Navy SEALs, with the help of a former president’s daughter, hijack the Russian Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva to stop a North Korean missile crisis.
Welcome to the June 13th stop on the blog tour for the Spider Green Mystery Series by Norm Harris with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.
Author Guest Post
I was recently asked how I came up with my ideas for my novels? Songs provide the underlying basic story. Fruit of the Poisonous Tree developed from the Looking Glass song Brandy. I live in that harbor town where a girl works laying whiskey down. Also, the motion picture An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed in and around Puget Sound, providing inspiration. I served in the military for six years, which allowed me to know how the military systems and protocols work. If you care to listen and see where I live, here is a link to the song which inspired the story for Fruit of the Poisonous Tree.
The Girl Who Knew Death from the Rolling Stones Sympathy for the Devil. The spy princess, Katrinka, finds herself caught between the opposing agendas of Azreal, the Angel of Death, and Lucifer’s punisher, Mazakim. She must find Mazikim; she uses the song’s lyrics as clues to find the demon. The movies Death Takes a Holiday and Meet Joe Black lent storyline ideas.
In the Spider Green Mystery Series, Rain and Wind and Fire, I am building my fifth book around the song They Call the Wind Mariah. The song Mariah Carey was named after. Here is a link for that tune. In this story, Katrinka attempts to convince Bosnian triplets witches called Rain, Wind, and Fire to join her cause. If nothing else, you will enjoy the handsome Nathaniel Hackman, who sings the song in the provided link.
About the Books
Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
Spider Green Book One
by Norm Harris
Published 3 January 2022
Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Page Count: 338
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Navy SEALs, with the help of a former president’s daughter, hijack the Russian Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva to stop a North Korean missile crisis.
Navy JAG lawyer Faydra ‘Spider’ Green is the daughter of former President William Green. His power and influence plagues her every move and she contemplate if her achievements are from her own merits or his. Faydra is both nervous and eager as she undertakes her first homicide investigation —the brutal murder of a Navy SEAL. Faydra discovers the accused man, a Special Ops Marine war hero, may be innocent thanks to her astonishing deductive capabilities. The Navy is using her as a pawn in an intricate cover-up. Will Faydra play along or leak the cover-up?
Seasoned Navy Sea Captain Egan Fletcher struggles to balance his Navy career with raising a son alone after his wife died eight years ago. When the Navy purposefully pairs him with Faydra, the two embark on an adrenaline-laced adventure. The top-secret mission will propel them halfway around the world in an attempt to avert a catastrophic act of biological warfare.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Puget Sound and the mystique of Asia, Faydra is a paradox: one minute she is pure as the driven snow and the next minute she thrusts herself into harm’s way, ignorant of the consequences. Determined to complete her mission at any cost, she defies logic and throws herself into dangerous situations. Will she succeed where everyone else has failed?
Fruit of the Poisonous Tree is book one in the riveting Spider Green Mystery Thriller series. If you enjoy razor-sharp dialogue, strong-willed characters, suspense, twists, and high-octane action, you’ll want to start reading this fast-paced adventure today.
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Excerpt
“The killer? But consider this,” Fay said. “Paul was a valuable piece of Navy property. A million-dollar investment. when you stop to consider all of the training those SEALs go through.”
“I see what ya mean, ma’am. It would be expensive to replace him. To kill him would be costly.”
“There would have to be a very compelling reason for someone to want to execute him,” Fay said. “An argument between Paul and Simon is not a compelling reason, given the circumstances. Otherwise, Simon would be in big trouble with whomever he reports to. And yet he doesn’t seem to be.”
“Yet, Sergeant Linn has a Get Out of Jail Free card,” Pearce said.
“Yes. The Navy knows why and how Paul died.”
“Sanctioned?”
“More than likely.”
“But why, ma’am, was Paul killed in such a demonstrative way? I mean, you’d think someone would just tag him and bag him and throw him in the trunk of a car. Takes him to a wreckin’ yard and then turns him and the car into scrap metal. Kind of like they did to Jimmy Hoffa.”
Fay wondered where Pearce came up with some of her facts. She felt tempted to ask but decided it would be better to just let it go for the time being. “I wondered about that too,” she continued. “Unless someone wanted to draw a certain amount of attention to his death. To set an example for others to see.”
“Like leavin’ a trail?”
“Accountants call it an audit trail. Paul was a man who lived his life in the shadows, a ‘shadow warrior,’ Towsley called him. But the way he died placed him center stage and in the spotlight.”
“I see what ya mean.”
“I do know my meeting with Andrew Lawrence the other night at the Pollywog was not an accident,” Fay said. “And I would have never interviewed Wu and De Vinsone unless someone allowed it to happen.”
“Admiral May?”
Fay nodded. “I did some checking on Admiral Brandon May, by the way.”
“And?”
“Nada. There are several Admirals named May. When I tried to access their records, all were classified. And no one was named Brandon May.”
“No surprise.” Pearce pondered for a moment and then said, “Interestin’.”
“Even more interesting, I did locate a V. B. May. A flag assigned to the Pentagon. His present assignment is classified, but his biography says he was, at one time, a Terminator.”
“NCIS!?” Pearce’s eyes widened in surprise. “You gotta be kiddin’!”
Arid Sea
Spider Green Book Two
by Norm Harris
Published 7 February 2022
Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Page Count: 278
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Faydra “Spider” Green is a spirited Navy lawyer who wants nothing more than to do the right thing and see justice done. After reconciling with her father, former President William Green, Fay is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Alvin Joe, a retired admiral. He has vanished – seemingly into thin air – from his Florida home, along with secret files for a top-secret military weapon. Alongside her bubbly, quick-witted sister and a handsome, affable Sheriff, Fay sets out to track down Joe. But she soon finds herself embroiled in a deeper and far more sinister plot involving an unscrupulous corporation, the mafia, and a truly evil man who has his sights set on destroying her.
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Deception Pass
Spider Green Book Three
by Norm Harris
Published 14 March 2022
Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Page Count: 226
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Faydra “Spider” Green has had a storied career as a Navy lawyer, all while juggling being the daughter of a former U.S. President. She has successfully navigated complex diplomatic situations, pulse-pounding legal investigations, and dangerous military missions, managing each time to save the day. But now, Fay finds herself faced with a task unlike anything she has ever tackled before: fierce mafioso Roman Justine, the man who had nearly cost Fay her life, has seemingly returned from the dead. Now, Justine, hellbent on revenge, poses a threat to Fay and national security. Fay will have to go to extraordinary lengths to stop him, even tampering with the bounds of time and space.
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The Girl Who Knew Death
Spider Green Book Four
by Norm Harris
Published 11 May 2022
Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Page Count: 218
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Katrinka Lavrova is a young Russian espionage agent discovered by Russian Navy Captain Lavrov at the age of nineteen. Katrinka worked as both a spy and a sparrow since age thirteen to support her aged parents. Lavrov rescues the woman and becomes her guardian. Captain Lavrov introduces Katrinka to Fay. Fay asks Katrinka to help her steal the top-secret plans from Roman Justine’s office safe. Fay grows fond of Kat and offers her a fresh start in the United States. Katrinka dares to hope for a better life by accepting Fay’s offer.
Navy lawyer and former First Daughter Faydra (Fay) Green is no longer quite so haunted by the dark events of her recent past and is hoping for some well-deserved rest. But her world is once again turned upside down when a shocking secret about her adopted daughter, Katrinka (Kat), is revealed. But before Fay can help Kat make any decisions about her future, Kat is captured and thrown into an Egyptian prison. She manages to escape but must flee to safety across Europe, trying to stay one step ahead of several mysterious pursuers. Soon, Fay and Kat discover they are being chased by more than ordinary forces – Azrael, the Angel of Death, has taken a puzzling interest in their situation and a dangerous demon appears to be stalking Kat’s every move. It will take all of Fay’s strength and ingenuity to meet these and other challenges looming ahead of her, while Kat must ask herself what she truly wants out of life.
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About the Author
Norm Harris’ first novel debuted on an Amazon bestseller list in 2002. It was a one-and-done, but now he’s back with a plan to publish a couple of sequels to that first mystery/thriller of days gone by. Except for time spent in military service, he is a second-generation Seattleite (that’s what they call those who dwell in the shadow of Mt. Rainier), with his legal beagle son, K-K, and five giant tropical fish. His upcoming release, Arid Sea, is the third book in what he hopes to be an award-winning Spider Green Mystery Story series.
Giveaway Alert!
Norm Harris will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Mar 14 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews | Mar 21 | Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! |
| Mar 28 | Fabulous and Brunette | Apr 4 | fundinmental |
| Apr 11 | All the Ups and Downs | Apr 18 | The Key Of Love |
| Apr 25 | Seven Troublesome Sisters | May 2 | The Avid Reader |
| May 2 | The Faerie Review | May 9 | Beyond Romance |
| May 16 | Sandra’s Book Club | May 23 | Wake Up Your Wild Side |
| May 30 | Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters | Jun 6 | Jazzy Book Reviews |
| Jun 13 | Westveil Publishing | Jun 20 | Gimme The Scoop Reviews |
| Jun 27 | Long and Short Reviews | Jul 11 | It’s Raining Books |
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Thanks for hosting!
Sounds great, thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your guest post and books’ details, this sounds like a thrilling mystery series and I am looking forward to reading all of your stories
I like the cover and think the book look interesting.
Thanks for the great excerpts. The whole series sounds exciting. Great covers!
Fantastic guest post and excerpt, The Spider Green series sounds like thrilling reads for me to enjoy! Thanks for sharing them with me and have a spectacular TGIF!