Max Tomlinson's Blog, page 5
September 1, 2020
Colleen Hayes ’70s SF Mysteries – Amazon Monthly Deal
Hola readers – I am pleased to announce that Amazon is running a special on the first two Colleen Hayes mysteries for the month of September, each Kindle book priced at 1.99 (or it’s international equivalent).
Vanishing in the Haight – Colleen Hayes #1 – Colleen chases a cold case going back to the Summer of Love.
Tie Die – Colleen Hayes #2 – A has-been rocker with a dark past hires Colleen to investigate the kidnapping of his daughter.
July 9, 2020
Booklist Reviews Tie Die
Check out Booklist’s review of Tie Die … Thank you, Booklist!
“Colleen Hayes has come up in the world since her first case (Vanishing in the Haight, 2019). It’s the late 1970s now, and Colleen has her own apartment in San Francisco, but she is still an unlicensed investigator on parole after killing her abusive husband. When Steve Cook, a 1960s British rock star who lost his career when he was arrested and fired by his record company, asks her to find his missing daughter, she can’t refuse. Her own daughter has vanished into a cult, so she understands. She was also a big fan of Steve’s back in the day. Her investigation quickly leads her to believe that something is very wrong. Was Steve’s daughter really kidnapped? His nasty ex-wife and her father, a greedy record producer, are somehow involved. The hunt takes Colleen into the corruption-filled pop-music world, and it leads her back to London, where Steve’s downfall began in the 1970s. Tomlinson’s evocation of San Francisco at that time is spot on, and Colleen is an appealing kick-ass detective.”
July 2, 2020
Amazon Sale on Colleen Hayes
For a limited time, Amazon has dropped the price of both Colleen Hayes novels to $1.99 each.
This is a great opportunity to check out the USA Today Bestselling Vanishing in the Haight and the follow-up, Tie Die. Enjoy!
The next Colleen has – Bad Scene – is int he works and will drop next year.
July 1, 2020
Tie Die Review in The Big Thrill
Many thanks to The Big Thrill who covered Tie Die in their July newsletter:
June 17, 2020
#Free Download until June 20th – Sendero
Greetings, readers!
Many of us are reading more these days and that’s a good thing.
As a special thank you, please feel free to download Sendero, my thriller set against the backdrop of Peru’s dirty war. This free download lasts until Saturday, June 20th.
Enjoy!
#Free Download until June 30th – Sendero
Greetings, readers!
Many of us are reading more these days and that’s a good thing.
As a special thank you, please feel free to download Sendero, my thriller set against the backdrop of Peru’s dirty war. This free download lasts until Saturday, June 30th.
Enjoy!
June 16, 2020
New Release! – Tie Die
I am pleased to announce that the new Colleen Hayes mystery – Tie Die – is now available for download as an ebook. (Print is scheduled for September 8, due to Covid-19.)
For a limited time, Tie Die will be available for $1.99.
Although Tie Die reads as a standalone mystery, it’s the second book in the Colleen Hayes Series set in ’70s San Francisco. The first book, Vanishing in the Haight, is a USA TODAY Bestseller.
Tie Die recently received a *starred* review from Publishers Weekly.
“Back in London’s swinging ’60s, Steve Cook was teen idol number one. But that changed when a sixteen-year-old fan was found dead in his hotel room bed. Steve’s career came to a crashing halt after he was dumped by his record company and arrested. Now, in 1978 San Francisco, Steve works construction, still dreaming of a comeback. Until his eleven-year-old daughter is kidnapped. Steve turns to one person for help: Colleen Hayes. She was quite a fan herself, back in the day. And she knows what it’s like to be on the wrong side of the law and live in judgment for the rest of your life. It doesn’t take Colleen long to realize something fishy is going on with the kidnapping of Melanie Cook. What transpires is a harrowing journey through a music industry rife with corruption and crime. Colleen’s search takes her through San Francisco’s underbelly and all the way to ’70s London, where she discovers a thread leading back to the death of a forgotten fan in Steve’s hotel room.” (Click image for Amazon.)
For non-Kindle formats, please check here.
Many thanks to my readers for supporting this series!
May 31, 2020
Publishers Weekly Reviews Tie Die
I am thrilled that Publishers Weekly has just given my upcoming mystery, Tie Die, a starred review.
Thank you, PublishersWeekly!
And thank you, Oceanview Publishing.
Tie Die releases 6/16/20 in ebook and in print on 9/1/20. (Print is delayed due to COVID-19.)
Stay safe, people.
“Tomlinson’s excellent sequel to 2019’s Vanishing in the Haight deepens the character of his multilayered lead, Colleen Hayes, an unlicensed PI and ex-con who’s still on parole. In 1966, musician Steve Cook was rubbing shoulders with the likes of John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix, and his band, the Chords, was set to take America by storm. That bright future didn’t happen. Now it’s 1978, and Steve is living in San Francisco, playing occasionally at a local club. His ex-wife is a rapacious harridan, and his 11-year-old daughter, Melanie, is best described as “In a word difficult. In two words: extremely difficult.” When Melanie is kidnapped, Steve hires Colleen. Soon enough, Colleen realizes that the kidnapping is not as straightforward as it at first appears, and murder is also on the agenda. Her investigation takes her through an authentically rendered San Francisco, as well as on a quick trip to London. Having served time in prison for killing her abusive husband, she has a wary toughness that rings true. Readers will want to learn more about this surprising and pragmatic woman. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Aug.)” Review on Publishers Weekly here.
May 3, 2020
Win a *signed* hardcover copy of Vanishing in the Haight
In anticipation of the upcoming release of the 2nd Colleen Hayes mystery, Tie Die, we are running a Goodreads giveaway . . .
Want a *signed* hardcover copy of the USA Today bestseller Vanishing in the Haight?
From now until May 15th, enter the Goodreads giveaway to be eligible. Autographed copies of VITH will be sent to five lucky US winners. Click the cover image to enter. Good luck!
This giveaway is limited to the US only.
Click cover to enter the Goodreads giveaway
Want a Kindle version of the same for only $1.99? (until May 31st) > click here to buy VITH on Kindle for $1.99 <
Sign up for my newsletter to be updated *almost never* on new releases and giveaways.
Stay safe people.
Best wishes,
Max Tomlinson
May 1, 2020
Vanishing in the Haight price drop
Amazon and my publisher have been plotting to drop the price of “Vanishing in the Haight” to 1.99 for the month of May. And they were successful. 
