Carcass Trade

Smokey Brandon #2

by Noreen Ayres

Smokey's back, trying to discover the identity of a gruesomely destroyed corpse. Found in a burned car, it has no head, arms, or legs, and Smokey has the sneaking suspicion that it could be the remains of her ex-sister-in-law. As a former cop, Smokey is an easy choice to take the investigation further by going undercover into a cult world of nefarious business scams and outlaw bikers living on the edge. Putting evidence together through careful investigation and personal daring, she learns of another murder and finds herself witness to a third. Suddenly Smokey realizes she could be next. Carcass Trade is a ride through a California you never dreamed of at a temperature you wouldn't believe. It's a search for innocence that's lost and truth that's been forgotten. Among the dusty orange groves and crowded freeways of Southern California, deception is in the breeze. And only Smokey Brandon can clear the air. From the acclaimed author of A World the Color of Salt comes Carcass Trade, confirming Noreen Ayres's place as one of today's best writers of crime fiction.

Genres: Mystery

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Noreen Ayres has published novels, short stories, and poetry, and has had three teleplays produced, winning several awards for writing. Her varied career includes positions as a technical writer and publications manager for major engineering, petroleum, and aerospace companies. Holding a Masters degree in English and post-grad certifications in business, she has taught composition, creative writing, business, and science.

Her spirit is indomitable. An example of this is, "I once received an odd personal rejection I didn't appreciate then but gave me hope once I thought about it. During a job interview which included an IQ test, the boss said he wouldn’t hire me because I was too smart. I'd be wasting my time at his shop. He said to keep going to school, that I’d be successful somehow, in something."

Her story of perseverance is told in a book whose title says it all: UNSTOPPABLE. Her story is featured alongside such notable figures as Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinko’s, Millard and Linda Fuller, the founders of Habitat for Humanity, performer Joan Rivers, and a host of others.

Reviews

[Leslie Ermert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series, believable and likable characters, wish there were more in the series.

[Lyn Soulia-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason this book was easier to get involved in than book 1 of the series. Good story

[LJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

CARCASS TRADE - Okay
Ayers, Noreen

Smokey Brandon, former striptease artist and cop, now works as a civilian employee of the Orange County, California, crime lab. She's a hard-living, tough-talking gal with an attitudebut she's damn good at her job and practically fearless when it comes to confronting danger. Smokey's latest assignment is to discover the identity of a woman's body found burned beyond recognition in a rural canyon. At first fearing the victim is her brother Nathan's ex-wife, Smokey soon becomes convinced that going undercover is her only hope to solve the case. Disguising herself as a motorcycle groupie, she's soon pulled into a dangerous world where violence is an everyday occurrence and where her own life is threatened by a brutal and mysterious killer.

Inconsistent and I just couldn't get involved with the characters.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smokey goes undercover as a lingerie model and enters cult world of outlaw bikers to discover who left corpse with no head, arms or legs.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

the women who worked for the forensic lab but vote involved in a murder investigation that turned out to have many crimes.