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DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD NOMINEE

"A riveting period puzzler, filled with history, mystery, and romance." —Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series

Book 2 in the enthralling Dr. Genevieve Summerford mystery series.

As Dr. Genevieve Summerford watches from the docks, the body of a young Italian woman is pulled from the East River, dampening the city's Independence Day festivities. Although the police suspect random violence, when Genevieve is asked to help find another young Italian woman who's gone missing, she wonders if something more sinister might be afoot.

Desperate to find the missing woman before she too meets a grisly end, Genevieve must rely on all of her skills as a psychiatrist—both to understand the mind of a cunning predator, and to help the victims he's left behind. But none of her training can prepare her for what happens when she herself is captured, bringing the case much closer to home than she'd ever anticipated.

Praise For…

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"...Overholt delivers satisfying plot twists, and her themes of immigration-fueled tensions and crimes against women are well researched and timely." — Publishers Weekly

"Overholt's second...is an impressive, wonderful read and a great continuation for the first book...powerful writing is combined with hardcore emotion and a serious mystery, creating a book that is very hard to put down." — RT Book Reviews

"This book is absorbing on many levels, starting with the research into the life of immigrants in early 20th-century New York. This is revealed strategically so it never distracts the reader. It has a complex plot peopled with characters that have depth, humor and essential believability. It has an understated romance that lightens the mood. But its most unique aspect is the understanding of human emotions and the behaviors they engender. The writer exposes the wounds suffered by the women kidnapped into white slavery that go far deeper and are much more lasting than the physical. A book to enjoy, but also to make one think. A keeper." — Historical Novels Review

"The second installment in the Dr. Genevieve Summerford Mystery series is just as delightful as the first. Overholt continues to write historical mysteries that resonate into 21st century." — Cedar Rapids Gazette

"Our resourceful shrink dives into the case in a story that features plenty of absorbing period research and...a puzzle to hold the reader’s interest. " — The Toronto Star

"A Promise of Ruin offers readers a tantalizing dish of murder, mystery, romance, and humor served with a dark history that’s as relevant today as it was in early 20th century New York City. Ms. Overholt infuses historical detail into her work with a deft master’s touch. Fans of A Deadly Affection will welcome this addition to psychiatrist Dr. Genevieve Summerford’s canon." — V.S. Alexander, author of The Magdalen Girls

"Set against the historical backdrop of a city teeming with immigrants, Overholt's second reveals the evils of a heinous trade that still goes on today. " — Kirkus Reviews