THE WEST 15TH STREET MURDERS is an 87,000 word, multi-POV traditional adult mystery set in a century old building in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, that will plunge the reader into a world of greed, lies and cold blooded murder. With a twenty-first century twist on the classic drawing room murder, this dark tale of gentrification, rent stabilization and murder will grip fans of Alyssa Cole’s WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, and Riley Sager’s LOCK EVERY DOOR.

 

When Alex Halden and his neighbors are summoned by their landlord, they’re blindsided by his plan: sell the century-old building they’ve all lived in for decades, and buy out their rent-stabilized leases. The tenants refuse, setting themselves on a collision course with a mafia-kingpin developer, eager to seize the property at any cost.

 

Weeks later Alex watches in horror as his best friend and neighbor Camille, slips on the stairs, sliding to the bottom. But this is no accident—someone has greased the steps, banister, and walls, turning the stairs into a deadly trap. 

 

NYPD Detective Tasha Jeffries and her partner begin piecing together clues from the group of eclectic tenants, including an agoraphobic clown, an ex-Black Panther and an angry Reality TV editor. As their investigation deepens so does the web of suspicion. They uncover a history of violence among the tenants, bribes from the mafia developer and Alex’s own scheme to leverage a better buyout, making him their prime suspect.  

 

As more tenants die under mysterious circumstances, the race is on for Detective Jeffries to prove that Alex is the mastermind behind the murders. For Alex, time is quickly running out for him to clear his name – or cover his tracks. 

 

I am a reality TV editor and lifelong storyteller. My article, which compares parallels between The AIDS Crisis and The Covid Pandemic, was published on nbcnews.com/think and won the 2021 “Excellence in Column Writing” Award, from the Association of Lesbian and Gay Journalists. The two main characters and plot in my book are based on me and my husband, and the West 15th Street walk-up I’ve lived in for 25 years. Our mini-schnauzer, Bruno, is also heavily featured in the book, and is one of the only tenants to make it out alive.