Helen Hanson - ECHOES FROM DEATH is featured in the HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase

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The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Helen Hanson's Book: ECHOES FROM DEATH now available for PRE-ORDER. Release Date: March 28, 2017.

Best-Selling Author Helen Hanson writes Mystery & Thrillers and Suspense novels. Helen is the author of The Masters CIA Thriller Series and The Cruise FBI Thriller Series.

ECHOES FROM DEATH

The Cruise FBI Thriller Series Book 3

Author: Helen Hanson


AVAILABLE
Amazon


Does FBI agent Claudia Seagal grieve the death of a loving boyfriend? Or did he work for the cartel?

Ten years ago, Claudia accompanied her lover, Ravi, to Mazatlán for spring break. The last-minute trip was fun and romantic until he was brutally murdered. Now, she’s an FBI agent, and when a reluctant witness comes forward, she finds out that Ravi’s trip was no spring fling. It was premeditated. He went to meet a man who works for the cartel.

Struggling with betrayal, robotics expert Baxter Cruise and she travel to Mexico for answers. In the foreign country, her FBI badge is meaningless, and she can’t carry a gun to protect herself from the people who want her dead.

The director of Mexico’s national archaeological museum hires investigator Kurt Meyers (Dark Pool) to locate pre-Columbian artifacts that went missing the same time as Ravi’s murder. But a man recently released from prison leaves a trail of bodies in his search to find the artifacts first. Are the events related?

Can Claudia and Baxter find out the truth about Ravi’s death, or will the quest get them both killed?

Excerpt from ECHOES FROM DEATH

Prologue

Ten years ago in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico

Ravi Dhawan repeated the shop’s name to himself as his girlfriend bounced along the sidewalk, pulling him into every vending stall bright with colorful clothing and curios. His contact wanted to meet in a public place in order to reduce suspicion, and this morning, the mercado buzzed with commerce. While locals shopped for produce and their daily needs, the tourists straggled in, hangovers dulled, eager to part with their cash. On the streets, merchants operated from under canopies and more permanent units enclosed by rollup doors near the main Mercado Municipal Miguel Hidalgo, where they sold everything from piñatas to pig heads. Ravi navigated to the spot where he was supposed to meet his contact.

Claudia Seagal picked up a wall mirror with a hammered tin frame shaped like a sunflower. “This is fabulous. I think I need it.”

“Why?” Ravi slipped an arm around her waist, leaning in to whisper. “I already know you’re the fairest.”

A smile split her full lips. She put the mirror down and hip-checked his thigh. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” Her focus shifted to the next display.

Asking Claudia to join him on this trip was an impetuous decision, but no less so than asking her to marry him before consulting with his parents. While they were U.S. citizens, they were also traditional Hindus who expected him to marry a girl of their choosing. If Claudia were Indian, they would at least give her an honest hearing.

Ravi looked at the time on his phone. His contact wouldn’t approach him until he was alone.

“What do you think?” Claudia held a skeleton mask to her face—bright pink and turquoise eye sockets with oversized teeth and ribbons cascading from the skull.

A woman up for any adventure except marriage. Claudia hadn’t said no, but neither had she said yes. This trip was supposed to be a proving ground. Did they want to be together enough to take on his entire family? Because she’d either become part of them, or they’d be forever alone without their blessing.

Claudia returned the mask and sidled up to him, pressing fully into his body. “Let’s get a margarita at the café.”

She was a tall, enticing girl with long dark hair that wrapped her bare shoulders like a shawl, sable eyes dancing at the edge of laughter.

He softly kissed her temple. “Too early for more alcohol.”

She stamped her foot with a frown. “We’re on vacation. Spring break, remember?” She spun off down the aisle, her disappointment seeming to last no farther than the next booth, where a rainbow of dresses hung overhead. Claudia found an orange dress closer to the floor and draped it along her front before the full-length mirror. That dress would be lucky to nestle her skin. She drifted farther away from him while he waited, looking the part of a dutiful husband.

But he secured this spot to meet his contact, who was supposed to wear a Pink Floyd t-shirt and a red bandana on his head. Hopefully, that wasn’t a uniform in Mazatlán. So far, no one met that criteria.

Ravi was alone now. Claudia last waved at him from three stalls down where it appeared she was deciding between blouses.

Maybe he shouldn’t have brought her along. At university, she still hadn’t declared a major, which fit her temperament. She was smart, really smart, but without that somber note of character to drive her academically. Ravi loved her. But since this trip—and because of recent developments in his side project—he was less certain that she was substantial enough to marry. As it was, maybe a spring fling was the end of their mutual line. But he hoped he was wrong.

From down the aisle, Claudia called to him, raising a bright red blouse in one hand and a yellow one in the other, as if asking for his choice. He’d promised her a vacation, not intrigue.

Maybe he was the one who’d gotten too serious.

The thoughts brought a dark cloud to his mood. He put his phone down and reached for a sombrero and placed it on his head. Then he grabbed a pair of maracas. Swaying to imaginary music, he watched her fold over in laughter, before disappearing among the splatter of color.

When Ravi returned the goods to the table, someone bumped him from behind. Ravi pivoted and saw a man wearing a Pink Floyd shirt and a red bandana.

Their eyes met only briefly.

Ravi hadn’t been certain what kind of encounter this would be, but he didn’t want to involve Claudia. His contact only said that the exchange would be quick, so he risked the meeting while in her company. With any luck he’d be back before she got out of the dressing room. He glanced toward her, but she was gone.

Ravi returned his gaze to the man, but he was moving toward the exit. Ravi’s heart rate launched into orbit, and he hustled to follow the red bandana.

Just outside, he saw the man again. Ravi’s instructions were to follow him but not to speak with him. Wherever he went, Ravi was to take the same path, make the same moves. He didn’t know if this man was his contact or merely a flunky, but it was the only way the contact was willing to play the game.

Trust. It was the hard part of any relationship.

The man went outside and strode down the block, past the constant sound of voices bartering for goods. Scents of seared meats wafted from a stall only to be replaced by the stench of rotting refuse. From somewhere, a cat wailed.

Ravi reached for his phone to tell Claudia, give her some excuse for his sudden absence. But it wasn’t in his pocket. He must’ve left it on the table with the maracas.

As they reached the corner, he reviewed the instructions in his head. This was supposed to take about ten minutes. Total. But it no longer mattered. The situation was fluid.

“Come with me.”

Ravi’s Spanish was sufficient for most conversations, but the stranger didn’t wait for a reply. They approached an old vending stall that used to sell cameras and electronics. The attached canopy was in tatters and the lettering too faded to be of any navigational use. As they passed through a rollup door, Ravi noticed boxes stacked near the back wall.

When they reached the center, the man stopped. “You wait here.”

He left Ravi standing in the storage unit, pacing and wondering if coming here was a smart move. The contact assured him it would be worth his while, but he didn’t expect to leave the mercado. Claudia had to be worried by now.

This was supposed to take a few minutes, and he’d already been gone twice that. For regular tourists, these were menacing waters to tread, and Ravi was here to conduct business that might rile the wrong element.

As he paced, he looked out to the street. No cars. No pedestrians. The sight made him sweat. If he planned to pursue this for a lifetime, this way to make his bones, it was a condition he’d have to embrace, learning to live with fear.

From the street, the man with the red bandana returned with two others. They wore t-shirts, jeans, and grimaces.

Maybe one of them was Ravi’s contact. But why did he bring so many people with him?

A chill swept across Ravi’s neck. He stepped backward and scanned their faces. He wasn’t even sure who he was supposed to meet. After the man with the red bandana, Ravi had no instructions.

He backed up again, stepping on something that slipped beneath his foot. When he turned around, he saw a man holding a baseball bat, ready to swing.

Author: Helen Hanson

Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Suspense, Technology

Website: Helen Hanson
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E-Mail: WriteMe [at] HelenHanson [dot] com
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Author Description: Bestselling author Helen Hanson writes page-blistering thrillers about desperate people with a techno bent. For source material, she ran a software company, built video games, and opened many a door for her dogs. For fun, Helen flew a Mooney over the Golden Gate Bridge, traveled 100+ mph over Highway 17 to the coast, and annihilated an entire Cub Scout pack in laser tag. There were no prisoners to take. She admits that your ink pens are not safe near her and that she can mimic the sound of most farm animals.



Author's Book List
SPIDER GAMES - The Cruise FBI Thriller Series Book 2
Three dead in the explosion. A new terrorist group claims victory. Danger wears unexpected faces . . .

When police pull the bloated corpse of a young woman out of the Pajaro River, FBI agent Claudia Seagal becomes a central figure in the investigation. Was the woman murdered by human traffickers? If so, where are they holding the others captive?

Hard work is good therapy for grad student Baxter Cruise, who mourns a friend’s ultimate betrayal. At least Baxter’s drone fleet responds as predicted and might earn him a future. When a major investor asks Baxter to join a hot robotics company, Baxter’s professional prospects glisten. Even his relationship with Claudia borders on happiness, something he hasn’t experienced since losing his parents in an auto accident. But clouds from his dark past threaten to destroy both dreams.

As Claudia tracks a killer, Baxter becomes the prime suspect in another bombing. Was he framed? Or is someone else the real target?


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
iTunes Store



Ocean of Fear - The Cruise FBI Thriller Series Book 1
Meet Baxter Cruise. Gifted robotics student. Spammer for hire. His cozy world of lattes and free wi-fi explodes when a hippie professor disappears, and Baxter discovers a lady professor’s warm corpse on campus.

With his secretive lifestyle, he hasn’t cultivated any real friends. When a student asks for help with a class assignment, Baxter figures it’ll throttle his funk. But the guy blackmails Baxter into programming narcotics delivery vehicles for a notorious cartel. Working for drug lords rattles the needle on Baxter’s errant moral compass, but it’s better than a bullet in the head.

Beautiful FBI agent Claudia Seagal tracks the professor’s brutal assassin, but every angle of her investigation leads to Baxter. He’s hiding something and in far too deep to cooperate with the law.

Baxter ignores the cartel’s depravity until he watches an innocent woman die. When he wakes up on a plane, it’s too late for remorse. In bed with dangerous allies, the cartel requires Baxter’s talent until the robots are complete. Then, he and thousands of others face certain death unless Baxter can find a way to escape.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
iTunes Store



DEAD STORM - The Masters CIA Thriller Series Book 3
Hackers can steal your money, control your car, access your secret files. What if one had a grip on your beating heart?

Whatever. Clint’s got his own problems. With his company in chaos, only a bottle of scotch tempers his misery. But his apathy will cost others their lives. A plea from the President of the United States doesn’t shake his despondence. Not even an ultimatum from Beth. But the Washington elite won’t let Clint rest until they get answers.

Will Clint rise above his mounting despair and help the CIA catch a cyber killer?


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Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
iTunes Store
Audible



THE MASTERS' KEY - The Masters CIA Thriller Series Book 2
With Boston under fire, only Clint Masters can stop the madness. But the city blames him for every disaster.

With his allies at the CIA, Clint battles a mysterious new threat targeting his company and the citizens of Boston, who now live in fear. Under a gag order from his last confrontation, Clint can’t reveal the truth about the tragedies. In spite of city-wide panic, he sees the terror attacks as personal. And he learns that not everyone at the CIA wants to catch the killer. With public suspicion at redline, Clint must go on the run to survive.

Can he capture the elusive and ruthless maniac before his city burns? Or will Clint become the next victim?


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Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
iTunes Store
Audible



3 Lies - The Masters CIA Thriller Series Book 1
At CIA headquarters, a young officer discovers that terrorists may have commandeered their computer systems to launch an unauthorized mission. Elsewhere, conspirators abduct nine people to manipulate the rules of their game. Two disparate ambitions — Clint Masters becomes the reluctant link in the chain of danger.

Ever since Clint’s almost ex-wife dumped him, he bobs along the Massachusetts coast in a sailboat with his black lab for company. He avoids all forms of technology, a counterintuitive effort for the burned-out founder of CatSat Laboratories. Tired of clutching the brass ring, he needed to untether, step off the corporate treadmill, and smell a flower. Fortunately, he met one, a beautiful, unspoiled woman who doesn’t treat him like a commodity. His relationship with Beth offers more promise than his marriage ever did, even if she is on dialysis for her recovering kidneys, until she disappears.

In spite of the evidence, Beth's family refuses to admit she’s in danger. Without routine dialysis, she won’t survive. As Clint realizes that he loves Beth, damn-near ex-wife Paige sashays back into his life with disturbing news.

While the CIA young gun tracks his quarry, Clint enlists the help of two men to find Beth, a blithe Brit named Merlin, and Todd, his playboy partner-in-tech. But Clint must find Beth before her kidneys fail. And before someone unloads a bullet in his head.


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Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
iTunes Store
Audible



Dark Pool - The Fender Hacker Thriller Series Book 1
Maggie Fender’s law degree remains a daydream as she supports her ex-felon half-brother and their incoherent father. Suffering from Alzheimer’s, Dad’s rarely lucid, but when he’s accused of murder, only the gorgeous Russian neighbor flickers Maggie’s hope. In the news, disgraced hedge fund manager Patty O’Mara awaits trial for bilking investors out of forty billion dollars. The legendary dark pool wizard offered phenomenal profits. But the SEC discovered O’Mara never made a single legitimate investment. His fund was a total scam. Maggie’s Dad barely functions, but her hacker brother swears Dad is sending them vital messages about O’Mara’s pot of gold.

A private investigator hunts for the money and aims to find it before a notorious Russian mobster. When their efforts focus on Maggie’s father, her remaining hope turns to rampant fear. She’s the only adult left in her family, and her weary camel won’t carry a single extra straw. Her teenage brother’s hacking skills landed his ass in prison, but he swears he was framed.

No fans of the Fender family, the local police assume Dad ran away when he goes missing. Maggie will never find her father without help. She’s got to trust someone. But who can Maggie trust when everyone’s betrayed her?


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