time to date. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Violet and the eccentric residents of Deadwood. Ann Charles has a winner in Violet Parker. I have a new favorite author in the mystery genre!” ***** FIVE STARS!

  ~Huntress Reviews

  “Ann’s characters have vivid personalities that are well drawn and at times, quite humorous. I found myself laughing loudly at Violet’s thoughts. Her sarcastic sense of humor is refreshing an unlike any of the books I’ve read within the last year. It’s no wonder Ann won an award for this story. Her storytelling capabilities are tremendous.” ***** FIVE STARS!

  ~ParaYourNormal Book Reviews

  “Violet Parker follows a path blazed by Stephanie Plum (the heroine in Janet Evanovich’s best-selling series), but she is no copycat. Violet is sexy and smart. Charles’ mystery Nearly Departed in Deadwood is out of this world.”

  ~Sarah M. Anderson, Reviewer for Romance Novel News

  “Winner of the Daphne du Maurier award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, Ann Charles's debut novel, Nearly Departed in Deadwood will keep you glued to your chair even if you have to go to the bathroom.”

  ~Norman W Wilson PhD, Reviewer for Novelspot Book Reviews

  “ ... a fantastic read and I recommend you check it out!”

  ~A Great Book Is the Cheapest Vacation Book Reviews

  “In her debut novel, Nearly Departed in Deadwood, Ann Charles weaves a fun romp of humor, romance, mystery, and the occult. The pages are brimming with eccentric small town characters that brought the setting to life. I found this to be a wonderful book to read. It sucked me in and kept me on the edge of my seat and left me excited to read more when I finally reached the end.”

  ~Angela Spencer, Reviewer for Rise Reviews

  “Fast paced, from the very first sentence I was hooked on this book. Charles is a phenomenal writer! I loved the sexual tension that Charles portrayed and built along with a phenomenal plot. It was all amazing and I cannot, absolutely cannot wait for the next installment in this series.”

  ~Immortality and Beyond Book Reviews

  “ ... the author captured the true essence of small town living and its quirky people within the pages. The characters were well defined, credible, and easy to relate to. I thought the overall plot was simplistic in nature, provocative in intrigue, and written in style. Nearly Departed In Deadwood was a contemporary mystery romance with a touch of paranormal that kept me enthralled with goosebump-creepiness and belly aching laughter.” ***** FIVE STARS!

  ~Escape Between the Pages Book Reviews

  “If you like mystery, then you will love Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles. With colorful characters and witty dialogue, this is a book sure to please all fans of mystery, romance and the paranormal.”

  ~The Pen & Muse Book Reviews

  “Violet is a fantastic character, and I loved her sassy attitude, as well as her protective mother instincts, and her quest to sell a house to keep her job. Throw in the mystery of missing children that she finds herself embroiled in, and Nearly Departed in Deadwood has a little bit of something for everyone, while still delivering a satisfyingly good plot that doesn't meander or lose its readers.”

  ~Read My Mind Book Reviews

  “An exciting romping ride into Deadwood. This book makes me think of ghost towns from years past. I enjoyed this story from the start, Ann reeling me in like a big fish gasping for air. I would recommend this book for people who like everyday people thrust into mystery. It has enough of a paranormal twist for those seeking thrills with moments of wit and humor.”

  ~Earth’s Book Nook Reviews

  “If you like romantic mysteries with a tinge of paranormal creepiness, this one is well worth your time.”

  ~To Publish or Not to Publish Book Reviews

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

 
; Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five