When singer Alessandra Moreau is found brutally murdered in New York State Senator Leigh Drayman's living room, NYPD Detectives Chiara Corelli and P.J. Parker are thrust into another high-stakes investigation. The victim, a rising star, harbored a closely guarded secret shared with only three people. She was transgender—just like the senator. What begins as a focused investigation into three suspects explodes into something far more sinister when thirteen identical murders of trans women surface from the past two years. As the body count rises, Corelli and Parker uncover two additional cold cases from nearly two decades ago that could hold the key. But their quarry is clever, methodical, and has been hiding behind a perfect disguise for years. In a race against time, the detectives must unravel decades of deception before another woman dies. Catherine Maiorisi knows how to write a police procedural. Her intricately woven plots captivate audiences, leaving them nearly hanging off the edge of their seats. Her storylines are more than simple whodunits. They’re gripping narratives that explore deeper societal issues, making them relevant and relatable. Blood of the Innocents is an excellent example of this. Maiorisi crafts the story around the topic of transgender visibility and acceptance, making it not only compelling but timely.- Women Using Words Catherine Maiorisi lives in New York City with her wife, Sherry. Before the pandemic she wrote in cafes in her Upper West Side neighborhood. Now she writes in their apartment and sometimes in their house in the Catskills. Catherine is passionate about writing. And when she’s not writing she’s reading. She loves well-written WLW books and reads most genres including romance, mystery, sci fi, and paranormal. She also reads mainstream mysteries, literary fiction, history and political non-fiction. If she’s not reading or writing, she’s cooking. Italian is her favorite but she’s always on the lookout for good recipes in any cuisine. Catherine has published four romances— Matters of the Heart, No One But You, Ready for Love and Taking a Chance on Love . Catherine is also the author of the NYPD Detective Chiara Corelli Mystery series. A Matter of Blood , a 2019 Lambda Literary Award Finalist, The Blood Runs Cold , a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist and A Message in Blood . Legacy in the Blood will be published in February 2022. The Disappearance of Lindy James is Catherine’s first general fiction book. Her romance short stories are included in three Bella Books’ anthologies— Happily Ever After , Conference Call , and In This Together . “Come as You Want to Be” and “The Fan Club” are standalones available on the Bella website. Her four mystery short stories can be found in the Murder New York Style Anthologies— Fresh Slices, Family Matters, Where Crime Never Sleeps and Justice for All . An active member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, Catherine has served on the Board of Directors of both organizations. She is also a member of the Golden Crown Literary Society.