I’m excited to announce the publication of the Master Sergeant Lauren Harper Mystery series by M.L. Doyle. Full disclosure, Ms. Doyle is a member of my critique group and I’ve had the pleasure of reading and critiquing her books over the past few years. She recently released the first two books in the series, The Peacekeeper’s Photograph and The Sapper’s Plot.  I’m not a mystery reader and have no military background, but these books hooked me because the protagonist is such a unique and strong character. Not to mention the edge of your seat action!

The Peacekeeper’s Photograph

The NATO mission in Bosnia is to broker peace between warring factions and help restore a devastated county.

It’s a mission the world is watching.

But when Master Sergeant Lauren Harper makes a gruesome discovery, she has a new mission. Saving herself.

Harper, a career soldier, is innocent of the crime, but she’s guilty of a lot of other things, like inappropriate feelings for her commanding officer, Colonel Neil McCallen and failing to lead a soldier who needed her help.

To get out of the mess she’s in, Harper must employ all of her wits and the help of an unexpected friend from across the pond, Sergeant Major Harry Fogg.

Her mistakes land Harper in the worst trouble she’s ever faced. She is forced to choose. Save herself and risk the lives of others, or stay, and face a life of degradation and slavery.

Get The Peacekeeper’s Photograph on Amazon

The Sapper’s Plot

The last thing Master Sergeant Lauren Harper needs is another difficult mission. Her ordeal in Bosnia left her traumatized and worn out. But a soldier doesn’t get to say no to official orders.

At least this time she’s embarking on a humanitarian mission. What could go wrong? Turns out, just about everything.

Harper travels with a group of Combat Engineers–also known as Sappers, to the tropical jungles of a Honduran village, only to find a gruesome murder. Cut off from the main base because of the hostile weather, Harper and a man she hoped she’d never see again, CW4 Fletcher Mayes, are forced to take charge of the investigation. Lurking in the shadows are sketchy-looking locals, insolent Sappers and an aggressive TV news team looking for a steamy scandal.

In the midst of it all, the arrival of Sergeant Major Harry Fogg provides some much-needed solace but also muddles her concentration.

Harper begins to think danger will find her wherever she goes, even in the deepest jungles of Honduras. At times, she feels her slightest movement will send her tumbling over a cliff–and heights are about the only thing Harper fears.

Get The Sapper’s Plot on Amazon

M. L. Doyle has served in the U.S. Army at home and abroad for more than two decades as both a soldier and civilian. A Minneapolis native, Mary currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland where she is busy writing mysteries and working as a civil servant. She is the winner of the Carey McCray Memorial Literary Award and her work was recently nominated for an NAACP Image Award. For more information, check out her website at http://mldoyleauthor.com.