Authors on Authors: When It’s All Relative, Higgins is back!

By: Frankie J. Jones

What do you get when you stir up a mixture of lap dances, a strap-on, nipple clamps, a Smith and Wesson .357, a family that exceeds the term dysfunctional, a serial killer, a kidnapping and strippers? No, it's not another political scandal. It’s Therese Szymanski's latest Brett Higgins novel, When It's All Relative.

Brett Higgins has survived the horrors of her abusive family and a long line of misadventures. When it seems her life might be settling down, her girlfriend, Allie, discovers that Brett has cheated on her. Brett tries to explain that she can't help it if women throw themselves at her, but Allie isn't listening. She’s moving out.

And if that's not enough for Brett to deal with, her sister-in-law, Laura, suddenly appears and informs her that several members of the Higgins family have died recently under mysterious circumstances. Brett reluctantly agrees to investigate the deaths and quickly concludes that they aren't accidents. In order to solve this case, she will have to face her demons, both human and emotional.

With the tough, gun-toting, head bashing Brett Higgins, Szymanski pulls no punches. She doesn't hesitate to yank her readers into a sordid underworld that is quite frankly sometimes uncomfortable and disturbing. Then, she'll hit you with sex scenes that will have you squirming in your seat. It's Szymanski's carefully blended wry sense of humor that keeps the story from becoming morose.
In addition to being an author, Therese Szymanski is an editor and an award-winning playwright. She was the recipient of the 2008 Alice B. Readers' Appreciation Award.

[Editor’s Note: This review is considered as an advertorial for the Authors on Authors program.]