"Real-world, intense, deeply flawed characters. Hard story to tell; even harder to read, but worth every minute. A real page turner." ~Terry P., Verified Reviewer Portland, Maine, homicide detective Joe Burgess needs a vacation. But there's a dead child in Knowlton Park. Rolling up on the scene with a canoe on the roof and fishing poles flapping, Burgess finds little Timmy Watts, viciously stabbed, and carefully wrapped in a new blue blanket. Timmy's parents are life-long crooks, his brothers deal drugs and his sister turns tricks. The only one who seems to care is Timmy's hearing-impaired sister, Iris. But she's keeping her secrets. Then Iris disappears, and Burgess is battling against time to keep more children from dying. "The story ramps up on the first page and does not let down until the short post climax." ~Verified Reviewer "This is another amazing book from a skilled author of police procedurals with much more human understanding than the genre usually offers." ~Verified Reviewer THE JOE BURGESS MYSTERIES Playing God The Angel of Knowlton Park Redemption And Grant You Peace Led Astray A Child Shall Lead Them A World of Deceit

Three Full-Length Murder Mystery Thrillers Featuring Detective Joe Burgess from Author, Kate Flora —Portland, Maine— Book 1: Playing God The body of a prominent Maine physician grows cold in his parked Mercedes, signs point to a disgruntled hooker. But the deeper Detective Sergeant Joe Burgess digs, the muddier the case becomes. While juggling hookers, wives, ex-wives, fathers, stepfathers, dealers, and doctors, a nurse on the doctor's staff suggests another angle—disgruntled patients. Book 2: The Angel of Knowlton Park Portland, Maine, homicide detective Joe Burgess needs a vacation. But there's a dead young boy in Knowlton Park. The boy's parents are life-long crooks, his brothers deal drugs, and his sister turns tricks. The only one who seems to care is the boy's hearing-impaired sister, Iris. But she's keeping her secrets. Book 3: Redemption It's Reggie the Can Man—a damaged, alcoholic veteran who Det. Burgess has tried to patch back together since they returned from Vietnam. Now, Reggie's fight for redemption is over. As Burgess dives deep into the murder investigation, he uncovers Reggie's ex-wife, his scofflaw son, industrial toxins, corrupt businessmen, and that Reggie isn't the only one in need of redemption. "Flora pours on the intensity in this criminal, legal and moral maze." ~Kirkus Reviews "Flora writes cops so convincingly it's hard to imagine she's never worn the badge herself." ~Bruce Robert Coffin, author of Among the Shadows THE JOE BURGESS MYSTERIES Playing God The Angel of Knowlton Park Redemption And Grant You Peace Led Astray A Child Shall Lead Them A World of Deceit Such a Good Man

Tragically widowed, Thea Kozak is tall, brave, and trying to rebuild her life. Then her little sister is murdered in a picturesque Maine town. The police have no leads. Her grieving parents are eager to put everything behind them, and Thea--"little mother" to her adopted sister--refuses to back down. Not when she can do one more thing for Carrie: find the killer and get justice for her little sister. But the truth behind Carrie and her adoption proves ugly, and her killer steadfastly believes family secrets must be kept silent. REVIEWS: "A red-hot start to this new series." ~Kirkus Reviews "Complex heroine, simple plot and natural prose..." ~Library Journal "A page-turner!" ~Mystery Scene THE THEA KOZAK MYSTERY SERIES, in order Chosen for Death Death in a Funhouse Mirror Death at the Wheel An Educated Death Death in Paradise Liberty or Death Stalking Death Death Warmed Over

A Geologist Lies Comatose in a Portland, Maine Hospital in A World of Deceit, a Detective Joe Burgess Thriller by Kate Flora --Portland, Maine-- Unable to awaken her father--eminent geologist, Ted Gabbro--nine-year-old Arielle approaches the vacationing Joe Burgess, desperate for his help. Loathe to let anything interfere with his much needed rest on the mountains of western Maine, Joe can't ignore the girl's plea for help and can't deny that something is very wrong. As the frightened girl's father languishes in a coma and her mother can’t be found, Burgess finds himself in a tangle of land disputes, family politics, the child’s parents’ nasty divorce, and the powerful greed that accompanies "gold fever". Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction "Flora pours on the intensity in this criminal, legal and moral maze." ~Kirkus Reviews "Flora writes cops so convincingly it's hard to imagine she's never worn the badge herself." ~Bruce Robert Coffin, author of Among the Shadows THE JOE BURGESS MYSTERIES Playing God The Angel of Knowlton Park Redemption And Grant You Peace Led Astray A Child Shall Lead Them A World of Deceit

A Secretive Neighbor's Disappearance Raises Questions in Death Comes Knocking, a Thea Kozak Murder Mystery from Kate Flora. --Maine, Present Day-- Happy to finally be settling into her new home, a heavily pregnant Thea Kozak is rushing to get the baby’s room finished when she’s surprised by a visit from her new neighbor, Jessica, who is equally pregnant. Thrilled to meet another new mother in the neighborhood, Thea and Jessica bond over their mutual condition. But after many cups of herbal tea and cookies, Thea is puzzled by Jessica's unwillingness to talk about her past. A week later, Thea arrives at Jessica's house for a planned shopping trip to discover Jessica is gone, leaving only a trash bag of women's clothing at the end of the driveway. Returning home, there's a disturbing voice mail from Jessica: "Please, Thea. Don’t worry about me. If anyone comes looking for me, you don’t know me. You’ve never seen me. Don’t tell them anything." Thea’s resolve to avoid getting drawn into any more potentially dangerous adventures crumbles as she sets out to learn who Jessica is and who—or what—she’s running from. Publisher's Note: Kate Flora is known for taking readers on a near breathless experience with a surprise at every turn. Fans of Janet Evanovich, Michael Connelly as well as Faith Martin and Chris Collett will not want to miss this series. "...a terrific, in-your-face, stand-up gal...Stephanie Plum and Thea Kozak have a lot to say to each other." ~Janet Evanovich "Kate Flora does what all the great writers do: she takes you inside unfamiliar territory and makes you feel right at home; you climb in and are along for the whole ride." ~Michael Connelly "I'll follow Thea Kozak anywhere. She is simply one of the most refreshing and original heroines in mystery fiction today. And Kate Flora is the rare, graceful writer who pays close attention to how long it takes the body and the heart to heal." ~Laura Lippman THE THEA KOZAK MYSTERY SERIES, in order Chosen for Death Death in a Funhouse Mirror Death at the Wheel An Educated Death Death in Paradise Liberty or Death Stalking Death Death Warmed Over Schooled in Death Death Comes Knocking Death Sends a Message

"Joe Burgess is the most realistically drawn and memorable police detective I've encountered in years. This is as much a moral fable as it is a whodunit." ~Edward Morris, Verified Reviewer On an icy February night, the body of Steven Pleasant, a prominent Portland, Maine physician, grows cold in his parked Mercedes. All signs point to a john killed by a disgruntled hooker: his pants are unzipped, wallet is gone, and the good doctor has a reputation for entertaining girls in his car. But the deeper Detective Sergeant Joe Burgess digs, the muddier the case becomes. While juggling hookers, wives, ex-wives, fathers, stepfathers, dealers and doctors, a nurse on Pleasant's staff suggests another angle—disgruntled patients. Now, ensconced in the darkness of a sleeping hospital, Burgess comes face-to-face with ghosts from his past and must decide what being a detective really means. "If Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch lived in Maine, he'd be Joe Burgess." ~Verified Reviewer "It was the emotion that gripped me as a reader and as a person. Kate Flora has accomplished what very few authors are able to do, she made me believe." ~Michael S., Verified Reviewer THE JOE BURGESS MYSTERIES Playing God The Angel of Knowlton Park Redemption And Grant You Peace Led Astray A Child Shall Lead Them A World of Deceit

“Thea Kozak is a terrific, in-your-face, stand-up gal...Stephanie Plum and Thea Kozak would have a lot to say to each other.” ~Janet Evanovich, NYT Bestselling Author Three Full-Length Murder Mystery Thrillers Featuring Female Sleuth Thea Kozak from Author, Kate Flora —Maine, U.S.A.— Book 1: Chosen for Death When Thea Kozak’s little sister is murdered in a picturesque Maine town, the police have no leads, and her grieving parents are eager to put everything behind them. Thea—“little mother” to her adopted sister, Carrie, refuses to back down. Not when she can do one more thing for Carrie: find the killer and get justice for her little sister. Book 2: Death in a Funhouse Mirror Thea Kozak thought her amateur detective days were over until she met a woman who had it all, and then some. Helene Streeter, the perfect wife, mother, and consummate professional is brutally murdered, leaving friends and family with more questions than answers. Helene’s daughter—Thea’s old college roommate—begs for her help, plunging Thea into a web of deceit and madness. Book 3: Death at the Wheel Thea’s mother introduces her to Julie Bass, a young widow whose husband died in a horrific accident at the local auto racetrack. Julie is the woman Thea’s mother wants her to be—married to a suitable man and producing adorable children. Thea brings her amateur detective skills to bear when the racetrack “accident” proves to be murder and Julie is arrested. “A red-hot start to this new series.” ~Kirkus Reviews “Complex heroine, simple plot and natural prose...” ~Library Journal “A page-turner!” ~Mystery Scene THE THEA KOZAK MYSTERY SERIES, in order Chosen for Death Death in a Funhouse Mirror Death at the Wheel An Educated Death Death in Paradise Liberty or Death Stalking Death Death Warmed Over Schooled in Death Death Comes Knocking Death Sends a Message

Smart and funny, Thea Kozak is carving out a career for herself while trying to win her critical mother's approval. Home for Easter, Thea's mother introduces her to Julie Bass, a young widow whose husband died in a horrific accident at the local auto racetrack. Julie is the woman Thea's mother wants her to be--married to a suitable man and producing adorable children. While resisting her mother's insistence that she use her own experience of losing a husband to help Julie, Thea brings her amateur detective skills to bear when the racetrack "accident" proves to be murder and Julie is arrested. Bypassing the authorities, Thea searches for the real killer, confronting crooked rednecks, corrupt bankers, and barreling through a web of lies. But this time, she may not be able to save herself... or Julie. REVIEWS: "Thea Kozak is a terrific, in-your-face, stand-up gal...Stephanie Plum and Thea Kozak would have a lot to say to each other." ~Janet Evanovich, NYT Bestselling Author THE THEA KOZAK MYSTERY SERIES, in order Chosen for Death Death in a Funhouse Mirror Death at the Wheel An Educated Death Death in Paradise Liberty or Death Stalking Death Death Warmed Over

When a Mysterious Birth and Murder Occur at a Posh New England Prep School, Thea Kozak Finds Answers in SCHOOLED IN DEATH by Kate Flora —Massachusetts, North of Boston, Present Day— For school campus crisis counselor, Thea Kozak, Mondays are the worst day of the week. So when the phone rings early in the morning, she expects bad news. What she doesn't expect is the pain laden voice of the headmaster of the highly-respected Simmons School pouring forth his dire situation. A sophomore student had given birth to a pre-mature infant, then abandoned the child claiming it was not hers because she'd never had sex. With the baby in NICU, the teenaged mother facing criminal charges and parents demanding answers, it’s Thea's job to restore calm and order while gathering the facts of what actually happened. Then Heidi, the alleged mother, disappears and the body of a stranger is discovered in the campus woods, murdered. Pregnant herself, Thea now races the clock fearing the young girl will be the next victim while every discovered clue points to an impossible fact: Heidi's assertion may actually be true. Publisher's Note: Kate Flora takes readers on a breathless experience with a surprise at every turn. Fans of Janet Evanovich, Michael Connelly as well as Faith Martin and Chris Collett will not want to miss this series. "...a terrific, in-your-face, stand-up gal...Stephanie Plum and Thea Kozak have a lot to say to each other." ~Janet Evanovich "Kate Flora does what all the great writers do: she takes you inside unfamiliar territory and makes you feel right at home; you climb in and are along for the whole ride." ~Michael Connelly "I'll follow Thea Kozak anywhere. She is simply one of the most refreshing and original heroines in mystery fiction today. And Kate Flora is the rare, graceful writer who pays close attention to how long it takes the body and the heart to heal." ~Laura Lippman THE THEA KOZAK MYSTERY SERIES Chosen for Death Death in a Funhouse Mirror Death at the Wheel An Educated Death Death in Paradise Liberty or Death Stalking Death Death Warmed Over Schooled in Death ABOUT KATE FLORA: Kate Flora’s fascination with people’s criminal tendencies began in the Maine attorney general’s office. Deadbeat dads, people who hurt their kids, and employers’ discrimination aroused her curiosity about human behavior. The author of nineteen books and more than twenty short stories, Flora’s been a finalist for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer awards. She won the Public Safety Writers Association award for nonfiction and twice won the Maine Literary Award for crime fiction. Her latest fiction is Schooled in Death, her 9th Thea Kozak mystery. Her latest nonfiction is Shots Fired: The misconceptions, misunderstandings, and myths about police shootings with retired Portland Assistant Chief Joseph K. Loughlin. Flora divides her time between Massachusetts and Maine, and between cooking and gardening and obsessive writing.

A Newborn, a Baby Carriage, and an Ice Cream Cone Leads to a Lingering Mystery in DEATH SENDS A MESSAGE by Kate Flora —Freeport, Maine, Present Day— Independent school consultant Thea Kozak is adjusting to motherhood and enjoying maternity leave, having just purchased a hat for her newborn son, when a hysterical woman gains her attention. The woman, also a new mother, claims her baby has just been kidnapped. Determined not to get involved, Thea flags down a police officer and hands off the problem. She returns home to her husband Andre, intending to enjoy their precious weeks of parental leave. But Thea’s kindness soon brings trouble to her doorstep when a police officer asks questions about her relationship with Addison Shirley, the mother of the kidnapped child, who claimed Thea was a friend before she disappeared. The couple’s hopes for a peaceful respite are quickly replaced with a break-in, a stalker, and a private school crisis involving star athletes and sexual assault that only Thea can handle. Thea and Andre wrestle with the lingering mystery and competing priorities while reexamining their future...if they live to face it. Publisher’s Note: Kate Flora is known for taking readers on a near breathless experience with a surprise at every turn. Fans of Sara Paretsky, Laura Lippman, Sue Grafton, and Julia Spencer-Fleming will not want to miss this series. “If you like your heroines smart, brave, tough, and exuberantly aware of the possibilities of the human heart, look no further than Thea Kozak.” ~S.J. Rozan “...a terrific, in-your-face, stand-up gal...Stephanie Plum and Thea Kozak have a lot to say to each other.” ~Janet Evanovich “Kate Flora does what all the great writers do: she takes you inside unfamiliar territory and makes you feel right at home; you climb in and are along for the whole ride.” ~Michael Connelly “I’ll follow Thea Kozak anywhere. She is simply one of the most refreshing and original heroines in mystery fiction today. And Kate Flora is the rare, graceful writer who pays close attention to how long it takes the body and the heart to heal.” ~Laura Lippman THE THEA KOZAK MYSTERY SERIES, in order Chosen for Death Death in a Funhouse Mirror Death at the Wheel An Educated Death Death in Paradise Liberty or Death Stalking Death Death Warmed Over Schooled in Death Death Comes Knocking Death Sends a Message About the Author Maine native Kate Flora’s fascination with people’s criminal tendencies began in the Maine attorney general’s office. Deadbeat dads, people who hurt their kids, and employers’ discrimination aroused her curiosity about human behavior. The author of twenty-four books and many short stories, Flora’s been a finalist for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer awards. She won the Public Safety Writers Association award for nonfiction and twice won the Maine Literary Award for crime fiction. Her most recent Thea Kozak mystery is Death Sends a Message; her most recent Joe Burgess is A World of Deceit. Her crime story collection is Careful What You Wish For: Stories of revenge, retribution, and the world made right. Flora is a founding member of the New England Crime Bake and the Maine Crime Wave and runs the blog Maine Crime Writers. Flora’s nonfiction focuses on aspects of the public safety officers’ experience. She divides her time between Massachusetts and Maine, where she gardens and cooks and watches the clouds when she’s not imagining her character’s dark deeds. She occasionally swims in the shark-filled sea. She’s been married for decades to an excellent man. Her sons edit films and hang out in research labs.