Wrongdoings
Based: 1943 – Winton, Southland, New Zealand
About the book:
Marine Randolph Harrington, the charismatic and handsome saxophonist of a visiting United States Marines jazz band, is found murdered by the banks of the Ōreti River.
Detective Inspector John MacBride is about to retire, and the complex murder investigation is the last thing he needs. He has his own demons, the after-effects of fighting with the NZ Expeditionary Force in WWI. The highly respected investigator fears he’ll break down before he can solve the case with only his inexperienced Detective Constable and two old-school Detectives from Dunedin to help.
Outright hostility and red herrings clutter their investigation but there’s no bigger obstacle than Lieutenant-Colonel Warren, the murdered Marine’s bullish commanding officer, determined to protect the reputation of the US Marines at all costs. Marine Harrington has left behind a string of broken hearts and stories of contraband activities while he was in Southland. His fellow band members offer differing accounts of Harrington’s character, while the besotted young women with whom Harrington was involved have their own stories to tell.
Will Detective Inspector MacBride and his team uncover the murderer before the US Marines return to their South Pacific deployment, and before MacBride’s mental health deteriorates beyond repair?
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About the author:
L A Joye is the pseudonym for mythological fiction writer, Lauren Sleeman as she ventures into the world of writing crime fiction, another long-time passion of hers.
Many of the themes in her books reflect the insight and experience she gained in her work as a Jungian Psychotherapist. Born in Southland and proud of her southern roots, Lauren wrote Wrongdoings as a homage to the influences of the south she grew up with. After spending some years living in both Sydney and Auckland, she moved back to her childhood holiday home in the picturesque location of Wānaka, New Zealand/Aotearoa where she writes fulltime.