Lie Down with the Devil by Linda Barnes
Award winner Linda Barnes' dynamic heroine private eye Carlotta Carlyle finds herself in an unusual role in "Lie Down With the Devil": working on her own behalf. First she's trying to figure out what her on-again, off-again boyfriend - now her fiance Sam Gianelli has done to earn himself a secret indictment for murder that's keeping him out of the country. Sure it could be mob-related - after all, he's in the family - but she's not buying it. And why won't he tell her anything, much less let her help? And she's not getting anything out of Boston police homicide chief Mooney, either, her former boss and usual inside source. Furthermore, her most recent paying case has turned sour on her. It certainly seemed simple - nervous bride-to-be hires p.i. to confirm that her fiance is being faithful the last weekend before the wedding - but when the bride-to-be is the one who ends up murdered, Carlotta wants to know the truth.And when the victim turns out to have given a false identity and to have known about Carlotta's relationship with Sam all along, Carlotta is more determined than ever to get to the bottom of the woman's death, and Sam's connection.