Showcase of Mayhem on Mulberry by Vincent deFilippo and TWO (2) US-ONLY Winners of a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card

MAYHEM ON MULBERRY

by Vincent deFilippo

October 12 - November 21, 2025 

Virtual Book Tour

CHINESE GANGS CLASH WITH THE OLD-SCHOOL ITALIAN "FAMILIES." It's 1990 in New York City. The AIDS pandemic is raging, murder is at an all-time high, an arsonist burns 87 people to death in a Bronx social club, and garbage and graffiti overwhelm the city. Though a sense of lawlessness pervade the city, being a gangster just isn’t the same anymore. In fact, it may be the twilight of the Italian mob: Under pressure from the feds and their loss of new recruits, the real menace facing them is the other ethnic gangs that are encroaching on their territory—in particular the Chinese.

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BOOK ONE: RISE OF THE EAST

What if the only way to protect the one you love is to destroy everything you've ever known?

New York City, 1990-a city teetering on the brink of chaos. The AIDS pandemic is ravaging communities, crime is at an all-time high, and the streets pulse with the tension of gang warfare. The once-dominant Italian mafia, now in its twilight, faces a new threat: the rise of ruthless ethnic gangs determined to carve up their territory.

Enzo DeCarlo, heir to a fading mob empire, is caught between two worlds. His father, the old-school Don Vincenzo, clings to the traditions of the past while the DeCarlo family crumbles under pressure from the feds and encroaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean gangs. Enzo's loyalty to his family has always been unwavering-until he meets the captivating Jen Mo Li, a woman with secrets as dangerous as her beauty.

Jen, the daughter of a powerful Chinese crime family, is no stranger to the brutal world of organized crime. Overlooked and undervalued by her own family, she fights to prove herself in a male-dominated world, growing colder and more ruthless with each passing day. But when her brother is murdered, and the blame falls on Enzo, Jen's desire for revenge spirals into something far more deadly-especially as her heart betrays her by falling for the enemy.

With tensions between their families at a boiling point and betrayal lurking at every turn, Enzo and Jen's forbidden love becomes a ticking time bomb. When Jen takes control of the notorious Black Dragon gang, the violence escalates to all-out war in Chinatown, with blood flowing in the streets and power shifting hands. But Jen's bold moves come at a terrible cost, and when a tragic mistake links her to a human trafficking operation, she finds herself hunted by both the law and her enemies.

As their worlds spiral out of control, Enzo and Jen are forced to make impossible choices. Can Enzo defy his father and the mafia's brutal code to save Jen and their child? And can Jen survive long enough to claim her throne in the criminal underworld-or will the betrayals she's suffered drive her to a darker fate?

In this explosive tale of love, betrayal, and survival, nothing is certain, and no one is safe. Dive into the pulse-pounding world of gangland New York, where power, loyalty, and love collide. Will Enzo and Jen escape the deadly shadows of their families-or be consumed by them?

The streets are unforgiving. Are you ready to find out who survives?

Praise for Mayhem on Mulberry: Book One: Rise of the East:

"Mayhem on Mulberry is a fast-paced page-turner that readers will not soon forget, and that will appeal to fans of hard-boiled stories and more grounded crime novels alike."
~ Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Book Review

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BOOK 2: FALL OF AN EMPIRE

How far would you go to destroy the ones who wronged you?

In Mayhem on Mulberry: Book Two, the ruthless battle between the Chinese mob and the Italian Mafia rages on—but this time, vengeance runs deeper than blood. It’s 2020, and Jen Mo Li, presumed dead for decades, is very much alive. Back in New York under an assumed identity, Jen has one goal—to annihilate the DeCarlo family. She’s spent years plotting her revenge, using her beautiful daughter, Julia, as the perfect weapon to tear them apart from the inside.

Nicky DeCarlo, son of Enzo, is determined to break free from the fading mob legacy and start fresh. But when Julia, under Jen’s manipulation, seduces him and lures him into a dangerous heist, Nicky’s dreams of escape turn into a nightmare. Unbeknownst to him, Julia is not just an enemy—she’s his sister.

As the Chinese mob tightens its grip on New York, the Italians plan one last high-stakes score, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. Betrayal, forbidden love, and shocking family secrets collide in a deadly game where no one is safe, and loyalty could prove fatal.

Will Nicky uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will Jen’s plan for vengeance destroy everything he holds dear?

Dive into this pulse-pounding sequel that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Get your copy today and find out who survives the mayhem!

Praise for Book Two: Fall of an Empire:

"Vincent deFilippo masterfully weaves a tale of power, betrayal, and survival, where every choice cuts deep. With characters who are fierce, flawed, and navigating a world where morality collides with necessity, this isn’t just a story; it’s a riveting, adrenaline rush."
~ Kathryn Dare, San Francisco Book Review

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Crime, Action
Published by: ViennaRose Publishing
Series: Mayhem on Mulberry

Author Bio:

Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, an international financier and former CEO of a private equity fund in Hong Kong, where he aided numerous executives and businesses in raising billions of dollars in capital.

Currently residing in New York, he is a Professor at Monroe College, where he mentors and teaches young people to achieve their goals. Driven by his passion for writing and storytelling, he captivates readers with his fiction works and provides practical business and financial advice through his non-fiction books.

Catch Up With Vincent deFilippo:

VincentdeFilippo.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram - @vincedefilippoauthor
LinkedIn - Vince Defilippo
X - @DefilippoAuthor
Facebook - @vincedefilippoauthor

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This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Vincent deFilippo. 

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MAYHEM ON MULBERRY by Vincent deFilippo [Gift Card]

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The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter

Why would Gray be at the reading of Gram's will?

Gray was Shelby's long-departed boyfriend and the pariah of the small town.

He said he was here because the attorney invited him, and everyone found out why.

Gray had inherited 49% of the bookshop.  How can that be?

Shelby made Gray sign a form that had him giving up his share and giving her full ownership.

She did agree to allow Gray stay on to check the books, and he finds finds that the bookshop is in deep debt.

Gray offers to help her get the bookstore profitable and out of debt with some changes, but how will that work out since they both still have feelings for each other after all these years?

We get to go back to their teenage years to see how everything played out, and  to present day as the town still doesn't want Gray there and neither does Shelby.

See what happens in this sweet, emotional read about books, forgiving, and relationships.

I enjoyed my first read by this author.  5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book.  All opinions are my own.

Showcase of Maximum Pressure by Shelia Lowe and THREE (3) US-ONLY winners will receive a handwriting analysis from a leading authority in the field.

MAXIMUM PRESSURE

by Sheila Lowe

October 6 - 31, 2025 

Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Claudia Rose Forensic Handwriting Mystery Series

Old grudges die hard—some never die at all

Forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose never expected much from her high school reunion, just the usual mix of mean girls, jocks, nerds, and bullies. But when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of someone she knew, the night takes a deadly turn. As secrets resurface and old rivalries ignite, Claudia finds herself caught in a dangerous game where the past is more than just a memory—it’s a motive for murder.

Praise for Maximum Pressure:

"Fun high school reunion story...until, well, the murders. The ending will surprise you. Intelligent read."
~ Karen Fox 5 star Amazon Review

"A fantastic read!! Sheila Lowe, as always, delivers a compelling story that’ll have you in the edge of your seat!"
~ MattsHonestReviews 5 star Amazon Review

"I love this series... So well written I could see these characters very clearly. I love this series and this may be my favorite case! The suspense was edge of your seat & I loved it."
~ K-BRC 5 star Amazon Review

"Another great book from Sheila Lowe--Hard to put down 'til the end... This is a fun and exciting story, face-paced, and as always with Sheila Lowe’s books, full of great HWA insights and comments. I think this is one of her best stories and right up my alley as an amateur handwriting analyst!"
~ Vera 5 star Amazon Review

"Excellent, well-written mystery that takes off like a jet from an aircraft carrier in the opening pages and never lets up! With every book she writes Lowe continues to sculpt her craft and gets better & better. The characters are likable & attention holding. The plot and the sub-plots were both well-developed."
~ Roger Fauble 5 star Amazon Review

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Suspense
Published by: Write Choice Ink
Publication Date: June 2, 2024
Number of Pages: 314
ISBN: 978-1970181487 (print)
Series: A Claudia Rose Forensic Handwriting Mystery, #9
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle Unlimited | Audible | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Apple Audio

Read an excerpt:

Chapter One

Friday afternoon, October 6

Everything had changed in Edentown, and nothing had changed. Twenty-five years ago, when Washington Boulevard was the main drag, the high school crowd hung out at the Fox theater on Saturday nights, then walked in a pack to Carl’s Jr. for burgers. There had been a shoe store, a drugstore, a barber shop and a hair salon, a couple of high-end dress boutiques. The no-tell hotel above Guido’s Café that rented rooms by the hour.

Those businesses were gone now, replaced by boxy modern high-rise office buildings, an ultra-modern museum, and a refurbished warehouse that housed upscale fast-food vendors, cheese shops, and a yoga studio. Enterprises that meant nothing to Claudia Rose in the context of her hometown. Making a right turn at Olive Avenue, she felt like Alice in Wonderland—as disoriented as if she had stumbled into an alternate reality.

As she made another right, more than a little uneasy that she might not recognize the old neighborhood, the breath she had held too long whooshed out like a popped balloon. Her shoulder muscles let go. She needn’t have worried. Aside from the odd paint job here and there, the residential streets were much the same as when she had graduated from Edentown High School in 1999.

She had driven the seventy miles from Playa de la Reina to work the registration desk at the opening event, a cocktail party in the school gym, with her best friend, Kelly Brennan. How many of her classmates would she be able to identify at the reunion, her first in all those years?

Despite running late due to the standard stop-and-go traffic that made the 405 famous, she refused to hurry. It was a long time since she had last visited Charter Street, and now that she was here, it felt weirdly like peeping in on someone else’s life.

There was the home her parents had bought when she was in junior high. It had been brand new, part of the creeping gentrification that devoured neighborhoods whole—Godzilla chomping its way to tracts of larger dwellings.

Claudia had loved that house, not least because she no longer had to share a bedroom with her younger brother. With its three-car garage and faux-French Country kitchen, the two-story rambler had seemed like a mansion after their old two-bedroom apartment. Now, her eyes were seeing it for what it was: an ordinary house on an ordinary street, looking smaller than the picture she’d held in her mind.

She stopped the car and sat there, calling up flashbacks of summer parties in the backyard. Hiding behind the bushes with her friends and getting high on weed; drinking beer filched from their parents’ coolers. What had happened to the families she had once known? Some of her classmates must have kids attending Edentown High.

Her first wedding reception had been held in that backyard. Within five years, the marriage had tanked. More years after that, her parents put the house on the market and moved to Seattle. Today, it would sell for close to a million.

Claudia loosed a long, nostalgic sigh. It felt as though she was sitting in the front row at a stage play that had ended long ago, the drama wrung out of it. The curtain had been raised; the scenery revealed as a plywood façade.

The sound of her phone startled the melancholy out of her. Kelly’s ringtone. She touched the answer button. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Where the blipity blam are you?”

“Keep your panties on. I’m five minutes away.”

“I need you here now, girlfriend. Here I am, womaning the desk all by my lonesome, and people are showing up early.”

Claudia knew better than to take the gripe seriously. Parties lit Kelly up brighter than fireworks on the Fourth of July. In the background she could hear the tuning-up sounds of a rock band. “Who’s there?”

“The committee members of course—the three Cathys—”

Three friends who shared a name, each with a different spelling. Cathi Soden, Cathy Brewer, Kathy McCarty. Kelly reeled off more names. “Sharon Bernstein, Espie Rodriguez, Ginny Vernon, Eleni Boukidis, Becky Condren. Lemme think … Mark Lukeman, Don Baker—"

Claudia broke into the litany. “Got it. I’ll see you in a few.”

“No detours.”

Too late.

“No detours.”

She ended the call and entered the school’s address into the GPS—something she had not needed to do twenty-five years ago. The mile-long walk straight up Charter Street had terminated at the rear entrance to the school's swimming pool. Not anymore. The snippy electronic voice directed her to an underpass constructed years after she had left home.

Chapter two

Claudia entered the gym through the back door, at once hit by the disembodied voice of a young Christina Aguilera singing about a genie in a bottle. She paused there to take in the frenetic preparations for the reunion: A custodian on a ladder, hanging a “Class of 1999” banner. Caterers hurrying to offload chafing dishes of hors d’oeuvres onto a long buffet. Early arrivals milling around the portable bars, waiting for them to open. Volunteers decorating the round tables with baskets of chrysanthemums dyed in the blue and gold of the school’s colors.

Her eyes were drawn to the back wall, where “EDENTOWN HIGH SCHOOL” was freshly painted in six-foot-high letters. The bleachers that normally stood there had been folded away for the evening’s event, but Claudia had not forgotten the countless times she and her friends had stood on them cheering on their basketball team, the Pioneers, to a long string of winning games.

The registration desk was set up on the other side of the gym from where she had entered. Crossing the highly polished polyurethane floor, she could see Kelly laughing and bantering with a handful of classmates lined up to receive their name tags. Whether the reunion committee was ready or not, the party was getting started.

Claudia gave her friend a quick appraisal and dropped into the vacant chair beside her. “The dress rocks,” she said approvingly.

Kelly had dragged her along on a shopping trip, determined to dazzle the mean girls with her adult fashion sense, even if most of the mean girls had matured and forgotten her existence. She had found a sultry blue-grey A-line that brought out the cornflower blue of her eyes. Claudia’s pick was a one-shoulder black number that her husband, Joel, had judged as “extremely sexy.”

Her eyes were sparkling, her extra-white smile gleaming as Kelly pushed a box of name tags towards Claudia. “You look a-mayzing, you auburn-headed hussy.”

Cathi Soden, the reunion chair, had told them that almost half of the class was expected to attend one or more of the weekend events, which meant they had more than two hundred classmates to check in.

“What took you so long?” Kelly asked. “I thought you’d gotten lost.”

“As much as this town has changed, it would be no big mystery if I had.”

Now that there were two of them, several people at the back of Kelly’s line moved to stand in front of Claudia. She looked up at the first woman in line and got a vague sense of familiarity, but no name. The woman wore a pink chiffon dress that billowed on a slender frame, making it look a size too large. And something about the glossy chestnut brown pageboy hairstyle jarred with her pasty complexion, and hazel eyes that burned brightly.

The woman gave her a knowing smile, challenging her with a winding “wrap it up” motion with her index finger. “C’mon, Claudia, I sat behind you in AP English our entire senior year. We passed a bazillion notes to each other—”

Before she could control her face, Claudia’s brows shot up and she felt her eyes widen in surprise. How could this pale shadow be the pudgy, rosy-cheeked classmate of her memory? “Omigod, Andie Adams. I didn’t—I’m sorry, I—”

Andie’s expression relaxed into a good-natured grin. “It’s okay, I’m not the only one here who doesn’t look like they did in high school. Unlike you, I might add. You haven’t changed much.” She glanced around the gym. “Isn’t it weird, seeing all these ‘old’ people and knowing you’re one of them?”

Claudia, thumbing through the “A’s” for her name tag, felt compelled to protest. “Hey, forty-two is not old.”

Andie laughed. “Depends on your attitude, I guess.” She pointed to the box of names. “Could I get Nat’s, too? You remember my cousin, Natalie Parker?”

A clear image of two teenage girls popped into Claudia’s head—Andrea, sweet and shy—the ever-ready gopher to her bossy cousin, the bubbly captain of the cheer squad. “It would be hard to forget her,” she said “Are you two still ‘Nat’nAndie?’” The two had borne the nickname throughout their school years, as though one name covered both of them.

Andie shook her head. “I work for Nat, but these days we have separate identities.”

Wondering whether there was a silent “finally” behind the remark, Claudia handed the badges over with a warm smile. “It’s great to see you, Andie. Have fun.”

“Why don’t you come find us when you’re done here. I’ll save you a seat. We can catch up.”

“Thanks, I will.” The invitation pleased Claudia. After all these years, it felt good to reconnect with old friends.

As Andie started to walk away, Kelly chimed in, “Save a seat for me too.”

She turned back. “Of course! See you both later.”

Waiting until Andie was out of earshot, Kelly cupped a hand to Claudia’s ear and whispered, “When was the last time that girl got some sun? She’s as white as tofu.”

“Her hands were like ice. Maybe she’s been sick.”

“Yeah, sick of following Nat around like a slave, doing her bidding.”

“Let’s hope they’ve both outgrown that by now.”

Kelly gave a small snort of derision. “I doubt it. She just picked up Nat’s badge for her, didn’t she?”

***

***

Excerpt from Maximum Pressure by Sheila Lowe. Copyright 2025 by Sheila Lowe. Reproduced with permission from Sheila Lowe. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Sheila Lowe is a forensic handwriting examiner, author, and educator with over fifty years of experience decoding the written word. Her nonfiction books include Reading Between the Lines: Decoding Handwriting and her memoir, Growing From the Ashes. In the bestselling Forensic Handwriting suspense series, Sheila’s real-world expertise drives unforgettable fiction as she bridges science and mystery with every stroke of the pen. Her Beyond the Veil paranormal suspense series features a woman who talks to dead people.

Catch Up With Sheila Lowe:

SheilaLoweBooks.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @sheilalowe
BookBub - @SheilaLoweBooks
Instagram - @SheilaLoweBooks
Threads - @SheilaLoweBooks
X - @sheila_lowe
Facebook - @SheilaLoweBooks
YouTube - @SheilaLowe
BlueSky - ‪@sheilalowebooks.bsky.social‬
LinkedIn - @SheilaLowe

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Don't Miss Your Chance to Win! Enter Today!

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Sheila Lowe. 

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Void where prohibited.

Maximum Pressure by Sheila Lowe [Handwriting Analysis]

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Book Blogger Hop - 10/31/2025

                               

Question of the Week:

Have you ever been haunted by a book's plot or character? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

My Answer:

Yes.

Jack Angel from the book BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by B. A. Paris is terrifying.

My Review if you want to check it out.

Friendly Fill-Ins - 10/31/2025

                                               

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FRIENDLY FILL-INS:

1. I like pumpkin ______.

2. My favorite movie to watch around Halloween is __________.

3. If I could meet any Halloween creature, I'd choose _______.

4. I'd like a Halloween treat basket filled with _________.

  MY ANSWERS:

1.  I like pumpkin bread.

2.  My favorite movie to watch around Halloween is - I actually don't have one.  :)

3.  If I could meet any Halloween creature, I'd choose Snow White or any of the dwarfs.

4.  I'd like a Halloween treat basket filled with CHOCOLATE - my favorites are Kit Kat and Snickers.

 

Spotlight of The Last Love Song by Lucinda Riley

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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THE LAST LOVE SONG

LUCINDA RILEY

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF DANIEL JENKINS OF PAN MACMILLAN.

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Falling in love could be the biggest risk of all . . .

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October 28

Pan Macmillan

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PRAISE FOR THE LAST LOVE SONG:

The Last Love Song feels like the discovery of a lost treasure . . . It’s simply sublime. It has all the qualities we adore in Lucinda’s writing: emotional depth, complex characters, surprises, twists and turns, and above all love. She writes about love so tenderly. I adored it because it’s another brilliant Riley novel, but I adored it also because it feels like a gift . . . A last smile, a kiss, and poignant good-bye - Santa Montefiore, author of Shadows in the Moonlight

The Last Love Song is an unexpected treat for Lucinda Riley fans. It’s a sweeping, unputdownable novel featuring loveable characters and a fabulous plot twist. Once I started reading it, I simply couldn’t stop, and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s my favourite novel of the year. Highly recommend! - Soraya Lane

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ABOUT THE LAST LOVE SONG:

When Sorcha O’Donovan encounters struggling musician Con Daly – the strikingly handsome outcast in their small village on West Cork’s windswept coastline – her days will never be the same.

Con strikes gold with rock band The Fishermen in London, but their lives change beyond recognition as the dark side of fame rears its head and secrets from the past threaten to destroy everything he has worked for.

Twenty years later, The Fishermen agree to re-form for the Music for Life charity concert at Wembley Stadium. But Con has been missing for more than a decade. There’s only one person who can find out what happened; only one person who knows how vital it is to uncover the truth.

Because should Con Daly reappear before the facts emerge, then history could repeat itself with even more tragic consequences . . .

Lucinda Riley wrote The Last Love Song as Lucinda Edmonds, now reworked and revived by Harry Whittaker, Lucinda’s son and co-author of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Photo Credit:  (C) Boris Breuer 

Lucinda Riley was born in 1965 in Ireland and, after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first novel aged twenty-four.

Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and continue to strike an emotional chord with cultures all around the world.

The Seven Sisters series in particular has become a global phenomenon, inspiring its own genre.

Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Italian Bancarella Prize, the Lovely Books Award in Germany and the Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

She has received the Dutch Platinum Award for sales over 300,000 copies for a single novel in one year multiple times– a prize previously won by J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter.

In collaboration with her son Harry Whittaker, she also devised wrote the Guardian Angels series of books for children.

Though she brought up her four children mostly in Norfolk, England, she fulfilled her dream in 2015 of buying a remote farmhouse in West Cork, Ireland, which she always felt was her spiritual home, and this was where her last five books were written.

Lucinda was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and died on 11 June 2021, surrounded by her family.

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FOLLOW HER ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

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Spotlight of A Dangerous Friendship by Robin Merle

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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A DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP

ROBIN MERLE

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF ARI MATHAE OF MINDBUCK MEDIA BOOK PUBLICITY. 

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When does friendship turn to obsession?

In Robin Merle’s darkly funny novel A Dangerous Friendship the twisting, codependent relationship of two friends who met at a writer’s retreat will take you on a ride full of obsession, exploration, secrets, and betrayal, all in one life-changing summer in the wild 1980s.

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October 28, 2025

She Writes Press

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Women’s Fiction

Literary Fiction

Dark Humor

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PRAISE FOR A DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP:

“A Dangerous Friendship by Robin Merle is a thrilling, twist-filled ride through the adventures—and misadventures—of Tina and Spike, two friends whose bond is as intoxicating as it is unpredictable. As they navigate a world of secrets, betrayals, and unexpected turns, their friendship is both a lifeline and a powder keg waiting to explode. With every chapter, the stakes climb higher, leaving you breathless and eager to know what happens next. And when the final page turns? You’ll wish there was more.”—Michelle Renaldo Ferguson, Author of Women Mentoring Women:   Strategies and Stories to Lift As We Rise

"Written in tight and unassuming prose, Robin Merle's A Dangerous Friendship is a psychological dreamscape that expores grief, loss, and obsession. Set against the backdrop of an eccentric artist colony, the reader is left questioning what is real and what is illusion on the quest for connection in an alienating and chaotic world. In a world of fake news and deep fakes, this read couldn't come at a more critical time, as we ponder authentic connections we make to ourselves and others."—Jill Di Donato, author of Beautiful Garbage and Contributor-at-large for HuffPost 

“A Dangerous Friendship is a smart and piercing portrayal of Tina’s relationship with Spike, a woman whose magnetic pull drags her into thrilling yet perilous territory.  

Their friendship is a collision of ambition, desire, and insecurities. Attracting men who never fit the bill, they become constants in each other’s lives despite their competitive writing aspirations and fragile egos. With biting humor and vivid language, Merle masterfully delves into the intoxicating highs and crushing lows of obsessive friendship.” —Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, Author of Daughter of a Promise

“This is one wild ass ride full of sex, fun, survival and a bit of madness. I found myself needing a cigarette after reading and I don’t smoke.”—Chef Rossi, Author of The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews and The Raging Skillet

“Can a novel be cozy and corrosive at the same time? In Robin Merle’s addictive new novel, A Dangerous Friendship, two young New York writers, Spike and Whirly, land like Dorothy and Toto in rural upstate New York, where they rent a rundown cabin with the best of intentions, it seems. [...] By the knockout surprise ending, I was ready to have a celebratory beer at the novel’s iconic Starlite bar.”—Ben Neihart, author of Hey, Joe and Rough Amusements

"Robin Merle has written a brave book about ending things and starting things—about the friends we choose and the friends who choose us. Her characters and the choices they make during a sometimes funny and sometimes heart stopping summer escape from New York City will stay with you long after you have read through to the explosive conclusion." —Diane Cohen Schneider,  author of Andrea Hoffman Goes All In

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ABOUT A DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP:

In 1980s New York City, aspiring writers Tina and Spike bond in a complex, all-consuming friendship that will change their lives forever.

Desperate to redefine herself after a failed marriage, twenty-nine-year old Tina embarks on a thrill-seeking journey to feel alive again.

When she meets thirty-five-year-old Spike, a beautiful, seductive, seemingly invulnerable woman, she becomes enthralled by the older woman’s stories of NYC power brokers, sex, wealthy men, and her past.

Tina latches on to Spike as someone who can save her from mediocrity and show her how to be the kind of woman who can have power over men—both in romance and in life.

Chasing adventure and the writing life, Tina and Spike rent a cabin together for the summer in the rural backwoods.

There, they go on a wild, manic, darkly humorous journey involving dive bars, drugs, men, and all-night dancing, becoming increasingly psychologically entangled in each other’s lives along the way.

But eventually Tina realizes just how dangerous Spike is, and is forced to act to save herself.

Filled with New York wit and fast-paced dialogue, this is a story of loss, betrayal, survival, and blurring the line between attraction and peril.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Merle is the author of Involuntary Exit: A Woman’s Guide to Thriving After Being Fired.

She has published short fiction in The Chouteau Review, South Carolina Review, Kalliope, and Real Fiction. 

She holds a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, where she earned a fellowship. 

In her other professional life, as a nonprofit executive, she has raised over a half-billion dollars in philanthropic support to improve individuals’ quality of life and access to opportunities. A longtime New Yorker, Robin now lives in Scarborough, Maine with her family.

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