Category: “Murder Becomes” series

Posts about my published books and eBooks.

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Who Murdered Casino Executive Jocelyn Cheng?

In “Murder Becomes Macau,” the murder victim (which now goes by ‘O’) is the CEO of Macau’s largest gaming consortium. After sipping a martini brought to her while she watches the action in one of her casinos, she collapses to the floor.

Next to her corpse is the telltale card of The Organization (which now just goes by ‘O’), this time tucked discreetly into her purse.

There are several suspects. A mysterious blonde at a roulette table appears to have sent her the weaponized martini (or did she)? There’s also the belligerent server who brought her the cocktail — and had the opportunity to spike it.

The executive’s younger sister holds a definite grudge against her more accomplished sibling, and there’s a former executive assistant who found out some shady secret about her boss and then left the job (and the murder scene?) in a hurry.

As always, there are also a few other oddballs on the periphery who may or may not have been ‘O’s assassin in waiting.

I hope you enjoy this fourth installment of The Dalton Lee Mysteries. Get your copy now at murderbecomes.com (hardbacks go on sale in late September).

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Why Macau?

People ask me why I’ve set the next installment of the “Murder Becomes” series in Macau. There are several reasons.

First, Macau (and its neighbor, Hong Kong) are exotic locales that have always fascinated me.

I had the good fortune of traveling to Hong Kong on business several times during the 1980s and visiting Macau twice. They are both places that offer mystery and surprises around just about every corner.

Second, both Macau and Hong Kong abound with amazing architecture, which of course is essential to the books’ protagonist, architect/detective Dalton Lee. In Macau, you have the historic architecture from its period as a Portuguese colony paired with the modern architecture found in its many casinos. You’ll learn fascinating details about both in the upcoming book.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong teems with stunning skyscrapers, guided often by the principles of feng shui.

Finally, Macau begins with the letter ‘M,’ as do all the destinations in the “Murder Becomes’ series. One does not have to have read, “Murder Becomes Manhattan,” “Murder Becomes Miami” or “Murder Becomes Mayfair,” to understand this next book in the series. But doing so can help one get into the groove of what’s going on.

I hope you enjoy “Murder Becomes Macau” once it comes out in late 2023!

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Greenwich Foot Tunnel

It’s called the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. An underground passageway that  thousands of people in London use every day to get from one side of the Thames to the other.

But, when Dalton Lee is summoned to the tunnel at midnight, he descends the steep spiral staircase and finds no one there. But not for very long . . .

“Murder Becomes Mayfair” goes on sale October 1

PRE-ORDER THE KINDLE VERSION – (Just $3.99!)

PRE-ORDER HARDCOVER VERSIONS – (Get them in time for holiday gift giving)

RSVP FOR THE BOOK’S LAUNCH PARTY IN DALLAS, SEPT. 30 – (Get a signed copy at a discount)

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“Murder Becomes Mayfair” is hot off the presses!

Few things warm an author’s heart more than seeing the first run of a new novel arrive at one’s doorstep.

The first 200 copies of “Murder Becomes Mayfair” have arrived! Fall colors even, for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere.

Pre-order now, at:

https://murderbecomes.com/purchase-print.html

(You can also order there the books that provide the Dalton Lee Mystery backstory).

These copies will likely be gone by the time our launch party takes place on Sunday, September 30. So reserve your copy now. (RSVP to our launch party in Dallas at:

https://murderbecomes.com/rsvp-mayfair-book-launch.html

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And here it is — the cover art for “Murder Becomes Mayfair”

Earlier this week, our VIP readers got a first glimpse at the cover for my newest mystery thriller, “Murder Becomes Mayfair.” Now, it’s your turn to see the artwork for the third installment in the “Murder Becomes” series, featuring architect/detective, Dalton Lee. (Preorder here).

I wonder if readers realize how much thought goes into a book cover. This book presented a challenge we’d not faced before.

Should the artwork reflect a well-known architectural icon of London, like Westminster Abbey or Big Ben? Or should it be true to the title and show the beautiful Georgian architecture of Mayfair?

We decided to focus on the neighborhood, believing the shot of these Georgian town homes still evokes London. Putting Big Ben on the cover of a book about Mayfair just seemed wrong to us.

Then came the question of the background color. “Murder Becomes Manhattan” has a rich black cover, while “Murder Becomes Miami” has a cover that is a deep ocean blue. For variety, we went with the color of brick for “Murder Becomes Mayfair,” lightened some so the Georgian buildings beneath would still pop through.

We hope you like the fact the cover is true to the series in its fonts and design, but unique in the color that it projects from the bookshelf. Let us know your thoughts.

Hardbacks of “Murder Becomes Mayfair” go on sale October 1. What nefarious plot has The Organization planned for London? Can Dalton Lee and his team stop it before it’s too late?

 

Learn more about this eerie thriller at murderbecomes.com.

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Fun trivia in “Murder Becomes Miami”

A fan told us yesterday that as much as he enjoyed “Murder Becomes Manhattan,” he thinks “Murder Becomes Miami” is even better.

murdermiami.com

Not only do you struggle to determine who killed college football’s most successful coach (he was sure he knew after Chapter 3 but was, ahem, dead wrong). You also learn fun trivia about the Art Deco hotels on Miami Beach AND how to make the perfect vesper martini.

murderbecomes.com

Available in Kindle and hardback versions (paperback version available later this year). The perfect thriller for your summer vacation.

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Help us decide where book #3 should take place

On November 13, “Murder Becomes Miami” will go on sale. The terror amps up in the second installment in the “Murder Becomes” series, as The Lee Group tries to deduce who murdered a reviled college football coach (and why).  Find out more at murdermiami.com.

We are already starting to turn our attention to Book 3. To that end, we’re having fun recently asking YOU, the reader, to help us decide where that book should take place.

The two criteria for a “Murder Becomes” location are 1) The location must begin with the letter ‘M’ and 2) The location must have architecture of note. Given that, here are 10 possible locations for the next book. Which one do you think would make the best setting for Book 3 in the series?

Let us know, by sending a quick email to:  info@thecornetgroup.com

1.  Monte Carlo, Monaco
2. Milan, Italy
3. Maui, USA
4. Madrid, Spain
5. Macau, China
6. Mardi Gras, USA
7. Montreal, Canada
8. Moscow, Russia
9, Mykonos, Greece
10. Malibu, USA

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Meet architect/detective Dalton Lee

Dalton Lee is a connoisseur of QUALITY items. This is not someone who shops at WalMart or drives a Kia.

In Murder Becomes Manhattan, the architect/detective at one point decides to have a drink at The Constellation Room, a penthouse-level lounge in one of the city’s finest hotels. And he asks the server to bring him one of the world’s finest bourbon whiskeys out there, a Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight.

Now this is no paid endorsement, I promise you. I have had a Buffalo Trace and it is truly sublime. So it just made sense to me that Dalton Lee should savor this expertly crafted elixir.

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is distilled, aged and bottled at the most award-winning distillery in the world. Made from the finest corn, rye and barley malt, this whiskey ages in new oak barrels for years in century old warehouses until the peak of maturity. The taste is rich and complex, with hints of vanilla, toffee and candied fruit.

But don’t just take my word for it.

I received a nice email today from the distillery’s CEO, thanking us for calling them out in the book. So should you look into Buffalo Trace the next time you want to nurse a terrific bourbon, know it will not only help make you as debonair as Dalton Lee — it will also connect you to a gentlemanly organization if ever there were one.

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Murder Becomes eBooks with links

I am very excited that Murder Becomes Manhattan is now available for pre-order at both Amazon and Smashwords.

Available as of October 26 are the eBook versions, which contain links to lots of rich online photos and videos that enhance the murder mystery experience. We expect pre-orders of the hardcover and softcover versions to also be available by November 1.

Downloads of the eBook versions and purchase of the print versions will launch November 11!

Pre-order Murder Becomes Manhattan here.

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