Oklahoma Social Worker Announces First Mystery Novel



May 18, 2005 -- Ami Elizabeth Reeves, social worker for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services introduces Next Of Kin, a small-town murder mystery that has been accepted for publication by Avalon Books and is slated for release in August 2005. Reeves drew from her childhood experiences as inspiration for the fictional community of Delight, Arkansas - a town populated by down-home characters and governed by the almighty Sayre Chicken Company.

Reeves is a frequent contributor to Oklahoma Today, Tulsa Kids, and Route 66 Magazine. A 1995 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a BA in Psychology, she currently lives in Chelsea, OK, with her husband and son. Reeves is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters In Crime, the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, and the Tulsa Nightwriters. Next of Kin, a finalist in the 2004 St. Martin's/Malice Domestic Competition, is the author's first published novel.

Next of Kin follows Sally Brown, a long-distance runner with sights on the UofA's track team. Arriving unannounced at the home of her estranged sister, Sally receives little but a chilly reception and a web of secrets. When reporter Bobbie Lou Voight turns up dead at the Sayre Chicken Company poultry cook-off, everyone's a suspect. The local butter-sculpting savant, a former beauty queen, gregarious restaurateur R.D. Blackwell, and Sally's own sister, Suzanne. As Sally gets closer to the killer, the mystery surrounding her own sheltered childhood keeps an even pace with the race to uncover the culprit.

Look for Next of Kin August 24, 2005. Reeves plans on several stops in Arkansas and Oklahoma to promote her book. She has an upcoming appearance scheduled for May 21, 2005 at the Oklahoma Centennial Book Festival in Oklahoma City. Visit Reeves' website at www.AmiReeves.com. To learn more about Reeves' appearances, Next of Kin, and future publications, contact publicist Erin Kelley at (864) 350-7410.





Oklahoma Social Worker Announces First Mystery Novel