Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book 1
Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book 1 book cover

Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book 1

Price
$14.51
Format
Paperback
Pages
304
Publisher
SparkPress
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1684630714
Dimensions
5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Weight
12.8 ounces

Description

2021 Top Shelf Awards First Place Winner in Fiction (Crime)n2021 Top Shelf Awards Honorable Mention in Fiction (Suspense)2021 CIBA Clue Book Award Finalist2021 15th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards: Winner, Crime Fiction/Suspensen2021 Eric Hoffer Awards: Finalist2021 PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence, Suspense2021 Firebird Book Award, Suspense, Thriller “The author of this impressive novel has poured elements from radically different genres into the blender and set it on high spin . . . The last page promises further surprises in a sequel, which Buchanan better deliver soon.”— Booklist “Buchanan’s narrative is well paced, flying right along. . . . the author has delivered an exciting beginning to an intriguing series.”— Kirkus Reviews “A captivating cast, an isolated location, a raging storm, and the threat of death in every dark corner. Indelible reads like the best crime fiction with a shot of adrenalin. Get ready to stay up late because you won’t want to put it down.”—Ann Garvin, USA Today best-selling author“I was hooked from the first sentence. Buchanan’s Indelible is a delicious look at what can happen when you create a writing retreat in the bucolic Pacific Northwest and then populate it with many intriguing characters, including a grieving ex-cop, a beautiful woman in a wheelchair, an intuitive, and a serial killer. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire wild ride.”—John Dedakis, author of the Lark Chadwick Mysteries, and former Senior Copy Editor on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer”“ Indelible is for the reader who loves a fast-paced page-turner; for the reader who likes some sweet romance mixed in with riveting suspense; and for the reader who enjoys getting deeply involved with each character in a well-written book. Indelible is for the writer who fantasizes about an enchanting writing retreat like Indelible ’s Pines & Quill.”—Pamela S. Wright, author of The Right Wrong Man and Twin Desires “ Indelible is a delightful read! The perfect book for an escape on a rainy afternoon. The literary hooks Laurie weaves into the end of each chapter, make Indelible a novel hard to put down. Laurie’s vivid character descriptions remind me of the Nancy Drew books I loved to read so many years ago. Indelible makes any reader want to stay at Pines & Quill! I'm looking forward to reading the next Sean McPherson novel!”—Ann Margaret Johns, author of Clarkston’s Curse: One Child’s Quest to Explain the Series of Tragedies in Her Hometown “Secrets lie deep behind the pages of this gripping story. Indelible offers readers an expertly drawn cast of characters in an equally dramatic setting. Watching the next move will keep you on the edge of your seat.”—Sherry Biscoe, author of Mists of Garibaldi-Tales of the Supernatural and The Man In Number 7 “Early in Indelible , I realized I was in the hands of a gifted storyteller. Through flawed characters and a vivid setting, tension mounts in this fast-paced thriller, leading to a riveting climax.”—Greg Renz, author of Beneath the Flames “Smart and sassy, Laurie Buchanan’s Indelible is a fast-paced mystery with deftly drawn characters and a palpable sense of place. I couldn’t put it down!”—Ashley E. Sweeney, author of Answer Creek “ Indelible hits a truly sweet spot in an idyllic setting at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest. Just when you get comfortable, it turns from cozy to thriller. This is a fantastic debut of what will surely be an addictive series.”—Shelley Blanton-Stroud, author of Copy Boy: A Novel “Like a killer in the night, Laurie Buchanan’s descriptive prose lures the unsuspecting reader into this chilling mystery. She has created a complex cast of characters in this ripping yarn, and her final reveal leaves the reader hungry for more. I look forward to the next installment!”—Diane Demetre, author of The Diana Daniels Mysteries“Buchanan creates characters I couldn’t help but care for and a setting so beautiful I’d love to visit. The story sucked me right in, and the suspense kept me reading. I can’t wait for my next chance to visit Pines & Quill!”—Elizabeth Anne Wood, author of Bound: A Daughter, a Domme, and an End-of-Life Story “Buchanan has given us a new hero in Sean McPherson, a man struggling with his past who is touching and sensitive, yet ready to hunt down evil to defend those who need him. Amid a cast of engaging characters, the suspense builds in a crescendo along the Pacific Northwest coast.”—Sharon Dukett, author of No Rules: A Memoir “The pace is a roller coaster ride. The tension builds from the first page and doesn’t let up until the very end.”—Chris Norbury, author of Straight River and Castle Danger “If you’re an adrenaline junkie like I am, you’ll love this book!”—Gail Cushman, author of the Breaking Barrier and Wrinkly Bits series“Hold on to your seat: the ride is fast and furious. Be ready to stay up all night.”—Tower Lowe, author of No Way Out “Fast-paced and with plenty of plot twists, you’re sure to be swept up into the story.”—Debbie Herbert, USA Today best-selling author of southern suspense“Unputdownable! Buchanan reels the reader in with descriptions of the setting—a writers’ retreat in the breath-taking natural preserves of Washington State. Each of the writer-guests has a personal agenda and style, and the characters are relatable. The tension of the plot contrasts starkly with the peacefulness of the surroundings, so the reader is led repeatedly through crisis and calm, building up to the climax of the book. Simply captivating!”—Saralyn Richard, author of A Palette for Love and Murder “Author Laurie Buchanan has written entertaining and believable characters in her debut novel, Indelible . The investigator McPherson is likable and will carry the series along with a wide fan base! A fun read!”—Jennifer Greer, author of A Desperate Place: A McKenna and Riggs Novel “ Indelible is a fantastic start to what one hopes is a long-running series. Buchanan has created a fascinating thriller set in a writers’ retreat in the Pacific Northwest. Atmospheric and delicious, Buchanan treats her readers’ senses while taking them on a roller-coaster of emotion. Cleverly balancing humor, romance, and a healthy dose of thrill, Buchanan delivers a perfect mystery. You won’t be able to put it down!”—Michelle Cox, author of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series “Hard to put down, this page-turner is worthy of praise!” —InD'tale Magazine A cross between Dr. Doolittle, Nanny McPhee, and a type-A Buddhist, Laurie Buchanan is an active listener, observer of details, payer of attention, reader and writer of books, kindness enthusiast, and an unabashed optimist. A former holistic health practitioner and transformational life coach, she holds a doctorate in holistic health with an emphasis in energy medicine. Her first two books, Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth , and The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace , are nonfiction titles designed to motivate, inspire, and transform. Laurie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her pilot-husband, Len, and their Irish Wolfhound, Willa. She enjoys yoga, long walks, bicycling, photography, and travel. To learn more, please visit her website at www.lauriebuchanan.com. She resides in Boise, Idaho.

Features & Highlights

  • When a sniper killed his partner, Sean McPherson was injured in the ambush. Now an ex-cop, he takes a job at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest. At Pines & Quill, he hopes to heal and put his life back together in the Zen-like capacity of groundskeeper and all-around handyman.Sniper, Jason Hughes, blames McPherson for the loss of more than ten million dollars’ worth of heroin―and he wants revenge.In the guise of a New York City limo driver working on a sizzling tell-all memoir, Hughes arrives at Pines & Quill along with three other writers in residence: a bohemian psychic taking a break from grueling work as a forensic intuitive, a bitter divorcée who wants to open herself to a new life, and a vibrant and resilient potter navigating life from a wheelchair.With conflicting agendas, uncertain loyalties, and romantic entanglements at play, Hughes finds it difficult to get McPherson in his sights. Gradually, he forms a different plan, one that threatens the lives of everyone at the retreat.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(94)
★★★★
25%
(78)
★★★
15%
(47)
★★
7%
(22)
23%
(71)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Atmospheric and likable characters!

What could be better than a mystery at Pines and Quills writer’s retreat where authors check into their own beautifully decorated tiny cabin in the woods for a month to work on their books? I enjoyed how each chapter began with advice from a famous writer about the writing process! This atmospheric mystery, with a splash of romance, and engrossing likable characters makes me want to read book 2! Thank you to the author, Laurie Buchanan, for responding to my request for one of her books for the Little Free Library on Tower Drive in Pennsylvania! Such a treat when an author supports our LFL community readers!
3 people found this helpful
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Love and Suspense in the Pacific Northwest

Set against the lush and edenic northwest Pacific coast, Pines & Quill is the peaceful retreat that would inspire any writer. Until one of the writers turns out to be a serial killer who is targeting Sean “Mick” McPherson a former cop, disabled in a horrific car accident, who now works as the grounds keeper while trying to write his own book. As a character, Mick is wonderfully drawn, flaws and all. So is Emma, one of the other writers, now in a wheelchair. Nothing gets these two down, and as they fall in love, they take us on an emotional and suspense-filled roller coaster. Where Buchanan really excels (spoiler alert): she depicts complex female characters, endowing them with agency to discover the identify of and fight back against the killer. Then, just when we think everyone is safe, a second, even more dangerous killer surfaces—except readers have to wait until May 2022 for Iconoclast: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book 2.
2 people found this helpful
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Page turner!

Mystery, suspense, and intriguing characters all mixed in with a psychopath. (Not to mention mouth watering menu and wine choices!) I sat down to read the first chapter and couldn't put the book down. It's a thrilling read and I can't wait for the next one! Highly recommend.
2 people found this helpful
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Atmospheric, engrossing suspense

Indelible is an atmospheric suspense story with an eclectic array of characters that are both complex and relatable. Her killer is chilling. Laurie demonstrates a real understanding of psychology in the way each character plays out their inner conflicts. Fast-paced and with plenty of plot twists, you are sure to be swept up into the story. Highly recommended!
2 people found this helpful
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Exciting and scary days at a Writer's Retreat--super good read!

I used to think of people staying three weeks at a Writing Refuge as just plain, faceless writers typing on a work in progress. This cozy mystery twists that image and paints them as colorfully individual characters, 2 men and 3 women with surprising singular bios, one a serial killer, for example, one a forensic intuitive, another is non-motorized wheelchair-bound.

There’s a ghost, sweet and delicious bedroom scenes, tempting and inspired dinners (with one fabulous Farmer’s Daughter breakfast!), and fashion that’s a feast for the eyes. With a surprise every few pages, the tension ratchets up and includes cliffs and a cave, and oh my! a heart-stopping search for the writer-almost-victim.

Epigraphs for each chapter are short writing wisdoms, and cool phrases are sprinkled throughout (a suitcase is “swallowed by the fringed-rubber throat” of the luggage carousel). These writer’s aspects created a lot of interest for me and added to the excitingly tense story.

A highly recommended read that made me impatient for the next book in this new series!
2 people found this helpful
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Could not put down this perfect read

INDELIBLE is a suspenseful and masterly-paced novel, and I enjoyed it cover to cover. A group of want-to-be writers has arrived at a retreat center designed to provide a special space to accomplish their goal. Sean McPherson is there recovering from a serious injury he sustained while a police officer in which his partner was killed. He is working at the center and hoping to write his story, find the perpetrator, and discover relief. No one realizes that the perp is one of the writers at the retreat; he just seems rude and angry.

There is a precision to the words, and when words are mixed with powerful descriptions, it produced magic. The writing retreat center visions just made the reader want to head there for the order and beauty and the thoughtful food. I have been to Fairhaven many times in my life and there was a strong capture of the environment and the energetic beauty of that location. The fictional additives just enhanced. The human and clothing descriptions created readable backstories to each character and gave an authentic image to the mind’s eye; the folks were recognizable, they became friends.

There is an underlying kindness in the story, which makes the danger and evil stand out clearly and caused a shiver along the spine. Conversations were precise and added to the story’s context as a writing retreat and a focusing center. The casual, easy words were there to bring a smile and offer more insight into the opportunity the retreat created. The violent words roared off the page.

Relationships are a cozy underlining premise in the storyline also. We witness all forms of broken connections, and with the surround of a gracious mature couple, one is moved slowly towards a pair who are discovering love. There were tremendous caregiving moments that developed a tension, pulling the reader to turn the page.
2 people found this helpful
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Fantastic Read

The descriptions of the location really sucked me into the book. Looking forward to reading the next one in the series.
1 people found this helpful
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A Seat-in-your Chair Novel

Laurie Buchanan’s thriller INDELIBLE explodes onto the page. An aggrieved cop and a serial killer unknowingly track each other inside the incorruptibility of a writer’s retreat. Riveting, a seat-in-your-chair must-read to launch the Sean McPherson series.
1 people found this helpful
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The coziness of a crime

Imagine a setting so well crafted to invoke coziness and warmth, that the reader is tempted to google it for a possible booking. This is what Buchanan’s Pine and Quill Writing Retreat center did for me—elicit the desire to be secluded but supported by cabin interiors crafted for creative flow and sensory engagement. Culinary experiences that will have you reaching for your latest issue of Bon Appetit. And open to the community of other writers to share success or struggles over heavenly libations.

Pines and Quill's hospitality and culinary delights take hold of each guest, but one.
And this is where Indelible builds its tension and mystery.

The premise of a chilling crime entangled with the sanctity of the writing retreat is a wonderful writing device. I am already hooked and awaiting Book Two. Highly recommend.
1 people found this helpful
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A suspenseful crime novel at a writer’s retreat.

I was immediately drawn into the story by the cast of colorful character. Each with their own point of view. That’s not easy to do. A well crafted novel that often had me on the edge of my reading chair. Great read.
1 people found this helpful