The Heat’s On!

An act of kindness to a pregnant teen propels Geri Whittier into the dark world of El Crotalo, a notorious Mexican drug lord who's ready to retire in the high desert of Scottsdale, Arizona. If only he could convince Geri to stay away from his daughter.

Geri's still reeling from the discovery of her dead husband's gambling and infidelity that left her emotionally shattered and penniless. Living with her daughter, she spends her days sending out resumes and looking for work.

But then she saves Reyna Mendoza from a scary tarantula, meets handsome neighbor, Art Coltrane, and finds a job.

Just as things are looking up, Geri's good intentions get in the way of Luis Mendoza's plans for his daughter, and she becomes a target for his revenge.

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Wanda McLaughlin’s debut novel, High Desert Heat, launched on October 31, 2022 and is available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Vivio, Kobo, and Scribd.

Her published fiction includes short stories in Mystery Tribune, FewerThan500.com, Modern Romance, and Society of Southwest Authors Anthology. Published articles appeared in trade magazines, newspapers, and professional journals. The Southern California Writer's Conference selected her novel, Murder Most Fowl, as Best Cozy Mystery in 2019. Wanda is currently writing her second cozy in the series, Red Flag for Murder.