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Deceived by Ornament: A Kim Brady Mystery

Deceived by Ornament, a Kim Brady Mystery

Review + Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!

For more of my book reviews, click the link here.

Deceived by Ornament by Edward J. Leahy

Deceived by OrnamentDetective Kim Brady must find the killer of Mariano Avila, beloved community activist and immigration lawyer in Brooklyn. The only eyewitness, Amara, a fifteen-year-old undocumented escapee from a human trafficking ring, has described the killer as wearing a police uniform. Kim discovers the details of the murder match those of a cold case from several months earlier.

Saddled with a partner who is an unqualified rookie cop forced on her unit by a local state senator with mayoral aspirations, Kim’s investigation is micromanaged from above. She soon finds herself in a maelstrom of competing jurisdictions and interests as she struggles to determine if the killer is a cop or an imposter, whether he is a serial killer or part of a larger domestic terrorist plot.

When she discovers that a close friend of the victim in the cold case, Rafer Harwood, is part of an anti-immigrant militia suspected of planning a major terror event, she can explain the second murder but not the first. She must protect Amara and find both the killer and the real leader of the militia.

Deceived By Ornament, A Kim Brady Mystery. An engrossing crime thriller by Edward J. Leahy.

To purchase Deceived by Ornament, click on the following links: Amazon & Black Rose Writing

My Thoughts on Deceived by Ornament

Kim Brady is tough, compassionate, and faced with the complexities of law enforcement in a fractured society. In Deceived by Ornament, Ed Leahy brings us a heroine for our times. 

Kim Brady is a hard-working detective for the NYPD, trying to live with the knowledge of her father’s misdeeds on the force. Finished with her most recent case, a new homicide investigation arrives on her desk. An attorney beloved by the immigrant community has been stabbed to death outside his office — and the only eye-witness fingers a cop as the killer.

Pushed by the powers-that-be to run the investigation — despite others on the force with more years in — she’s also saddled with a rookie who makes her job more challenging. But Kim Brady is nothing if not dogged, and she refuses to play politics no matter the cost.

Deceived by Ornament is a solid mystery that neatly captures much of the upheaval currently playing out in US society. Leahy weaves anti-immigrant sentiment, racism, and the complexities of policing in the 21st century throughout a hard driving police procedural.

Fans of fast-paced mysteries with a kick-ass female protagonist will find themselves hooked on the series.

Interview with Edward J. Leahy

Deceived by Ornament is the second book in your Kim Brady Mysteries. Anything readers should know about the first, Past Grief?

Past Grief begins with Kim having just returned from burying her father, who had committed suicide, and she catches a mass shooting case in which the only eyewitness is a transgender woman who is afraid to come forward.

She must also root out the mastermind of the crime who is obstructing her investigation and gaslighting her.

Tell us about Kim Brady:

Kim’s parents divorced when she was ten, and her relationship with both was strained, although she eventually reconciled with her father.

Her experience left her hesitant to commit to marriage, but she eventually married Jake Dudek. She is fiercely independent and not afraid to go outside normal channels to get things done, a quality that gains her respect among her peers but tends to irritate her superiors. She has no desire for command.

What is Kim Brady’s relationship with New York City?

Born and raised there, and she and Jake live in a brownstone apartment in Brooklyn Heights.

She began her police career in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, transferred to Manhattan South Homicide, and now is working in the Internal Affairs Bureau, also based in lower Manhattan.

How does being a third-generation cop impact Kim Brady’s experience in the NYPD?

Kim’s grandfather, Dan Brady, died in the line of duty in 1963, a decorated hero. But her father, Joe Brady, with his questionable reputation, is more clearly remembered and there are those who try to use his remembered penchant for violating NYPD policies against Kim.

What’s something your readers might be surprised to learn about you:

I have two grown children with developmental disabilities and have spent nearly thirty years advocating for children and adults with disabilities.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working with my publisher, Black Rose Writing, preparing the third book in the Kim Brady Mysteries series for publication in September.

In Proving A Villain, Kim catches the case of a serial rapist/murderer who may have killed her grandfather in 1963.

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Between a demanding career and my advocacy work, I had precious little time to pursue my dream of writing. But I always found the time, often late at night. No matter what the obstacles, find that time and hone your craft. Read widely and well.

Great advice! Looking forward to book three!

Read my interview with Ed for his first book! Click the link here.

Author (Neighbor) Pet Corner!

Rafi!

I have two dogs in my life, but they belong to neighbors. One is a ten-year-old cocker spaniel named Sonny, whom I included briefly in Past Grief, when Kim’s partner, Mike Resnick, buys him for his niece who is about to undergo surgery for a brain tumor. The real-life Sonny is the happiest, friendliest dog I know, and he belongs to a young girl who successfully battled leukemia.

The other dog is a seven-year-old Boston Terrier named Rafi, who lives on my floor. Rafi is a rescue dog, quite skittish, and it took me eighteen months before he would let me get close enough to pet him. One day, I did something to spook him and he jumped back and growled. The next couple of times I saw him, I gave him space, figuring he’d let me know when it was okay to approach him.

One summer morning, I was standing at the elevator chatting with his owner when Rafi began licking my leg (he’d never licked me at all before that), and I knew we were cool, again.

Edward J. Leahy

Deceived by OrnamentEdward J. Leahy, author of the Kim Brady Mystery Series, is member of the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and the Authors’ Guild and had been published in New York Teacher magazine.

He is a retired International Issue Specialist with the IRS and a former finalist for the Freddie Award for Writing Excellence. He holds a BA and MA in Government & Politics and an MBA in Accounting from St. John’s University.

Since 1998, he has been a member of the board of directors of AHRC-NYC, an organization providing services to children and adults with developmental disabilities.

To learn more about Ed, click on any of the following links: Facebook & Twitter

Elena Taylor is the author of All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio book format at all your favorite bookstores and on-line retailers.

For more information on All We Buriedclick on the link here to visit the home page.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

Header image by FsHH on Pixabay.

Elena Hartwell

Author and developmental editor.

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