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Beyond the Smoke

by Stacy Lynn Miller

Old flames. New secrets. Delayed justice.

Now private investigators, Manhattan Sloane and Finn Harper have just landed their very first big job—a contract to clean up a hefty load of unsolved crimes in San Francisco. On day one, the two women step into a political quagmire that pits them against powerful competing forces in the city.

Feeling like a pawn in a high-stakes chess game, Sloane stumbles across an unsolved murder with ties to her past—the police officer who rescued her from her parents’ deadly accident. When evidence points to someone close to her, she becomes determined to solve the twenty-two-year-old murder. But her progress is slowed by old flames and new secrets that threaten to unravel her new life with Finn and her daughter Reagan.

Will cutthroat politics prevent her from getting justice for her hero? Will Sloane finally get her happily ever after? 

A Manhattan Sloane Thriller.

eBook

$9.99

Paperback

$17.95

In stock

Genre Romantic Thriller
Length 298 pages
Publication Date July 15, 2021
Publisher Bella Books
ISBN 9781642472370e
Editor Medora MacDougall
Cover Designer Judith Fellows

Extras

FROM THE AUTHOR

"Beyond the Smoke, the third installment of the Manhattan Sloane series, picks up six months after where From the Ashes leaves off. Similar to how I link Out of the Flames to From the Ashes, I grab onto the one loose end from the previous book and make that the driving force of this one.

I started with the premise: Is it possible to make a fresh start without first making peace with the past?

If you’ve lived long enough like I have, you’ve reached the point once or twice when the surrounding chaos is too much, and the only way forward is to hit the reset button. When that happened to me, I had the advantage of serving in the Air Force. Every three years, I picked up everything and moved to a new place and a new job. I found the job refreshing with each move, but I missed having roots—close friends and an extended family that I could count on.

I wanted to give Manhattan Sloane both, but not without stumbling blocks. After throwing everything at her in the first two books, she’s ready for that fresh start with Finn, Reagan, and a new career as a private investigator. I make the past—hers and Finn’s—her greatest obstacle. Sloane is my hero, so I give her the tools I never had that make it possible to clean the slate. The question is, does she use them to find her happily ever after?

To find out if Manhattan Sloane gets her fresh start, you’ll have to read Beyond the Smoke."

—Stacy Lynn Miller

Check out the book trailer for Beyond the Smoke.

Reviews

NetGalley
Kaye C. - I was very engaged with all aspects of the story. There are many complexities going on; politics from the new mayor and the SFPD, relationships with previous partners, finding ways to balance work and family with an almost gown stepdaughter and of course trusting your new love interest. I like that Finn and Sloane balance and center each other. They don't try to be rogue but need to work the system to get the help they need and solve the case. As a couple they are loving and supportive but still have jealousy and family issues to deal with.

I think that this is for anyone who enjoys good police or P.I. crime dramas. Finn and Sloane are already a couple but time is given to developing their sapphic romance. This is the third in the series but enough background is given I was up to speed quickly. I'm so glad to have read this book and will look for more by Miller.

NetGalley
R. Swier - I loved these characters. Separately, Sloane and Finn were two dynamic intelligent women. Yet, when they worked together they became a force of one in thoughts and actions. Their personal lives, however, took on a bit more drama not only with each other, but also with Reagan and Finn’s relationship. The women handled these situations, especially Finn, exceedingly well. True to her nature, her actions were guided by intelligence and unconditional love. Sloane also had to deal with many emotional problems on different levels and with different people: Finn, Reagan, and Eric. Some of these problems she handled with care, others she nearly crossed the line. It was interesting how some parts reflected back to her time with Avery and the lessons about unconditional love in which Sloane now shared with Reagan. These scenes were very tender and heartwarming.

Since this was the third book in this series, I recommend reading the previous books to get an overall understanding of the characters and their background. The author did provide some past events to resurface, but the emotional scenes from the first two books should be experienced firsthand.

NetGalley
Betty H. - I loved the first two novels, but I think this one might be the best yet.

The third book continues the story of Manhattan Sloane, Finn, Reagan, and Eric fairly soon after the second book ends. Sloane and Finn have started their own private investigation firm hoping to leave behind the danger their former law enforcement occupations put them in. Unfortunately, danger follows them like smoke from a fire. They can’t seem to get away from it. This story is both a character and plot driven tale. The mystery and intrigue portion of this tale is extremely well-written and kept my interest throughout the novel. What really drew me to this book as well as the first two novels are the characters. I became invested in Sloane, Finn, and all the secondary characters in book one, and that investment has only increased with each novel. I’ve enjoyed all the mystery, excitement, action, and intrigue in the plots of these books, but I’ve fallen in love with these characters, and want to know what’s happening in their lives. This is the mark of an exceptionally talented author.

NetGalley
Bonnie A. - This was an enjoyable read. I thought the story was well-written. The main characters are likeable, determined and strong. I recommend you grab a copy. You won’t be disappointed. 4 stars

NetGalley
Leah M. - This is a good combination of both the romance and the thriller aspects. Sloane and Finn are growing closer but that doesn’t mean they don’t have issues. I liked that they were open and honest with each other. They’ve learned from their past mistakes and aren’t willing to let each other go despite what or who may try to come between them. The thriller/mystery was fun to read. It’s a cold case this time but it brings problems to their present and puts everyone’s lives on the line once again. This is told from several different point of views so the reader has more information than the characters did and I liked how that worked here. It made it especially rewarding to see it all come together in the end.

I highly recommend this series and that it be read in order. It’s got romance and intrigue in equal measure. It’s well written and gets better with each new release. Miller has said there will be more of Sloane and Finn in the future and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

goodreads
Lex Kent’s Reviews - This was really good! This is the third book in Miller’s Manhattan Sloane Thriller series and is the best written book of the series. I was caught up in the mystery, it kept me turning the pages, but so did the romance. While the mains were together, we don’t know if they will stay together in this book. There was plenty of angst to go around and I had fun reading it. This is a series that I would highly suggest reading in order. There are storylines that weave through all three books and this book answered a good amount of questions that were left hanging from the first two books. Then there is the love story to consider. These books spend a good amount of time developing the relationship between the two mains so it really is worth following the whole story from the beginning.

Customer Reviews

1 review for Beyond the Smoke – eBook

  1. LaureD

    And… Stacy Lynn Miller did it again!!!
    She released another book (a romantic thriller) that you can’t put down and that keeps you up all night long because you want to know how those characters you love beyond reason by now will get through all their ordeals and overcome all obstacles in order to stay the lovebirds we know they are while at the same time going on with their (perilous) professional lives. My rating: 5 ⭐️

    Seriously, I couldn’t wait to read this novel because I LOVE this series and its two MCs (and a couple of great secondary characters as well). And this book, like the two previous ones, is a good mix of angsty personal drama (coupled, of course, with romance) AND mystery, which caught me and kept me turning the pages. There’s a serious plot, suspense, and action, but also a lot of tenderness (even some eroticism sometimes), very good secondary characters, and some little touches of smart-ass humor.

    The way the epilogue is done, it could indicate that the book is the final book of the series, but since it doesn’t say “THE END,” I surely hope that Ms. Miller still has (a lot of) ideas for Sloane and Finn to continue their adventures, because what’s in the epilogue is definitely NOT enough!! It’s more like an appetizer, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who is NOT ready to say goodbye to this pair of Lovebirds and wants to read way more about them!!!

    I highly recommend the entire series, and from my POV it deserves to be brought to the screen. It’d make an awesome full-length movie and/or a really great TV crime drama.

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