Quirky 'Odd Couple' Makes Sleuthing Debut While Battling Breast Cancer

Lesbian Tess Camillo and her hetero housemate Lana star in "Sticky Fingers," the feisty premiere novel of Morgan Hunt's highly anticipated Tess Camillo mystery series.

Ashland, OR (PRWEB) October 8, 2007 -- Morgan Hunt brings readers a smart and sassy mystery story with her new book "Sticky Fingers" (ISBN 9781593500030, Alyson Books, 2007), about Tess Camillo, a brainy database expert in San Diego, who takes on the role of amateur detective after discovering an unwelcome rattlesnake beneath her bed.

Tess and her housemate Lana are complementary opposites reminiscent of "The Odd Couple." Both women are in their early 40s; Tess is a logical and linear-minded lesbian, while Lana is a ditzy and dreamy straight massage therapist and Tai Chi instructor. Upon finding the dangerous snake, Tess calls Animal Control; they regard her reptile visitor as a mere accident… until a venomous snake kills another gay woman. After this unfortunate death, the police question Tess, and she becomes motivated to conduct her own unique investigation.

"Sticky Fingers" also contains bittersweet elements, because Tess is a breast cancer survivor who begins her amateur sleuthing while recovering from a mastectomy. "How many books about breast cancer are full of zest and zing?" asks Hunt, herself a breast cancer survivor, who was inspired to write "Sticky Fingers" because of all the mystery books she read during her own mastectomy recovery.

"Sticky Fingers" may be a short and snappy read, but the complex relationship between Tess and Lana offers more than just humor. Tess' rational mind allows her to easily string clues together, but she's never able to solve a mystery without an essential contribution from the seemingly scatterbrained Lana. Their teamwork reminds readers that no one is completely self-sufficient and there's never only one right way of approaching a problem.

Hunt manages to bring a fresh voice to the mystery genre with her wry wit, irreverent humor and distinctive spunk. "Sticky Fingers" is a highly original novel that skillfully incorporates a heartfelt look at contemporary women's issues within an eccentric and edgy murder mystery. Fans of Tess and Lana can check out "Fool on the Hill," the series' second novel, next spring.

About the Author:
Morgan Hunt resides in Ashland, Ore. She was born and raised on the Jersey shore in Brigantine. After a two-year stint in a Midwestern Bible college, she joined the Navy and served as an educational service representative. Her Navy duty stations included Brunswick, Maine and San Diego. "Sticky Fingers" is her first novel.

"Sticky Fingers" (ISBN 9781593500030, Alyson Books, 2007) can be purchased through local and online bookstores. For more information, visit www.morganhuntbooks.com, 2006 winner of Writer's Digest's Best Writer's Web site contest. Publicity contact: www.readerviews.com. Review copies available upon request.

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