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Stiletto

A Novel

Published by She Writes Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Stiletto is a timely, fast-paced, feminine mystery told in two diverse voices—a tense, erotic duet between the sharp, intuitive Detective Anna Crane and her prime suspect, the brilliant biochemist Eleanor Kiernan. Both women are haunted by the tragic loss of a sibling, but Kiernan’s twin brother died of an overdose of the opiate she helped to create.
When a Big Pharma exec, Leo Cushman, is fatally stabbed, there are many other suspects: Obliterate Opiates activists, a disinherited ex-wife and stepson, a secret lover, an addict vowing vengeance. But Detective Crane prioritizes investigating Kiernan in her first high-profile case, even as she is unexpectedly drawn to her suspect. Can an antagonist also be an ally? Can a young detective be seduced by a murderer?
A cinematic, stylish psychological thriller, Stiletto is a suspenseful cross between the sensual obsessions of Killing Eve and the compelling drama of the award-winning TV series Dopesick that exposes the greed of Big Pharma and its guilt in marketing an opiate that kills over 100,000 a year. But the real mystery in Stiletto is what its two protagonists discover as its twisting plot unfolds—about the real crime and about themselves.

About The Author

Brenda Peterson is the critically acclaimed author of more than twenty-three books, including five novels—one of which, Duck and Cover (Harper Collins), was a New York Times “Notable Book of the Year” and hailed as a “wicked, black comedy.” Her recent memoir, I Want to Be Left Behind, was selected as a “Top Ten Best Non-Fiction” book by the Christian Science Monitor and an Indie Next “Great Read,” by Independent Booksellers. Her latest nonfiction book, Wolf Nation: The Life, Death, and Return of Wild American Wolves, was chosen as a “Best Conservation Book of the Year” by Forbes magazine. Her children’s books include Wild Orca, Catastrophe by the Sea, and the art book, Crane Maiden. Her commentaries have appeared on NPR and in The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Tikkun, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Oprah magazine. She resides in Seattle, Washington.

Product Details

  • Publisher: She Writes Press (May 30, 2023)
  • Length: 272 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781647424312

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Raves and Reviews

“Big Pharma and Big Tech in the glamorous and rainy landscape of Seattle make a fertile backdrop for crime and for the promising young detective, Anna Crane’s, first case tracking her elusive, prime suspect, Eleanor Kiernan. In this very fine, enthralling novel, Peterson is expert with details of murder, and with the intricate human relationships that make her characters triumphantly alive.”
—Diane Johnson, author Le Marriage and Le Divorce

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR:

For DUCK AND COVER

“A hauntingly funny writer . . . the balance she strikes is almost hypnotic.”
Los Angeles Times

“A bittersweet and utterly beguiling novel.”
Publishers Weekly

“Peterson would seem to hold out just about as much hope for the family as she does the planet.”
New York Times “Notable Book of the Year”

“The eccentric MacKenzies are a triumph of warmth, problems, complexity, and their concerns are so truly of our time . . . delightful and absorbing.”
—Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce

Praise for I Want to Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth:

“This loving, luminous portrait of an irresistibly intriguing family is told by the one who doesn’t fit in.”
—Sy Montgomery, author of The Good, Good Pig

“Unusually affecting and radiant . . . Witty, enrapturing account of a spiritual journey of great relevance to us all.”
Booklist, starred review

“It is a rich and often lovely life—full of humor and Peterson’s own unique brand of faith.”
Los Angeles Times

“Blends her unique autobiography with compassionate and level-headed observations about family, food, religion, life, and our relationships with living things.”
Kirkus Reviews




Praise for ANIMAL HEART:

“Brenda Peterson weaves a haunting love story into a fast-moving plot. Animal Heart is based on facts that are terrifyingly true, and it captures the exquisite beauty of a world that we are devastating and destroying, piece by piece. Please read it.”
—Jane Goodall, author of Reason for Hope

“One can hardly imagine a more heartfelt work or a more unusual love story than this one. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.”
Library Journal

Praise for THE DROWNING WORLD:





“Amazing and haunting, The Drowning World exceeds the grasp of The Golden Compass in its themes and imaginative reach. A wonderful novel.”

—Marion Copeland, book critic at Nature in Legend and Story

“Peterson’s glorious imagination is oceanic—it quickly lures you deep beneath its waves while time evaporates.”
—Diane Ackerman, The Zookeeper’s Wife

Praise for RIVER OF LIGHT

“Brenda Peterson’s deep understanding of country people and the land that is the life and spirit to them, the lovely way she weaves her tale, shows she is writer to watch.”
Publishers Weekly

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