With only 30 days to find the real killer…
Rick and girlfriend Laura risk their lives tracking key suspects who had motives to kill…
The Zen Man: Semifinalist Best Indie Books 2012
“Move over Sam Spade, Nick and Nora; make room for a Denver who-dun-it, Colleen Collins’s The Zen Man. Brilliant and fast-paced writing. I couldn’t put it down.”
~ Donnell Ann Bell,
award-winning author of The Past Came Hunting
Until a horrific murder lands private eye Rick Levine in the slammer on first-degree charges…
Rick and girlfriend Laura risk their lives tracking key suspects who had motives to kill…
“I loved every word of The Zen Man.”
~ Delores Fossen, USA Today bestselling author
“Move over Sam Spade, Nick and Nora; make room for a Denver who-dun-it, Colleen Collins’s, The Zen Man. Brilliant and fast-paced writing. I couldn’t put it down.
~ Donnell Ann Bell, award-winning author of The Past Came Hunting
It’s great to wake up and find several readers loved your book. Not only loved it, but took the time to write reviews, too. One reviewer, mystery writer Nancy Wood, had informed me she’d be posting a review. The other was a surprise.
I’ll excerpt Nancy Wood’s review below.
THE ZEN MAN by Colleen Collins is a tightly-written fast-paced mystery. It’s fun to read: from the cover to the chapter heads, it’s stylized, smart, and sassy, making for an engaging read. Rick Levine, the Zen Man, is a disbarred criminal defense attorney turned PI who’s been clean and sober for five years. His girlfriend, Laura, purchased a lodge outside of Denver and turned it into a B&B. For the grand opening, they’re hosting the Colorado Criminal Defense Association’s annual retreat. Fifty-five attorneys are due, and the first one to appear is Rick’s ex-wife, affectionately known as Wicked.
When Wicked is found dead in one of the natural hot pools, Rick is the primary and the only suspect. But he claims innocence, and when Laura posts bail by putting up the lodge, Rick knows he has to find the culprit. As soon as he makes bail, he and Laura start the investigation by interviewing as many of the attendees as they can, from crooked attorneys to those with shady pasts to a judge with something to hide. There are a lot of suspects to choose from, but the police always seem to prefer Rick.
What pulls this mystery a cut above is that it’s clearly written by someone who knows her PI stuff. And her Zen masters, from the Buddha to Jerry Garcia to Nick Charles (The Thin Man). Rick is a complicated man, tormented by demons that he used to keep in check with drugs and alcohol. Now he turns to mantras and root beer for solace.
To read the full review, click here. Reviewer Nancy Wood is the author of Due Date.
September 12 and 13: How Do Private Eyes Do That? will be free on Amazon.
“A must have for any writer serious about crafting authentic private eyes. Collins knows her stuff.”
- Lori Wilde, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Real-life private investigator Colleen Collins spills the beans.”
~The Thrilling Detective
“Let’s just say the technology of the Kindle Fire takes this book to a new level, giving you insight on how to do deep searches, purchasing spy equipment, and links to must know web sites and blogs to give you the inside scoop of being a PI.” ~ Kipp Poe Speicher
"A fantastic read from start to finish. Reminded me a great deal of the works of Robert Crais and Robert B Parker." ~MacKenzie Brown
December 6, 2011: Beth Groundwater's Blog: "When Writing a Whodunit, Think of Dear ol’ MOM (Motive, Opportunity and Means)"
December 18, 2011: The Thrilling Detective: "Props and Peeves! Private Eye Stories from a Real-Life Private Eye"
January 14, 2012: Interview w/ Colleen at Chatterrific
February 3, 2012: Coffee Time Romance: The Zen Man-Read It, Wear It
February 14, 2012 Terry's Place: Lust, Ethics, and the Private Eye
February 17, 2012 Savvy Authors: Tips from a PI-Tracking the Bad Guys in Stories
February 27, 2012 Elizabeth A White blog: Do Private Eyes Solve Murders?
February 28, 2012 Book Reviews by Elizabeth A White: The Zen Man
March 8, 2012: Coffee Time Romance: 13 Private Detective Couples in Books and Film
March 10, 2012 StoreyBook Reviews: Interview and Review
March 22, 2012 Minding Spot: Book Review
April 17, 2012 Fresh Fiction: 5 Hot Private Eye Heroes
April 24, 2012 Savvy Authors: Tips from a PI: Writing a Sleuth Who Finds Missing Persons
May 18, 2012 Novel Rocket: Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make at a Crime Scene
May 2012 Mrs. Mommy's Booknerd's Reviews: Book Review
June 18, 2012 Jersey Girl Book Reviews: Be Your Own Investigator: Four Free Online Resources
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Thanks, Cameron.