The Jacq of Spades

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Patricia Loofbourrow brings you ...

"... a story that is almost irresistible." SciFi and Scary

A private eye. Four crime families. A scoundrel wants to destroy them.

1899 years after the Catastrophe, Bridges is run by the Mob. As the city's steam-driven infrastructure fails, a new faction rises: the Red Dogs.

22 year old Jacqueline Spadros was kidnapped from her mother's brothel and sold to the Spadros syndicate ten years ago. The murder of her best friend Air that night as he tried to save her from them haunts her nightmares. Now trapped in an unwilling marriage to the city's biggest drug lord, she finds moments of freedom in a small-time private eye business, which she hides in fear of her sadistic father-in-law.

Air's little brother disappears off his back porch and the Red Dogs are framed for it. With the help of a gentleman investigator hired by the Red Dogs to learn the truth, Jacqui pushes her abilities to their limits in hope of rescuing the child before the kidnapper disposes of him.

Dark, gritty, multi-layered Victorian-inspired detective noir that keeps the reader guessing to the very end.

What readers say about The Jacq of Spades:

"... a world of family intrigue combined with feuding households across the four quadrants of Bridges..." June Lorraine Roberts, Murder In Common

"This was the first steampunk book that I've read that I actually really loved." Gabby's Honest Book Reviews

"... an intriguing and compelling read ..." Diana Johnson

"... a first-rate mystery." Clabe Polk Mystery & Adventure

"For rich pageantry and a complex culture navigated by a character who feels she's balanced on the edge between the slums of the Pot and the extravagance of the families, The Jacq of Spades is a hands-down success." Margaret Fisk, Tales To Tide You Over

"Mobsters, corrupt police and a novice private detective. This story was amazing." Allie's Opinions

"... good read for anyone who likes mystery and suspense mixed with science fiction." The Beautyful Word

Lovers of Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Phillip Marlowe, or the Sherlock Holmes mysteries will enjoy this debut novel of the Red Dog Conspiracy series.

This is part 1 of a 13-part serial novel:

The Jacq of Spades <- you are here

The Queen of Diamonds

The Ace of Clubs

The King of Hearts

The Ten of Spades

The Five of Diamonds

The Two of Hearts

The Three of Spades

The Knave of Hearts (coming October 2022)

The Jacq of Spades was part of the first edition of the Dark Humanity science fiction and fantasy box set, which made #8 on the USA Today bestseller list for February 5, 2017, and #5 on the NY Times bestseller list for February 12, 2017.

Over 20,000 copies of The Jacq of Spades have been sold!

Scroll up, buy your copy, and begin the adventure.

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