The first book in the Izzy McNeil series, 2009

Dear Reader,

The Izzy McNeil series is fiction. But it’s personal, too. Much of Izzy’s world is my world. She’s proud to be a lawyer (although she can’t always find her exact footing in the legal world), and she’s even more proud to be a Chicagoan. The Windy City has never been more alive for me than it was during the writing of these books-Red Hot Lies, Red Blooded Murder and Red, White & Dead. Nearly all the places I’ve written about are as true-blue Chicago as Lake Michigan on a crisp October day. Occasionally I’ve taken license with a few locales, but I hope you’ll enjoy visiting them. If you’re not a Chicagoan, I hope you’ll visit the city, too, particularly if you haven’t recently. Chicago is humming right now-a city whose surging vibrancy is at once surprising and yet, to those of us who’ve lived here a while, inevitable.

The Izzy McNeil books can be read in any order, although Izzy does age throughout, just like the rest of us. Please e-mail me at info@lauracaldwell.com to let me know what you think about the books, especially what you think Izzy and her crew should be doing next. And thank you, thank you, for reading.

Laura Caldwell

My deepest appreciation to Margaret O’Neill Marbury, Amy Moore-Benson and Maureen Walters. Thanks also to everyone at MIRA Books, including Valerie Gray, Donna Hayes, Dianne Moggy, Loriana Sacilotto, Craig Swinwood, Pete McMahon, Stacy Widdrington, Andrew Wright, Pamela Laycock, Katherine Orr, Marleah Stout, Alex Osuszek, Margie Miller, Adam Wilson, Don Lucey, Gordy Goihl, Dave Carley, Ken Foy, Erica Mohr, Darren Lizotte, Andi Richman, Reka Rubin, Margie Mullin, Sam Smith, Kathy Lodge, Carolyn Flear, Maureen Stead, Emily Ohanjanians, Michelle Renaud, Linda McFall, Stephen Miles, Jennifer Watters, Amy Jones, Malle Vallik, Tracey Langmuir and Anne Fontanesi.

Much gratitude to my panel of experts-Chicago Police Detective Peter Koconis; Chicago Police Officer Jeremy Shultz; private investigators Paul Ciolino, Sam Andreano and John Powers; criminal defense lawyer Catharine O’Daniel; Gabriele Carles and Jason Billups for their help with Panamanian real estate; Dr. Richard Feely for explaining Chinese herbs; Dr. Doug Lyle for his autopsy and cardiology expertise; Matt Garvin for his computer hacking intel, and Chicago Lions rugby coach Chris McClellan.

Thanks also to everyone who read the book or offered advice or suggestions, especially Dustin O’Regan, Margaret Caldwell, Christi Smith, Katie Caldwell, Rob Kovell, William Caldwell, Pam Carroll, Liza Jaine, Morgan Hogerty, Beth Kaveny, Katie Syracopholous, Brooke Shawer, Clare Toohey, Mary Jennings Dean, Steve Gallagher, Les Klinger and Joan Posch.

Welcome to the Enriched Edition of Red Hot Lies by Laura Caldwell! This ebook contains exclusive content from Laura Caldwell herself that is not available in the print edition, including an interview with the author, deleted scenes, discussion questions and more. Enriched editions for the next two Izzy McNeil books-Red Blooded Murder and Red, White & Dead will be available in Enriched eBook format, too.

We hope you enjoy this Enriched eBook. We’d love to hear about your experience and any suggestions for future editions. Send us an email at nbd@harlequin.ca.

Happy reading!

My first book-Burning the Map-caused some unanticipated trouble in my personal life. My mother, who was convinced I’d used her as inspiration for the mother in the novel, was irritated at certain traits that the character had but which she did not. I explained that was because the character was not her, but she remained wary about the whole thing, and was relieved when the mother character in my next book barely made an appearance. My real-life secretary (who was so lovely I referred to her as Mother Teresa) somehow saw herself as the bitter, sniping shrew of a secretary in the book. Nothing I could say could convince her otherwise, and it broke my heart.

Those experiences rattled me so much that while writing my next six novels, I took pains not to have any character reflect even remotely on anyone in my life, including myself. But a few years ago, an author friend of mine asked why I wasn’t writing about lawyers in Chicago (since I was a lawyer in Chicago) and why my protagonists were never redheads (since I’m a redhead). I told her about people mistaking themselves for fictional characters and also assuming I was the main character in most of my books. “Who cares?” she said. “The law is fascinating, Chicago is hopping these days and everyone knows redheads have more fun. You have to write that stuff.”

From that conversation, my Red Hot mystery series was born. In the first book, Red Hot Lies (MIRA, June 2009), Izzy McNeil, a sassy redheaded lawyer from Chicago, begins moonlighting as a private investigator after her fiancé disappears and the same day her client is killed. I’ve never moonlighted as a P.I., and many of Izzy McNeil’s traits are not mine, but I share more things in common with Izzy than with any of my other characters. And speaking of characters, I’m finally making Chicago a protagonist, too. And like any good protagonist, she’s sizzling fun, full of contradictions and always mesmerizing.

Izzy McNeil-Main character. Chicago trial lawyer turned P.I. after fiancé disappears and client, Forester Pickett, is killed.

Sam Hollings-Izzy’s fiancé. Is a financial advisor at the wealth-management firm that handles most of Forester’s investments.

Q (Quentin) Briscoe-Izzy’s assistant and dear friend. Previously a struggling actor.

Max Rodriguez-Q’s boyfriend. His mother was a Las Vegas showgirl.

Forester Carlton Pickett-Izzy’s biggest client. Owns the Midwest ’s largest media conglomerate, Pickett Enterprises. Lives in a large estate in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Shane Pickett-Forester’s son and his only child. Forester made Shane his second in command at Pickett Enterprises, but everyone knows, including Shane, that he doesn’t have the business acumen of his father.

Tanner Hornsby-Shane’s friend from high school. He leaned on Shane to convince his father to give Tanner his legal work piece by piece until Tanner controlled most of it. That is, until Forester pulled it from him and gave it to Izzy.

Maggie-Izzy’s best friend. She is short with light brown hair. She is a criminal defense lawyer known for representing alleged drug runners and mobsters. Her grandfather, Martin Bristol, is a famous Chicago Assistant State ’s Attorney.

Grady Fischer-A lawyer at Izzy’s firm. He handles mostly medical malpractice. He is tall with dark brown hair and a charming smile. He’s had a crush on Izzy since they first joined the law firm after college together.

Charlie McNeil-Izzy’s younger brother. He is unemployed and lives off an insurance settlement after he was injured in a work-related accident. He spends most of his days napping, drinking red wine and reading-hence his nickname, “Sheets.”

Victoria McNeil-Izzy’s mother. She’s a beautiful, elegant woman, always impeccably dressed with strawberry-blond hair. She runs the Victoria Project, which helps widowed women with children. After her husband, Izzy’s father, died, she moved to Chicago and married Spence.