Expired Listings by D.M. Barr
Read the Book Everyone is Talking About!
Kirkus Reviews calls Expired Listings, "a buoyant, commendable mystery that piles on red herrings with ferocity and glee...the spiraling final act, with its staggering reveal of the killer is an exhilarating ride!"
House up for sale?
When the lockbox goes on,
You won't believe what these agents pull off ...
Someone is ‘deactivating’ the Realtors in Rock Canyon and almost no one seems to care. Not the surviving brokers, who consider the serial killings a competitive boon. Not the town’s residents, who see the murders as a public service. In fact, the only person who’s even somewhat alarmed is Dana Black, a kinky, sharp-witted yet emotionally skittish Realtor who has no alibi for the crimes because during each, she was using her empty listings for games like Bondage Bingo with her sadistic lover, Dare. And yet, mysteriously, all clues are pointing her way.
Along with clearing her name and avoiding certain death at the hands of the ‘Realtor Retaliator,’ Dana has an even bigger problem: she’s inadvertently become a person of interest in more ways than one to Aidan Cummings, the sexy albeit vanilla detective investigating the case. While his attentions are tempting, Dana is torn—does she continue her ironically ‘safe’ but sterile BDSM relationship with Dare, or risk real intimacy with Aidan?
Sex, Suspense and Satire--Expired Listings masterfully combines all three
while exploring the universal need for validation and the toxic nature of revenge.
When the lockbox goes on,
You won't believe what these agents pull off ...
Someone is ‘deactivating’ the Realtors in Rock Canyon and almost no one seems to care. Not the surviving brokers, who consider the serial killings a competitive boon. Not the town’s residents, who see the murders as a public service. In fact, the only person who’s even somewhat alarmed is Dana Black, a kinky, sharp-witted yet emotionally skittish Realtor who has no alibi for the crimes because during each, she was using her empty listings for games like Bondage Bingo with her sadistic lover, Dare. And yet, mysteriously, all clues are pointing her way.
Along with clearing her name and avoiding certain death at the hands of the ‘Realtor Retaliator,’ Dana has an even bigger problem: she’s inadvertently become a person of interest in more ways than one to Aidan Cummings, the sexy albeit vanilla detective investigating the case. While his attentions are tempting, Dana is torn—does she continue her ironically ‘safe’ but sterile BDSM relationship with Dare, or risk real intimacy with Aidan?
Sex, Suspense and Satire--Expired Listings masterfully combines all three
while exploring the universal need for validation and the toxic nature of revenge.
PURCHASE INFORMATION FOR LIBRARIES AND BOOKSTORES
Expired Listings (Punctuated Publishing, 2016)
ISBN: 978-0997711813
Paperback Price before Discount: $15.99
Ingram Discount to Booksellers, Libraries: Yes
Genre: Psychological Thriller/Satire
Plot: Someone is killing off the unethical Realtors in Rock Canyon and the clues are all pointing toward Dana Black, a kinky, sharp-witted yet emotionally skittish Realtor with memory lapses, who has no alibi for the crimes because during each, she was using her empty listings for games like Bondage Bingo with her twisted lover, Dare. When alluring but vanilla detective Aidan Cummings comes onto the scene, Dana has increased motivation to investigate by his side and clear her name. What she learns startles her on many levels and leaves her to wonder about her romantic future and more importantly--is she the 'Realtor Retaliator' or will she be his next victim?
Kirkus Says: A buoyant, commendable mystery that piles on red herrings with ferocity and glee...the spiraling final act, culminating with the killer's staggering reveal, is an exhilarating ride.
Available as: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Purchase through: Ingram, Overdrive, Author
**BRONZE MEDAL WINNER, MYSTERY--2017 GLOBAL E-BOOK AWARDS**
**HONORABLE MENTION, HUMOR/COMEDY--2017 READER'S FAVORITE **
**FINALIST 2016 FOREWARD INDIE AWARDS**
**FINALIST SPR BOOK AWARDS 2016**
**FINALIST 2016 WISHING SHELF AWARDS**
**FINALIST 2017 "GOLDEN FLOGGER" AWARDS BDSM LIGHT
Kirkus Reviews:
A buoyant, commendable mystery that piles on red herrings with ferocity and glee...the spiraling final act, culminating with the killer's staggering reveal, is an exhilarating ride."
Midwest Book Review:
Exceptionally well written...a consistently compelling read from beginning to end...a masterfully crafted suspense thriller that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.
What Other Authors are Saying:
"Expired Listings is a sumptuous and starkly original mystery in which real estate agent Dana Black finds herself chasing a killer instead of just a listing. D.M. Barr's debut effort mimes the best from Sue Grafton, Susan Isaacs and Judith Krantz with an aplomb normally reserved for a far more seasoned writer in a tale that satisfies at every level. Splendid, searing, and sensational!"
--Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author of The Rising
Expired Listings is smart, funny, and sexy - a wild romp through the (oddly compatible) worlds of high stakes real estate and the "kink" subculture...it's funny and scary, fast and furious when it needs to be. An enjoyable and titillating ride into hidden worlds - and the mind of a ruthless killer.
--Carole Bugge/C.E. Lawrence, author of Lee Campbell Mystery Series (Silent Stalker, etc) and Claire Rawlings Mystery Series
A lot of twists and turns along with red herrings. A fast paced mystery with a bit of romance. Thoroughly enjoyable!
--Janet Lane Walters, prolific author of 30+ novels including Seducing a Pair of Blakefield Friends: Double Feature
There is everything anybody could ask for in a cracking good suspense novel - red herrings, a possibly unreliable narrator, some sex and romance, and a pace that builds to breakneck speed before a surprising revelation.
--Kathryn Guare, author of Where a Wave Meets the Shore
I love it when a book defies my expectation. DM Barr crafted a mystery that has just the right amount of racy sex, humor and kept me guessing. Definitely a fun read and well worth the time. Looking forward to seeing what's next from Barr.
--BJ Knapp, author of Beside the Music
Great Read, Well Written! This book keeps its promise of fun, suspense and just plain enjoyable reading. Highly recommended!
--S.A. Stolinsky, author of Hot Shot
So suspenseful! I couldn't put the book down, and OMG, finding out who the killer is was a shock! Can't wait for the next offering by D.M. Barr.
--Elf Ahearn, author of A Rogue in Sheep's Clothing
And from the Professional Reviewers:
Kirkus Reviews:
A buoyant, commendable mystery that piles on red herrings with ferocity and glee. In this debut thriller, a woman decides to look into the murders of fellow real estate brokers when it seems that someone's setting her up as a patsy.
Dana Black is one of some 2,000 Realtors in Rock Canyon. It's a profession that doesn't get much respect from the townspeople, particularly considering an agency's underhanded stunt to garner public sympathy and the unexplained disappearance of a "problem client." So when a couple of agents turn up murdered, cops aren't very interested. Dana,however, is worried about her lack of alibis. Suffering from intermittent blackouts, she can't account for her whereabouts during the first murder. BDSM play partner, Dare, is her alibi for the second homicide, but he has reason to keep mum about their encounters.
Dana finds an ally in private eye Aidan Cummings, who asks her to join him in questioning locals because they'll likely be more responsive to a familiar face. It isn't long before Cummings is more appealing than Dare, despite the detective's conventional sex life making him boring vanilla. As the murderer continues targeting Realtors, it's clear a frame-up is in the works (for example, a car that looks suspiciously like Dana's). With a sordid past and her estrangement from hateful, sickly mom, Cassandra Beckett, and older, top-selling broker sister, Melanie, Dana has incentive to track down a killer.
Though the murder mystery's initially muted, focusing on Dana's sexual escapades with Dare, Barr's story gradually becomes a dense, twist-laden excursion. Dana's history, for one, is rife with trauma--Dad died on her 6th birthday--and curious motives later come to light, including Cassandra wanting no association with her younger daughter. Dana's not quite as kinky as she asserts, specifically indexing her various limits. Nevertheless, the woman torn between sexually enticing Dare and charming Cummings faces a dishy dilemma. And despite her worries, Dana's nonexistent alibis aren't much of an issue; she's actively involved in the investigation,spearheaded by Cummings (per orders from the short-on-manpower captain), who believes in her innocence. But she's unequivocally in danger by the end, and the spiraling final act, culminating with the killer's staggering reveal, is an exhilarating ride.
Review: 5 Star
'Bile makes for a lousy lunch.'
By Grady Harp
HALL OF FAME -TOP 100 REVIEWER -VINE VOICE on October 27, 2016
Subtitled 'An Erotic Novel of Psychological Suspense" Barr is quickly recognized as a fine comedic writer with an edge on parody...Barr has taken a series of topics - a satire of corruption in business, mystery, and BDSM and 'the universal need for validation and the toxic nature of revenge' and proves herself to be a hugely successful new writer. She possesses a rich imagination and seems to gain great glee in sharing that trait by offering a novel that has something for every reader - from consumers of mysteries to addicts of erotica and those who love to be immersed in parody. Every page explodes with dark humor and some fine pokes at established thoughts. Keep an eye on her - she is blooming.
Review: 5 Stars
Expired Listings by D.M. Barr is a thrilling story that combines enthralling plot and detail, all delivered in flawless style. Right away, the story came to life with a gripping scene that had me feeling like I was watching a scene out of 'Criminal Minds', only better. D.M. Barr effortlessly captures the intensity of the moments and characters' emotions to draw you in and completely immerse you in the story, luring you to go with her on this engrossing journey filled with a mix of pain, pleasure, romance and darkness; and she blends all this together perfectly without allowing one part to overshadow another. Every time I thought I was close to figuring it all out, D.M. Barr threw in a fresh curve ball that made me question my theories, with a mother of all twists at end that made me realise how wrong I had been all along. D.M. Barr wrote an absolute winner that cuts across genres and delivers an amazing experience. -- Faridah Nassozi for Readers' Favorite
Review: 5 Stars Expired Listings by D.M. Barr is a masterful blend of a number of genres, exploring a serial murder investigation, kinky BDSM, and the intricacies that color the real estate industry....D.M. Barr is a master at weaving a mysterious tale around murder and sex and leaving readers exhilaratingly longing for more. Most readers will love the psychological depth of the story, the mind of a killer who considers eliminating realtors as a form of deactivating their licenses for good...From the moment that one opens the book, a lot starts happening, things that seem so well interconnected. I fell in love with the characters, the rawness of language at times, and the awesome writing. Note that this isn't a book for those who aren't used to sex scenes and raw talk. Expired Listings is a story that will entertain many people and explore what happens when the competition is stiff and professionals get desperate. Very brilliantly told mystery. --Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
Review: 4 Stars
This book is full of humorous scenes and a lot of really interesting descriptions, including several about the BDSM-obsessed serial killer who is murdering all of these people, but the book never actually devolves into detailing out sex scenes or becoming too graphic. Instead, it sticks around in the realm of satire quite a bit and manages to remain entertaining and engaging without risking pushing a lot of audiences away by dipping into erotica. I saw very little of the story coming, and a few scenes caught me completely off-guard or made me cringe, but they never went too far to actually make me consider putting the book down. Expired Listings by D.M. Barr is a fun and raucous romp that will be a real winner with readers interested in a cross-genre work of fiction with a focus on the mysterious aspects. Great work! --Ryan Jordan for Reader's Favorite