Libby Fischer Hellmann

Chicago PI Georgia Davis heads deep into the secretive and dangerous underworld of Chicago's sex trafficking business to help her sister, Savannah.

Nobody's Child

Two sisters, whose family and Mekong River village are destroyed by American forces during the Vietnam War, flee to Saigon where they become estranged because of their divergent values and ideology. Will they reunite after the war? Or is their relationship too fractured?

A Bend in the River

When pretty, smart Sara Long is found bludgeoned to death, it's easy to blame the man with the bat. But Georgia Davis -- former cop and newly-minted PI -- is hired to look into the incident at the behest of the accused's sister, and what she finds hints at a much different, much darker answer. It seems the privileged, preppy schoolgirls on Chicago's North Shore have learned just how much their innocence is worth to hot-under-the-collar businessmen. But while these girls can pay for Prada pricetags, they don't realize that their new business venture may end up costing them more than they can afford.

PI Georgia Davis Series, #1

Easy Innocence

As the Nazis sweep across Europe, Jewish teen Max and his parents flee persecution in Germany for Holland, where Max finds friends and romance. But when Hitler invades in 1940, Max escapes to Chicago, leaving his parents and friends behind. When he learns of his parents' murder in Sobibor, Max immediately enlists in the US Army. After basic training he is sent to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where he is trained in interrogation and counterintelligence. Deployed to the OSS, Max carries out dangerous missions in Occupied countries. He also interrogates scores of German POWs, especially after D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, where, despite life-threatening conditions, he elicits critical information about German troop movements. Post-war, he works for the Americans in the German denazification program, bringing him back to his Bavarian childhood home of Regensburg. Though the city avoided large-scale destruction, the Jewish community was decimated. Max roams familiar yet strange streets, replaying memories of lives lost to unspeakable tragedy. While there, however, he reunites with someone from his past, who, like him, sought refuge abroad. Can they rebuild their lives… together? This epic story about a Ritchie Boy is Libby Hellmann’s tribute to her late father-in-law who was active with the OSS and interrogated dozens of German POWs

The Story of a Ritchie Boy

Max's War

Little Molly Messenger is kidnapped on a sunny June morning. Three days later she's returned unharmed. Then the brakes go out on her mother's car. An accident? Except that her mother may have may have misappropriated three million dollars.Doubleback reunites PI Georgia Davis with video producer Ellie Foreman, who track leads from Chicago to Wisconsin to the Arizona border.

Doubleback

Ten years before Easy Innocence, PI Georgia Davis was a police officer on the force in a Chicago suburb. And while homicides are rare on the North Shore, three bodies turn up in quick succession-- all of them dumped in waste disposal dumpsters or landfills. The investigations into the murders test the mettle and professionalism of a combined police task force. Along the way, they also test the strength of Georgia's relationship with one of the detectives working the case. While Georgia, her detective boyfriend Matt, and his sometime partner John Stone pit their skills against those of an inventive killer, the daughter of a real estate mogul-- who just happens to have her eye on Matt-- complicates matters.

Toxicity: Georgia Davis Prequel

While producing a video about foster children, financed by a prominent Chicago real-estate developer, Ellie Foreman receives a mysterious package in which she finds a surveillance video documenting the murder of a young woman and embarks on an investigation into a crime that leads to a sinister conspiracy of money laundering, diamond smuggling, and murder.

An Image of Death

"Chicago video producer Ellie Foreman is back after a decade, entangled in a web of espionage, murder, and suspicion that threatens to destroy what she holds most dear"--Page 4 of cover.

Jump Cut

War Secrets

It all began with a line of Persian poetry . . . Anna and Nouri, both studying in Chicago, fall in love despite their very different backgrounds. Anna, who has never been close to her parents, is more than happy to return with Nouri to his native Iran, to be embraced by his wealthy family. Beginning their married life together in 1978, their world is abruptly turned upside down by the overthrow of the Shah, and the rise of the Islamic Republic. Under the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Republican Guard, life becomes increasingly restricted and Anna must learn to exist in a transformed world, where none of the familiar Western rules apply. Random arrests and torture become the norm, women are required to wear hijab, and Anna discovers that she is no longer free to leave the country. As events reach a fevered pitch, Anna realizes that nothing is as she thought, and no one can be trusted not even her husband.

A Bitter Veil

The Georgia Davis PI Series

How do you solve a murder when there are 42,000 suspects? That’s the task facing Chicago PI Georgia Davis, hired to hunt down those ultimately responsible for the assassination of Resistance leader Dena Baldwin at a demonstration fourteen months after the 2016 election. The gunman, on a nearby hotel rooftop, dies within minutes of the shooting. As Georgia sifts through Dena’s 42,000 Facebook followers, she discovers that unknown enemies hiding behind fake profiles have infiltrated the group. She finds others who will do whatever it takes—including murder—to shield right-wing, wealthy elites. When Georgia begins piecing together the facts, relatives of both victims mysteriously disappear, and the danger escalates. Threats and bruises have never frightened Georgia, but she’s side-swiped by the sudden reappearance of the mother who abandoned her when she was a child. Can she survive an emotional family crisis at the same time she pursues killers whose only goal is to protect themselves? PRAISE FOR HIGH CRIMES " (A) smart, multi-layered plot which perfectly exemplifies our modern society … Fans of all political stripes will enjoy this combination of intricate family relationships and realistic crime fiction.”Julie Whiteley, Library Journal "Entertaining…(Georgia is) a shrewd investigator… for readers who watch the nightly news with dismay, the novel offers a satisfying alternate reality.” Publishers Weekly "HIGH CRIMES is the P.I. novel for our moment, not just because of its backdrop of political tension, but because of the resilient strength of its characters. Georgia Davis is a terrific lead, and Libby Fischer Hellmann calls on her own journalism background to add layers of realism to this all-too plausible plot.” Michael Koryta, NY TImes Bestselling Author of HOW IT HAPPENED "In this ripped from the headlines and rocket-paced thriller, Libby Fischer Hellmann is at the top of her game. You won’t stop turning the pages, gripped by every twist and turn. And the tough, smart Georgia Davis is sure to take herplace among the top female PIs in crime fiction.” Lisa Unger , NY TImes Bestselling Author of UNDER MY SKIN "More than just a murder investigation, but even if you ignore the broader truths, it’s a fun read. How Hellmann managed to write this novel as if it was pulled from today’s headlines is beyond me. Maybe she has a time machine. I highly recommend it.” Pat Balester, Picks by Pat "While the story is politically driven, this is still a solid mystery filled with familiar characters who act without political motives…This series continues to improve with each novel.” Ted Hertel, Deadly Pleasures Magazine

A Georgia Davis Novel of Suspense

High Crimes

A woman discovers her parents were not the people she thought they were. Who is she? And why is someone trying to kill her? Lila Hilliard returns home to Chicago for the holidays only to find someone is stalking her. Her father and brother are trapped in a fire, and she senses someone is following her. As she desperately tries to figure out who is after her and why, she uncovers information about her father’s past that ties him to the volatile movement of young activists during the late Sixties. Which means her parents were not the people she was told they were. Who were her parents? And why was the secret kept from her? As Lila looks for answers, a man on a motorcycle slows, pulls out a a semi-automatic, and aims it at her. Suddenly a stranger darts out, pulls her to safety, then disappears. Who is this stranger? Is he Lila's stalker? The story then takes us back to the late Sixties in Chicago where 6 young people gathered during the Democratic Convention. Through their stories, the truth about Lila's family is gradually revealed, and the threat to Lila in the present becomes clear. (A plus: some of the scenes in the historical section are suddenly relevant again) Part thriller, part historical novel, part love story, Set The Night on Fire reveals the resolution to Lila's family secrets. It also tells an extraordinary tale about the stormy Chicago 1968 Democratic convention, SDS, the Black Panthers, women's issues, and a group of idealists who were sure they would change the world.

A 1960s Crime Thriller

Set The Night On Fire

Chicago video producer Ellie Foreman is back after a decade, entangled in a web of espionage, murder, and suspicion that threatens to destroy what she holds most dear.

A Georgia Davis PI Thriller #4

To read Libby Fischer Hellmann is to love Libby Fischer Hellmann. Her writing is tight, fast, and highly entertaining. But I had no idea Libby was so versatile. The collection of stories -- all previously published -- offer a wide variety of styles, tones, and topics. Funny. Dark. Poignant. Exciting. Surprising. Hardboiled. And, of course, Noir.

Nice Girl Does Noir -- Vol. 2 (Intro by J. A. Konrath)

David Housewright

Duane Swierczynski

Stuart Neville

Gary Phillips

William Kent Krueger

Nick Petrie

Randy Wayne White

Michael Stanley

Jenny Milchman

Lissa Marie Redmond

Jess Lourey

Michael Bracken

Michael A. Black

Reed Farrel Coleman

Lois Greiman

Eric Beetner

Scott Adlerberg

Jen Conley

John Gaspard

Kristi Belcamino

Jessie Chandler

Michael Allan Mallory

Terrence McCauley

Don Bruns

Gary R. Bush

Austin Camacho

Dave Case

Case Younggren

Edited by Rick Ollerman. Alphabetical list of contributors: Scott Adlerberg, Eric Beetner, Kristi Belcamino, Michael A. Black, Michael Bracken, Don Bruns, Gary R. Bush, Austin Camacho, Dave Case, Jessie Chandler, Reed Farrel Coleman, Jen Conley, John Gaspard, Lois Greiman, Libby Fischer Hellmann, David Housewright, William Kent Krueger, Jess Lourey, Michael Allan Mallory, Terrence McCauley, Jenny Milchman, Stuart Neville, Rick Ollerman, Nick Petrie, Gary Phillips, Lissa Marie Redmond, Michael Stanley, Duane Swierczynski, Randy Wayne White, and Case Younggren. Many of today’s top writers get together to celebrate the themes of books and bookstores (and even a tuba or two!) As we celebrate the life of Mystery Writers of America Raven Award-winning Gary Shulze, long-time owner of the legendary Once Upon a Crime bookstore in Minneapolis. Gary left an indelible mark on the crime fiction community across the world before he passed away in 2016 due to complications from leukemia. Join as Duane Swierczynski, William Kent Krueger, Randy Wayne White, Jess Lourey, Stuart Neville and more come together in this tribute to a man whose legacy will not be forgotten.

Blood Work

Shot to Die For

Little Molly Messenger is kidnapped on a sunny June morning. Three days later she's returned, apparently unharmed. Molly's mother, Chris, is so grateful to have her daughter back that she's willing to overlook the odd circumstances. A few days later, the brakes go out on Chris's car. An accident? Maybe. Except that it turns out that Chris, the IT manager at a large Chicago bank, may have misappropriated three million dollars. Not convinced that his daughter is safe, Molly's father hires Private Investigator Georgia Davis to follow the money and investigate Chris's death. Doubleback, the sequel to the acclaimed Easy Innocence, reunites PI Georgia Davis with video producer Ellie Foreman (An Eye For Murder, A Picture Of Guilt, An Image Of Death, A Shot To Die For). The two women track leads from Northern Wisconsin to an Arizona border town, where illegal immigrants, smuggled drugs, and an independent contractor called Delton Security come into play. Georgia and Ellie go to great lengths to find the truth, and Georgia discovers that you can cross a line, but sometimes you have to double back. Doubleback was chosen by the Great Lakes Bookseller Association as their Autumn, 2009 "Great Lakes Great Read."

A Georgia Davis PI Thriller

As World War II rages across Europe and the Pacific, its impact ripples through communities in the heartland of America. A farm girl is locked in a dangerous love triangle with two Germans soldiers held in an Illinois POW camp... Another German, a war refugee, is forced to risk her life spying on the developing Manhattan Project in Chicago... And espionage surrounds the disappearance of an actress from the thriving Jewish community of Chicago's Lawndale. In this trio of tales, acclaimed thriller author Libby Fischer Hellmann depicts the tumultuous effect of war on the home front and illustrates how the action, terror, and tragedy of World War II was not confined to the front lines.

Libby Fischer Hellmann

Books

Your next favorite book is out there