Now Available

WHAT OTHERS KNOW

by

LC Hayden

Top Publications, Ltd.  Trade Paperback ISBN 1-929976-26-7

Six years earlier, Dan Springer's life drastically changed.  His wife was murdered and their one month old baby disappeared.  Although he never gave up the search for his daughter, Dan had almost given up hope--until he received and unusual call. The call leads Dan through the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas and into the heart of rival Las Vegas mobs.  In his quest to learn WHAT OTHERS KNOW, Dan finds that the road is paved with lies, deception, and murder.

REVIEWS

Reviewed by Sandie Herron, December 2004

I've just finished reading L. C. Hayden's book WHAT OTHERS KNOW and what a great read!  It takes place in Las Vegas where a reporter's wife was murdered seven years ago and his baby daughter kidnapped.  Even after all the years, he is still searching for his daughter.  He finds a way to pit one mob boss against another but ends up stuck in the middle.  The twists and turns were finely executed without feeling contrived at all.  And there were plenty of them!  L. C. Hayden took us through them with finesse and suspense.  Great read!!

Reviewed by Rita Ratacheck, January 2004
Reviewing the Evidence

WHAT OTHERS KNOW caught me from the very beginning. "Two words described Dan Springer's mission. Simple. Perilous."

Dan Springer and his buddy, Marcos, enter the home of a crime boss. Marcos is extensively bandaged and disguised. The first part of their plan goes off without a hitch, but the next step will be much more dangerous.

Dan's gal pal, Debbie, is an impersonator for a loved, deceased performer. Dan is a reporter for the Star World Magazine and is searching for a child. It is quite impossible to move along with his life until he accomplishes his goal. Debbie and Dan's personal relationship is compromised because of what he needs to do and what he needs to find.

Not only do the Las Vegas police become involved in this task, but also so does Harry Bronson. I liked revisiting Bronson again. (He can be formerly found in WHEN COLETTE DIED). He and his wife are vacationing in Las Vegas, but he is such a pro that he cannot pass up the opportunity to become centrally involved in this riddle. You have to love Bronson! He not only is savvy in the detective business and skills (I like watching him work), but he is also addicted to coffee. That makes him more than all right in my book!

What can the reader expect? You will see some of the grandeur of Las Vegas, some of the internal working of the Mob and most importantly, you will see realistic good characters that have you wanting them to succeed. This book contains short tight chapters with just the right pace. There is some betrayal, some humor, and just plain good reading.

I am glad that WHAT OTHERS KNOW was my first book of 2004. It has set the bar at a very high level. Strongly recommended!

Reviewed by Cindy Harrison
Posted in Romantic Times, February 2004 Issue

"Hayden's story is tightly plotted, with clever and unusual twists."  

Reviewed by Anne K. Edwards for Murder and Mayhem

Several years after a tragedy marred Dan Springer's life, altering it forever, he is still reacting to it. A mysterious phone call sends him on a chase to rescue a young boy, reopening old wounds and raising his hope once more.

Danger and death threaten, not only him, but those he calls friends as he pursues the one thread he hopes will give him answers to the reason for the terrible events of the past and perhaps let him achieve some peace of mind.

False trails and false witnesses cross his path and he willingly follows them. A mystery that will keep you reading as talented author L. C. Hayden unfolds the tale. A well constructed plot with intriguing characters who will surprise you.

Definitely a fun and rewarding read. Recommended by this reader as a story to enjoy.

Reviewed by Cindy Daniel, author of the Death Warmed Over Mystery Series
Appearing in Mystery Morgue

Seven years ago a young reporter decided he was going to expose the drugs and corruption in Las Vegas and, in spite of threats to his life, wrote an article listing names, facts, and figures. The article cost Dan Springer the life of his wife and the daily torture of wondering who had kidnapped his little girl and where she was.

Then, when the son of a local mob boss was kidnapped, Dan decided this was ticket to getting someone to listen to him; someone with influence to help him find his daughter. All he needed to do was stage a rescue and return the son to his grateful father who had the power to Dan so desperately needed. Seemed logical.

However, the grateful father had a bizarre way of showing appreciation and before long the body count started rising and once again Dan was endangering the woman he loved in his quest for justice. Lucky for him Detective Harry Bronson was in Las Vegas on vacation to do some fishing; catching more than he ever bargained for.

Harry teams up with Dan and Debbie as they follow the twisting trails leading to the girl; wandering down paths to corrupt cops, violent attacks, and just maybe some peace of mind.

L. C. Hayden writes characters with emotion-in a story that could only be told in Las Vegas. You definitely want to find out "What Others Know."

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted on DorothyL, January 5, 2004

In Las Vegas, investigative reporter Dan Springer is working on an article that will expose the extent of the drug dealing, other
illegal crimes, and corruption that has tentacles gripping the entire city.  Threats fail to deter the idealistic journalist from completing his quest.  However, instead of a Pulitzer, Dan is left a widower as someone retaliates by murdering his wife and abducting his newborn daughter with the not so veiled menace to Diana's safety if he prints the article.

Seven years later, Dan still has not found Diana.  However, an opportunity to recover his daughter finally surfaces with the kidnapping of the son of a local mob boss.   Dan, using his journalist credentials, manages to rescue the son, but the plan goes awry afterward.  Instead of a joyful reunion, he has jeopardized Debbie Gunther, the woman he loves, as much as he endangered himself and the trail remains elusively meandering away from his daughter.

WHAT OTHERS KNOW is an engaging tale that focuses on one of a parent's worst nightmares, the abduction of a baby caused by the adult's actions, which in this case was done with good intentions.  The story line grips the audience from the start as readers will feel Dan's frustrations in his inability to track down Diana.  The secondary characters are solid, but the suspense belongs to Dan, who shows little emotion until the angst ridden climax because L.C. Hayden has drawn him as coldly obsessed with regaining his lost child at any cost.  The only flaw of the hero is that his love for Debbie fails to come across until the ending. Thee audience will appreciate Ms. Hayden's exciting thriller.

Reviewed by Gerri Balter
Appearing in Uncle Hugo Mystery Newsletter

What Others Know by L.C. Hayden grabs you with the first sentence and doesn't let go until the last one.  It's the kind of a book I found difficult to put down because I had to know what would happen next.  The book begins with Dan Springer in the middle of a mission to rescue a teenager from the home of a crime boss in Las Vegas.   If he fails, he will never see his daughter again.  Dan has been looking for his daughter for almost seven years, ever since his wife was killed and his daughter kidnapped.  He's sure that this time he'll find her.  However, things don't run as smoothly as he thinks they will.  Each time he thinks he's close to finding his daughter, something happens and he's farther from finding the truth than before.   He's not alone in searching for his daughter.  Debbie, the woman he loves, tries to help him.  So does a vacationing police officer, Harry Bronson, as well as two Las Vegas police officers.  It takes a combination of all their skill and cunning to get to the truth, a truth that may destroy the only hope he has to be reunited with his daughter and to start a life with the woman he loves.