Dixie Flynn’s boss wants her to write a fluff story for Father’s Day.Dixie doesn’t do fluff.Investigating the origins of a cryptic classified ad, crime-beat journalist Dixie Flynn finds herself entering the seedy realm of a brutal Russian mobster. Before she knows it, Dixie’s simple missing-father story has turned into a violent battle of wills as she tries to help a woman escape a life and death struggle with the mob. For Dixie, the pen is mightier than the sword, but it’s going to take some handy work with a pistol if she wants this story to have a happy ending.   The riveting sequel to ANGEL WITH A BULLET, “a fast-paced combination of violence and sex” (Kirkus Reviews), DEVIL WITH A GUN leads Dixie Flynn to an incendiary confrontation with the most ruthless killers in San Francisco.About the AuthorM.C. Grant is Grant McKenzie, an award-winning screenwriter, editor, and novelist. He is the author of Switch and No Cry for Help (both published by Bantam TransWorld UK). His short stories have been featured in the First Thrills anthology edited by Lee Child (Tor/Forge), and Out of the Gutter and Spinetingler magazines. His first screenplay won a fellowship at the Praxis Centre for Screenwriting in Vancouver. As a journalist, he worked in virtually every area of the newspaper business, from the late-night “dead body beat” at a feisty daily tabloid to senior copy/design editor at two of Canada’s largest broadsheets. Born in Glasgow, Grant currently reside in Victoria, British Columbia, where he is editor-in-chief of Monday Magazine. For more information, visit him online at GrantMcKenzie.net.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Open publication

Wisecracking reporter Dixie Flynn thinks fast and talks even faster—it’s the only way to survive the San Francisco crime beat. When she’s assigned to look into the death of her former lover, artist Diego Chino, Dixie’s instincts tell her there’s more behind the apparent suicide than the police are letting on.Dixie’s canvassing of the Bay Area art district reveals it to be a perfect picture of corruption, with a handsome art dealer and a reclusive patron in the foreground. After a romantic evening in Chinatown ends in a brush with death, Dixie is more determined than ever to expose the truth. But when a fire in her vicinity turns out to be more than just performance art, it’s clear the perpetrators would rather see Dixie dead than let her destroy their criminal masterpiece.Praise:“A terrific novelist!” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Girl“Grant McKenzie (aka M. C. Grant)  really knows how to make a story move.”—Linwood Barclay, international bestselling author of No Time for GoodbyeFrom BooklistGrant introduces an intriguing new sleuth, Dixie Flynn, a sarcastic San Francisco reporter who can crack wise with the best of the genre. When assigned to report on the death of artist Diego Chino, who happens to be a former lover, Dixie suspects that there is more to the apparent suicide than the police are telling her. As she interviews the pretentious gallery owners and members of the art community, she uncovers a case awash in deceit and treachery. Could a handsome dealer with a reclusive client be involved? After a close brush with death following a date in Chinatown, Dixie is determined to get to the bottom of the story, but getting trapped in a warehouse fire and then getting stabbed suggest that these bad guys are definitely serious. With lots of action, colorful characters, and a surprising plot twist, this is an endearing series debut that will have readers eager for Dixie to solve more cases. --Barbara Bibel About the AuthorM.C. Grant is Grant McKenzie, an award-winning screenwriter, editor, and novelist. He is the author of Switch and No Cry for Help (both published by Bantam TransWorld UK). His short stories have been featured in the First Thrills anthology edited by Lee Child (Tor/Forge), and Out of the Gutter and Spinetingler magazines. His first screenplay won a fellowship at the Praxis Centre for Screenwriting in Vancouver. As a journalist, he worked in virtually every area of the newspaper business, from the late-night “dead body beat” at a feisty daily tabloid to senior copy/design editor at two of Canada’s largest broadsheets. Born in Glasgow, Grant currently reside in Victoria, British Columbia, where he is editor-in-chief of Monday Magazine. For more information, visit him online at GrantMcKenzie.net.