Any Time The Hunter: A Detective Jane Sharpe Mystery

By Zara Altair

In the tranquil vineyards of Sonoma, a murder disrupts the serene landscape. Detective Jane Sharpe is called to the scene where Jim Norton, a private investigator, lies dead with his throat slashed. As Jane delves into the lives of the reclusive vineyard residents, she discovers a community steeped in secrecy and silent confrontations.

Jane's investigation leads her through a maze of hidden grudges and past dealings. Bill Hunter, a bounty hunter with a rugged outdoorsman façade, offers cryptic insights, while Kendra Sansome, a private chef and Norton’s close friend, reveals the quieter, more complex side of the victim. Each resident, from the enigmatic landlord Kyle Woods to the observant Dave Longview, holds a piece of the puzzle.

As Jane uncovers clues amidst the sun-drenched vines and eerie oak groves, she’s drawn into a deeper mystery involving hidden motives, human trafficking, and unexpected alliances. Confronting the realities of nature, from prowling mountain lions to venomous rattlesnakes, she must navigate through both the physical and metaphorical wilderness to unmask the killer.

"Any Time The Hunter" is a gripping, fast-paced mystery that blends the bucolic charm of wine country with the dark undercurrents of human nature. Altair’s story promises suspense, intricate character dynamics, and a thrilling resolution that will leave readers contemplating the thin line between hunter and hunted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zara Altair
• Release date: Jun 26, 2024

Book preview

Any Time The Hunter

ANY TIME THE HUNTER

A Detective Jane Sharpe Mystery

ZARA ALTAIR

Fervent Crux Press

Copyright © 2021 by Zara Altair

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Vellum flower icon Created with Vellum

YOUR FREE BOOK IS WAITING

Get a free book.

CONTENTS

1. Grass Roots

2. Knife Skills

3. Lion’s Trail

4. Hornet’s Nest

Coming Soon

Author Note

Also by Zara Altair

About the Author

1

GRASS ROOTS

Detective Jane Sharpe leaned over the coagulated blood on the victim’s throat. She pushed back a strand of dark hair escaping from her ponytail. The early morning September sun hit the back of her neck full force. Bits of dry grass stuck to the victim's neck, and a wasp’s delicate legs picked through the clots. She heard a worker up in the vineyard singing in Spanish.

The dead man was short, maybe 5’7" and rotund. Early forties. Brown hair trimmed short, high-priced running shoes, jeans, t-shirt. No jewelry. No distinguishing marks she could see. A Mr. Ordinary. Except most ordinary people weren’t lying dead in the grass