Dying Declaration: A Legal Thriller by Solange Ritchie | Character Guest Post

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Dying Declaration: A Legal Thriller

by Solange Ritchie

Dying Declaration: A Legal Thriller
3rd in Series
Setting – Florida
Stony Hill Publishers (November 30, 2019)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 248 pages

Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers is FBI Forensic pathologist and special agent with an uncanny sixth sense for bringing murders to justice.

During a vacation in Belize with her young son, Joey, Cat gets a phone call from her boss. Young prostitutes are being picked up, murdered and left for dead in the Florida Everglades. The first victim does not fit the killer’s modus operandi. She was a legal secretary working for the Fort Lauderdale based international law firm, Black and Knight.

As Cat investigates this and other deaths, they lead back to the firm’s henchmen and to its partners. With the help of another firm employee, Cat discovers a secret web of murder, illicit drugs, prostitution, sex trafficking, corruption and more. The firm’s partners intend to kill anyone who can lead the law back to them, including Cat.

As the body count grows, powerful people will make decisions that will change lives. Decisions that will destroy families. As Cat uncovers the conspiracy, only one partner, the mastermind, will become Cat’s ally. She will walk away, after seeing that the others are brought to justice.

Character Guest Post

Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Catherine Powers, although most folks call me Cat. I am an FBI special agent, profiler and a forensic pathologist. I am called in to handle the “worst of the worst” criminal cases in the United States when local authorities are at wits end and need help.

So, a little personal information. I am the mother of a son, Joey, who is 9 years old at the time of this interview. He is quite literally the center of my universe. The hardest thing about my job is being away from him for extended periods of time. He is a smart, fun-loving boy who loves to swim in our pool and play with his Golden Retriever, Max. Joey is an only child which is one of the reasons he and I are so close. The other reason is that 2 years ago, Joey was kidnapped by a madman, that the media dubbed “The Burning Man.” He killed my ex-husband and kidnapped Joey to try to get to me. I will never forget those days and nights searching for him or how it all ended, with “The Burning Man,” whose real name was Eric Dupont, getting away. I was able to bring him to justice about a year later when he resurfaced from hiding.

So, what would you like to know about me? As I mentioned I am a single mother which I find very challenging especially with my career. Like most women, somehow, I make it work, although the stress takes a lot out of me. I love what I do. For me, it is not just a job. It can’t be if you must work 18-to-20-hour days. I am truly driven and dedicated to my work with the FBI. As a scientist and a doctor, I take great care with every detail of a criminal case. Sometimes, it is the little things in a case that make all the difference in the world.

I look at my job as very important. That is because I work with the dead. They can’t tell me by word of mouth how they died, but more often than not, they can show me. I always remember when I am doing an autopsy, that this is someone’s father, or mother, daughter, or son. This person meant something to their loved ones and family members. In doing an autopsy on them, I become their voice and their truth. I also love tracking down the killers. In the case of “Firestorm,” I had not one, but two serial killers to track down. One was my old friend, “The Burning Man.” The other was a serial arsonist hellbent on burning entire Southern California neighborhoods.

In Dying Declaration, I am called in as young prostitutes in South Florida go missing and turn up dead, many found floating in the Everglades. But one of the victims, the first one, doesn’t match the modus operandi. She wasn’t a prostitute but a legal secretary for one of the largest International law firm in the country. I won’t say more, except to say that the firm has its fingers in a lot of criminal activity, everything from sex trafficking to money laundering. I will work tirelessly to find the killer or killers of these young woman and figure out how this law firm is connected to their deaths.

What do I like to do for fun? Well, I am a pretty good cook. Joey adores my famous blueberry pancakes. I also do a mean mac and cheese and standing rib roast. I love to have friends over for big sit-down family style dinners. Good company, good wine, and a few laughs are always great conversation starters. I also love to travel, although with my work, I often am on call. My favorite places in the world are Costa Rica, for its wildlife and jungles and Bahamas for its perfect pink sand beaches. I also took a recent trip to Belize along with Joey. The snorkeling was fabulous. And of course, there is always movie night at our house, where Joey and I make up the craziest popcorn recipes we can think of and just hang out to watch a good movie. His favorite right now is Avatar.

Well, I hope that gives you a little insight into me. Hope you enjoy reading Dying Declaration.

About Solange Ritchie

BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.

Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.

Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:

Author website: http://solangeritchie.com

Legal website: http://solangeritchielaw.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solange.ritchie

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/solange-ritchie-5276486

Twitter: @solangeritchie and @solangeauthor

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