LORI G. ARMSTRONG – Hallowed Ground.  Nominated for Best Private Eye Paperback Original of the Year, 2007.

Medallion Press, paperback, November 2006.

   Book Description:

Grisly murders are rocking the small county of Bear Butte where Julie Collins has spent the last few months learning the PI biz without the guidance of her best friend and business partner, Kevin Wells. Enter dangerous, charismatic entrepreneur Tony Martinez, who convinces Julie to take a case involving a missing five-year-old Native American girl, the innocent pawn in her parents child custody dispute.

Although skeptical about Martinez’s motives in hiring her, and confused by her strange attraction to him, Julie nevertheless sees the opportunity to hone her investigative skills outside her office. But something about the case doesn’t ring true. The girl’s father is foreman on the controversial new Indian casino under construction at the base of the sacred Mato Paha, and the girl’s mother is secretly working for a rival casino rumored to have ties to an east coast crime family.

Local ranchers, including her father, a Lakota Holy group, and casino owners from nearby Deadwood are determined to stop the gaming facility from opening. With the body count rising, the odds are stacked against Julie to discover the truth behind these hidden agendas before the murderer buries it forever. And when Julie unwittingly attracts the attention of the killer, she realizes no place is safe – not even hallowed ground.

   About the Author:

Lori G. Armstrong left the firearms industry in 2000 to pursue her dream of writing crime fiction. She lives in Rapid City, South Dakota.

   Review Excerpt:

Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader:   “Rapid City P.I. Julie Collins is still rather new at the business when she’s hired by bad boy motorcycle leader Tony Martinez to help find his friend’s five year old missing niece. […] If you’re looking for one of those heroines who refrains from any and all vices and who shrieks at the sound of gunfire, you may want to pass on this one. But if you prefer your heroine to be a little on the dark side, especially one who likes to smoke, drink, engage in the occasional sexcapade, and knows how to kick some ass with little fear, this highly engaging and fearless PI fits the bill.”

   The first Julie Collins novel:

Blood Ties, Medallion Press, May 2005.

   [Coming soon:]

Shallow Grave, Medallion Press, November 2007.