Big Sick Heart by Mike Markel

[mtravellerh]

I love this debut mystery. Here's the blurb:

It's just another job to police detective Karen Seagate and her partner Ryan Miner. Because Karen is the chief's least favorite cop, she gets lots of lousy assignments and providing security to a couple of guys debating stem cell research is one of those. Listening to the two debaters go on about football for hours afterwards while she's stuck drinking club sodas (and dying for a real drink) is the icing on the cake. But when one of the debaters, Arlen Hagerty is murdered that night, what had been a boring job becomes a high-profile case. Working with her young partner, Seagate has to confront a host of her own issues, starting with a broken-down family and her own drinking. With the chief breathing down her neck, trying to push her in directions that bring him favorable publicity rather than moving the case forward only makes things worse. As Seagate moves forward with the case, her own life goes more deeply into crisis mode.

Mister Markel has a great, rare gift: he draws lifelike characters that are lovable and frighteningly realistic. His storytelling is nearly flawless. Overall a must read for people who like involved mysteries. This novel leaves you thinking. That the best compliment I can give to a story, any story.

Get it from Smashwords for 3.99$.

Best mystery I've read for a long time.