The Ellie Foreman Mysteries Series

August, 1944, Prague is where the story begins with a seemingly casual exchange. Decades later, in contemporary Chicago, TV documentary filmmaker Ellie Foreman gets a letter prompted by the success of her show "Celebrate Chicago." One viewer was the elderly Ben Sinclair. When he suddenly dies, his landlady Mrs. Fleischman finds Ellie's name among his effects and writes to her. Ellie agrees to help dispose of Ben Sinclair's possessions. She became a filmmaker to help people tell their stories. All too soon, Mrs. Fleischman dies, too. Then Ben's things are stolen from Ellie's suburban home. The single mom, working to move past her ex, is producing a campaign video for a steel magnate running for a seat in the Illinois Senate. Despite these distractions, Ellie stays focused on her link to the dead man and turns to her father, a retired lawyer with deep roots in Chicago's Jewish community, for insights into the mystery of Ben Sinclair. From the political present of the North Shore to the buried memories of the city's ethnic neighborhoods, the components of Ben's story eventually merge into an explosive climax. A masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense, this novel is well worth reading… sharp humor and vivid language… Ellie is an engaging amateur sleuth. Publishers Weekly A clever blend of thrills and humor… Hellmann has created a compelling group of believable characters… Chicago Sun-Times Complicated… fascinating… Hellmann has a beautifully tuned ear… which makes many of her scenes seriously funny. Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune Entertaining and well written… a surprising and satisfying conclusion… clever . Ted Hertel, Mystery News Anthony Award Nominee

The big news story in Chicago is the murder trial of Johnny Santoro, a dock worker whose girlfriend has been killed. Most Chicagoans are betting on a quick guilty verdict, but Ellie Foreman has doubts about his complicity—Santoro is strangely familiar to her. Checking back to the outtakes of a video project in progress while the murder took place, Ellie finds evidence that could save Santoro from a lifetime behind bars. It seems the perfect alibi, but the tape is compromised by radio interference and Santoro goes to jail.Almost immediately, Ellie’s world begins to shift: a suspicious vehicle follows her, the Chicago mob shows up, and the FBI wants to question her. She doesn’t have answers, but she has questions of her own about the radio transmissions. Everything indicates that someone wants something from her, something bigger than the Santoro case. If only she could figure out what it is... A Picture of Guilt follows Ellie’s award-winning debut in the crime thriller An Eye for Murder. Smart and exciting… Hellmann knows what people are willing to die for and that knowledge makes her work shine. Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune Hellmann owes a debt to fellow Chicagoans Sara Paretsky (complex plotting) and Barbara D’Amato (excellent research) – but she’s the brash young thing making this formula new again. I can’t wait for the next book. Robin Agnew, Aunt Agatha's Hellmann has surpassed herself. Well-crafted, intense and exciting, right up to the last page… a must read. Midwest Book Review This sequel to AN EYE FOR MURDER has it all – action, excitement, increasing tension – with the usual family complications. Library Journal

An Image of Death sees Ellie in the midst of producing another video documentary, financed by a successful Chicago real estate developer. But things take an unexpected turn one winter night when a mysterious package arrives anonymously on Ellie’s doorstep. Inside, she finds a surveillance video apparently showing the murder of a young woman. Who was the victim, why was she murdered, and what is her connection to Ellie? Despite being pushed to one side by the cops, Ellie begins to uncover the victim’s dark history, forged in Eastern Europe at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Her search for answers takes her into the murky world of money laundering and diamond dealing, ultimately ending up at a deserted construction site in the hands of people who believe she knows too much. Georgia Davis, still a cop, has a featured role in this thriller. A powerful tale… Foreman’s pluck and grit married to Hellmann’s solid storytelling should win a growing audience…, Publishers Weekly A compelling group of believable characters… plausible and engrossing. Highly recommended, even if you don’t live in Illinois…, Chicago Sun-Times Ellie’s completely believable, because Hellmann writes believable. Her dialogue works… her characters, and her plot, even when unfamiliar or a little out-of-the-ordinary, are plausible… captivating reading and well-done. Andi Schecter, I Love A Mystery The story is action packed with twists that keep you turning the pages. Ms. Hellman has done a fabulous job in bringing two worlds together. … a must read.Tracy Farnsworth, Romance Readers Connection

In the fourth crime thriller of the Ellie Foreman series, the Chicago documentary filmmaker finds herself in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Returning from a video shoot at the Lodge, a newly renovated, upscale resort, Ellie befriends a woman who claims her ride abandoned her at a highway rest stop. But Ellie’s kindness is brutally cut short when a pickup truck pulls up, the rear window opens, and the woman is shot dead. Even with her history of sleuthing, Ellie is not eager to get involved. Then the victims’s family arrives and begs for information. When the second shooting occurs, Ellie decides to poke around on her own. She is soon drawn into the history of a wealthy and prominent family, deeply rooted in a magnificent mansion on the shores of the lake, and surrounded by an elaborate web of lies, murder, and family secrets that have plagued both them and the town for years—secrets that now place Ellie in the crosshairs of a killer. Libby Fischer Hellmann has already joined an elite club: Chicago mystery writers who not only inhabit the environment but also give it a unique flavor…Chicago Tribune Hellmann reaches the next level with her latest mystery novel… Chicago-Sun Times This Libby Fischer Hellmann book is the best one yet… By every possible measure, Hellmann’s status as a storyteller has grown. Plot development is masterful… intriguing, realistic characters… has me itching for the next book. Midwest Book Review A traditional mystery with a modern edge… the author’s confidence shows from beginning to end… refreshing as soft serve ice cream on a hot summer night. Crimespree Magazine

Chicago video producer Ellie Foreman has been absent from thriller author Libby Fischer Hellmann's repertoire for almost a decade. Now, in Jump Cut, she's back...and is soon entangled in a web of espionage, murder, and suspicion that threatens to destroy what she holds most dear. Hired to produce a candy-floss profile of Chicago-based aviation giant Delcroft, Ellie is dismayed when company VP Charlotte Hollander trashes the production and cancels the project. Ellie believes Hollander was spooked by shots of a specific man in the video footage. But when Ellie arranges to meet the man to find out why, he is killed by a subway train before they can talk. In the confusion, she finds a seemingly abandoned pack of cigarettes with a flash drive inside that belonged to the now-dead man. Ellie gets the drive's contents decrypted, but before long discovers she's under surveillance. Suspecting Delcroft and the ambitious Hollander are behind it, she's unconvinced when Hollander tells her the dead man was a Chinese spy. Ellie and her boyfriend, Luke, try to find answers, but they don't realize how far they have ventured into the dangerous echelons of hidden power - where more lives are on the line - including their own. Exceptional… offers no easy solutions to the various security threats America faces today… As Hellman’s convincing, conflicted characters face impossible choices, the tension is real and memorable. Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW Hellmann’s writing sparkles…plenty of suspense in this richly detailed thriller, but Hellmann’s characteristic wit and warmth are evident, too. Booklist, Amy Alessio After a long hiatus, Hellmann returns to her Chicago-based sleuth with a chilling tale that may be all too close to the truth. Kirkus Reviews

Trawling through the lawless corners of the dark internet is the last thing respectable bank manager, Rachel Foreman, expected to be doing. But she’s just been fired after falling for a cyber-scam, resulting in the identity-theft and online targeting of a female Fortune 500 CEO, accused, among other things, of the murder of a disgruntled former employee. Lucky for Rachel, her mother is renowned investigator Ellie Foreman. In an effort to find out who’s targeting the CEO and to salvage what’s left of Rachel’s reputation, both mother and daughter trail shadowy hackers and ruthless cyber-criminals through an increasingly dangerous web of deception that threatens both mother and daughter's lives. If you've enjoyed thrillers like Harlan Coben's "Run Away", you'll love this pulse-pounding crime thriller novella from Libby Fischer Hellmann.