National Indie Excellence Award for Best Mystery.
Quarterfinalist in the BookLife Prize
Friends change, love betrays, and the end results are never what you anticipate.
Reluctantly cajoled into helping an old friend find the cause of her puzzling symptoms, Operating Room Nurse Annie Collins, is drawn into the chaos of a life that has derailed.
Libby Matheisen’s doctors and her husband Edward think her symptoms are the result of a miscarriage. Libby is sure they aren’t and wants Annie’s help to discover what’s wrong. As the situation becomes more dire and her suspicions grow, Annie begins to wonder if Libby is really ill or if there is more to the story. Annie’s search for the truth doesn’t come without a heavy price.
Decisions, like rocks thrown into a lake, can ripple far and alter lives forever.
A gripping story of how far one woman will go for an old friend, and the first installment in the National Indie Excellence award-winning and critically acclaimed, Annie Collins Mystery Series.
“Suspenseful and entertaining, this absorbing mystery captivates readers from the very beginning. An outstanding debut!”
—BookLife Prize
“The mystery is creative, nicely paced, and features well-developed characters … readers will find this an engaging and rewarding novel.”
—BlueInk Reviews
“The engaging writing style and well-developed characters will keep readers interested throughout.”
—Indie review
Friends change, love betrays, and the end results are never what you anticipate.
Reluctantly cajoled into helping an old friend find the cause of her puzzling symptoms, Operating Room Nurse Annie Collins, is drawn into the chaos of a life that has derailed.
Libby Matheisen’s doctors and her husband Edward think her symptoms are the result of a miscarriage. Libby is sure they aren’t and wants Annie’s help to discover what’s wrong. As the situation becomes more dire and her suspicions grow, Annie begins to wonder if Libby is really ill or if there is more to the story. Annie’s search for the truth doesn’t come without a heavy price.
Decisions, like rocks thrown into a lake, can ripple far and alter lives forever.
A gripping story of how far one woman will go for an old friend, and the first installment in the National Indie Excellence award-winning and critically acclaimed, Annie Collins Mystery Series.
“No Pity In Death is a satisfying blend of medical mystery and good local color.”
—Foreword Clarion Reviews
“Romance, suspense, and a fat syringe full of medical intrigue. A wild ride!”
—Mark Stevens, author of the Allison Coil Mystery Series
“No Pity In Death . . . will certainly pique [mystery fans’] interest and provide rewards throughout.”
—BlueInk Reviews
National Indie Excellence Award Finalist for Best Mystery
Firebird Award for Best Mystery
Kirkus Starred Review (only given to about 2% of indie books)
Hate is a heavy burden.
Revenge. Hate. Fear. Not exactly traditional wedding gifts. But when convicted killer Ian Patterson escapes from prison, operating room nurse Annie Collins and fiancé assistant district attorney Angel Cisneros are forced to face these realities head on.
The wedding plans are in motion with Angel’s mother laser focused on micromanaging her first-born’s wedding into the event of the century. But when events begin to unravel, including the mysterious disappearance of the priest, questions and fears begin to rise.
Where is Ian Patterson? Will his quest for revenge toward the two people responsible for sending him to prison—Annie Collins and Angel Cisneros—bring them face to face to settle this once and for all?
In this suspenseful continuation of Annie and Angel’s saga, everything will come into question. When it comes to wedding vows and murder, how far would you go for someone you love?
“A thriller that offers a master class in suspense.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Starbuck’s novel begins with a bang and ends strong . . . Heroine Annie Collins has a distinct and memorable voice that matches her inquisitive, passionate, and sometimes impulsive, nature”
—BookLife Prize
“Starbuck injects humorous moments while also instilling a credible sense of fear and delivering intelligent, compelling characters . . . this mystery is engaging, with characters who project humor, frustration, sensitivity and inquisitiveness—in sum, a full panoply of emotions.”
—BlueInk Reviews
What Happens When a Conscience Goes Cold?
Annie Collins wants to unofficially review cold cases for Denver Homicide Detective Alex Frost. But solving them isn’t easy, like the arson death of a man known for his predatory behavior toward women. There are no suspects, no witnesses, and no one who is sorry that he’s gone.
Annie can’t resist the pull of a recent murder that may be connected to an old cold case. Annie and Frost aren’t sure if the two cases are connected, and the person who knows the answer isn’t talking.
Angel Cisneros, Annie’s husband, is struggling to recover after their brush with death, and his ability to tolerate the repercussions of her involvement with Frost is at an end. Annie may be forced to choose between helping Frost or concealing what she’s doing from Angel—something she’s never done.
“A thriller that offers a master class in suspense.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Starbuck’s novel begins with a bang and ends strong . . . Heroine Annie Collins has a distinct and memorable voice that matches her inquisitive, passionate, and sometimes impulsive, nature”
—BookLife Prize
“Starbuck injects humorous moments while also instilling a credible sense of fear and delivering intelligent, compelling characters . . . this mystery is engaging, with characters who project humor, frustration, sensitivity and inquisitiveness—in sum, a full panoply of emotions.”
—BlueInk Reviews
Guilty or innocent?
The verdict could go either way.
Trying to deal with a difficult, evasive, entitled client and her overprotective uncle—Attorney Angel Cisneros’s senior partner who expects an acquittal—Angel fears he’ll lose the case and his
job at the high-priced criminal defense practice where he works.
Accused of stabbing a surgeon to death, operating room nurse Mia Stewart has a hard time telling the truth about what happened or her relationship with the surgeon. The circumstantial evidence is overwhelmingly against her despite Mia’s insistence that she’s innocent. Annie Collins and her private investigator partner, retired homicide detective Frost, can’t find anything to prove that.
The case drags Annie back into the OR and its intrigues landing her in a complicated web of relationships and conflicts. As Mia Stewart’s innocence becomes harder to prove, Annie’s afraid she and Frost may not be able prevent Mia’s conviction or Angel losing his job.
If you like intriguing mysteries, twists and turns, and undercurrents of romance, The Weight of Guilt, from award-winning author Helen Starbuck, will take you on a rollercoaster ride into the OR and the courtroom.
“A thriller that offers a master class in suspense.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Starbuck’s novel begins with a bang and ends strong . . . Heroine Annie Collins has a distinct and memorable voice that matches her inquisitive, passionate, and sometimes impulsive, nature”
—BookLife Prize
“Starbuck injects humorous moments while also instilling a credible sense of fear and delivering intelligent, compelling characters . . . this mystery is engaging, with characters who project humor, frustration, sensitivity and inquisitiveness—in sum, a full panoply of emotions.”
—BlueInk Reviews
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