Now Available!
Gambling with Murder
Book 5: Southern California Mysteries
A late-night call is all it takes for rookie lawyer Corrie Locke to kiss her day job at the movie studio goodbye, and do what she does best: flex her sweet P.I. skills and go undercover to find a senior who’s missing from a posh retirement community in Santa Barbara.
One small stumbling block: skirting past security to gain inside access to the exclusive Villa Sunset. Time to call in the heavy artillery.
Besides former security guard turned legal assistant—now wannabe P.I.—Veera, Corrie relies on a secret weapon: her mother, a surprisingly eager addition to Corrie’s team. Armed with enough pepper spray to take down a band of Navy Seals, Mom impersonates a senior to infiltrate the Villa, Corrie, and Veera in tow. Turns out the job’s not as easy as they’d thought. These seniors have tricks tucked up their sleeves and aren’t afraid of using them.
The action gets dicey when the missing senior case turns into attempted murder by a criminal mind who’s always one step ahead. Corrie’s hot on the trail, but finds more than she bargained for…when her mother becomes a target.
Hooray! GAMBLING WITH MURDER is a 2023 Killer Nashville, Silver Falchion award finalist and was selected as one of 2022’s favorite mysteries by Kings River Life magazine!
Gambling With Murder: A Southern California Mystery
I love this series by attorney/private investigator Corrie Locke. The entertainment business lawyer delves not only in the shenanigans of the movie business, she also has to confront a gambling scam in an expensive retirement community. The characters are hilarious and this series is a must-read for fans of Stephanie Plum.
– “This fifth of one of my favorite new series continues to be delightfully hilarious as Corrie fully embraces her private detective investigator legacy.” ~ Kings River Life Magazine
– “I used this book as my escape from all of the crazy going on in the world. The author did a great job of making me fall in love with the characters and the setting of this book right from the start. I enjoyed this book so much.” ~ Partners in Crime Book Tour Review
“…well-written, fast-paced and action-packed tale… The author did a great job in setting this up with a tightly woven mystery, clues left to be discovered and following the trails left to figure out what was going on… moments of humor that had me laughing out loud. This was a very enjoyable read.” ~ Dru’s Book Musings
“The humor replete throughout this story provides a satisfying backdrop… Sideris’ fast-paced series of encounters challenge her characters on more than one level… Readers who enjoy murder mysteries steeped in both threats and wry observations will find Gambling With Murder a winning pick that’s also steeped in Southern California culture and the dilemmas a senior community faces when they try to effect a cover-up that tests their loyalties and ethics. Murder mystery libraries will find this multifaceted story a fine selection.” ~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“The plot, development, and writing style of the story were captivating. My favorite character was Corrie’s mother. She was calm, yet unpredictable!…Gambling With Murder is full of laughter and action.” ~ Readers’ Favorite
Also Available
Slightly Murderous Intent
Book 4: Southern California Mysteries
SELECTED AS A SILVER FALCHION AWARD FINALIST (Comedy)!
There’s a shooter on the loose who keeps missing his target. But that doesn’t stop him from trying again…and again. It’s up to Corrie Locke, rookie lawyer and spunky sleuth, to find the gunman before he hits his mark, Assistant Deputy D.A. James Zachary, Corrie’s hunky and complicated frenemy.
When Corrie is stuck with more questions than answers, she enlists a team with various strengths, weapons and cooking skills, to help her find the shooter. Her computer whiz boyfriend Michael is onboard. So is former security guard Veera. Toss in an over-the-hill informant and a couple of feuding celebrity chefs and Corrie’s got her very own A-Team. Okay, maybe it’s more like a B-Team.
Can Team Corrie hunt down the shooter before he scores a bulls-eye?
Welcome
Thank you for visiting my cyber home!
At nine-years-old, I turned into girl detective, after overdosing on Nancy Drew books. I cracked my first case – The Mystery of the Missing Pet Turtle – and continued case-cracking until my college days. Now I write my own soft-boiled mysteries starring Corrie Locke, a newly minted lawyer with thick, mostly manageable hair, a partially furnished beach pad, covert access to a high-end wardrobe, and a dream job in a movie studio. The buzz-kill? She’s the daughter of a late, great private eye, and together they solved a few hard-to-crack cases, which makes everyone assume she’s inherited Dad’s sweet sleuthing skills. But has she?
I’m busy working on Corrie’s next adventure. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Facebook and Twitter.