Author: Verlin Darrow

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CTHT

Publisher: ‎ The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

“This was what the universe had presented, like it or not, I realized. My job was to cooperate with how things needed to be, and apparently playing detective was just that. For now.” 

'The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth,' by Verlin Darrow is a novel that is exactly as quirky and wonderful as the title would lead you to believe. I have read one of Darrow's novels in the past, 'Murder for Liar,' which was so enthralling that I rated it highly among my reads for last year. 

This novel is an entirely different story, but with just as much punch. Having recently given up on being a Buddhist nun, Ivy Lutz returns to the United States to visit her dying mother one last time. But there is a problem, Ivy's mother passes away before she can properly speak to her, and Ivy's sister, Jan, believes that their mother was murdered. 

Ivy isn't so sure that the woman was murdered, but she is willing to indulge her sister and look into the case herself, as Jan does not feel that the police are investigating it well enough. Pretty soon, Ivy does begin to find some things that don't match up, mostly surrounding her new stepfather, Dennis, whom she has never met before. 

It turns out that Dennis is not who he says he is, and Ivy begins to wonder if her sister is right and Dennis may have done something to cause their mother's death. But before she can look into him any further, Dennis is killed as well, and the race is one to figure out just who wanted both her mother and her stepfather dead so badly. 

This book is a delight and one that I'm sure any reader will enjoy! 5 enlightened stars for this entertaining read! 

About Verlin Darrow

California. 

They diagnose each other as necessary. 

He is the author of Blood and Wisdom, Coattail Karma, Prodigy Quest, and Murder For Liar. 

Two of these won major book awards. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player, country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign cult.

Before bowing to the need for higher education, a much younger Verlin ran a punch press in a sheet-metal factory, drove a taxi, worked as a night janitor,

shoveled asphalt on a road crew, and installed wood floors. 

He barely missed being blown up by Mt. St. Helens, survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake (8.0), and

(so far) he’s successfully weathered his own internal disasters. 

To learn more about Verlin and his books, visit https://www.verlindarrow.com/

Ten things You Didn’t Know About The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth

1) I didn’t know how it would turn out until the last twenty pages. Sometimes my seat of

the pants approach borders on the ridiculous.

2) Like my protagonist Ivy, I had to reintegrate into the world after being part of a

spiritual community. Fortunately, I didn’t have to solve any murders while I was doing so.

3) There are multiple plot twists in my book, which, so far, no readers have anticipated.

4) As a psychotherapist, I ran a group for twelve years for patients like Ivy’s sister, who

struggles with managing her bi-polar disorder.

5) The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth is my fifth novel, and my third mystery. The other

two mysteries were finalists in major book award contests.

6) This is the first book I’ve written in a woman’s voice. I didn’t really know if I could

manage it or if it was even kosher in the publishing world these days. Since a publisher

green-lighted it, I guess it is.

7) I have a friend who is a Buddhist nun of sorts whose Sri Lankan teacher gave a talk I

attended. Someone asked him what he thought about humanity ruining the planet. He

told him not to worry. “There are plenty of other planets on which to reincarnate.”

8) This book represents an attempt to reach a more traditional mystery readership than

my earlier novels. With its amateur woman detective, a bit of romance, and a plot to

puzzle those who enjoy trying to solve puzzles….We’ll see.

9) The Bulgarian gangster character is based on someone I actually know.

10) My astute wife/first reader/critical thinker has given this book her stamp of approval.

©VerlinDarrow