Introducing Debut
Novel Gumshoe Girl by Andi Ramos (@andiramosauthor)
Title: Gumshoe Girl
Author: Andi Ramos
Blurb:
Sheagan O’Hare
got more than she bargained for when her newly inherited detective agency lands
its first case; a missing person, embezzlement, and murder. Sheagan’s out to prove she can
hang with the pro's, despite the constant reminder of her amateur status from
an annoyingly attractive FBI agent, Colin 'Mac' MacEvine, who’s forced himself into her
life.
How does she feel when an old high school friend hopes to ignite
a new romance?
Will she be able to discover if detective work and love can
mingle before someone gets hurt?
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Excerpt
Sheagan blinked back the sting in her
eyes as sweat drizzled from her forehead. Her shoulders and forearms cried out
as determination inched her body forward through the tin walls that framed her
slender figure. The narrow shaft rendered her legs useless as they dragged
behind her like dead weight. She made a vow to start working out as she
approached her destination, the metal grate that looked down into the
sweetheart suite of the Eliot Hotel.
She shimmied her binoculars out of her
bag and clutched them in her sweaty palms as she readied herself to delve into
the world of private investigating. The friction of her movements caused her
mahogany mane to cling to all the surfaces of her temporary confinement.
Perched behind the filigree frame, peering like a caged animal, she was a mere
20 feet from her target. Her target? The Rat Bastard, who up until this very
moment she’d
called boyfriend.
She wasn’t
there to kill him, even though the thought had crossed her mind; no, she was
there to catch him in the act. She suspected he had been cheating on her for
some time, so proof would end her suspicion or the relationship. Spying on her
significant other through an air-vent of a swanky hotel room was hardly a
promising start to her so-called glamorous career as a private detective. But
it snapped her back into the reality that her new chosen profession would often
be messy and difficult.
She peered through the grate and envied
the spacious room below, but her viewing angle was no good for the task at
hand. She could feel the heat in her cheeks rise along with her anger as she
scanned the room and soaked in the extravagance–the hardwood tables, the
Italian marble fireplace, the opulent sheen of the fabric on the overstuffed
furniture that glimmered in the soft candlelight. The Rat Bastard was not known
to overindulge on frivolous expenses, unless it was on her dime. Thoughts of
killing him resurfaced.
What is wrong with me? Why did I wait so
long?
She immediately regretted the fleeting
question. She knew why. The answer brought back the pain and significance of
her father’s
sudden death. He had been the only family she had left, and he was gone. All
that was left behind was his detective agency. She had thought about giving it
up, but she couldn’t; it was her only connection to
him, to her family.
She closed her eyes briefly, realizing
that now she was facing more loss–even if he was a lying, cheating Rat Bastard.
No! It’s
better this way, stay focused.
She choked in a breath and turned her
attention back to the room. His secret love nest was finished with soothing
tones on the walls and thick, plush carpeting.
What is that on the end table?
Her gaze was drawn to the bottle label
as it bobbed upside down in the melting ice. She sharpened the focus of her
binoculars, and her eyes widened in recognition.
Her cheeks flushed. Cristal, she
scoffed. Who is this Bimbo, anyway?
As if she had room to criticize this
girl’s
intelligence, when Sheagan was the one sweating her makeup off in a
four-by-four-foot air-duct.
Yeah, who’s
the stupid one?
She heard passionate sounds coming from
the right of the room and recognized his tone. Leaning sideways, Sheagan
pressed her face to the grate, but her limited
view revealed only a portion of the bed
and unable to make out major details, like faces.
Crap, I can’t
see anything. Damn! She
needed to get a better look
As she shifted her weight, the metal
walls started to reverberate and Sheagan stifled a gasp, willing the rumbling
to cease. Her breathing became labored as the musty air stole the aroma of the
sweet perfume wafting up waft from the suite below. She stilled her movements
and did the only thing she could think of... nothing. Nothing but stare at the
heap of blankets and wait.
Come on, bimbo, come up for air. I know
he doesn’t last that long.
Her discomfort increased as the noise from their passion became more intense. Ugh,
that’s it, I’ve had it!
She mashed her cheek and upper body against the grate.
I just need a peek to confirm.
She pressed harder, ogling the bed. Finally, she caught a tiny glimpse.
Just a little further.
She pushed and heard a chirring sound, then a scraping. She froze in place, but
the grate gave way with a creaking groan
and crashed to the ground. Time stood still as Sheagan realized there was
nothing between her and the floor except air.
*****
Author Bio:
Andi Ramos is a debut author from central Massachusetts where
she lives with her family, goat, and Boston Terriers. Her love for reading grew
into a passion for writing. She dabbled with pen and paper for a long time and
eventually stopped pushing her amusements aside and started developing those
stories into novels. One of her favorite things to do is to hop into her
motorhome with her family and write while traveling down the road as they
journey to various destinations.
