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  Applause sounded again as I walked down from the stage. Evie met me and offered a huge thumbs-up. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “You knew about this?” I asked.

  “Who do you think nominated you?” She looped her arm through mine.

  “I thought you had to be a board member to nominate someone?”

  “I am a board member.”

  “Then why are you attending this conference?” We continued out the door and into the hallway just as various faculty members were recognized.

  “Even board members need new training sometimes.”

  “Thank you. It means a lot.”

  She smiled, one of the first smiles I ever remembered seeing on her. “You deserved it. When nominations were being accepted, I immediately thought of you. You’ve done some outstanding work. You’ve risked your life and gone above and beyond.”

  I smiled, satisfaction rising in me.

  If the setbacks in my life hadn’t happened, I probably never would have come here. I would probably not have a clear plan for my future. I didn’t have all the answers, not by a long shot. But at least I was getting out of the rut I’d been in.

  God certainly did use our greatest pain to form the most effective launching pads for our lives. I knew I had to continue helping people. I’d pursue more education, but in the meantime, I’d realized that crime scene cleaning wasn’t all doom and gloom. God was using me through it.

  I still had hope that I’d have resolution in certain areas of my life. But until then, I was going to make the most of things.

  Just then, my phone buzzed. I glanced down and saw I had a text message from Sierra.

  Guess what I just heard? Riley is moving back into his old apartment. Can you believe it?

  My heart quickened. It looked like life was about to get even more interesting.

  ###

  Coming Soon: Dust and Obey

  Also Coming Soon: While You Were Sweeping

  Finally, hear Riley’s side of the story!

  Look for these other books in the Squeaky Clean series:

  Hazardous Duty (Book 1)

  On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. “Yeah, that’s me,” she says, “a crime scene cleaner. People waiting in line behind me who strike up conversations always regret it.”

  When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet.

  With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?

  Suspicious Minds (Book 2)

  In this smart and suspenseful sequel to Hazardous Duty, crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire finds herself stuck doing mold remediation to pay the bills. But her first day on the job, she uncovers a surprise in the crawlspace of a dilapidated home: Elvis, dead as a doornail and still wearing his blue suede shoes. How could she possibly keep her nose out of a case like this?

  It Came Upon a Midnight Crime (Book 2.5, a Novella)

  Someone is intent on destroying the true meaning of Christmas—at least, destroying anything that hints of it. All around crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire’s hometown, anything pointing to Jesus as the “reason for the season” is being sabotaged. The crimes become more twisted as dismembered body parts are found at the vandalisms. Who would go to such great lengths to dampen the joy and hope of Christ’s birthday? Someone’s determined to destroy Christmas . . . but Gabby St. Claire is just as determined to find the Grinch and let peace on earth and goodwill to men prevail.

  Organized Grime (Book 3)

  Gabby St. Claire knows her best friend, Sierra, isn’t guilty of killing three people in what appears to be an eco-terrorist attack. But Sierra has disappeared, her only contact a frantic phone call to Gabby proclaiming that she’s being hunted. Gabby is determined to prove her friend is innocent and to keep her alive. While trying to track down the real perpetrator, Gabby notices a disturbing trend at the crime scenes she’s cleaning, one that ties random crimes together—and points to Sierra as the guilty party. Just what has her friend gotten herself into?

  Dirty Deeds (Book 4)

  “Promise me one thing. No snooping. Just for one week.”

  Gabby St. Claire knows that her fiancé’s request is a simple one that she should be able to honor. After all, Riley’s law school reunion and attorneys’ conference at a hoity-toity resort is a chance for them to get away from the mysteries Gabby often finds herself involved in as a crime scene cleaner. The weeklong trip is a chance for them to be “normal,” a word that leaves a bad taste in Gabby’s mouth.

  But Gabby finds herself alone for endless hours while Riley is busy with legal workshops. Then one of Riley’s old friends goes missing, and Gabby suspects one of Riley’s buddies might be behind the disappearance. When the missing woman’s mom asks Gabby for help, how can she say no?

  Secrets abound. Frankly, Gabby even has some of her own. When the dirty truth comes out, the revelations put everything in jeopardy—relationships, trusts, and even lives.

  The Scum of All Fears (Book 5)

  “I’ll get out, and I’ll get even.”

  Gabby St. Claire is back to crime-scene cleaning, at least temporarily. With her business partner on his honeymoon, she needs help after a weekend killing spree fills up her work docket. She quickly realizes she has bigger problems than finding temporary help.

  A serial killer her fiancé, a former prosecutor, put behind bars has escaped. His last words to Riley were: I’ll get out, and I’ll get even. Pictures of Gabby are found in the man’s prison cell, and Riley fears the sadistic madman has Gabby in his sights.

  Gabby tells herself there’s no way the Scum River Killer will make it across the country from California to Virginia without being caught. But then messages are left for Gabby at crime scenes, and someone keeps slipping in and out of her apartment.

  When Gabby’s temporary assistant disappears, Gabby must figure out who’s behind these crimes. The search for answers becomes darker when Gabby realizes she’s dealing with a criminal who’s more than evil. He’s truly the scum of the earth, and he’ll do anything to make Gabby and Riley’s lives a living nightmare.

  To Love, Honor, and Perish (Book 6)

  How could God let this happen?

  Crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire can’t stop asking the question. Just when her life is on the right track, the unthinkable happens. Gabby’s fiancé, Riley Thomas, is shot and remains in life-threatening condition only a week before their wedding.

  Gabby is determined to figure out who pulled the trigger, even if investigating puts her own life at risk. But as she digs deeper into the facts surrounding the case, she discovers secrets better left alone. Doubts arise in her mind and the one man with answers is on death’s doorstep.

  An old foe from the past returns and tests everything Gabby is made of—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Will her soul survive the challenges ahead? Or will everything she’s worked for be destroyed?

  Mucky Streak (Book 7)

  After her last encounter with a serial killer, Gabby St. Claire feels her life is smeared with the stain of tragedy. Between the exhaustion of trying to get her fiancé back on his feet, routine night terrors, and potential changes looming on the horizon, she needs a respite from the mire of life.

  At the encouragement of her friends, she takes on a short-term gig as a private investigator: a cold case that’s eluded investigators for ten years. The mass murder of a wealthy family seems impossible to solve but quickly gets interesting as Gabby brings more clues to light. Add to the mix a flirtatious client, travels to an exciting new city, and some quirky—albeit temporary—new sidekicks, and things get really complicated.
r />   With every new development, Gabby prays that what she’s calling her “mucky streak” will end and the future will become clear. But every answer she uncovers leads her closer to danger—both for her life and for her heart.

  Foul Play (Book 8)

  Gabby St. Claire is crying foul play, in every sense of the phrase.

  When crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire agrees to go undercover at a local community theater, she discovers more than backstage bickering, atrocious acting, and rotten writing. The female lead is dead and an old classmate who’s staked everything on the musical production’s success is about to go under.

  In her dual role of investigator and star of the show, Gabby finds the stakes rising faster than the opening night curtain. She comes face to face with her past and must make monumental decisions, not just about the play but also concerning her future relationships and career.

  Will Gabby find the killer before the curtain goes down—not only on the play, but also on life as she knows it?

  Coming Soon:

  Dust and Obey (Book 10)

  The Sierra Files

  Pounced (Book 1)

  Sierra is used to fighting for the lives of innocent creatures. But when a killer puts the lives of her own cats on the line, her crusade becomes personal.

  Animal rights activist Sierra Nakamura never expected to stumble upon the dead body of a coworker while out filming a project. She definitely never expected to get involved in the investigation. But when someone threatens to kill her cats unless she hands over the “information,” she becomes more bristly than an angry feline.

  Making matters worse is the fact that her cats—and the investigation—are driving a wedge between her and her boyfriend Chad. With every answer she uncovers, old hurts rise to the surface and test her beliefs.

  Saving her cats just might mean ruining everything else in her life. In the fight for survival, one thing is certain: It’s either pounce or be pounced.

  Hunted (Book 2)

  Who knew a stray dog could lead to so much trouble?

  Newlywed animal rights activist Sierra Nakamura Davis is coming face to face with her worst nightmare: breaking the news she eloped to her ultra-opinionated tiger mom.

  Her perfectionist parents have planned a vow renewal ceremony at Sierra’s lush childhood home, but a neighborhood dog ruins the rehearsal dinner when he shows up toting what appears to be a fresh human bone.

  Between the dog, a nosey neighbor, and an old flame turning up at all the wrong times, Sierra hunts for answers. Surprises abound at every turn as Sierra embarks on a journey of discovery that leads to more than just who did the crime.

  Pranced (Book 2.5, a Christmas novella)

  Sierra Nakamura Davis thinks that spending Christmas with her husband’s relatives will be a real Yuletide treat. But when the animal rights activist finds out that his family has a reindeer farm, she begins to feel more like the Grinch.

  Even worse, when Sierra arrives, she discovers that those very reindeer are missing. The community is depending on the creatures to spread holiday cheer at the annual light show. Plus, Sierra fears the animals might be suffering a far worst fate than being used for entertainment purposes.

  Can Sierra set aside her dogmatic opinions to help get the reindeer home in time for the holidays? Or will secrets tear the family apart and ruin Sierra’s dream of the perfect Christmas?

  Other Books by Christy Barritt:

  The Good Girl

  Tara Lancaster can sing Amazing Grace in three harmonies, two languages, and interpret it for the hearing impaired. She can list the Bible canon backward, forward, and alphabetized. And the only time she ever missed church was at seventeen because she had pneumonia and her mom made her stay home. But when her life shatters around her and her reputation is left in ruins, Tara decides escape is the only option. She flees halfway across the country to dog-sit, but the quiet anonymity she needs isn’t waiting in her sister’s house. Instead she finds a knife with a threatening message, a fame-hungry friend, a too-hunky neighbor, and evidence of...a ghost? Following all the rules has gotten her nowhere. And nothing she learned in Sunday School can tell her where to go from there.

  Death of the Couch Potato's Wife (Suburban Sleuth Mysteries)

  You haven’t seen desperate until you’ve met Laura Berry, a career-oriented city slicker turned suburbanite housewife. Well-trained in the big city commandment, “mind your own business,” Laura is persuaded by her spunky 70-year-old neighbor Babe to check on another neighbor who hasn’t been seen in days. She finds her neighbor, Candace Flynn, wife of the infamous “Couch King,” dead, and at last has a reason to get up in the morning in suburbia: murder. Someone’s determined to stop her from digging deeper into the death of her neighbor, but Laura is just as determined to figure out who’s behind the death-by-poisoned-pork-rinds.

  The Trouble with Perfect

  Since the death of her fiancé two years ago, novelist Morgan Blake’s life has been in a holding pattern. She has a major case of writer’s block, and a book signing in the small mountain town of Perfect sounds like just the solution to help her clear her head. Her trip takes a wrong turn when, on her way there, she’s involved in a hit and run—she’s hit a man, and he’s run from the scene. Before fleeing, he mouthed the word “help.” She plans to give him that help, but first she must find him. In Perfect, she finds a town that offers everything she’s ever wanted. But is something sinister going on behind the town’s cheery exterior? Was she invited as a guest of honor simply to do a book signing? Or was she lured to town for another purpose—a deadly purpose?

  Home Before Dark (Carolina Moon Series)

  Nothing good ever happens after dark. Those were the words country singer Daleigh McDermott’s father always repeated. Now her father is dead, and Daleigh fears she’s returned home too late to make things right. As she’s about to flee back to Nashville, she finds a hidden journal belonging to her father. His words hint that his death was no accident. Small town mechanic Ryan Shields is the only one who seems to believe that Daleigh may be on to something. Her father trusted the man, but Daleigh’s instant attraction to Ryan scares her. She knows her life and career, however dwindling it might be, are back in Nashville and that her time in the sleepy North Carolina town is only temporary. As Daleigh and Ryan work to unravel the mystery, it becomes obvious that someone wants them dead. They must rely on each other—and on God—if they hope to make it home before the darkness swallows them whole. Home Before Dark offers a blend of Nicholas Sparks meets Mary Higgins Clark, a mix of charming small town life in North Carolina tangled in a gripping suspense.

  About the Author:

  USA Today has called Christy Barritt's books "scary, funny, passionate, and quirky."

  Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times' Reviewers' Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year.

  She's married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she's hilarious--but only when she's not trying to be. Christy's a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who's known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

  When she's not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.

  Find Christy online at:

  www.christybarritt.com

  www.facebook.com/christybarritt

  www.twitter.com/cbarritt

  Sign up for Christy’s newsletter to get information on all of her latest releases here: www.christybarritt.com/newsletter-sign-up/

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review.

 

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