Private Lies

All her life, Midwest restaurateur Sydney Richardson has been searching for answers about her past. Now, in this riveting thriller, the truth hits home—with a vengeance. Billy Tremble thought he had finally made it out of the skids. He was happy to share his good fortune with his less fortunate friends . . . and that’s why he ended up dead. Sydney Richardson’s enjoying a rare night out in her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, when she learns that one of her friends has been shot. Rick Sheffield thought he was staking out a drug deal; turns out he had a front-row seat to a million-dollar cash drop gone wrong. Meanwhile, at a construction site across town, a young vagrant is killed execution-style after spreading some serious wealth among his street friends. Sydney sees no reason to link the shootings—until the money disappears from the evidence locker, resulting in the release of the suspect in the first shooting and the suspension of the detective investigating the second. Determined to connect the dots herself, Sydney uncovers evidence of a massive conspiracy tying a respectable local family to the Chicago underworld. But what frightens her most is the fact that the trail of blood leads to the decades-old cold case that has haunted Sydney’s every move: her father’s murder. Don’t miss any of the gripping Hush Money mysteries from T. E. Woods: HUSH MONEY | BAD GIRL | PRIVATE LIES And look for the Justice series: THE FIXER | THE RED HOT FIX | THE UNFORGIVABLE FIX | FIXED IN BLOOD | FIXED IN FEAR | DEAD END FIX Praise for the first Sydney Richardson novel, Hush Money “A sleek, delicious new mystery novel . . . With a smorgasbord of suspects and friends, a main course of action and suspense, and a side order of hot romance, T. E. Woods has delivered the perfect menu for the most discerning mystery lovers. I can’t wait for a second helping. Bon appétit!”—Tom Savage, USA Today bestselling author of the Nora Baron series “Told with skill and gritty sympathy for its imperiled characters . . . Hush Money is a compelling look into a strong-willed woman looking out for her own in the face of evil. Woods is the real deal.”—Tom Shawver, author of the Rare Book Mystery series “Veteran crime writer and clinical psychologist T. E. Woods serves up a rich cast of characters, myriad motives, and a complex plot, making Hush Money deeply satisfying.”—Eve Karlin, author of City of Liars and Thieves