A Justified Bitch: A Las Vegas Mystery

(Paperback)

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Description

It takes a guilty bastard to make a justified bitch.

When a severed finger shows up on her doorstep in a seedy section of Las Vegas, Helen Taylor does not freak out. Shes already crazy, as evidenced by her junk-stuffed house and its ever-growing population of cats. Theres also Bobby, her long-dead husband. Helen talks to him regularly, and Bobby talks back.

The finger and the brutal murder it reveals are more than a hoarding cat lady with a phantom husband can ignore. Helens a suspect, and she ends up in jail. Summoned by the detective on the case, Helens sister Pat arrives from Phoenix with two teen-age boys in tow.

While Helen is AWOL from a mental facility, another gruesome murder is discovered. Pat, the boys, and the detective struggle to separate fact from insanity, but it takes power beyond the ordinary to bring the truth to light.

Reviews

"When a mentally ill woman is the only witness to a murder, her family rallies around her even though it means running all over Las Vegas in this hard-hitting but affectionate debut...Fast-paced, funny, and grittythe perfect read for lounging by a casino pool."--Kirkus Reviews

"A Justified Bitch by H.G. McKinnis is great for teens, adults, and anyone who wants a great read on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Its also great for those who love to solve the mystery before the book ends. It took a different twist than I expected, so good luck to you sleuths out there!"--Anna Riley, Reader Views

"An insightful, delightful, madcap read. The story is as much a look into the issues of mental illness as it is a mystery. But Helen, and how she tries to cope with her issues is, for me, the best part of the book. She is a terrific character and I was hooked right from the first chapter." --Marian Misters, SLEUTH of Baker Street, bookseller

"One of the most intriguing aspects of the book -- besides its unexpected humor -- is the thread of mental illness depicted...But its also about murder, how families work or dont work and healing, all deftly woven into the fabric of an intriguing whole." John Przybys, Las Vegas Review-Journal

"From its swap-meet beginning and its too-real emotions to its funky title, H.G. McKinnis debut novel is rooted in the real Las Vegas.--Desiree Sheck, Desert Companion KNPR Magazine

"The true story here is one of a sister helping a sister, a mother-and-child-reunion, and a woman on the road to recoveryThe novel captures Helens condition, and her dead-husband repartee, with a lightness that belies the real-life notion of a woman so far gone that police reel away from her body odor. This sets an early tone for a murder mystery full of chuckles and lovable characters, though the novel grows more serious as it progresses."Leia Menlove, Foreword Reviews

McKinnis really knows how to tell an story and she knows how to build full portraits of the people in her story. I loved the characters, the plot, the Old Las Vegas vibe, and the books message of recovery and redemption.--Ruth Mormon, RoadTripAmerica.com

"With a deft hand and a light touch, H.G. McKinnis takes us on a wild Vegas ride, tempering the mischief with a poignant tour through mental illness." -- Deborah Coonts, author of the Lucky OToole Vegas Adventure Series

A Justified Bitch is an engaging mystery with dark humor and witty repartee between characters.--Diane Taylor, Living-Las-Vegas.com

"H.G. McKinnis has given us a captivating story populated with charming neurotics, psychotics, crooks, cons, cops and lost souls." -- Casandra Firman, author of One Christmas in Old Tascosa

"A Justified Bitch is a justified good read." Brian Rouff, author of The House Always Wins

In this brilliant tale of mental illness, murder, and families ties, H.G. McKinnis captures life on the side of Las Vegas tourists seldom see and throws light on the often misunderstood phenomenon of hoarding. Suspenseful, funny, moving, and inspiring, A Justified Bitch is well-crafted and engaging from beginning to end. Megan Edwards, author of Getting off on Frank Sinatra

Author Bio

A life-long resident of Las Vegas and alumna of the University of Nevada, H.G. McKinnis knows her city as only a local can. By night, she fluffs feathers and attaches rhinestones to the exotic wardrobes of the most glamorous venues on the strip, by day McKinnis writes about the often hardscrabble lives of her fellow desert denizens and the unlikely city they inhabit. A Justified Bitch, a twisted tale of insanity, murder, and redemption, is her first novel.