P.D. Workman's Blog, page 79
August 30, 2019
He Was Not There
He Was Not There by P. D. Workman Coming Soon!
Series: Zachary Goldman Mysteries #6
Genres: Mystery, Mystery/Suspense, Suspense
Store links: Amazon
Goodreads
And then he was gone.
About He Was Not There
Zachary Goldman just wants to put everything that happened to him that night at the hands of a monster behind him forever. But when Heather, his estranged sister, asks for his help in bringing her own rapist to justice, there is no way he can turn her down.
The case is cold, three decades ago. Heather never saw her attacker’s face, as he was wearing a mask. At the time, the police did everything they could, but there have been new advancements in technology and Zachary hopes to turn up something he can use to solve the case.
Somehow, he needs to find a way to finally bring Heather some peace, even when it means dealing with his own painful memories.
Sample coming
Coming soon
+ Praise for Zachary Goldman Mysteries
— an amazing and suspenseful story. It carries you away into a psychological tailspin that keeps you going in so many different directions.
— A really good piece of detective fiction with some novel and original features which keep the reader guessing until the last few pages.
— I love the way the investigation plays out…very interesting. That is done very well. It held my interest. I very much wanted to find out the outcome…
— Very well written. [Zachary] is flawed with a capital F … In spite of his problems, he is a very sympathetic character and doggedly pursues the truth.
— [She Wore Mourning] made for a pleasant read while presenting an interesting story.
— What a great story. Fabulous plot with interesting and complex characters. I was totally involved into the wee hours. Many twists and left waiting until the end. Highly recommended
— Wow! I just finished it. In one day! I could not stop reading it! This book grabs hold of you from the start. It’s a very well written detective novel. It pulls you not the story and is very emotional. You feel for the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but it will not be my last. I highly recommend this book.
+ Author's Note
Author’s Notes may contain spoilers
I bought my son a DNA test kit for Christmas to help him to learn about his ancestry and possibly track down some biological relatives. At the same time as I was brainstorming ideas for the next Zachary Goldman book, I was also doing a deep dive into the subject of DNA testing, familial matches, what DNA could tell you about your health, etc.
There was a furor in the news over using partial/familial matches on genealogical databases or police databases to find the blood relatives of suspects and then using genealogical research to identify the perpetrator. Genealogical database companies were being forced to consider privacy issues, and police/government authorities to consider the ethics and the dependability of the science behind familial matches. It was a great time to be thinking about using DNA to solve cold cases. So it was only natural that Zachary Goldman would be hired on to solve a cold case murder of his own. The laws in Vermont (they always seem to be a little bit different in Vermont…) threw some additional wrenches into the works!
Since this was a cold case, I also ended up doing a lot of research into the ways that sexual assault laws have changed over the decades, along with attitudes and treatment of the victims and “rape culture” of the eighties. And, of course, into how DNA science has progressed since that time and how thousands of untested sexual assault kits are now being processed (or not.)
History of DNA/Rape kit testing
Rape kits were first proposed (by a woman) in the early 1970s. They were standardized later in the 70s as the “Vitullo Evidence Collection Kit.” This was before DNA testing could be done. They could do ABO and serological testing of blood and visual comparison of hairs and fibers.
DNA evidence first went to court in 1986 in England and 1987 in USA. It did not gain full acceptance until 1997. CODIS became operational in 1998.
38 states now mandate “all felons” DNA databases, where convicted felons must submit a DNA sample.
The first “cold hit” conviction, where no suspect has been identified, but samples from a crime scene submitted to the local, state or federal DNA database result in a match from a previously convicted offender, occurred in 2002.
As far as I can see, the first time familial DNA matches were used to identify suspects which led to arrests/convictions was 2017.
As this technology has matured, it was discovered that there were tens of thousands of rape kits across the USA that have never been DNA tested, and many had, in fact, been destroyed. Some rape kits were destroyed within days of being taken without any testing ever being done. Others were destroyed a few months or years later, while the statute of limitations clock was still ticking. Some departments had a six-month destruction policy.
Untested kits that are still in existence are now in the process of being tested, and the laws are in flux as policymakers try to enact new laws to prevent rape kits from being destroyed and to mandate DNA testing.
+ Book Club Resources
Pinterest Board: Mental Illness
DNA Search Method that Caught Golden State Killer No Longer Available
Should familial DNA searching be legal in all 50 states?
The citizen scientist who finds killers from her couch
How the U.S. Ended Up With 400,000 Untested Rape Kits
Destroyed: How the trashing of rape kits failed victims and jeopardizes public safety
Recovering from Rape and Sexual Trauma
Male Survivors of Sexual Assault Face Unique Challenges to Recovery
What It Was Like To Report Sexual Harrassment & Rape in the 1980’s
The story behind the first rape kit
+ Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”
“The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book.”
“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”
“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”
“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”
“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”
+ He Was Not There on my Blog
Her Work was Everything
He Was Not There
New releases! June, Into the Light, and more
They Thought He was Safe
Excerpt from Gatefather
Looking toward the light
Excerpt from Every Breath You Take
Gem, Himself, Alone and a round-up of free goodies!
Do No Harm and other New Releases
Excerpt from Two Kinds of Truth
Christmas in July!
Fresh new releases—Gem Himself Alone and more
Excerpt from I’ve Got my Eyes on You
Freebie Round-up Vegan Baked Alaska and More Summer Reading
Excerpt from Dangerous Minds
Summer writing
Books for your birthday
Books for PTSD Awareness Day
Enjoy Vegan Baked Alaska and these other great reads!
Father’s Day Books and Deals
Excerpt from Golden Prey
Ann Hunter’s runaway new YA book
June freebie round-up – Apple-achian Treasure and more
Excerpt from Beautiful Boy
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About P. D. Workman
P.D. (Pamela) Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure and from a very young age she was trying to write her own books.
Workman wrote her first complete novel at the age of twelve and continued to write as a hobby for many years. She started publishing in 2015. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She made the USA Today Bestseller list in 2019. She currently has over 40 published titles and can be found at pdworkman.com.
Born and raised in Alberta, Workman has been married for over 25 years and has one son.
Back to School
It seems like September always makes me think about planning for the upcoming year. Even though it is years since I was in school, and a couple of years now since I was homeschooling, I want to pull out the planners and start filling them in. Which is good, because I need to map out my writing projects and releases for 2020.
I enjoy getting everything laid out and organized. I included a selection of planners in my 2018 New Year’s post, if you are looking for planners for 2020 or for a 2019/2020 school year. I use a combination of layered electronic calendars, task lists, and my own custom-built disc bound / Rocketbook / bullet journal analogue planner breaking my yearly projects / goals down into monthly, weekly, and daily chunks.
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September is going to be a busy month for me. I have a lot of great promotions coming up with several different retailers. September 15 is Agatha Christie’s day, when we observe International Cozy Mystery Day, so there are some particularly good mystery promotions coming up. Keep your eyes on the my social networks for great deals or join my newsletter list to get them in your inbox once a week.
I will be publishing book #5 in the Zachary Goldman Private Investigator series, They Thought He was Safe in September, followed by books 6 and 7 in October and November. Zachary is one of my favorite characters; I hope you have been enjoying his cases too. He’s in for a rough ride the next couple of books, but he will get through it!
August 27, 2019
Excerpt from What if?
Did you get your copy of June, Into the Light? Released last Friday, here is what one reviewer says:
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Who could resist a review like that? Pick up June, Into the Light on Amazon today!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I had a hard time deciding which book to do a teaser for today! I just finished another book in Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mystery series, which I’ve mentioned here before. And I have started What if? by Randall Munroe, the creator of the xkcd web comic.
After much consideration, I have decided to go with What if? I don’t do a lot of non-fiction teasers here, but I love xkcd, and after the first few entries in What if? I can say that his humor and brilliance flow through in these Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.
But just to be sure, I got in touch with a friend of mine who works at a research reactor, and asked him what he thought would happen to someone who tried to swim in their radiation containment pool.
Randall Munroe, What if?
“In our reactor?” He thought about it for a moment. “You’d die pretty quickly, before reaching the water, from gunshot wounds.”
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From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask
Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe’s iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have an enormous, dedicated following, as do his deeply researched answers to his fans’ strangest questions.
The queries he receives range from merely odd to downright diabolical:
What if I took a swim in a spent-nuclear-fuel pool?Could you build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns?What if a Richter 15 earthquake hit New York City?Are fire tornadoes possible?
His responses are masterpieces of clarity and wit, gleefully and accurately explaining everything from the relativistic effects of a baseball pitched at near the speed of light to the many horrible ways you could die while building a periodic table out of all the actual elements.
The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? is an informative feast for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical.
August 22, 2019
New releases! June, Into the Light, and more
Today is release day for June, Into the Light, Book #6 of the award-winning Between the Cracks series.
About June, Into the Light
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June Simpson has lost everything. Her family, the love of her life, and now her freedom.
And it’s her own fault.
Drugs have taken her health and what little happiness remained in her life, and now, incarcerated after a failed attempt at armed robbery, June is forced to detox and to face the reality of the misery and abuse she has perpetrated on those closest to her, especially her children.
Getting clean is just the first of her challenges, and as difficult as it is, may be the easiest part.
The path ahead is filled with so many obstacles she can’t see her way through to the other side. Facing her children and convincing them that she has really changed and is capable of a healthy relationship with them seems like an insurmountable task.
Readers begged for another book in the Between the Cracks series from award-winning and USA Today bestselling author P.D. Workman. They especially wanted June’s story to be told.
You asked for it, so here it is. Click ‘buy’ now!
June, Into the Light is book #6 in the Between the Cracks series but can be read as a stand-alone novel.
The Between the Cracks series has won multiple literary awards from the In the Margins Committee of Library Services for Youth in Custody.
Read sample
Listen to sample
Listen to a reading by the author
Buy now
And more new releases…
Would I leave you with just one new book for your Kindle reader/app? I have asked around and had a look through Amazon and here are the new releases I found.
All the Lovely Pieces
For nine years, Drew Baker has been running from her brutal husband and the dark deeds of the night she left him. Focused on protecting her ten-year-old son, Drew reluctantly settles into a small town, eager to find proof of her husband’s true nature so she can stop looking over her shoulder.
But Drew is also on the run from her own terrible crimes—ones that mean prison and separation from her son should the police catch up to her before her husband does. If only she could remember that night and what really transpired…
Without warning, the unthinkable happens, and Drew is plunged into the most nightmarish situation a woman and mother could imagine. Desperate to save her child, Drew takes matters into her own hands, proving that anyone is capable of darkness, and nowhere is safe for those who fear themselves.
The First Time I Fell
Garnet McGee returns to her small Vermont hometown, all set to finish her master’s thesis in psychology, and convinced that the paranormal experiences of recent months are now behind her. Then she stumbles across a body in the strangest of places, and starts getting unsettling visions of the woman’s life and death.
Local police assume it was suicide, but Garnet is sure it was murder.
Egged on by her eccentric mother, Garnet starts investigating. Police Chief Ryan Jackson is intrigued by the “readings” she gets about the case, but others are determined to stop her amateur sleuthing. Meanwhile some inexplicably strange things are happening at home.
Garnet is determined to find out who killed the beautiful woman loved by so many, but that will mean taking the leap into trusting not only others, but also her own growing psychic abilities. Yet every vision puts her in greater danger. As she gets close to discovering the truth, Garnet realizes that the killer will do whatever it takes to keep the truth hidden.
Even if that means killing again.
The Inn
The Inn at Gloucester stands alone on the rocky shoreline. Its seclusion suits former Boston police detective Bill Robinson, novice owner and innkeeper.
As long as the dozen residents pay their rent, Robinson doesn’t ask any questions. Neither does Sheriff Clayton Spears, who lives on the second floor.
Then Mitchell Cline arrives, with a deadly new way of doing business. His crew of local killers break laws, deal drugs, and bring violence to the doors of the Inn. That’s when Robinson realizes, with the help of journalist Susan Solie, that leaving the city is no escape from the reality of evil — or the responsibility for action.
Teaming up with Sheriff Spears and two fearless residents — Army veteran Nick Jones and groundskeeper Effie Johnson — Robinson begins a risky defense. The solitary inhabitants of the Inn will have to learn, before time runs out, that their only choice is between standing together — or dying alone.
Peacekeepers
It isn’t the only time a US presidential election has been disputed.
But this time, it might lead to war.
For the first time in history, UN peacekeeping troops are amassing at the northern border. Marshall Tate has set up his new headquarters in Canada.
The world watches. Tensions run high across the country.
Will a second civil war tear the country apart?
In the shadows and out of the public eye, the puppet masters continue their schemes.
Never Have I Ever
Amy Whey is proud of her ordinary life and the simple pleasures that come with it—teaching diving lessons, baking cookies for new neighbors, helping her best friend, Charlotte, run their local book club. Her greatest joy is her family: her devoted professor husband, her spirited fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, her adorable infant son. And, of course, the steadfast and supportive Charlotte.
But Amy’s sweet, uncomplicated life begins to unravel when the mysterious and alluring Angelica Roux arrives on her doorstep one book club night.
Sultry and magnetic, Roux beguiles the group with her feral charm. She keeps the wine flowing and lures them into a game of spilling secrets. Everyone thinks it’s naughty, harmless fun. Only Amy knows better. Something wicked has come her way—a she-devil in a pricey red sports car who seems to know the terrible truth about who she is and what she once did.
When they’re alone, Roux tells her that if she doesn’t give her what she asks for, what she deserves, she’s going to make Amy pay for her sins. One way or another.
When She Finds You
Sophie Saunders has the perfect life.
Happily married to handsome Matt and expecting her first baby, she is the envy of her childhood friend, Lou.
Lou’s family has splintered. Her husband is dead and her son has left home.
She would give anything to turn back the clock.
But there’s a secret buried deep in their past that the two friends can never forget.
And when Sophie’s world starts spiralling out of control, it’s her new friend Roz to whom she turns.
Trouble is, secrets have a habit of unravelling. And when they do, you can kiss your perfect life goodbye.
Sometimes, it’s better when the truth stays hidden.
The Regret
Rachel Stone’s world was destroyed by a stalker, Alan Griffin. After he went to prison, she rebuilt her life.
Now she has a three-year-old daughter and is in a new relationship. But someone is stalking her again. Her phone, her emails and her social media are hacked.
Rachel believes it’s Griffin, out of prison and looking for revenge. She needs to find him and make him leave her alone. But as Rachel is drawn into a hunt, she realises that something even more horrific is happening – something that will make her confront the childhood that has lingered like a ghost, and will force her to face the truth about her new life.
The Paper Bark Tree Mystery
Su Lin is doing her dream job: assistant at Singapore’s brand new detective agency. Until Bald Bernie decides a ‘local girl’ can’t be trusted with private investigations, and replaces her with a new secretary – pretty, privileged, and white. So Su Lin’s not the only person finding it hard to mourn Bernie after he’s found dead in the filing room.
And when her best friend’s dad is accused, she gets up to some sleuthing work of her own in a bid to clear his name.
Su Lin finds out that Bernie may have been working undercover, trading stolen diamonds for explosives from enemy troops. Was he really the upright English citizen he claimed to be?
Meanwhile, a famous assassin commits his worst crime yet, and disappears into thin air. Rumours spread that he may be dangerously close to home.
Beneath the stifling, cloudless Singaporean summer, earthquakes of chaos and political unrest are breaking out. When a tragic loss shakes Su Lin’s personal world to its core, she becomes determined to find the truth. But in dark, hate-filled times, truth has a price – and Su Lin must decide how much she’s willing to pay for it.
The Scandal
Ever since her twin girls left home, Marisa has felt there’s something missing from her life. Her sprawling mansion is no longer filled with laughter and chaos, and she’s desperate to feel needed… and to be distracted from the secret she’s been hiding from her husband for all these years.
Coffee with her best friends might be the only thing holding Marisa together. But Claire and Elly have their own secrets. Like why Claire hasn’t been to work in weeks, or why Elly won’t tell anyone who’s buying her flowers.
When Jodi, a pregnant young girl, turns up at Marisa’s doorstep, Marisa is quick to come to her aid. She sees herself in Jodi and she knows how devoting yourself to looking after others can take up all your time in the most marvellous way.
The Lioness Diaries
Theda accepts one more mission, knowing that it means abandoning her life with Rune and her status among the Arcturians. She knows once she is human, she will forget everything from her previous life.
Theda knows she won’t remember what her mission is on earth and has no idea of the unending hardship that awaits her there. As the human Savanna, she struggles to endure the pain of divorce, the overwhelming stress of raising a child with special needs, and a spiral into depression.
Despite all of this, Savanna learns to break free of her old beliefs and baggage to access the multidimensional universe and begins the journey back to her true self; not only as an Arcturian but as the lioness within and so much more. When the aliens who want her dead track her down, a stranger named Rune appears, charged with the mission to protect her.
All retailers
The Silent Ones
When ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are arrested for a terrible crime, Maddy’s mother Juliet cannot believe it. How could her bright, joyful daughter be capable of such a thing?
As the small village community recoils in horror, the pressure of the tragedy blows Juliet and her sister’s lives apart. And things get even worse when their daughters retreat into a self-imposed silence. Can anyone reach Maddy and discover the truth before her fate is sealed?
Juliet is crushed. Nothing will ever be the same for her darling girl. But she knows that to find out what really happened that day, she and her sister must unlock the secrets of their own terrible past, a past they swore never to speak about again…
A Woman of Valor
For Valorie Dawes, #metoo means it’s time to #fightback.
In this exciting, character-driven police procedural by acclaimed author Gary Corbin, rookie policewoman Valorie Dawes has a mission: take serial child molesters like Richard Harkins off the streets of her small hometown of Clayton, CT–for good.
But Valorie’s past includes childhood abuse trauma of her own, and her battle with this cunning, vicious criminal awakens memories and emotions she’d rather forget.
Battling sexism within the department and vilification in the media as a reckless incompetent, Val finds few allies in the pursuit of this elusive, cruel criminal, even as he continues to victimize women and girls in the community.
All retailers
A Stranger on the Beach
Caroline Stark’s beach house was supposed to be her crowning achievement: a lavish, expensive space to showcase what she thought was her perfect family. But after a very public fight with her husband, she realizes things may not be as perfect as they seem: her husband is lying to her, the money is disappearing, and there’s a stranger on the beach outside her house.
As Caroline’s marriage and her carefully constructed lifestyle begin to collapse around her, she turns to Aidan, the stranger, for comfort…and revenge. After a brief and desperate fling that means nothing to Caroline and everything to him, Aidan’s infatuation with Caroline, her family, and her house becomes more and more destructive.
They Thought He Was Safe
They Thought He was Safe by P. D. Workman Coming Soon!
Series: Zachary Goldman Mysteries #5
Genres: Mystery, Mystery/Suspense, Suspense
Store links: Amazon, Smashwords, Google, Audible
Goodreads
Too many missing men.
About They Thought He was Safe
Zachary Goldman, PI is deeply flawed, unable to overcome much of his traumatic past, yet he is always ready to defend the underdog and right injustices.
When Pat asked him to look into the disappearance of an illegal, Zachary agreed to take it, but didn’t expect to find anything more than a man who had returned to his family or fled immigration officials. But the more he digs, the more missing men Zachary discovers, and it quickly becomes apparent that the disappearance that was deemed by the police not to be suspicious was just the tip of the iceberg.
As the body count grows, so does Zachary’s determination to bring the killer to justice, no matter what the cost.
The trouble is, this case might cost him dearly.
Sample coming
Order Now
+ Praise for Zachary Goldman Mysteries
— an amazing and suspenseful story. It carries you away into a psychological tailspin that keeps you going in so many different directions.
— A really good piece of detective fiction with some novel and original features which keep the reader guessing until the last few pages.
— I love the way the investigation plays out…very interesting. That is done very well. It held my interest. I very much wanted to find out the outcome…
— Very well written. [Zachary] is flawed with a capital F … In spite of his problems, he is a very sympathetic character and doggedly pursues the truth.
— [She Wore Mourning] made for a pleasant read while presenting an interesting story.
— What a great story. Fabulous plot with interesting and complex characters. I was totally involved into the wee hours. Many twists and left waiting until the end. Highly recommended
— Wow! I just finished it. In one day! I could not stop reading it! This book grabs hold of you from the start. It’s a very well written detective novel. It pulls you not the story and is very emotional. You feel for the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but it will not be my last. I highly recommend this book.
+ Author's Note
Author’s Notes may contain spoilers
Serial killers are a fascinating subject. Despite their proliferation in fiction, both literary and TV/movies, they are a very small fraction of the criminal population. Of the US population of 327 million, with a prison population of 2.3 million, the number of serial killers in prison appears to be around 30 people. It is estimated that the number of serial killers operating in the US is between 25 and 50 people. As DNA testing continues to grow, I expect those numbers will change as serial killings which would previously have gone unrealized are identified, as has been the case with identifying serial rapists while processing cold case rape kits.
What makes a serial killer? While it is our nature to look for patterns and to identify them as somehow “sick” or “other” than we are, there is no one diagnosis or red flag to help us to identify serial killers before they strike or to explain their actions afterward. We think of serial killers as being psychopaths (not a DSM diagnosis) or having something like Antisocial Personality Disorder, but their diagnoses, if any, range from depression, to schizophrenia, to Narcissistic Personality Disorder. While TV would have us believe that they are geniuses, they range from borderline retardation to average intelligence, with only a few with greater than average intelligence. They’re just good at not getting caught.
Again, we have been told that they usually (but not always) come from very abusive or traumatic backgrounds; but so do millions of others who have never killed even one person. And the “red flag” of cruelty to animals? It is estimated that 44% of children will abuse animals at some point. The older they are, the more of a red flag it becomes, but we can’t use it to identify anything other than possible abuse or trauma in the home, particularly when it is part of the MacDonald Triad (animal abuse, fire setting, and bedwetting.) More in the Book Club Resources below.
+ Book Club Resources
Pinterest Board: Mental Illness
How alleged Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur went unnoticed
Russian Serial Killer Mikhail Popkov Now Convicted Of 78 Murders
A Proleptic Genealogy of the MSM Category
Animal Cruelty May Indicate Child Abuse “Animal abuse is common among children, with up to 44 percent likely to display such behavior at some point, the researchers said. But they suspect the true rate is likely much higher, because parents or children may be unwilling to report it.”
Macdonald triad
+ Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”
“The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book.”
“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”
“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”
“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”
“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”
+ They Thought He was Safe on my Blog
Back to School
New releases! June, Into the Light, and more
They Thought He Was Safe
Gem, Himself, Alone and a round-up of free goodies!
Start the Easter weekend with New Releases
Consent is Magical
Fiction about Sexual Abuse of Boys/Men
Have a Non-Romantic Valentine’s Day
Warm up with these February Freebies
What the Cat Knew and other new releases
Upcoming in 2019
New Year’s Specials!
Toxo
She was Dying Anyway and October freebies
She was Dying Anyway and a round-up of new releases
The International Day of the Stim
Brewing Death and other summer releases
Randy’s Review of June & Justin
Give yourself books for Mother’s Day!
New Releases! Two Teardrops is now live
Ronnie, Between the Cracks #5 and more new releases
Books in your Stocking – A Christmas Eve Book Flood
Cyber Monday Deal
Exclusive offer for Witch-Free Halloween and other Ghoulish stories
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About P. D. Workman
P.D. (Pamela) Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure and from a very young age she was trying to write her own books.
Workman wrote her first complete novel at the age of twelve and continued to write as a hobby for many years. She started publishing in 2015. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She made the USA Today Bestseller list in 2019. She currently has over 40 published titles and can be found at pdworkman.com.
Born and raised in Alberta, Workman has been married for over 25 years and has one son.
They Thought He was Safe
They Thought He was Safe by P. D. Workman Coming Soon!
Series: Zachary Goldman Mysteries #5
Genres: Mystery, Mystery/Suspense, Suspense
Store links: Amazon, Smashwords, Google, Audible
Goodreads
Too many missing men.
About They Thought He was Safe
Zachary Goldman, PI is deeply flawed, unable to overcome much of his traumatic past, yet he is always ready to defend the underdog and right injustices.
When Pat asked him to look into the disappearance of an illegal, Zachary agreed to take it, but didn’t expect to find anything more than a man who had returned to his family or fled immigration officials. But the more he digs, the more missing men Zachary discovers, and it quickly becomes apparent that the disappearance that was deemed by the police not to be suspicious was just the tip of the iceberg.
As the body count grows, so does Zachary’s determination to bring the killer to justice, no matter what the cost.
The trouble is, this case might cost him dearly.
Sample coming
Coming soon
+ Praise for Zachary Goldman Mysteries
— an amazing and suspenseful story. It carries you away into a psychological tailspin that keeps you going in so many different directions.
— A really good piece of detective fiction with some novel and original features which keep the reader guessing until the last few pages.
— I love the way the investigation plays out…very interesting. That is done very well. It held my interest. I very much wanted to find out the outcome…
— Very well written. [Zachary] is flawed with a capital F … In spite of his problems, he is a very sympathetic character and doggedly pursues the truth.
— [She Wore Mourning] made for a pleasant read while presenting an interesting story.
— What a great story. Fabulous plot with interesting and complex characters. I was totally involved into the wee hours. Many twists and left waiting until the end. Highly recommended
— Wow! I just finished it. In one day! I could not stop reading it! This book grabs hold of you from the start. It’s a very well written detective novel. It pulls you not the story and is very emotional. You feel for the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but it will not be my last. I highly recommend this book.
+ Author's Note
Author’s Notes may contain spoilers
Serial killers are a fascinating subject. Despite their proliferation in fiction, both literary and TV/movies, they are a very small fraction of the criminal population. Of the US population of 327 million, with a prison population of 2.3 million, the number of serial killers in prison appears to be around 30 people. It is estimated that the number of serial killers operating in the US is between 25 and 50 people. As DNA testing continues to grow, I expect those numbers will change as serial killings which would previously have gone unrealized are identified, as has been the case with identifying serial rapists while processing cold case rape kits.
What makes a serial killer? While it is our nature to look for patterns and to identify them as somehow “sick” or “other” than we are, there is no one diagnosis or red flag to help us to identify serial killers before they strike or to explain their actions afterward. We think of serial killers as being psychopaths (not a DSM diagnosis) or having something like Antisocial Personality Disorder, but their diagnoses, if any, range from depression, to schizophrenia, to Narcissistic Personality Disorder. While TV would have us believe that they are geniuses, they range from borderline retardation to average intelligence, with only a few with greater than average intelligence. They’re just good at not getting caught.
Again, we have been told that they usually (but not always) come from very abusive or traumatic backgrounds; but so do millions of others who have never killed even one person. And the “red flag” of cruelty to animals? It is estimated that 44% of children will abuse animals at some point. The older they are, the more of a red flag it becomes, but we can’t use it to identify anything other than possible abuse or trauma in the home, particularly when it is part of the MacDonald Triad (animal abuse, fire setting, and bedwetting.) More in the Book Club Resources below.
+ Book Club Resources
Pinterest Board: Mental Illness
How alleged Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur went unnoticed
Russian Serial Killer Mikhail Popkov Now Convicted Of 78 Murders
A Proleptic Genealogy of the MSM Category
Animal Cruelty May Indicate Child Abuse “Animal abuse is common among children, with up to 44 percent likely to display such behavior at some point, the researchers said. But they suspect the true rate is likely much higher, because parents or children may be unwilling to report it.”
Macdonald triad
+ Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”
“The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book.”
“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”
“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”
“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”
“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”
+ They Thought He was Safe on my Blog
New releases! June, Into the Light, and more
They Thought He was Safe
Gem, Himself, Alone and a round-up of free goodies!
Start the Easter weekend with New Releases
Consent is Magical
Fiction about Sexual Abuse of Boys/Men
Have a Non-Romantic Valentine’s Day
Warm up with these February Freebies
What the Cat Knew and other new releases
Upcoming in 2019
New Year’s Specials!
Toxo
She was Dying Anyway and October freebies
She was Dying Anyway and a round-up of new releases
The International Day of the Stim
Brewing Death and other summer releases
Randy’s Review of June & Justin
Give yourself books for Mother’s Day!
New Releases! Two Teardrops is now live
Ronnie, Between the Cracks #5 and more new releases
Books in your Stocking – A Christmas Eve Book Flood
Cyber Monday Deal
Exclusive offer for Witch-Free Halloween and other Ghoulish stories
Five Characters I Love to Hate
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About P. D. Workman
P.D. (Pamela) Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure and from a very young age she was trying to write her own books.
Workman wrote her first complete novel at the age of twelve and continued to write as a hobby for many years. She started publishing in 2015. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She made the USA Today Bestseller list in 2019. She currently has over 40 published titles and can be found at pdworkman.com.
Born and raised in Alberta, Workman has been married for over 25 years and has one son.
August 20, 2019
Excerpt from Gatefather
June, Into the Light is being released this week, and is currently available at the preorder price of $0.99. The price will go up after release, so preorder now.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I’ll read pretty much anything by Orson Scott Card, whether it is in the genres I would normally read or not. I have read the first two books in the Mither Mages series, and although there are many negative reviews for the third book, I am enjoying Gatefather so far. It is similar to C.S. Lewis in some ways in its discussion of the nature of God, the universe, and the role of free choice.
I couldn’t find the quote I was planning to use, so I picked this one out instead:
This One answered him: I see that many do harm, and mean to. And many do harm without meaning to. And many do good without meaning to. And many do good by deliberate action, and at great cost to themselves, and act with courage and strength to serve the happiness of others.
Orson Scott Card, The Gatefather
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In Gatefather, the third installment in the Mithermages series, New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card continues his fantastic tale of the Mages of Westil who live in exile on Earth.
Danny North is the first Gate Mage to be born on Earth in nearly 2000 years, or at least the first to survive to claim his power. Families of Westil in exile on Earth have had a treaty that required the death of any suspected Gate Mage. The wars between the Families had been terrible, until at last they realized it was their own survival in question. But a Gate Mage, one who could build a Great Gate back to Westil, would give his own Family a terrible advantage over all the others, and reignite the wars. So they all had to die. And if the Families didn’t kill them, the Gate Thief would-that mysterious Mage who destroyed every Great Gate, and the Gate Mage, before it could be opened between Earth and Westil.
But Danny survived. And Danny battled the Gate Thief, and won.
What he didn’t know at the time was that the Gate Thief had a very good reason for closing the Great Gates-and Danny has now fallen into the power of that great enemy of both Earth and Westil.
August 15, 2019
Looking toward the light
I am getting set to release June, Into the Light later this month. It’s on preorder on Kindle right now at the special price of $0.99.
June is part of the award-winning Between the Cracks series, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. Twice I have thought I was done with this series, but it just keeps coming back!
After releasing Ronnie, readers were still asking for more. I explained that each child’s story had been told, and I wasn’t really planning for any more books to be added to the series. (Although, there are a couple of second-generation Simpsons who might still have stories to tell…)
But readers said they wanted to hear more about June. While June had a title role in book 2, June & Justin, that book was more from Justin’s perspective than June’s. My readers felt it made her out to be the ‘bad guy’ and accused me of abandoning her, not giving her a chance for a ‘happily ever after.’
So after some discussion, I sat down and worked through some thoughts on June’s journey. 150,000 words later, I had drafted June, Into the Light.
About June, Into the Light
June Simpson has lost everything. Her family, the love of her life, and now her freedom.
And it’s her own fault.
Drugs have taken her health and what little happiness remained in her life, and now, incarcerated after a failed attempt at armed robbery, June is forced to detox and to face the reality of the misery and abuse she has perpetrated on those closest to her, especially her children.
Getting clean is just the first of her challenges, and as difficult as it is, may be the easiest part.
The path ahead is filled with so many obstacles she can’t see her way through to the other side. Facing her children and convincing them that she has really changed and is capable of a healthy relationship with them seems like an insurmountable task.
Act now
You can read an excerpt from June below and preorder it on Kindle for just $0.99. The price will go up after release.
Read sample
Preorder
What else?
What else am I working on?
I am writing the next books in the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series. By the time this blog post goes up, I should be finished the first draft of book 11 in the series. You can check out the covers of some of my upcoming books here.
Starting in September, I will be releasing the next books in the Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator series.
August 13, 2019
Excerpt from Every Breath You Take
Last week was a very eventful week, with making the USA Today bestseller list with the Do No Harm medical thriller collection, running a freebie deal on Gem, Himself, Alone, and attending and presenting at the When Words Collide writers conference, as well as some family things going on.
If you haven’t yet preordered, note that June, Into the Light is available on preorder at the very special price of $0.99 for only a short time. This deal won’t last, so order now!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I am currently reading Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark, the Queen of Suspense. This is book 5 in the Under Suspicion series. I have read at least two others in this series, and am enjoying the building of the case. Laurie Moran and her family and associates are familiar and fun to read, but I wish she would get back together with Alex…
Normally by the time she asked the most important question, she had already mastered every publicly available fact about the case. But, at the risk of jumping in too soon, she asked it now, because she had to know. “If you didn’t kill Mrs. Wakeling, who did?”
Mary Higgins Clark, Every Breath You Take
Laurie Moran’s professional life is a success—her television show Under Suspicion is a hit, both in the ratings and its record of solving cold cases. But her romantic break from former host Alex Buckley has left her with on-air talent she can’t stand—Ryan Nichols—and a crippling sense of loneliness.
Now Ryan has suggested a new case. Three years ago, Virginia Wakeling, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and one of the museum’s most generous donors, was found dead in the snow, after being thrown from the museum’s roof on the night of the Met Gala. The leading suspect then and now is her much younger boyfriend and personal trainer, Ivan Gray.
Ivan runs a trendy, successful boutique gym called Punch—a business funded in no small part by the late Virginia—which happens to be the gym Ryan frequents. Laurie’s skepticism about the case is upended by a tip from her father’s NYPD connection, and soon Laurie realizes there are a bevy of suspects—including Virginia’s trusted inner circle.
August 8, 2019
Gem, Himself, Alone and a round-up of free goodies!
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Before I start today’s round-up of freebies, I have to share my latest news with you! The Do No Harm collection of 17 medical thrillers that I have been drumming up support for the last few months made the USA Today Bestseller list this week! We couldn’t have done it without the support of all of our readers, so thank you to those of you who bought this collection! I hope you enjoy Unlawful Harvest especially.
You can still buy Do No Harm on Kindle or read it in Kindle Unlimited.
Gem, Himself, Alone
Okay, on to the freebies! Fill your cart with some more freebies for your summer reading! Gem, Himself, Alone is free this weekend August 9-11, and I have rounded up a few more freebies that look good!
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Alone on the street, Gem joins up with the Rippers gang to escape his old life, burying his past the best he can.
Riker, a vice cop, makes it his business to put Gem behind bars, but he can’t break the alibis Gem has for crimes Riker knows he has committed.
Gem has a special gift for unbreakable alibis.
Riker delves into Gem’s past in a bid to discover his secrets. Can he sort through the tangled threads to lay Gem’s past bare? And if he does, will he be able to put Gem behind bars and see that he is punished for all he has done?
Or can Gem keep his secrets from coming to light and make a new life for himself, one where he is free and able to make his own choices?
If you like contemporary YA, gritty crime and hard-hitting issues, or twisty suspense, you will like Gem!
Read sample
Download
More books
The “add all to cart” button worked pretty well last time, so it is back again today. You can add everything to your cart at once, or you can download just one at a time as you normally would. The button seems to work best on Chrome and behaves a little weirdly in Safari.
As always, check prices before you check out as prices may change without warning or not be free in all markets.
Hey You, Pretty Face
An abandoned infant. Three girls stolen in the night. Can one overworked detective find the connection to save them all?
London, 1999. Short-staffed during a holiday week, Detective Jack Rutherford can’t afford to spend time on the couch with his beloved wife. With a skeleton staff, he’s forced to handle a deserted infant and a trio of missing girls almost single-handedly. Despite the overload, Jack has a sneaking suspicion that the baby and the abductions are somehow connected…
As he fights to reunite the girls with their families, the clues point to a dark secret that sends chills down his spine. With evidence revealing a detestable crime ring, can Jack catch the criminals before the girls go missing forever?
A Trace of Smoke
It’s 1931 in Berlin, and the world is on the precipice of change—the affluent still dance in their gilded cages but more and more people are living under threat and poverty. Hannah Vogel is a crime reporter forced to write under the male pseudonym Peter Weill.
As a widow of the Great War, she’s used to doing what she must to survive. Her careful facade is threatened when she stumbles across a photograph of her brother in the Hall of the Unnamed Dead. Reluctant to make a formal identification until she has all the details, Hannah decides to investigate, herself. She must be cautious as Ernst’s life as a cross-dressing cabaret star was ringed in scandal, and his list of lovers included at least one powerful leader in the Nazi party.
She’s barely had a chance to begin before an endearing five-year-old orphan shows up on her doorstep holding a birth certificate listing her dead brother Ernst as his father, and calling Hannah ‘Mother.’ Further complicating matters are her evolving feelings for Boris Krause, a powerful banker whose world is the antithesis of Hannah’s. Boris has built a solid wall preventing anyone from disturbing his, or his daughter Trudi’s, perfectly managed lives—a wall Hannah and Anton are slowly breaking down.
One Last Prayer for the Rays
School should be the safest place in the world. Not this winter.
Detective Michael Yorke faces his most harrowing case yet.
When 12-year-old Paul disappears from school, Yorke’s only clue is a pool of animal blood. Fearing the worst, he turns toward the most obvious suspect, recently released local murderer, Thomas Ray.
But as the snow in Salisbury worsens, Ray’s mutilated body is discovered, and Yorke is left with no choice but to journey into the sinister heart of a demented family that has plagued the community for generations. Can he save the boy? Or will the evil he discovers change him forever?
Shadow Harvest
When Sydney Rye’s friend and mentor, Merl, goes missing in Shanghai, she and her faithful dog, Blue, rush to the People’s Republic to track him down.
Following Merl’s trail leads Sydney to probe deep, dark corners of corruption where she witnesses atrocities making her already cold blood freeze. With time running out, and powerful forces closing in, Sydney is willing to risk everything to save her friend, but will everything be enough?
Crowned with Guilt
As a child, I discovered a castle.
It became a sanctuary from the nightmare that was my life, but my fairytale truly began when he found me.
The boy with green eyes and crooked smile.
The boy with stories and an imagination that could take us far, far away.
In our castle he was the prince, and I the princess.
For the first time in my life I was safe, happy.
I was loved.
But every fairytale has a villain, ours would be no different.
I just never expected the villain to be me.
The Perfect Wife
Criminal profiler-in-training Jessie Hunt is sure she’s finally put the darkness of her childhood behind her. She and her husband, Kyle, just moved from a cramped downtown Los Angeles apartment into a Westport Beach mansion. Kyle’s promotion has them swimming in money. And Jessie is on the verge of getting her Master’s degree in forensic psychology, the last step in her dream of becoming a criminal profiler.
But soon after their arrival, Jessie begins to notice a series of strange developments. The neighbors—and their au pairs—all seem to be hiding secrets. The mysterious yacht club Kyle is desperate to join is rife with cheating spouses, and with troubling rules of its own. And the notorious serial killer being held at the psychiatric hospital where Jessie is completing her degree seems to know more about her life than is normal—or safe.
Something I am Not
Billy McQueen works hard to keep his life together … and concealed. At seventeen, he dreams of an escape from the barroom, his father’s manipulation, and the advances of his father’s girlfriend. However, on his eighteenth birthday, Billy is introduced to a younger brother he never knew he had. An eight-year-old who is barely capable of navigating the corrupt world of his father’s boxing club.
In order to secure his freedom, Billy must fight for it. To save his little brother who is next in line for the slave trade … he must die for it.
In Between
With her mom in prison, and her father AWOL, Katie is sent to live with a squeaky-clean family who could have their own sitcom. She launches a full-scale plan to get sent back to the girls’ home when she finds herself in over her head…and heart.
When Katie and her new “wrong crowd” get into significant trouble at school, she finds her punishment is restoring a historic theater with a crazy grandma who goes by the name of Mad Maxine. In the midst of her punishment, Katie uncovers family secrets that run deep, and realizes she’s not the only one with a pain-filled past.
Katie must decide if she’ll continue her own family’s messed up legacy or embrace a new beginning in this place called In Between.
Madhouse
Faced with his parents’ divorce, eleven-year-old Lucas runs away from home in the hope that his family will get back together to find him. While walking through the empty streets, he is picked up by a mysterious woman, who offers to take care of him and provide him with a loving family.
The boy then wakes up in shackles, confined to a bed in a decrepit house in the middle of nowhere and will have to face his deepest fears in order to survive in his new home.
Runaways
After losing their father at a young age and in a fatal accident their mother Jessie turned to drugs to cope with losing him. The teens were left on their own with little help from her. Jason stepped up to take care of the house while still making sure his mother was alright. From the age of 9 until they were 16, their mother Jessie was dating the local drug dealer by the name of Clo Johnson. He thought he ran everything including Jessie.
Clo was tired of Jessie and wanted his hand at Jalisha. Her own mother sold her to Clo just for a hit. Taking force of her and dragging her upstairs to have his way with her. But lucky Jason makes it home to save her but she was badly beaten.
During this time the twins were able to find love and peace of mind as soon as they ran away from home to start a new life. Time passed and the twins were better than ever, as for their mother Jessie she hit rock bottom and was ready to give up on life until Darren popped up and saved her from Clo.
Little did Darren know, his own skeleton was coming out the closet and her name was Kiki Washington. She was a detective looking for him but they had history together. Playing both sides Kiki was in the wrong but she didn’t care. Her long lost love was back but not for long.
A Life Not my Own
In A Life Not My Own, Tina shares her personal experiences of child abuse and neglect, her struggles as a teenager and in her young adult life.
The book started as a journal and was her attempt to address many of the secrets she had pushed to the back in her mind. As the memories continued to resurface, she was forced to address the issues that ultimately led to her sharing her past with readers around the world as a powerful force of inspiration.
Raji
Rajiani Devaki (Raji) is a girl of thirteen from India. On a cold December morning in 1925, Vincent Fusilier (Fuse) finds Raji sleeping in his parents’ barn. He thinks she’s a vagrant and tells her she has to go. She doesn’t understand English and doesn’t know where she is, having recently escaped from a house in Queens New York where she had been held for the past nine years as an indentured servant.
After Vincent leaves for school, Raji slips into his house to find something to eat. She peeks into the front room and is startled to see a man sitting in a wheelchair. He stares at her but apparently cannot move or speak.
The Baker’s Daughter
Liddy’s father, Klaus, secures a night job as a prison guard where anti-Nazi dissident, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, is being held. Klaus smuggles out the pastor’s letters, but tensions rise as Keppler establishes a tenuous relationship with Liddy’s young brother, Willy. Does the Nazi officer wish to recruit Willy, or is Keppler there to spy on Liddy’s family?
From air raids to the Hitler Youth, Liddy becomes enmeshed in a world of spies intent on betrayal. When Liddy makes a critical mistake that endangers a loved one, she faces a decision that puts her own faith on the line and her family’s safety in jeopardy.
Lies and Alibis
Here is a Romantic Suspense giveaway that you might also be interested in. Have a look and see if there is anything else you’re interested in.
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