Carolyn Mello

Murder Once Removed Carolyn Mello

When Sam Anderson meets Celeste D'Angelo in 1969, he charms her with his virile magnetism. Once the ring is on her finger, she discovers she married a "red-neck control freak" who is driven by "testosterone crazed" behavior. Sam uses emotional blackmail to control Celeste. Celeste wants to pursue an education and a career more than her marriage, but Sam is determined to continue the Anderson name and have a son.

After four years of marriage, Celeste feels trapped and betrayed. She decides it's time to hit the road; she packs a bag and writes a note to Sam saying that she's leaving. Before she can escape; however, Sam returns home unexpectedly--and Celeste disappears.

When Celeste "turns up missing," in Sam's words, Detective Doyle Holiday is wary from the beginning. Sam no longer controls Celeste nor himself. Is he a victim of circumstantial evidence or a mastermind of deception? Something just doesn't sit right with Holiday. Holiday is torn between Sam's story and his suspicions as he doggedly pursues a hunch in this Texas thriller.