The Vanished Priestess

Sexy, smart and fun, the feisty Szabo women join forces once again. Annie is the heroine who must walk a treacherous tightrope to save her home and family. Her audacious Gypsy mother-in-law, Madame Mina, uses cures and curses to cover Annie’s back. Engaging and exotic! “Over-the-big-top characters keep the plot spinning, and the mystery pays off with colorful atmosphere, eventful storytelling, and a dramatic finish.” – Mystery SceneThe indomitable Annie Szabo has lost too many friends and loved ones, so the death of Margo Spanger hits hard. Margo, Annie's neighbor and close friend, was a cultural icon with money and fame—maybe too much . . .Margo used one of her projects, a New Age cirque, to fund a women's shelter. She is found dead on the property, and there’s not one clue about the killer’s identity. When Margo's partner, Lili, goes missing the day of Margo's death, the circus and shelter fall into disarray. It turns Annie's own world upside down, too—her daughter is a resident of the women's shelter and could become the next victim.Aided by an ex-cop and Mina's plant medicine, Annie uncovers Margo's past. She had rattled a lot of the wine country’s power elite; one sexy trapeze artist; a jealous lover; a captain of industry; her long-lost son; and an ice-blond philanthropist. As Annie delves into their surprisingly tangled lives, one thing becomes clear—the killer is a master of disguise, and time is running out.The Szabo women learn that, under or outside the big top, anything and everything may be an illusion, and justice sometimes wears a surprising mask.REVIEWS“Blevins blends a wild story, wonderful wit, and great characters. THE VANISHED PRIESTESS features idiosyncratic characters, sharp-tongued wit, and wild plot peregrinations. And the exotic embodiments of Gypsy lore and culture add immensely to the mix.” —starred review, Library Journal, which also named ‘The Vanished Priestess’ ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST FIVE MYSTERIES.“In this unique mystery, Blevins creates a Gypsy world unlike any other depicted in mysteries before. Annie is funny, strong and, above all, she will do anything to take care of those she loves. Lively and real characters jump off the page, the mystery is well constructed, and it’s fascinating to see how Annie solves it.” – Romantic Times Book Club“What sets Blevins’s mysteries apart is the fabulously mixed cast of characters and a Gypsy sensibility in the writing. It’s difficult to describe, but it is odd thoughts, abbreviated sentences, a unique turn of phrase.“It would be easy to go for broad Janet Evanovich-style humor when one is writing about fortune tellers and trapeze artists and 350-pound brothel madams, but Blevins resists the temptation. There is humor, but she gently pokes fun at her characters’ eccentricities while letting the reader know she has a great affection for them. Although, Madame Mina (not to be confused with Juanita the madam) is a piece of work!” – World-Herald“This is a book for those of you who like off-the-wall characters and different settings... What follows is a story of murder, of love gone sour in more than one case, and a story of hope. Peopled with outlandish characters, this book is one of a kind, made equally captivating by a strong plot.” – Mystery News