The city of Chandler, Massachusetts is plunged into terror when the bodies of three local teenagers wash ashore. While homicide detective Sam Harper hunts down the guilty, a sinister plot emerges overseas. From the Vatican to the jungles of South America, a cursed black pearl ring, the demonic prophecy it represents, and the men who pursue its powers find their unfortunate way onto Harper's turf.

Enthralled by the ring's story and a front-page spread, newspaper reporter Jennifer Blake agrees to pick up the ring at a local pawnshop for her former college professor. When she does, unforeseen events shoot Blake to the top of Harper's prime suspect list. Soon, the seemingly unrelated cases converge and the heat is on for Harper to expose the truth behind a Vatican secret and stop the self-righteous man who does the unthinkable in the name of God.

Excerpt

Sam Harper is back in the blisterng followup to 2007'S SILENCED CRY. Serial murders, small-time crooks, an ancient prophecy tied to a cursed ring, and a beautiful reporter who's as dogged in her pursuit of the truth as Harper himself - Marta Stephens fits the pieces of the intricate plot together with the assured skill of a master craftsman. It's a pure joy to watch it all come together. Shamus Nominee J.D. Rhoades, author of BREAKNG COVER

The Second Coming of Sam Harper was not a disappointment. Three times I just knew I had the plot figured out only to have Sam Harper, prove that candidate innocent. Twists and turns take us from a Voodoo Priestess in Columbia, to the bowels of the Catholic Church, to astral projections. A wicked good story by Marta Stephens. Jake George

Looking for a deliciously convoluted tale that will twist its way through your brain and keep you up late into the night? Look no further, for Marta Stephens has just released the second book in the Sam Harper crime mystery series, The Devil Can Wait. Aaron Paul Lazar

Silenced Cry by Marta Stephens

Detective Sam Harper is left guilt-ridden after his partner is shot and killed during what should have been a routine pick-up for questioning. The discovery of an infant's body during the demolition of an abandoned building leads Harper to unearth murky secrets involving those he respects most. His former partner, his revered boss, and even his police-hero father are all under suspicion of drug-dealing, corruption, rape, and murder.

For the first time in his life, Sam Harper must stand alone in a fog of lies where dangerous truths loom forth and the boundaries between pursuer and prey blur. He is left to decide how far to go to hunt down the answers - and what action to take when he traps them.

Marta Stephens expertly turns up the heat to unveil a tale of suspense with as many twists as a thumbscrew.

Read an excerpt here.

ISBN: 978-1-905202-72-0