Julie Holmes
Mystery with a dash of suspense
(2nd Ed) Mayhem Books, December 2025
Print ISBN: 979-8991443074
Ebook ISBN: 9798991443067
Hawk Hill Literary, LLC, May 2026
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7366108-7-9
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-7366108-8-6
Murder in Plane Sight
An Aviation Mystery
Frozen body in an airplane? Check. Stalker ex-boyfriend? Check. Can an aircraft mechanic prove her innocence and uncover a deadly aviation conspiracy before she becomes the next casualty?
As an aircraft mechanic, Sierra Bauer is a woman in a man’s world. There are few things more satisfying to her than the challenge of working on multimillion-dollar turboprops at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, especially now that her life has returned to normal after losing her brother in a plane crash, and almost losing her career in the FAA investigation that followed.
Normal is pitched into a tailspin when she finds a frozen body in a plane she is inspecting.
Detective Quinn Moore is certain Sierra’s discovery is happenstance until he learns the victim, Tori Hjelle, is the woman Sierra blames for her brother’s death. Despite his attraction to her, he must consider Sierra a prime suspect.
Efforts to prove her own innocence are jeopardized when Rune, her ex-boyfriend, returns after a five-year stint in state prison for stalking and attempting to kill Sierra. Things get complicated when Quinn finds evidence linking Rune and Sierra to Tori’s murder, not to mention the counterfeit aircraft part discovered in her possession. He starts to doubt his belief that Sierra is innocent.
When Sierra figures out Tori discovered the key to unraveling a tangled web of conspiracy that threatens the aviation world, she’s forced to change everything she thought she knew about her brother’s death. That knowledge comes with a price. She and Quinn must expose a network of money, deceit, and murder before Sierra becomes the next casualty.
Praise for Murder in Plane Sight
“… Ms. Holmes crafts a taut, suspenseful mystery with just the right amount of romance, murder, and mayhem. Sierra is a complicated, likeable woman, a fully formed character who is interesting to follow, and Detective Moore is a good counterpart. Most impressive is the author’s ability to convey lots of technical and procedural details clearly and without slowing down the action. Her depiction of a Minnesota winter will leave the reader feeling chilly. … this is a tight and very enjoyable mystery.”
InD’tale Magazine, July-August 2019
“Dedicated mystery/crime readers know that the character at the center of the story is as important as “who dun it” and Julie Holmes gives us an unusual and interesting protagonist in her debut, “Murder in Plane Sight.” … Holmes’ writing is brisk and she keeps the action moving with clues such as a piece of jewelry left at the scene. She tells the reader just enough information about Sierra’s job without becoming bogged down in too much technical stuff.”
Mary Ann Grossman, St. Paul Pioneer Press, July 27, 2019
A deftly crafted mystery with more plot twists and turns that a carnival roller coaster, “Murder in Plane Sight” showcases author Julie Holmes’ originality and impressive narrative storytelling skills as a novelist. An inherently riveting read … “Murder in Plane Sight” will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary Murder/Suspense collections.
Midwest Book Review, Wisconsin Bookwatch: September 2019
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The Kill Code Collective
A Midwest Mystery Works Medical Thriller
Technological Terror … Is Just a Heartbeat Away
Two deaths from unexplained cardiac device failure. One victim, threatened before her death. The family of the other, taunted afterwards. Negligence? Coincidence? Or something far worse? The devices’ Minnesota-based manufacturer, Voyageur Cardiac Systems (VCS) is blindsided by the mysterious calamity, as it also faces a leak of patient data, mounting financial losses, and a blackmail threat against CEO Stephen Hartsburg.
A collective of five extraordinary individuals join forces to investigate the VCS disaster, including confident, no-nonsense aircraft mechanic Sierra Bauer and her partner, Detective Quinn Moore, and Matt Lanier, a classical musician and action guy. Both have witnessed device-related deaths. Joining them are Pen Wilkinson, a sassy, whip-smart paraplegic attorney, along with Louise “Weezy” Napolitani, computer guru and hacker extraordinaire, both hired by CEO Hartsburg but wary of their employer’s secrets. Complicating the group’s efforts is charming, slippery attorney Henri Hawke, an international fixer secretly hired by Hartsburg. The collective presses ahead against violent opposition, racing against time to thwart a plot to take over VCS, weaponize its products, and settle some scores.
The Kill Code Collective is the exciting creation of the five members of Midwest Mystery Works, uniting their signature characters in a high-stakes battle against a deadly enemy, backed by hijacked technology.
Praise for The Kill Code Collective
Although it’s said that too many cooks can spoil the broth, The Kill Code Collective lays that old adage neatly to rest. Five thriller writers have combined their talents in the creation of this suspenseful novel, each contributing a character from their own body of work. It’s a unique approach whose success is due in large measure to the amazing threads of technology that seamlessly weave the delightfully complicated story elements together. Although there were lots of fingers involved in stirring this particular pot, the result is a smooth, fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable medical thriller.
“Librarians and readers seeking a medical thriller mystery that rests on the shoulders of not just one, but many powerful characters, will welcome how The Kill Code Collective dovetails events, personalities, and conundrums to create a vivid probe into a defect which becomes a murder investigation.
Packed with satisfying twists and collective strengths that prove especially engaging as the problem-solvers introduce different strengths towards a greater effort, The Kill Code Collective is a thoroughly absorbing, completely unpredictable story. It benefits from many contributors who spin a fine yarn to build an unforgettable story.”
D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Set in a perfectly frigid Minnesota winter, this is a suspenseful, fast-paced, smart medical thriller featuring unforgettable male and female characters in a relatable and scary situation. Many people in real life have implanted medical devices for various reasons. What if control of the signals to those devices fell into the wrong hands? The race is on to bring down an international criminal cabal with its tentacles reaching into a Midwest medical device company and other people with power. Clever plot surprises arise with every chapter featuring well-drawn antagonists as well as the collective of men and women crime fighters. Uneasy friends at first—all with different talents—soon find themselves leaning on each other to step up their game and fight for what’s right all the way to an action-packed ending.
Christine DeSmet, series mystery author and writing coach
Available from local and online booksellers
Support indie bookstores — Our book is available at many local bookstores
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