The Vanished Priestess

by Meredith Blevins

• ISBN13: 9780765307804
• ISBN10: 0765307804
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2004-10-01
• Publisher: Forge Books

Summary

The indomitable Annie Szabo has lost too many friends and loved ones, so the death of Margo Spanger hits hard. Margo, Annie's neighbor, was a cultural icon with money and fame. Maybe too much. She used one of her projects, a New Age circus, to fund a women's shelter. When Margo's partner, Lili, goes missing the day of Margo's death, the circus and shelter fall into disarray. It turns Annie's world upside down, too. Her daughter is a resident of the women's shelter and could become the next victim. More trouble: Annie's mother-in-law, the Gypsy fortune-teller Madame Mina, plants her trailer in Annie's yard with a vengeance, right next to Annie's pet giraffes.Aided by an ex-cop and Mina's plant medicine, Annie uncovers Margo's past. She'd rattled the power elite, a trapeze flier, one jealous lover, a captain of industry, a long-lost son, and an ice-blond philanthropist. As Annie delves into their surprisingly tangled lives, one thing becomes clear---the killer is a master of disguises, and time is running out. However, when Annie and Madame Mina stop arguing long enough to put their heads together, the truth can't hide. Meredith Blevins, author of the acclaimed novel The Hummingbird Wizard, continues the tale of the juicy Szabo family women. They learn that, under or outside the big top, anything and everything may be an illusion. Engaging and exotic, sexy and fun, The Vanished Priestess is an unforgettable mystery featuring a heroine who must walk a treacherous tightrope to save a new lover, her home, and her life.

Author Biography

Meredith Blevins is a fifth-generation Californian. She grew up in Los Angeles, and spent her adult life in Northern California. Her fantasy was to write for The National Enquirer and run away with the Gypsies. Instead, she attended college in California, worked as a music therapist, wrote textbook articles, and, following a circuitous path, became a financial columnist. She was an active member of the American Assn. of Business Journalists.

With a push from her family and husband, writer Win Blevins, she made the switch from non-fiction to fiction. Her first novel, The Hummingbird Wizard, garnered praise from the likes of Tony Hillerman, Jonathan Kellerman, Clive Cussler, Loren Estelmen, and Tim Sandlin.

Table of Contents

"In this fine sequel to her highly praised debut, The Hummingbird Wizard, Blevins, a fifth-generation Californian, blends a wild story, wonderful wit, and great characters."--Library Journal on The Vanished Priestess

"Meredith Blevins covers new literary ground...pulling it off with flair and grace and humor."
---Jonathan Kellerman on The Hummingbird Wizard

"If you don't fall in love with the Szabos, you don't have hormones. A sublime debut whose sequel can't come fast enough."
---Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on The Hummingbird Wizard

"An exciting debut. Blevins has written a thoroughly original first novel with characters you'll never forget."
---Tony Hillerman on The Hummingbird Wizard

"Fascinating gypsy lore, unforgettable characters, and a wicked sense of humor distinguish Blevins's highly unusual mystery debut....This stellar first, with its assured prose, will delight any mystery fan."
---Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Hummingbird Wizard

"Blevins flavors her lively prose with frequent humor and unexpected twists; readers will also be drawn in by the riveting characters, great plot, and insights into Gypsy culture."
---Library Journal (starred review) on The Hummingbird Wizard

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