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It''s a tough job, but somebody has to collect all the compliments!

 

“The hook in Kennett’s PJ Gray series, starring a St. Louis psychological profiler, is the use of virtual reality software to recreate crime scenes. The high-tech wizardry is fine, but what really makes this series go is the fiery relationship and strong personalities of the costars, gutsy protagonist PJ (Penelope) and her Andy Sipowicz-like boyfriend, Leo Schultz, a police detective. This pair could be solving cases with legal pads and pencils, and readers would still be drawn to them. This time [in Time of Death] single mom PJ is keeping an eye on the online gaming addiction of her teenage son and trying to decide what kind of commitment to give the lovably exasperating Schultz. Meanwhile, the police are struggling with a series of brutal murders that may be tied to a serial killer. Schultz hits the streets in search of clues, and PJ fires up her virtual reality program to relive the grisly crimes. A top-notch series that satisfies both readers seeking page-turning suspense and those looking for characters so real you almost expect to see them at the local diner.” — Booklist

“Kennett's writing [Time of Death, December 2005] is taut and unyielding, and like great baseball pitchers, she throws the curves fast and with uncanny accuracy. Reading this book is like watching someone juggle plates while skateboarding down a steep hill. You aren't sure how it will end, just that it will be spectacular.” – Jon Jordan, Crimespree Magazine

"This rip-roaring page-turner of a thriller [Time of Death, December 2005] builds to its nail-nibbling climax on a solid foundation of police procedure, cutting-edge virtual reality crime-scene simulation, and realistic and likeable protagonists. So fasten your seatbelts: the murders are multiple and bloody and the past atrocities that spawned them are puzzling and creepy enough to keep your lights burning all night."
- Carole Nelson Douglas, author of Femme Fatale and Spider Dance

"Shirley Kennett [Time of Death, December 2005] is finally getting the credit she deserves for being one of the most accomplished page-turners working in the suspense field today. Her books are smart, packed with tension, and filled with people you cheer for." - Ed Gorman, author of Blood Moon

"Shirley Kennett has Hawaii-based freelance journalist Casey Washington grappling with a mysterious troupe called The Six-whose members have names like Wrongful Death and who seem to be behind a spate of CEO murders-and her own lonely heart." - Publishers Weekly on Burning Rose

"Lots of action keeps the characters on their toes as they travel the world. The exciting conclusion in the south American jungle leaves Casey with far more than an exclusive story. Readers who enjoy a good puzzle with pieces that never quite fit will have fun with this suspenseful thriller."  - Booklist on Burning Rose

"Kennett writes with pace and clarity ... If you're hungry for vivid characters ... your ship has come in." - Kirkus on Burning Rose

"Another page-turner. Act of Betrayal is not to be missed." - That Bookstore in Danville

"Act of Betrayal is a chilling police procedural that centers on revenge. The story line is taut as the action begins on page one and never eases up for a moment. Clever twists with a fresh, unique mystery." - Painted Rock Reviews

"Chameleon is a bone-chilling, high-voltage thrill ride. Shirley Kennett has crafted a jolting and terrifying page-turner. I read it in one sitting, shivering all the way."- Harlan Coben, Edgar award winning author of Fade Away and One False Move

"Kennett has crafted an utterly chilling villain, cloaked in a child's innocence. A scary, compelling read."- Tess Gerritsen, NY Times Best-selling author of Life Support and Bloodstream, on Chameleon

"PJ is a solid series character ... Columbus Wade [the villain] is something special: a chillingly realistic creation - not a typical psychopath who happens to be a young boy, but a precocious, fun-loving, immature young boy who happens to be a psychopath. A very unsettling and very compelling novel." - Booklist on Chameleon

"Kennett deftly builds the suspense to an exciting climax." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Chameleon

"The information technology age meets forensic psychology in a novel that will leave readers stunned by its brilliance, ease of understanding, and entertainment value. The story line is Gray, and for that matter, Shirley Kennett, at her best. Anyone who enjoys forensic psychological investigations will enjoy Chameleon and Ms. Kennett's previous mysteries (Fire Cracker and Gray Matter)." - Harriet Klausner for Booksnbytes.com

"The use of a combination of virtual reality and artificial intelligence to reconstruct crimes is a compelling concept. Kennett ... gets the details exactly right. This is a real page-turner, with a chillingly evil child at the center of the plot. Recommended." - Alamo PC Computer Crimes on Chameleon

"The very talented Ms. Kennett tackles the all too real issue of pre-teen killers in her newest page turner Chameleon. A riveting, disturbing, and powerful read." - Romantic Times (Rated Four Stars Excellent)

"Fire Cracker is the masterful follow-up to the stunning debut Gray Matter. Ms. Kennett has created a winner in psychologist PJ Gray. Gray is intelligent, tough, strong and independent, and yet Kennett has wisely given her the normal working single mother human frailties. The story line is superb, with a criminal mastermind that comes off with some sympathy. Suspenseful, exciting, and a fascinating read. A worthy successor to the outstanding Gray Matter. Rating 10 out of 10." - The Shadow Box

"Dr. PJ Gray makes a welcome return engagement in Shirley Kennett's newest thriller. Ms. Kennett continues to bring complex and memorable characters to life in her hard-edged suspense series. [Fire Cracker] is a definite winner!"- Romantic Times  (Rated Four Stars Excellent)

"Fire Cracker is another fast paced and exciting police procedural techno-thriller. This novel is a first rate reading experience that's worth more than the purchase price." - Painted Rock Reviews

"Kennett seems to love her villains, and she's got two memorable ones here." - Booked for Murder Bookstore on Fire Cracker

"Kennett is a writer of rare skill, and Gray Matter is a deftly plotted novel bristling with suspense. Its characters are real and contemporary, and its premise is gripping and unique. Not since Red Dragon has a more menacing serial killer roamed metropolitan St. Louis. A rip-roaring good read. Let's see more of PJ Gray!"- John Lutz, author of Single White Female

"Kennett's storytelling talents win out. Solid entertainment!"- Publishers Weekly on Gray Matter

"Kennett does a superb job of character development. She makes the two vulnerable, lonely, and emotionally scarred people seem frighteningly real. Gray Matter is a brilliant, complex suspense thriller that hints at romance in the tradition of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta. Like Cornwell, Kennett has created a judiciously slimy villain who is easy to hate. This could become an award-winning series."- Gothic Journal

"Gray Matter is a sleek and cunning read, with enough interesting characters, and enough sudden plot turns, to keep the pages flying by."- Ed Gorman, author of Moonchasers

"Intrigued by using virtual reality for solving crimes. The details [in Gray Matter] are engrossing, right down to the jury-rigged headgear that bears a striking resemblance to a spaghetti strainer. The crime details are gruesome and not for the faint of heart. Recommended." - Alamo PC Computer Crimes

"Kennett's devious creativity and bloodcurdling, realistic descriptive passages result in a terrifying and explosive thriller."- Booklist on Gray Matter

"Intensely graphic, loaded with the latest virtual reality computer techniques, and totally gripping." - Snoop Sisters Mystery Bookstore on Gray Matter

"A well plotted debut, with high technology pitted against near-animal cunning." - Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore on Gray Matter

"Shirley Kennett is a polished and poised addition to the ranks of contemporary mystery writers. You're going to enjoy her books."- Mystery Scene Magazine

"[Gray Matter] may leave some readers sleepless."- Kirkus Reviews

"The plot drives to an exciting climax."- St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Gray Matter

"The sparks struck by this odd team are worth the book's price. But the plot also will keep you turning the pages."- Houston Chronicle on Gray Matter

"Fans of Patricia Cornwell's work will be hooked on his heart-stopping and harrowing thriller. The finely drawn characters in Gray Matter are both complex and terrifyingly convincing." -   Romantic Times (Rated Four Stars Excellent)

"PJ Gray, computer expert, tracks a serial killer. Fast-paced, with living, breathing characters, this is suspense at its best."- Barbara D'Amato, author, Cat Marsala series on Gray Matter

"Kennett has created a couple of likable sleuths in psychologist and computer-wizard PJ Gray and old-fashioned cop Detective Leo Schultz. Their pursuit of a sociopathic killer in Gray Matter will keep you turning the pages till the very end."- Jean Hager, author of Molly Bearpaw and Mitch and Bushyhead Cherokee mysteries

"Gray Matter proves Shirley Kennett is a new, strong voice in the world of criminal investigators. 'Dog' is a monster who can keep you from sleeping at night. He's a dream-crasher. Kennett's investigator PJ Gray is vividly portrayed."- Billie Sue Mosiman, author of Stilleto

"Shirley Kennett has a winner with Gray Matter. It's a witty and wise mystery full of suspense, and it features a truly frightening antagonist. PJ Gray may be a professional woman, a psychologist, and a computer expert, but she is also a fascinating, endearing character worth reading about again and again."
- Lary Crews, author of Extreme Close Up

"Virtual reality makes for real suspense in Gray Matter. A can't-put-it-down debut." - Linda Grant, author of Lethal Genes

 


 
 

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