Bruce Leonard Writer

The audiobook of Quilt City Murders has finally arrived.

Hundreds of potential listeners have asked me when the first Hadley Carroll Mystery, which was named Best Mystery of 2022 in one contest, would be available in audiobook form.

Today's the day, and here's the link:

https://www.amazon.com/Quilt-City-Murders-Carroll-Mysteries/dp/B0DHLWDVFG

I'll let you know when the first sequel, Quilt City: Panic in Paducah, is released as an audiobook. Quilt City: Measure Once, Cut Twice, and Quilt City: Proving a Negative will soon follow as audiobooks.

But today, it's all about Quilt City Murders.

Happy listening.

Quilt City Murders: Hadley Carroll Mysteries, Book 1 Quilt City Murders: Hadley Carroll Mysteries, Book 1

A month from today, on Nov. 2, from 2 to 3:30 pm, I will sign copies of my books at the McCracken County Public Library in Paducah as part of the latest Author Spotlight.

My latest novel, Hard Exit, is my most personal, and I believe my best. This mystery is narrated by grieving private-eye Jack Drake, who lives in a Malibu beach mansion with a gorgeous movie star.

However, he hates his life until an at-risk sixteen-year-old named Game enters it.

Of course, I'll sell and sign copies of the four Hadley Carroll Mysteries and Quilt City Cookbook, which all take place in Paducah.

Quilt City Murders was named Best Mystery of 2022 by the National Indie Excellence Awards, and yet the three sequels are almost universally considered to be better.

I've received many requests for the fifth Hadley Carroll Mystery, Quilt City: Safety Second, which I'm currently writing. With luck, I'll complete it soon-ish.

I hope to see all y'all at the library.

Best,
Bruce

Bruce Leonard Writer Bruce Leonard writes mysteries, including cozy mystery Quilt City Murders, for sale now, and P.I. novel Hard Exit, in 2023. He's also an exceptional editor.

Hello, Readers, Listeners, and Laughers,

Quilt City Cookbook, the funny companion to the award-winning Hadley Carroll Mysteries, is available for free to readers who subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, Amazon's membership reading bonanza.

Those of you who haven't welcomed Hadley into your world may want to say hello by indulging in the recipes, the character backstories, and the humor that fill Quilt City Cookbook. Jokes, by the way, are calorie free.

If you appreciate Hadley's take on the world you may want to read the cozy mystery series, the first of which is Quilt City Murders, named Best Mystery of 2022 by the National Indie Excellence Awards.

If Hadley, her vulnerability, and her humor rub you the wrong way, then at least you'll own recipes for exceptionally great lemon bars, peanut butter cookies, pumpkin muffins, and mocha panna cotta, among dozens of other delicious recipes.

Here's the link to the ebook of Quilt City Cookbook, now exclusively available on Amazon:

https://a.co/d/enTzoVk

My website is:
https://bruceleonardwriter.com

And here's a reminder: The audiobook of Quilt City Murders will be released on Tuesday, October 8.

Thank you for your support, and happy eating.

Quilt City Cookbook: A Companion to the Hadley Carroll Mysteries Bruce Leonard never dreamed of owning a bakery. He wanted to be a novelist, but he found himself flour-dusted and sleep-deprived after his mother and he opened The Blues Bakery in Ventura, California. He loved creating recipes, interacting with customers, and drinking Blues Brew, the bakery's pro...

Hard Exit is winning over readers.
One says narrator Jack Drake is "my new favorite modern detective."

https://a.co/d/bNWkVYK

No wonder we're all confused:

A mosquito repellent that goes on kids' wrists that says,
"Keep out of reach of children."

Two and a half years after the release of Quilt City Murders, this cozy mystery with attitude is once again within the Top 100 in Cozy Craft & Hobby Mysteries on Amazon.

If you haven't read Quilt City Murders, the first of the Hadley Carroll Mysteries, named Best Mystery of 2022 in one contest, it's never too late to join Team Hadley.

Of course, there are three sequels so far, as well as Quilt City Cookbook, a humorous companion book filled with dozens of delicious recipes, so you have plenty of intrigue, laughs and scrumptiousness ahead.

Best Sellers Rank: #39,239 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
#100 in Cozy Craft & Hobby Mysteries
#200 in Mystery Series
#231 in Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery
Customer Reviews: 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,071 ratings

Quilt City Murders: A Hadley Carroll Mystery (Hadley Carroll Mysteries Book 1) Quilter Hadley Carroll thinks her life can’t get any worse after being demoted from reporter to newspaper courier and having her fiancé, Matt Ackerman, dump her without explanation. But then, while chucking a sack of newspapers into the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky—known as Quilt City—she ...

I'm grateful that Sam's Club did the math to determine the unit price per gallon of milk. Very helpful.

Hello, Readers,

Here's part of the most recent review of my latest novel:

"Hard Exit" is rich with sharp dialogue, vivid descriptions, and a pacing that makes it impossible to put down. Fans of the genre will appreciate the homage to classic noir, while newcomers will be drawn in by the novel's relentless momentum and complex
characters.
https://a.co/d/7fwtFla

I'm hoping the next Summer Olympic Games features the sport of Fomenting Self-Doubt.

I'm not saying I'll make the podium, but I'll definitely make the team.

The second review of Hard Exit has arrived, and it's another 5-star winner:

"Wow! I love the way Bruce Leonard weaves a tale filled with human frailty, interesting plot lines and clever dialogue you just want to keep reading. I can’t wait for the next installment of Jack Drake’s investigative journey. He’s my new favorite modern detective."

Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1) Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1)

A Malibu mansion, a movie star, multiple murders and a grieving private eye trying to save himself.

https://a.co/d/50zRalj

The first review of Hard Exit is in, and it's a five-star doozy:

I loved it, like crazy, crazy enjoyed it. Jack is my new favorite character with Game being a very close second. If you've read this author's Quilt City Murders series, then you know he has some serious writing skills...but I actually think Hard Exit is the next level! The storyline twists and turns while making sense and working out in the end, like a winding web of story details that intricately work together and form a cohesive and detailed story. I can't wait to see what happens next with Jack, Game & Jen!

Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1) Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1)

Hard Exit has arrived!

This hard-boiled murder mystery set in Malibu and narrated by grieving private eye Jack Drake is the most personal and, I think, the best of my five novels.

Jack protects an at-risk teenager, and the two form an unlikely friendship while attempting to solve a series of murders, without being killed in the process.

New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz has this to say about it:

“This is a smart, edgy, state-of-the-art L.A. noir with heart. Jack Drake is a private eye with grit, a few demons and a semi-glamorous life on the beach in Malibu. This series is a terrific addition to the modern hard-boiled genre.”

It's available in ebook, paperback and hardcover, and Tantor Media will produce the audiobook.

Here's the Amazon link:
https://a.co/d/bseeBao

It is also available on Barnes and Noble and elsewhere.

Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy Hard Exit.

Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1) Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1)

Only two days away!

Hard Exit, narrated by depressed private-eye-to-the-Hollywood stars Jack Drake, launches on Tuesday, August 6.

Ebook pre-orders are available now at:
https://a.co/d/abHiGoG

Here's how New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz sums up Hard Exit:

“This is a smart, edgy, state-of-the-art L.A. noir with heart. Jack Drake is a private eye with grit, a few demons and a semi-glamorous life on the beach in Malibu. This series is a terrific addition to the modern hard-boiled genre.”

Join Jack as he enlists the assistance of a teenager he just met to solve a series of murders that baffle two very different cities.

Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1) Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1)

Almost here!
On August 6, Hard Exit, a hard-boiled private-eye mystery, will launch.

Here's the cover copy:

Jack Drake shares a Malibu beach mansion with a gorgeous movie star but hates his life. The depressed private eye can't shake the death of his wife and can’t end his toxic relationship with Hollywood heartthrob Amanda Bigelow.

But an at-risk sixteen-year-old who is injured in an inner-city shooting gets Jack unstuck. As a favor to a friend, Jack sequesters Game in the mansion, keeping him safe.

Their worldviews differ, but they draw from their histories of loss and grief while investigating the shooting and three seemingly unrelated murders, tying Game’s world in downtrodden Oakville to Jack’s in idyllic Malibu.

Fans of wisecracking investigators such as Spenser, Kinsey Milhone, and Stephanie Plum will cheer for Jack Drake, a man in love with two women—one of them dead.

Available to pre-order as an ebook now and in paperback and hardcover on August 6.

Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1) Hard Exit: A Jack Drake Private-Eye Mystery (Jack Drake Private-Eye Mysteries Book 1)

One week away!

On Tuesday, Aug. 6, Hard Exit will hit the world.
Like a fist to the chest.
Or a passionate kiss.
Or both.

It's a hard-boiled mystery wrapped in a love story, and vice versa.

Available for ebook pre-order now and in paperback and hardcover on August 6.

https://a.co/d/9n77AOM

Hard Exit is almost here. Available as an ebook pre-order now and in paperback and hardcover on August 6.

https://a.co/d/gKbAiZm

Malibu private-eye Jack Drake lives in a beach mansion with a gorgeous movie star but hates his life.

However, an at-risk teenager with troubles of his own changes Jack's perspective as they solve murders and become friends.

But can Jack put his traumas, grief, and guilt behind him?

It's never too late to join Team Hadley!

The squirrels on our bird feeders are more entertaining than the birds.

There, I said it.

Only 10 days from the launch of Hard Exit, a mystery set in Malibu and South Los Angeles narrated by depressed private eye to the Hollywood stars Jack Drake.

Available for pre-order here:
https://a.co/d/dZEcWL2

A sample ad I intend to run:

Hard Exit, my fifth and best novel—a private-eye mystery—will launch on August 6 and is available now for preorder at:
https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Exit-Private-Eye-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0D9WXD49K
Here's one of the ads I intend to run:

Hard Exit, my fifth and best novel—a private-eye mystery—will launch on August 6 and is available now for preorder at:
https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Exit-Private-Eye-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0D9WXD49K

Here's one of the ads I intend to run:

Hello, Friends and Readers,

In less than two weeks, on Tuesday, Aug. 6, the novel I consider to be the best of my five, Hard Exit, will launch.

It's a love story wrapped in a murder mystery. This is how New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz describes it:

“This is a smart, edgy, state-of-the-art L.A. noir with heart. Jack Drake is a private eye with grit, a few demons and a semi-glamorous life on the beach in Malibu. This series is a terrific addition to the modern hard-boiled genre.”

It's my most personal novel. It involves weighty issues but contains plenty of humor and is ultimately uplifting.

ebooks are now available for pre-order here:

https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Exit-Private-Eye-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0D9WXD49K

Below is one of the potential Facebook ads I intend to run.

Thank you for your support.