Suzanne Chazin – författare

Land of Careful Shadows by award-winning author Suzanne Chazin is a powerful mystery full of passion and secrets that deals with a clash of cultures and familial relationships, and it''s full of drama, mystery, and raw emotions.

When the dead body of a Latino woman is found in a reservoir about fifty miles north of Manhattan, with a photo of a baby in her purse nearby, the police try to determine who the child is and if it is still alive. Along with the photo, they also find a disturbing note in the purse: "Go back to your country. You don''t belong here."

Homicide detective Jimmy Vega is Latino too, so he knows how hard it can be for an outsider to fit into a close-knit town like Lake Holly. Vega is a highly respected officer of the law, and he is challenged and intrigued by Adele Figueroa, a passionate defender of immigrants'' rights. Vega must rethink everything he believes in order to uncover the truths about his town, his family, and himself.

Land of Careful Shadows is a tour de force of literary suspense and an intimate journey into the human heart.

A Hispanic detective wades through accusations, bigotry, and fear when a teenage girl disappears in this novel from “a tremendous talent” (Lee Child).

A blond-haired, blue-eyed teenager from a prominent family vanishes after teaching English to a group of immigrants. Suspicion falls on the men she was tutoring, inflaming tensions in the close-knit, picturesque community of Lake Holly, New York. For Detective Jimmy Vega, more is at stake than just keeping the peace. His girlfriend, Adele, heads the community center where the girl was last seen. Now all she’s worked for is at risk.

After a murder suspect’s surrender goes horribly wrong, Vega gets tossed into a grunt detail that quickly turns into a political minefield. A powerful, charismatic leader will stop at nothing to cleave the town in two. But Vega uncovers even darker forces at play. And no matter which way he turns, every step could cost him his job, his town, his family—even his life.

Praise for the Jimmy Vega mysteries

“Chazin delivers a complex, suspenseful story, with the grace of a ballerina and the impact of a boxer’s fist.” —William Kent Krueger, New York Times–bestselling author

“A terrific mystery that keeps on surprising right to the end. Don’t miss this series.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times–bestselling author

“What a wonderful read! Suspenseful, involving, peopled with colorful, engaging characters . . . This fine novel will touch your heart.” —Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times–bestselling author

Award-winning author Suzanne Chazin returns with a stirring novel of deadly misdeeds and heartbreaking choices in a seasoned homicide cop’s hometown.

A split-second decision thrusts Detective Jimmy Vega into the epicenter of a disturbing case when a body is found near a gathering place for immigrants in upscale Lake Holly, New York. The cold-bloodedness of the crime and the innocence of the victim torment Vega. But so does the feeling that he’s to blame. Could the ravings of a delusional vagrant hold the key to the killing? And if so, why can’t the police locate him?

In a community gripped by fear of deportation, Vega needs the help of his girlfriend, activist Adele Figueroa, to gain people’s trust. But Adele is acting strangely, consumed by a secret that threatens to tear them apart. When the case takes a personal turn, both Vega and Adele discover that Lake Holly’s tranquil façade hides a terror of monstrous proportions, poised and ready to strike again. To confront the killer and save their relationship, Vega and Adele must forge a new level of trust—in each other, and in their most deeply held beliefs—to expose an evil that threatens to eclipse anything they’d previously imagined.

Written with equal parts passion and suspense, A Blossom of Bright Light takes readers on a journey of stunning revelations to uncover a small town’s most sinister secrets—and brightest hopes for the future. Mystery, sacrifice, and unremitting love converge in this gripping work by a master storyteller.

In this powerful novel from award-winning author Suzanne Chazin, a tense standoff between a Hispanic police officer and an undocumented immigrant leads to the shooting death of one, the shattered life of the other, and the shocking connection between them.

On a clear, moonlit night in December, police detective Jimmy Vega races to the scene of a reported home invasion in an upscale New York community. As Vega arrives, he spots a Hispanic man who fits the description of the armed intruder running from the victim’s estate. Vega chases him into the woods. When the suspect refuses to surrender—and reaches into his pocket—Vega has only seconds to make a life-or-death decision.

What begins as a tragic mistake takes an even darker turn when Vega uncovers disturbing links between the dead man and his own mother’s brutal, unsolved murder. Vega’s need for answers propels him back to his old Bronx neighborhood, where he is viewed as a disgraced cop, not a homegrown hero. It also puts him at odds with his girlfriend, Adele Figueroa, head of a local immigrant center, who must weigh her own doubts about his behavior.

When a shocking piece of evidence surfaces, it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want Vega to put all the pieces together—and is willing to do whatever it takes to bury the truth. Only by risking everything will Vega be able to find justice, redemption, and the most elusive goal of all: the ability to forgive himself.