Susan Finlay

It's fall (or autumn) 2018. The Trump administration wants to fortify the United States-Mexico border, Robert 'Beto' O'Rourke is running for Senate, and British grifter Nicki Smith has just secured a "low-paid glamour job" at the University of Texas' Jacques Lacan Foundation. In between sleeping with the air-conditioning repair guy (or man) and watching Kate Moss make-up commercials (or advertisements) Nicki completes the first ever American-English translation of Lacan's newly discovered and highly controversial notebook - without knowing any French. An Anglo-American comedy of manners about identity and class, The Jacques Lacan Foundation reveals - and revels in -the numerous pretensions that surround academia and authorship, and the institutions that foster them. --

The Jacques Lacan Foundation

The more I think about it, art theory is no place for straights. And contrary to popular opinion you can’t be really poor—or poor without a safety net—and bohemian. Or live in a capital city and have a fun time all the time or even some of it. There was no good reason why Someone Else and I split up besides different senses of humour and views on economics - which are two no good major reasons...

'In Vasari’s soaring vision of art, the most-used adjective is ‘beautiful’. In Finlay’s tarmac-hugging account it is ‘posh’. This book is not an appraisal of perfection of an artist’s output, but a rummage through an improvised life full of so much besides art. What a wry, unsparing weave of formative episodes and structural ironies. What devil-may-care tilts at authority. No redemption or overcoming all odds here! This unvarnished world is marbled through with brilliance and shit.'

The Lives of The Artists 

"Part metafiction, part design criticism, with a touch of armchair psychoanalysis, Objektophilia begins in London in 2014, where a nameless design critic and her partner X reside in a decrepit but Grade II listed tower block. It ends some months later among the fin de siècle wonders of Vienna in an echo of the successive encounters of Schnitzler's La Ronde."--Cover page 4.

Objektophilia

Gold and Gunslingers is a dual-timeline historical genealogical mystery about family, self-esteem, sibling rivalry, and life's struggles. During the 2020 Covid pandemic, a young father, Seth Landry, wants to follow in his older brother's footsteps as an amateur genealogist. He hopes he'll uncover family secrets the way his brother did when he traced their German roots, but he's working on their American side and going back to the 1850's California Gold Rush days. The investigative journey begins with his discovery of diaries and journals, written by five people, that have been collecting dust in the Landry home attic. Seth believes one or more of the five strangers must somehow be related to the Landrys but who: Is it a former sheriff turned miner Ralph Preston, the local doctor Daniel Friedman, the widow hotel owner Laura Carson, a female miner Magda Shapiro, or wife and mother Emma Hamilton. Seth has something to prove to his family, his over-achieving brother, and perhaps to himself. He has the drive, but self-defeating habits, former buddies and life's challenges threaten to derail and maybe even destroy his marriage and the life he has built. Can Seth discover why the diaries are in his attic? Is there a connection between those five people and his family? Can Seth overcome his set-backs and insecurities? What happened to the gold the miners found?

A Genealogical Dual Timeline Mystery

Gold and Gunslingers

Lucas Landry receives an email from a teenager, Mikayla Carson, who thinks her legal guardian and great-grandmother, Elisabeth Hoffman, is related to his great-grandfather, Franz Nagel. She's not certain, because Elisabeth suffers from dementia. Mikayla wants Lucas to help her find out more about her family's past. As a genealogist, Lucas is eager to untangle the family roots. He travels to Arizona to meet Mikayla, her younger brother, and Elisabeth, and begins reading old Nagel-family diaries, but his eagerness dampens when he discovers Nazis in their bloodline. Further complicating the task, he can't even figure out how Elisabeth is related to those Nagels, and she can't explain, either; her mind is a jumbled mess and her answers to his questions are unreliable. He returns home, ready to give up until two events pull him back in-his discovery of an old newspaper clipping about the war-time murder of one of the Nagels, and Mikayla's frantic call about the danger of her family being torn apart unless a family member steps in and helps.Against his wife's wishes, Lucas returns to Arizona and delves deeper into the WWII diaries, learning about a Lebensborn home, a Polish concentration camp, and the tragic lives of three Nagel teens; their father's young mistress; and two nieces. But will those diaries tell what he really needs to know and empower him to help Elisabeth and her great-grandchildren?

Bloodlines and Barbed Wire: A Tangled Roots Historical Mystery

Prejudice against the Australian girls reveals the deeper anxieties within English society about both the state of their nation at home and the effects of life in the colonies on those who go to Australia as settlers or administrators. A concern about whether the girls still qualify as ‘ladies’ is a major theme in the novels. One of the other main effects on the girls involves family separation and reunion.

The Australian Girl in the English Girls' School Story, 1909-1920

"She's Only a Colonial, You See"

Steve and Claire Jensen, a frightened couple who ran away from the Witness Protection Program, are desperate to protect their young children from the bad men targeting the family and the government officials who want to force them to testify despite the danger. Unexpectedly, the couple gets the offer of a lifetime-refuge in a 'secret' town that is off-the-grid and free of government control. The town takes care of its own; the only requirement is that all healthy adults, except caregivers, work in the town. Soon after they arrive, the family can't believe their good-fortune. The idyllic town nestled in a wooded canyon offers peace and quiet and a small bustling community. But they discover that no place is perfect-government or not, there's always someone in charge. After weeks there, Claire begins to notice peculiarities. What is it about this place that gives her goosebumps? Is there a bigger secret than the town's location, or is she paranoid because of the nightmares she's endured? When Steve begins to notice, too, they don't know if they're both over-reacting, worried over nothing, or if there's a hidden agenda to the 'secret' town.

The Secret Town

In this gripping and emotional dual-timeline genealogical mystery, the fourth in the Tangled Roots series, Lucas Landry journeys alone to the Czech Republic in search of clues about his mother's ancestors after discovering what he'd always believed about her heritage was wrong. Bohemia and Broken Hearts is a poignant and gripping genealogical mystery that explores the intricate threads of family relationships, love, trust, and war. Lucas Landry, a Californian, moved to Germany with his wife and children to explore his paternal ancestry but a recent event has left him disenchanted with genealogy. When his brother Seth discovers some surprising information about their mother's ancestry, Lucas reluctantly embarks on a journey to the Czech Republic to uncover the truth. However, what seems like a simple trip becomes a maze of unforeseen problems that Lucas could not have predicted. Alternating with Lucas's story are the tales of his ancestors, Simon Muskowsky and Marie, who find themselves trapped in WWII in the tiny village of Klein Mohrau, Sudetenland. Their love story unfolds amidst the chaos of war and the struggles of daily life. As Lucas delves deeper into his family's history, he discovers more about his mother's ancestry and his own roots. However, what he truly longs for is to mend his shattered marriage and reunite with his wife and children. Bohemia and Broken Hearts is a beautifully written novel that weaves together the past and present, revealing the intricate connections between generations. It is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, mystery, and family drama.

Bohemia and Broken Hearts

A group of wary strangers become lost in time and are forced to lean on and trust each other to survive.Chloe Westbrook, a modern young English woman who has given up on love and on people in general, reluctantly travels during the pandemic to Mythe, France to meet her reclusive grandfather, Frederic Chevalier, for the first time. Nicholas Drake, a young American hippy who is afraid of commitment and carries a great burden on his shoulders, stays in a bed-and-breakfast inn run by a hippy middle-aged French woman, Josephine Lapierre, in the French town of Belvidere. There, he hopes he can bury his past for a while, or at least stop remembering his mistakes every day of his life. These four people from two different times get caught in a time portal that catapults them backwards into the year 1880 and into the French village of Reynier, where respectable citizens are forced to live among troglodyte cave dwellers, gypsies, and at least one murderer. Somehow, they must figure out a way to fit in until they can find a way back home. Reflections in the Dark is a romantic time travel mystery about love, fear, regrets, trust, and redemption. It's the first in a new series, but the settings will be familiar to readers of Ms. Finlay's Outsiders series and her Chambre Noir series.

A Crisscross Time Travel Mystery

Reflections in the Dark

Twenty-six-year-old Joshua Clayton is on a lavish vacation in Paris with his parents, his gorgeous fiance and her parents. He soon discovers a terrible betrayal, driving him to leave. Putting distance from them while he sorts through his emotions, he accepts a temporary job as handyman for an elderly woman, Paulette Lapierre, in a small French village. Unfortunately, Paulette doesn't tell him until he arrives that she's dying and has hired him because she also needs a strong and reliable caregiver. Though he's not happy being misled, he's not ready to go home and deal with his troubles, and reluctantly agrees to do double duty-as caregiver and handyman-and stay with her until the end. The job isn't easy, there are age-and-cultural differences, and Paulette lives far outside town in a hilltop troglo cave home. But an unexpected friendship develops with the free-spirited retired dancer, and eventually new romance with a young semi-reclusive baker, Isabelle Bernot. Only, as Josh gets to know Paulette better, he discovers she has secrets she'd hoped to take to her grave. As those secrets surface the three of them are inexorably drawn into an investigation that changes everything and everyone."

A Chambre Noir Mystery

The Handyman

Seventy-nine-year-old Fabienne Laurent's biggest fear is that her family will notice her memory problems are getting worse. If they do, she's sure they'll send her to live in a nursing home, away from everyone and everything she loves. That's what she and her husband did when her own mother's dementia caused them too much grief. Not taking care of her mother the way a daughter should is one of her biggest regrets, but she can't undo the past. At best, she can keep her own family from making the same mistake, at least until they have no choice. With that decision made, she'll have to cover up her illness as long as possible. Maybe that won't be a problem. They haven't noticed, so far . . . . But, she soon discovers it might not be as easy as she'd hoped. While helping her daughter and son-in-law renovate their new hotel in the small French village of Reynier, she finds mysterious journals that lead them to the unearthing of an old tomb deep inside the town's caves-and also to the remains of a woman who was murdered twenty years ago. That discovery turns her world upside down, because Fabienne not only knew the victim, but also had a motive to kill her. She must find a way to recover lost memories and convince herself and everyone else that she didn't do it. The Forgotten Tomb is a story about family bonds, aging, regrets, trust, and forgiveness.

The Forgotten Tomb

What if you had to start over and make a new life and new identity for yourself . . . ? Dr Juliet Powell is a genius math professor, who doesn't lie, but through circumstances beyond her control, her life has suddenly changed and is ensconced in a sequence of events that forces her to lie, over and over. She tells herself she will eventually adapt, but with each new identity she's getting further and further away from who she really is. Desperate, her life and that of her young son are in danger and depend on her hiding. Her protector tells her she needs to blend in like a chameleon, play the game and reinvent herself—and not fail this time. Her newest role places her as the principal at a gang and drug plagued high school, where she has opportunity to make a difference. But then she discovers that a stranger is watching her and her young son. On the surface the story deals with school violence and fear, but at its heart is a woman's struggle with societal decline, lies, deception, trust, and self-identity.Praise for Susan Finlay's other novels—'Susan Finlay is an accomplished writer who can bring a story to life. It was easy for me to get lost In The Shadows. I loved this Outsiders Mystery.''Just finished reading. I enjoyed it tremendously and had a hard time putting it down when necessary. Well written with good story and side plots to keep me reading.''Susan Finlay's sense of character development in IN THE SHADOWS is impeccable. I'm very fond of this author and this story.''Where Secrets Reside is a great mystery that kept me thinking I knew who was committing the murders each time one happened, but unexpected twists proved me wrong more than once. I definitely will read her books in the future.''My new, favorite author didn't disappoint me with her latest release. If you like mysteries you won't want to miss this one, a book you can't put down with continual suspense and surprises.''This book is cleverly plotted and works as a sequel to the first Outsiders mystery. The characters have developed maturity, and there is an interesting twist stemming from more background knowledge about the history of the grandmothers. The setting is in the same fictional town in France, but the caves play a more important role.'

A Project Chameleon Novel

Liars' Games

Pregnant, running from a bad environment, bounced around in foster care her whole life, and shunned by her father, seventeen-year-old Bailey Blackwood doesn't expect miracles, and it appears as if she isn't about to receive any. Poor judgment has her accepting a ride from a husband and wife, unaware that she has placed herself in danger, about to be kidnapped. After she finally escapes, Bailey and the couple's dog end up in an abandoned mine that suddenly transports them back in time to an 1878 gold mining town where she meets the town's marshal, Wyatt Hawkins. Wyatt feels for the young girl, but he has his hands full, investigating a murder. Meanwhile, teenager Ryan Hollander, a modern American who was swept up in a similar fashion and has been living with his family in 18th-century Germany, tries to return home through the portal there, but somehow also ends up in the Old West mining town. Alone and terrified, he fears he'll never see his family again. When Bailey and Ryan meet, they realize the time portal isn't reliable and any hope of getting back to their time vanishes. Both must face the real possibility of being stuck in the past. Not Expecting This is a story about family, guilt, regrets, and redemption.

A Bavarian Woods Mystery

Not Expecting This

Buried lies and tangled secrets threaten the lives of two time traveling families in the sequel to Inherit the Past. Seventy-six-year-old Lotte Furst doesn't know who she can trust. Her time traveling brother (the only person who can operate time portals) was supposed to send her back home-to 2009-but he double-crossed her. She only got partially back. Within days, she was again in 1789 Bavaria, stuck and in grave danger. And why? Before her failed attempt to get home, she had written a letter confessing to a murder she didn't commit. The letter was meant to help fellow time traveler, Karl Kimmel, and atone Lotte's past mistakes. It shouldn't have affected her future, since she was supposed to be out of harm's way. Now that her good deed has backfired, Lotte is on the run and hiding in a grotto like an animal because, if caught by the Bavarian Feldgendarms, she'll go to prison. Her only hope is to find her wily brother and persuade him to send her back where she belongs. Karl knows where her brother is and Karl owes her. Trouble is, Karl lives in a big town where danger of capture looms. Plus, he has a granddaughter who wants to see Lotte caught and brought to justice. Lotte's visit with Karl sets off an explosive chain reaction affecting everyone she knows in the past-including estranged family members she originally time traveled with four months ago. People go missing. People die. And secrets get spilled.

Tanglewood Grotto

In Reynier, France, a sleepy hillside village peppered with ancient picturesque troglodyte cave dwellings, the locals value their privacy and their quiet life. Few tourists know it exits, which suits the locals just fine. One day, after a torrential storm, a townswoman happens across a terrified soaked toddler sitting alone in the woods. She brings the toddler into town, but no one recognizes the child. Suspecting the child's parents—rare tourists perhaps—must be lost or in trouble nearby, the locals organize a search party to find them. Their search leads instead to the discovery of a murder victim, another stranger, in one of the caves. As the investigation gets underway, the situation heats up. The residents of this once peaceful close-knit village find themselves terrorized by a possible serial killer. Facing their own mortality, they wonder whether the killer is an outsider, or one of their own? And who will be the next victim?Captain Pascal Goddard of the local Gendarmerie has his hands full; he must solve the biggest murder case the region has ever seen. The residents will not let him rest until he uncovers the killer's identity, putting a stop to the killing so a frantic village can return to normal. But as the list of suspects grows, some begin to worry that past history will paint them as guilty even if they are not; at least not of murder.Where Secrets Reside is the second book in the Outsiders series. Praise for the first book, In the Shadows—“Impeccable Characters. . . Susan Finlay's sense of character development in IN THE SHADOWS is impeccable. I'm very fond of this author and this story.”—Susan Wingate, Author of the award-winning, #1 Amazon bestsellers Drowning and the Bobby's Diner series“Atmospheric, great setting. . . the descriptive prose drew me right into a convincing story from the outset and I can only imagine that the author's experience as a photographer, with a photographer's eye, must be the other side of the coin to the compelling eye for setting.”—Raymond Nickford, Author of A Child From the Wishing Well and Aristo's Family“One of My Favorite Novelists. . . Susan Finlay is an accomplished writer who can bring a story to life. It was easy for me to get lost In the Shadows. I loved this Outsiders Mystery.”—Mary Enck, Author

Where Secrets Reside

My Other Spruce and Maple Self

Mystery in a French village . . . Gendarme captain Pascal Goddard looks forward to taking a break from work to focus his attention on his wife Chantal and the birth of their first child. Two weeks before their baby's due date, a couple who recently moved into a troglo in the nearby village of Reynier, France, report their baby missing. When Chantal finds out, worried for the safety of their unborn baby and for the missing baby, she begs her husband to find the child. Hours later, the unexpected happens to Chantal. Torn between sitting at Chantal's bedside and praying for a miracle or doing his job and fulfilling what may be her last wish, Goddard must decide soon; the missing baby, if abandoned out on the snowy hillside or left in Reynier's labyrinthine cave system, won't survive for long. He brings in the Gendarmerie's canine unit and personally interviews the short list of suspects, including the baby's parents and her five-year-old brother. With few leads, and severe weather threatening to impede the investigation, Goddard is anxious. And then, three more people-including the baby's brother whom Goddard has become fond of-disappear. Now Goddard puts his own life in danger to find them all. Winter Tears is the third book in the Outsiders series. Praise for the first two books- "Impeccable Characters. . . Susan Finlay's sense of character development in IN THE SHADOWS is impeccable. I'm very fond of this author and this story." "Atmospheric, great setting. . . the descriptive prose drew me right into a convincing story from the outset and I can only imagine that the author's experience as a photographer, with a photographer's eye, must be the other side of the coin to the compelling eye for setting." "Simply put, "Where Secrets Reside" is one of the best mysteries I have read in a very long time. Set in the small, quiet village of Reynier, France, a young woman finds an abandoned toddler deep in the woods. Who is she, and where is the mother? From there, one after another, murders begin. Who is the guilty party? Is there one, or several? Are the deaths related in some way? Is Maurelle Martin involved? After all, she was once a suspect in a London murder. What about her husband? In less capable hands, a complicated plot like this one would quickly turn into a maze. In Susan Finlay's very capable hands, it is a fascinating hunt. if love mysteries and you're looking for a superb read, pick up a copy of "Where Secrets Reside," sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, and plunge in. I'm looking forward to Susan Finlay's next mystery. She's definitely got me hooked!"

An Outsiders Mystery

Winter Tears

A Romantic Novel

Arriviste

There is a stranger amongst the residents of the cave-riddled village of Reynier, France. Suspicious, they believe there's only one reason Maurelle Dupre would be lurking in their small village—she's a gypsy, a thief. But a former Chicago detective turned mystery author, Dave Martin, who happens to be visiting his French grandmother, isn't so sure about the beautiful stranger when happenstance causes them to meet. He wonders why she seems so frightened and distrustful. He knows he shouldn't get involved. The last time he trusted a woman in distress, the consequences resulted in the loss of his detective's shield and his wife. But, as always, the detective in him can't seem to leave well enough alone. However, what Dave couldn't know is how persuading Maurelle to reveal herself will ultimately unveil something far worse than mere theft.In the Shadows is a story of trust, belonging, and murder.

In the Shadows

Dr David Goldstein might have finished a PhD on religion, but he's still no closer to knowing what he believes or what in Middle Earth he's doing behind the counter of the local Games Workshop, selling figurines of rat men to spotty teenagers. David's also no nearer to making his feelings known to his friend Meg or wangling an invitation to Nottingham's only Hindu temple, as part of his endless quest for a belief system. David only starts to feel like he belongs after taking up Kaos Magik, a post-modern practice combining voodoo, chakras and bureaucratic surveys to help those who practise it discover the deeper meaning behind the banalities of modern life. Meg is just as stuck as David - her parents keep finding ways to remind her she isn't married, her boss at the Evening Post is weirdly obsessed with her heritage and David wants her to take part in his magikal experiments. The only sane person she knows is the romantic-but-cynical autodidact Katarzyna Flowers. But Katarzyna's soldier boyfriend Eoin has stopped answering her emails and a strange video is doing the rounds...A funny, poignant novel with a quirky cast of characters, Our Lady of Everything is about love, faith and the caves of Nottingham - and what people do when they don't have any of the answers.

Susan Finlay

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