NOVELIST HAROL MARSHALL HAS A PHD IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY. HOLY DEATH IS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE P.I. POLLY BERGER SERIES. OTHER BOOKS INCLUDE: HOLY MOLE (SPRING, 2009), AND THE ANNA MERINO SERIES: A CORPSE FOR CUAMANTLA, AND A CORPSE FOR THE MATADORA (SPRING, 2009)

MS. MARSHALL LIVES WITH HER HUSBAND AND FOUR CATS IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

American Anthropologist Anna Merino arrives I the sleepy village of Cuamantla in rural Tlaxcala Mexico, to conduct her dissertation research only to find herself embroiled in a homicide and the theft of the village’s most prized possession, the Real Cedula, a document from King Philip II of Spain, dating back to 1551.

The prospect of chronicling her first fiesta fills Anna with anticipation until the death of School Director Pedro Garcia disrupts the Cinco de Mayo celebration. Stress and intrigue ratchet up when Anna becomes entangled in the investigation by inadvertently filmi9ng the murderer. Knowing her life is in danger if the killer realizes she holds the key to his or her identity, Anna enlists the help of two handsome and charismatic men, at least one of whom wants to capture her affection.

Travel to Hollywood, California for an amusing time with Private Investigator Polly Berger as she helps her ex-husband, LAPD Detective Johnny Birdwhistle, solve a murder in...

HOLY DEATH

FAUX SOUTHERN BELLE CINDA MAE BRADBURY, A STRIPPER AT THE CATWALK TWO DOORS DOWN FROM P.I. POLLY BERGER’S OFFICE IN HOLLYWOOD, HIRES POLLY TO FIND THE PERSON POISONING HER BOYFRIEND AT THE SANTA MUERTE SUNDAY MASSES. POLLY KNOWS ABOUT THE HOLY DEATH CULT, A MEXICAN SPIN-OFF OF CATHOLICISM, BUT DISAGREES WITH CINDA’S ASSUMPTION THAT THE SAINT IS TRYING TO KILL HER GOOD-LOOKING BOYFRIEND IN ORDER TO SLEEP WITH HIM IN HEAVEN.

WHEN CINDA MAE’S SOON-TO-BE-EX-HUSBAND TURNS UP DEAD AND HER BOYFRIEND IS CHARGED WITH THE MURDER, POLLY TURNS TO HER EX-HUSBAND, JOHNNY BIRDWHISTLE, A DETECTIVE THIRD GRADE WITH THE HOLLYWOOD DIVISION OF THE LAPD. WITH THE HELP (AND SOMETIMES INTERFERENCE) OF POLLY’S PART-TIME SECRETARY AND STAND-UP COMIC BUNNY CONTRERAS, THE THREE BECOME EMBROILED IN AN INVESTIGATION THAT INCLUDES THE SMUGGLING OF ILLEGAL ALIENS, ROMANTIC TRIANGLES, AND MORE MURDER AND MAYHEM THAN POLLY BARGAINS FOR.