The Family Man: A Maria Varela Mystery

In the sequel to The Desert Saint, Maria Varela returns to work after an extended absence. Her first case back is the murder of Benny Alvarez, a once famous comic, who was killed in the Revelation Casino penthouse suite. With all the security cameras and key card records, Maria and Michael figure this case will be easy to solve.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

The casino owner, ostensibly Benny’s best friend, wants the case closed quickly so as not to interfere with the casino’s pending sale, and while all the evidence points to an obvious suspect, Maria’s instincts tell her something is off. When newspaper articles start questioning Maria’s fitness as a police officer, she knows someone really powerful is pulling the strings, and her new sergeant doesn't seem interested in protecting her. As she digs into the suspect and the evidence, she finds out that everyone has something to hide and hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.

Maria will have to decide if finding out the truth is worth the blowback when even those closest to the victim don't seem to want the case solved.

What the Reviewers Say:

★★★★★ “Maria is a great and (for me) likable character but with a definite edge to her."

★★★★★ “The Family Man comfortably occupies the space between a 'cozy read' and a 'whodunit cliffhanger.'"

★★★★★ "Fast paced and great dialogue"

"Debut author Pascarella presents a frightening view of Las Vegas, far from the glamor and glitz of the Strip...Against this dark background, Pascarella has set a hauntingly vivid cast of characters."

-Booklife Review

"In Maria, A.M. Pascarella has created a heroine with uncommon depth."

-Bestthrillers Review

"Maria and Carla are captivating figures, and readers will be eager for them to return..."

-Kirkus Reviews