This manuscript is the sequel to the Gilded Web, which was a suspense novel about two college seniors, one white and one black, returning home to New York in 1980 to graduate after spending their summer break in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They are traveling at night when they hit something but found nothing in the darkness of the night when they got out of the car to investigate. They found nothing but reported the accident to the sheriff, Toby Reliford, in a remote southern town of 750 people. What they hit was a deer, but they were later framed by the coroner of this remote town to cover up for his drunken son and his friends, who had actually hit a drunken man on the dark road. Racism was rampant at this time, and because one of the students was a black man, they were put on trial for vehicular homicide and had to fight for their lives. The sheriff and his friend, a defense attorney, were the only ones to stand up for the two students. After a lengthy and involved investigation and trial, the two were cleared and allowed to go home. As a result, the sheriff, Toby Reliford, was offered a job in the Bronx, New York, to run a private investigation agency owned by the two boys. This is where our story begins with the account of the first case of the agencyto find and recover a valuable missing heirloom ruby that was stolen from a large jewelry store and escaped the polices follow-up investigation.

Ruby Lavender has fun with her grandmother Miss Eula as they rescue chickens, paint a house pink and run their own secret post office. But what can Ruby dowhen Eula goes away?

Jack and Gwen are back in this dynamic follow-up to The Lost Property Office. It’s been a year since Jack Buckles discovered the Keep beneath Baker Street, an underground tower no Section Thirteen was ever supposed to see; a year since his dad fell into a coma. Nothing has been the same since. Jack’s tracker abilities are on the fritz, Gwen’s not speaking to him and, what’s worse, there’s a pounding voice in his head calling for “the flame.” Then, Jack and Gwen are framed for the theft of a historic crown jewel—the Black Prince’s Ruby, one of three cursed rubies said to bring knowledge, loyalty, and the command of nations to whomever wields them all. Now, they must retrieve the other jewels before the true thief does, or risk unleashing a reign of terror unlike anything history’s ever seen.

Warren Commission hearings.

"Gifts of the Peramangk is an achingly beautiful story about perseverance and hope that I wished would never end. Dean Mayes clearly cares deeply about his characters, and his dedication to them shines through. I highly recommend this tale."—Long and Short Reviews In 1950s Australia, during the height of the divisive White Australia Policy, Virginia, a young Aboriginal girl is taken from her home and put to work on an isolated and harsh outback station. Her only solace: the violin, taught to her secretly by the kind-hearted wife of the abusive station owner. However, Virginia's prodigious musical gift cannot save her from years of hardship and racism. Decades later, her eight year old granddaughter Ruby plays the violin with the passion Virginia once possessed. Amidst poverty, domestic violence and societal dysfunction, Ruby escapes her circumstance through her practice with her grandmother's frail, guiding hand. Ruby’s zeal attracts the attention of an enigmatic music professor and with his help, she embarks on an incredible journey of musical discovery that will culminate in a rare opportunity. But with two cultural worlds colliding, her gift and her ambition will be threatened by deeply ingrained distrust, family jealousies and tragic secrets that will define her very identity. "Dean writes so beautifully, that you can hear the music playing."–Books Complete Me Be sure to also read Dean Mayes' other novels: The Hambledown Dream The Artisan Heart The Recipient

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