Friday, April 04, 2008

Pg. 69: Libby Fischer Hellmann's "Easy Innocence"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: Libby Fischer Hellmann's Easy Innocence.

About the book, from the publisher:
When pretty, smart Sara Long is found bludgeoned to death, it’s easy to blame the man with the bat.

But Georgia Davis — former cop and newly-minted PI — is hired to look into the incident at the behest of the accused’s sister, and what she finds hints at a much different, much darker answer. It seems the privileged, preppy schoolgirls on Chicago’s North Shore have learned just how much their innocence is worth to hot-under-the-collar businessmen. But while these girls can pay for Prada pricetags, they don’t realize that their new business venture may end up costing them more than they can afford.
Among the early praise for Easy Innocence:
"Libby Hellmann can get into the mind of a character, whether the character is a mentally ill man or a teenage girl. I kept reading after the first brutal and fascinating pages because I... wanted to know what would happen to the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly people. PI Georgia Davis, the no-nonsense heart of this tale, is an original who cuts through the surface of the wealthy Chicago suburban North Shore and finds a darkness I didn't see coming. This is good stuff, very good stuff."
Stuart M. Kaminsky, Grand Master, Mystery Writers of America

"Hellmann's done her homework here and it shows: the writing is assured, the voices authentic, and the understanding both of criminal investigations and relationships among cops, lawyers and prosecutors come to life with great urgency. Her PI, Georgia Davis, works the affluent suburbs north of Chicago, fertile territory for crime that's lain fallow far too long. Davis' arrival on the mean streets is long overdue."
—Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski series and Bleeding Kansas

"Easy Innocence grabs you and doesn't let go. Hellmann's cool style and sleight-of-hand plotting draw you in deep before you know what's happened. This one will keep you up at night."
SJ Rozan, author of In This Rain

"Hellmann brings to life the reality of hazing and bullying among teenage girls in a story with enough twists and turns to keep you reading to the end. Highly recommended."
Library Journal (starred review)

"Just what's needed in a mystery... Depth of characterization sets this new entry apart from a crowded field."
Kirkus Reviews
Read an excerpt from Easy Innocence, and learn more about the author and her work at Libby Fischer Hellmann's website.

Hellmann has edited the acclaimed crime fiction anthology, Chicago Blues, and published over a dozen short stories. Her four novels featuring Chicago video producer and amateur sleuth Ellie Foreman have won numerous awards. Easy Innocence is a spin-off from the Ellie Foreman series. It grew out of Hellmann's experience with her own daughter, and what she imagined as "every mother's nightmare."

The Page 69 Test: A Shot To Die For.

My Book, The Movie: A Shot To Die For.

The Page 69 Test: Easy Innocence.

--Marshal Zeringue