Death of a Dancing Queen


 
 
 PRAISE FOR KIMBERLY G. GIARRATANO
 “Death of a Dancing Queen is a fast-paced thrill ride of suspense with lots of twists. The characters are sympathetic and believable, and Billie – the PI – is suffused with a fun, dry wit. An absolute must read!”
 Karen Katchur bestselling author of River Bodies and The Northampton County series
 “Nothing stops badass Jersey girl Billie Levine from confronting mobsters, meth heads, and crooked cops to catch a killer. Not even her family. Perfect for fans of Liza Lutz’s Spellman Files, Death of a Dancing Queen is a page-turning PI mystery with depth and heart.”
 Kate Moretti, NYT bestselling author of Girls of Brackenhill
 “Twisty and witty, Death of a Dancing Queen delivers a Jersey Fresh private eye whose family troubles leave her little time to dig for clues. Fans of Veronica Mars will cheer fledgling PI Billie Levine as she fights mobsters and neo-Nazis to solve two murders separated by decades but linked by a fabulous diamond. Billie has moxie and grit to spare. I can’t wait to dive into Billie’s next case.”
 Delia C. Pitts, author of contemporary noir mysteries including Murder Take Two and Murder My Past
 “Kimberly G. Giarratano’s start to a new series is crackling with realism, and she’s created a savvy, tenacious, and street-smart investigator to root for! PI Belinda “Billie” Levine, holds the weight of the world on her shoulders with her mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and working to carry on her retired grandfather’s legacy. She’s also trying to mend a broken heart – easier said than done however when the murder of a young college student/true crime podcaster pulls her right into her ex’s family business – a strip club. With whip-smart prose, and a plot that will keep you guessing, you won’t set the book down until the very shocking and satisfying end!”
 Mary Keliikoa, Author of Hidden Pieces, and the award nominated PI Kelly Pruett Mystery series.
 “Whisking readers from a deli in North Jersey to a club run by the Jewish mob to a true crime podcast session at the local college, Death of a Dancing Queen is the best kind of PI novel: gutsy and multifaceted, with a palpable sense of place. This atmospheric mystery will have you craving a black and white cookie and a whole new Billie Levine investigation. A knockout.”
 Tessa Wegert, author of Death in the Family
 “Death of a Dancing Queen is a noir lover’s dream! If Kinsey Millhone moved to Jersey in 2023, you’d have Billie Levine. The private 
 
 
 DATURA BOOKS
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 Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend
 A Datura Books paperback original, 2023
 Copyright © Kimberly G. Giarratano 2023
 Cover by Sarah O’Flaherty
 Edited by Eleanor Teasdale and Red Adept Editing
 Set in Meridien
 All rights reserved. Kimberly G. Giarratano asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
 This novel is entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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 Datura Books and the Datura Books icon are registered trademarks of Watkins Media Ltd.
 ISBN 978 1 91520 242 0
 Ebook ISBN 978 1 91520 251 2
 Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ Books Ltd.
 9 8 7 
 Dedication
 To the Jewish women who made me: my mom, Jane, and my grandmas, Elaine and Pearl
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
 CHAPTER ONE
 CHAPTER TWO
 CHAPTER THREE
 CHAPTER FOUR
 CHAPTER FIVE
 CHAPTER SIX
 CHAPTER SEVEN
 CHAPTER EIGHT
 CHAPTER NINE
 CHAPTER TEN
 CHAPTER ELEVEN
 CHAPTER TWELVE
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
 CHAPTER NINETEEN
 CHAPTER TWENTY
 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
 CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
 CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
 CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
 CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
 CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
 CHAPTER THIRTY
 CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
 CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
 
 CHAPTER ONE
 June 6, 1991
 Starla Wells lit a cigarette and slipped into the shadows. She pressed a spiked heel against the brick exterior of the building, and her bent knee revealed a slender thigh and a garter belt with a tiny dagger tucked underneath.
 The other heel stood in a puddle of rainwater, a souvenir from an earlier thunderstorm so violent it had forced a young