BooksChatter: ☀ Born To Die: Detective Al Warner [2]

Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for Born To Die, a Suspense novel by George A. Bernstein (18 October 2015, GnD Publishing LLC, 416 pages).

This is the second book in the Detective Al Warner series.

Don't miss our interview with author George A. Bernstein.

PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and excerpt below. Read the first thirteen chapters with Amazon Look Inside.

Born To Die is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owner's Lending Library.

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Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | Author Q&A | About the Author | Tour Stops

Synopsis

Too many infant boys of Palm Beach gentry are dying of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Only obstetrics nurse, Casey Jansson, is suspicious.

Al Warner, crack Miami Homicide detective, is inactive, languishing on medical leave after a deadly shootout with a serial killer, “The Angel of Death.” He’s in the best physical condition of his life, but is struggling to convince the Department’s shrink he is not suffering from PTSD.

Warner meets Casey at a local pub. They are attracted to each other, but misreading the other’s body language, remain reserved. Learning of the SIDS deaths from Casey, Warner concedes it sounds more than coincidental, but can find no obvious Motive or Opportunity. However, he agrees to help investigate, hoping romance develops later.

Casey’s obsession eventually tangles her in mortal danger. Only Warner can save her, if he can figure out where she went, and get there in time.

Teaser: Excerpt

PROLOGUE

      “Metro-Dade Police, Sergeant Avila.”
      Rico Avila rubbed his eyes and stretched, bored by a day full of checking in petty criminals and answering nuisance calls. Just thirty minutes left before he could bug out and hoist a couple of cold ones at La Isla.
      “Detective Al Warner, please. This is Senator Ian Barker.”
      A firm, authoritative voice, laced with stress… or maybe fear? Avilla hitched around in his swivel chair, sitting a little straighter, adjusting his headset over thick, curly hair.
      “I’m sorry sir, but he’s not… uh… available.”
      “When do you expect him?” The voice cracking, sounding desperate now.
      “Oh Jeez, Senator, he’s still officially inactive, sir. On medical leave. Don’t know when he’ll be back.”
      “The Baby Butcher thing? It’s been two months. I didn’t realize he was so badly injured.”
      “Yes, sir. That bullet cracking his skull put him in a coma for six weeks. Can I get you his partner?”
      “Who’s that?”
      “Acting Chief of Detectives, Jack Harris.” Rico ran a finger down the directory, finding the right extension.
      “I’ve got to talk to someone. I thought… well, Warner seemed the best…”
      “Jack Harris has been his partner forever, sir. He’s top flight.”
      “All right. He’ll have to do.”
      “Yes sir. Just a moment, please.” He put the call on hold and buzzed the direct line in Detectives.
      “Harris.”
      “Jack, I got Senator Barker on the phone, looking for Warner. Sounds… scared.”
      “Well, don’t keep him waiting. Put him through.”
      “Right.” He switched lines. “I’ve got Detective Harris for you, sir,” making the connection.
      “Detectives. Jack Harris speaking.”
      “This is Senator Ian Barker.”
      “Yes sir. How can I help you?”
      “I’m… I’m not sure. I… I think my daughter is missing.”
      Terrific! Are you just guessing? And why are you calling homicide? The wiry little cop clicked his ballpoint, sliding over a pad of yellow lined paper.
      “Missing, sir? What d’ya mean?”
      “My daughter, Ann. Eighteen. Supposed to start U of Miami this fall, but never showed up. We’re worried sick.”
      “Wow, I see why you’re concerned. When did you last see her?”
      “Four days ago, when she left to move in on campus.”
      “She wasn’t gonna commute, seeing you live in Miami?”
      “No. She craved the full college experience, I guess. She wanted to make it, so to speak, on her own.”
      “Okay. Have you checked with her friends? Or maybe her potential college roommate, if she had one?”
      “Yes, but with no answers. Her best friend, Willa Carpenter, talked with her the day she left, but thought she was at school. She didn’t have a roommate on campus yet. At least none we know of.”
      “Any chance she just took off on her own? Maybe withdrew some cash from her bank account?”
      Kidnapped? Certainly a good candidate. A U.S. senator and a big time real estate magnet. Maybe our bailiwick after all.
      “I suppose it’s possible. I didn’t think to check the bank, but we just don’t believe she’d do something like that without us knowing. As I indicated, she’s quite independent. To a damned fault, I’m afraid.”
      “I’m not trying to be judgmental, sir, but do you mean rebellious? If I’m gonna help you, you need to be frank.”
      “I… I understand. She is still a teenager, after all. Aren’t they all rebels at that age?”
      “I guess. Don’t have any of my own, to judge. Mind if I ask why you waited four days to report her missing? We only require 48 hours for missing persons.”
      “We didn’t want to create a public flap, if it were something innocent. We try to keep our family out of the press, but now we’re really scared.”
      “We’ll be discreet, but I gotta know what I’m working with. If she just a runaway, or did somebody snatch her?”
      “Okay.” A lengthy sigh. “I’ve got no other choice. Yes, she can be difficult. My wife and I are busy people. We’ve probably not paid Ann the attention she would have liked.”
      “I gotta ask, sir. Does she do any drugs?” Why is this always like pulling teeth? They want help but don’t give you anything to make it easier. Harris doodled on the lined pad, dissipating his frustration.
      “Uhh… yes. A bit of Marijuana, and lately, some social cocaine. We sent her to a… uhh… clinic during the summer to dry out. I’m not sure that didn’t make her angrier. You know, believing she’d been sent off as punishment. We were only trying to help, but…”
      “Yeah. So she may be a runaway?”
      “Yes, I suppose. But that doesn’t make us any less terrified something bad may have happened to her. Regardless, we want her back. We’ll do whatever it takes to make things right with her.”
      Harris printed “ANN BARKER ??” at the top of a fresh page, and then dropped the pen, with nothing else to add.
      “Okay. If you can get me some recent photos, we’ll distribute copies to all the patrol cops, and the newspapers. Maybe we’ll….”
      “No! No press!”
      The detective suppressed a groan. “But the public can be one of our best tools, if she’s just run off. Maybe a reward… ?”
      “No press, I said! I keep my family private. I’ll have photos for you this afternoon. Do your best with that. It’s not just me I’m worried about. The publicity can ruin her life if she shows up in… uhh… compromising circumstances. I don’t want that for her.”
      “Whatever you say, sir. It just makes things harder for us, but I understand your caution. Get me the photos, ASAP, and we’ll get going. I’ll do my best to play it close to the vest, Senator, but you gotta be prepared for a leak. I can't guarantee it won’t happen.”
      “Yes, I know.” An agonized sigh. “Do what you can. We want her home, safely and undamaged, if possible. She’s our only child, and… you know….”
      “Yes sir. I sure do. In the meantime, if you learn anything else, or think of something, no matter how small, let me know. It’s the little, seemingly unimportant things that often solve tough cases.”
      “I will. I’ll call a messenger service immediately to send the photos. You’ll… you’ll keep me informed?”
      “You bet. Keep your chin up, sir. We’ll find her.”
      “Thank you. I hope you’re right Detective.”
      Jack Harris massaged the bridge of his considerable nose after hanging up.
      We’ll find her, alright. I just hope she’s still breathing.
      He rang the duty officer. “Avila, organize a meeting of the patrol officers first thing tomorrow. We got a missing celeb, probably a runaway. I’ll have photos. Absolutely no leaks to the press. You got that?”
      “Sure, Jack. I’ll have everybody there. No mention of Ann Barker?”
      “You eavesdropping again, Rico?”
      “How else would I know what’s going on around here.”
      They were chuckling as they hung up. Harris wished Al Warner were there.
      No one was better on the really tough cases. Warner was the sole reason that lunatic, Leordano, wasn’t still killing children, but it almost cost him his own life.
      If I hadn’t tracked him down in the ‘Glades that day… Lucky I got there in time.He sighed again.
      Jack was already working two cases, but they were about to take a back shelf to a missing teenager. U.S. senators got priority.

Born To Die
Available NOW!

The Series: Detective Al Warner

Click on the book cover to Look Inside the book on Amazon and read an excerpt.

Death's Angel [1]

*FREE on Kindle Unlimited**

The second serial killer in less than a year is prowling the streets of Miami, systematically killing off some of South Florida's most beautiful young women. Detective Al Warner is just back on The Job, fully recovered from a bullet wound that cracked his skull during a deadly chance encounter with another madman.

Due to rigorous rehabilitation, Warner is in the best physical shape of his life, but his days are laced with headaches and his sleep fraught with terrifying dreams. Lack of rest clouds his usually laser-sharp mind but doesn’t slow his single-minded hunt for this new killer.

Warner and the FBI’s BAU become more frustrated as each new death provides plenty of evidence it’s the same Unsub, but no new clues to his identity. They learn the killers name, Angie Dedios, and eventually realizes it’s really “Angel de Dios”… the Angel of God… but they are helpless as more beauties die with no new leads as to this deadly “angel’s” real identity. Then Warner’s love, Sharon Clark, becomes a target for this mad man, and Warner must stop him before she is his 8th victim.

Only chance again brings them all together in one final deadly dance of terror.

[Published 14 November 2014, 314 pages]

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About the Author

George A. Bernstein is the retired President of a Chicago small appliance company, now living in south Florida.

Born to Die is the 2nd in his Detective Al Warner Suspense series, following Death’s Angel, a 5-Star reviewed novel. Two more are already in the works.

Bernstein’s first novel, Trapped, was a winner in a publisher’s “Next Great American Novel” contest, and has gained mostly 5-Star reviews at Amazon and Goodreads while becoming an Amazon Top 100 Novel. His 2nd novel, A 3rd Time to Die (A paranormal Romantic Suspense), also has almost all 5-Star Reviews, with one reader likening him to the best, less “spooky” works of Dean Koontz & Stephen King.

He’s also a “World-class” fly-fisherman, recently catching his 13th fly rod IGFA World Records, and has published Toothy Critters Love Flies (www.pikeflyguy.com), the complete book on fly-fishing for pike & musky.

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