Mystery mastermind Kay Kendall strikes again with new summer release
HOUSTON – Stairway Press is proud to announce the publication of Rainy Day Women by Kay Kendall on July 7, marking the sequel to her widely praised debut mystery, Desolation Row.
Rainy Day Women is set in 1969 right after the Manson murders and during Woodstock. Intrepid amateur sleuth Austin Starr headlines this historic mystery series. In her second case, with her infant in tow, she flies across the continent to support a friend suspected of murdering women's liberation activists in Seattle and Vancouver. Then her former CIA trainer warns that an old enemy has contracted a hit on her. How much should Austin risk when tracking the killer puts her and her baby's life in danger?
“My mysteries feature 20-something Austin Starr and show how even a moderate could be swept up by history's tides during the turbulent ‘60s,” Kendall says. “In this second book, she is engulfed in the volatile and heady time when women's liberation first made its mark.”
“An exciting jaunt back to the days of flower power and women's lib, Kay Kendall's Rainy Day Women explores serious issues that still resonate today, nearly 50 years later,” says James W. Ziskin, author of the Ellie Stone Mysteries, set in the early ‘60s. “Austin Starr's second mystery packs danger, lots of heart and hits all the right notes for the late ‘60s.”
Stairway Press of Seattle published Kendall's debut mystery, Desolation Row, in 2013. Her second Austin Starr mystery, Rainy Day Women, is available for pre-order now, ahead of its release on July 7. Kendall’s short story, "Strangers on a Plane," launched in January 2015 on Kindle as part of a collection of 13 stories called The Promethean Saga.
“Kay Kendall's crackerjack amateur-sleuth novel, set in the days of Mad Men, reminds you how much has changed since then,” says Timothy Hallinan, award-winning author of the Poke Rafferty Bangkok thrillers and the Junior Bender mysteries. “However, her book also shows that the rules for writing a knockout mystery remain the same: compelling characters, a vivid setting, an absorbing story.”
A reformed public relations executive who won international awards for her work, Kendall lives in Texas with her Canadian-born husband, three house rabbits and spaniel Wills. She has degrees in Russian and Soviet history, and her book titles show she’s a Bob Dylan buff.
Related Links
https://www.facebook.com/KayKendallAuthor
http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/
Advance Praise
“Determined to clear a close friend who’s suspected of murdering a popular feminist leader, Austin Starr struggles to balance family and personal independence. Vivid detail of the 1960s and a clever plot make Rainy Day Women an outstanding follow-up to Kay Kendall’s strong debut, Desolation Row. Austin Starr is a memorable protagonist, and Kendall’s skill at crafting a compelling mystery kept me turning the pages!”
- Robert Rotstein, author of The Bomb Maker’s Son and Corrupt Practices
“Kay Kendall’s second Austin Starr mystery will have you believing it’s 1969 all over again. In a book where the musical references mean you’ll find yourself humming tunes now known as ‘classic vinyl,’ Kendall peppers her work with references to the times which make the decades disappear – and she respects her readers enough to not overdo it. Her sense of place as she allows the mystery to unfold within Vancouver’s University of British Columbia, beset by the rain for which the ‘wet’ coast is known, is pitch perfect. Hot diggity - a thoroughly enjoyable read. Now I’m off to dig out my Bob Dylan albums and find an old bra I can burn.”
- Cathy Ace, author of The Cait Morgan Mysteries and the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries
“Feminism, the ‘60s, murder, and a friend in big trouble. Austin Starr is back to help, leaving her husband behind but bringing her baby along. Rainy Day Women is an entertaining and fast-paced mystery set in a turbulent time. Right on!”
- Bill Crider, Texas author
