Meet Laci Kicklighter

There’s a new sexy detective on the block, and I want you to meet her. The name? Laci Kicklighter. And believe me, she’s going to light a fire under you for damn sure.

I’ve been looking forward to this week for months. That’s because the very first Laci Kicklighter novella, The Simple Art of Lust, hit Amazon (at just $.99!), and now the rest of you can enjoy Laci Kicklighter as much as I have. You see, I got a sneak peek of the book last month (hence why my blurb is all over the marketing material), and I’ve been dying to tell everyone all about it.

Laci is the owner of Secret Sins Inc., a detective agency in modern day Dallas-Ft. Worth. She’s what writers from another era might call a “statuesque blonde,” but that doesn’t take into account all her other attributes. She’s smart, sexy, and not at all the wilting violet. Laci Kicklighter can handle her shit (plus lots of other people’s, if you know what I mean). And what Sherlock would be complete without her Watson? In this case, Laci has two. The first is her mystery writer husband, Ballard, who insists upon keeping a bed in her office for “conjugal visits” when she’s on a case. The second is her assistant/secretary, Capri, who calling “sexually liberated” would be the understatement of the century. The firm’s motto is, “We get the secrets you want and keep the secrets you have.” And boy, let me tell you–there are some doozies in this first book.

The Simple Art of Lust

The Simple Art of Lust revolves around a murdered pastor and a kinky artist named Hedy Kuntsler. Kunstler’s work is a riff off Yves Klein from back in the swinging 60s. But instead of making art by rolling a bunch of pretty girls around in some paint, Kunstler actually does the naughty in the process. Laci is drawn into the case when the pastor’s family hires her to get back the painting he made with Kunstler the night he was murdered. And, as we would hope, things spiral outward into even sexier territory from there.

To be fair, Mandy Valentine (the creator of Laci Kicklighter) had me right off the bat with the title. It’s a clear riff off Raymond Chandler’s famous essay, “The Simple Art of Murder,” but it’s also a ridiculously appropriate title for the book. Raymond Chandler (and his P.I. Philip Marlowe) was my first great love of the Detective Noir, and more than a few elements from The Big Sleep found its way into my first novel, The Money Shot. So I feel safe in saying we’re a couple of kindred spirits in that respect.

I also feel safe in recommending The Simple Art of Lust to anyone out there who might have enjoyed my own peculiar blend of erotica and murder. I read it, I loved it, and I’m pretty sure you will too. Mandy is a kick-ass writer in her own right. And what’s more, this won’t be the only Laci Kicklighter tale. There are another novella and a full novel in the works as well, so you won’t have long to wait for your next fix.

And Who Doesn’t Love a Good Freebie?

Finally, Ms. Valentine is offering a FREE short story if you sign up for her newsletter. It’s called, The Bullet That Hit Its Mark, and it’s a prelude to The Simple Art of Lust where Laci meets and hires Capri. There’s also a case of an errant AirTag a suspicious wife needs back, which leads to some other compromising situations (as one would hope for in in an erotic mystery). To get it, just sign up for Mandy’s monthly newsletter (about midway down the main page of her website). Easy-peasy.

If you’re a fan of erotic mystery, then you’re going to love Mandy Valentine’s Laci Kicklighter series. You owe it to yourself to pick up her new title and, at the very least, snag that freebie. This one has my highest recommendation.