Book 1
Last Dance
Book 2
One Last Goodbye
Book 3
The Last to Remember
Book 4
Until Our Last Embrace
Book 5
For The Last Time
Book 6
Dreams Don't Last
Book 7
Last Fires Burning
Book 8
Glory's Last Victim
Book 9
Last Rites
Oct. 2004
Book 10
Last One Down
February 2005
Book 11
Before the Last Lap
August 2005
Book 12
The First Shall Be Last
June 2007
All books are available at Avalon Books
Until Our Last Embrace
Diamond Mountain
Campground (DSG
Staff Photo / Joyce Lavene)
Cover Story...
Tragedy
strikes Richmond family as younger brother, Donald, is accused of grisly
murder. Sheriff Sharyn Howard is investigating the bear killing on Diamond
Mountain as a murder.
Sheriff Sharyn Howard is faced with a new murder and a series of events that don’t seem to make sense. Yet there is deadly intent behind them.
When Darva Richmond’s body is found on Diamond Mountain, partially eaten by bears, her death looks accidental. Until they discover honey and bear attractant on her clothes and strychnine in her body.
Her husband seems the obvious suspect but there is also the family who wants to keep the inheritance away from Donald Richmond.
Darva’s elderly aunt from Montana wants to help solve the case. And all of the deputies in Diamond Springs seem to have spring fever at the end of winter.
The killer might just get away with murder this time!
Book Details:
Thomas Bouregy and
Co.
Book 4 - Avalon Books
ISBN-0-8034-9508-0
Books available here:
Read more on the story in the excerpt below...
The cover art design and illustration of "Until Our Last Embrace" by Tess Anson (DSG)
Sheriff
Sharyn Howard fact...
The first murder investigation Sheriff Sharyn Howard solved was the murder of her father.
Sources...
Authors Joyce and Jim Lavene combine their creative efforts in UNTIL OUR LAST EMBRACE. A touch of levity gives this mystery punch, making it a fast, fun read. Staunchly independent, and chronically curious, Sharyn Howard is a believable, determined heroine blind to her own possible love interests. Further, the conclusion UNTIL OUR LAST EMBRACE proves to be powerful and satisfying even as it keeps the reader guessing until the end. As each book in the series gets even better, you have to constantly remind yourself that Sharyn and the town of Diamond Springs are a work of fiction. Very highly recommended.
Cindy Penn; Midwest Book Reviews;
Senior Editor@
Wordweaving.com
Excerpt
from "Until Our Last Embrace"...
“What do you have so far?” Ed asked the new deputy.
JP took out his notebook. “The bear victim is named Darva Richmond. Her husband,” he pointed to the man in the long underwear, “says they were out here camping.” He pointed to the small travel trailer. “He says she got up during the night to go to the bathroom because theirs wasn’t working in the trailer. He went back to sleep and when he woke up, she was still gone. He got dressed and came out to look for her. He found her here.” He pointed to the body then looked back at Sharyn. “She was short only a few feet from her goal, Sheriff Howard.”
Ed frowned thoughtfully. “The bear would’ve chased her into the bathroom anyway. I don’t think that little building would’ve kept him out.”
JP nodded solemnly. “You are probably right, Deputy Robinson, sir.” “Ed,” the other deputy said. “Call me Ed.”
“Yes, sir!”
Sharyn took a deep breath. “Well, that part was easy. Let’s see what Nick has to say.”
Nick didn’t look up as she approached him. He continued to talk, laying out facts about the body while his student wrote them down in her notebook.
“Good morning, Nick,” Sharyn acknowledged him quietly.
“Sheriff!” he said as though he hadn’t seen her.
“Megan, now you’ll see a real professional at work! Move aside and let the sheriff take a look at the body.” Megan popped a bubble with her gum. She moved about six inches from where she had been crouched beside Nick. She looked up at Sharyn and snorted. The nose ring she wore caused the warm air to come out as half circles.
Sharyn huddled in her coat. “I’m the sheriff, not the ME.”
“But you are the sheriff, Sheriff. Tell us what your take is on this particular body.”
Sharyn had never seen a body partially eaten either. It wasn’t a pretty sight. She struggled with her revulsion and swallowed hard on the nausea that came up in her throat. Briefly, she recalled meeting Darva Richmond at a party that was given by the county commissioners. She was a beautiful woman, with a vivacious manner, who’d drawn a crowd of admirers that night.
Try as she might, Sharyn couldn’t see anything of that woman in this corpse. The face had been badly mauled and the throat was torn open. Some of her fingers were gone and one of her feet. The carnage to the mid-section of her body was awful. She was wearing what was left of a red terry robe and what looked like a blue nightgown. Sharyn struggled for words to describe what she saw in front of her. None came to mind.
