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Snap Shot

Snap Shot

A Suspense Novel

by: Meg Chittenden

ISBN (paperback): 0-425-19803-0

Published: 2004

Snap Shot is a suspense novel set in the Pacific Northwest in a town I've called Port Findlay. The idea for it came to me while my husband and I were co-chairing a photography show in our town's convention center. As we walked the show with the two judges, our footsteps echoing on the concrete floor, I imagined that when we walked into the last row, we'd see a body sprawled on the floor.

Mystery writers think that way all the time. Fortunately there was no body that day, but the story in Snap Shot began putting itself together in my head.

Diana Gordon is a Private Investigator in San Francisco. Shadowing a man suspected of Insurance Fraud, she is shot. Already fed up with getting beaten up, and dealing with low lifes and dirtbags, she quits the business as soon as she recovers and moves away from the City-way north to quiet, historic Port Findlay, Washington, where she opens a photography studio-Photomania-and settles down to a peaceful life.

Which unfortunately, doesn't quite work out...

I hope you will enjoy Snap Shot

Reviews:

"Not your kind of book? Think again. Anyone who needs characters, tension, suspense and excitement is going to love Snap Shot to death. A fine writer."
Lee Child, Author of the best-selling Jack Reacher mystery series
“The incomparable Meg Chittenden does it again! Set in the Pacific Northwest she knows so well, Snap Shot resonates with authentic small-town life, jealousies and secrets. It gives us a smart, savvy heroine in Diana Gordon, who meets the perfect match in Connor Callahan.”
Eileen Dreyer, Best-selling author of mystery, suspense and romance
Chittenden produces a complex thriller filled with intrigue and local flair. She is a master of her craft.
Jill Smith, Romantic Times
You won't want to miss this novel by Meg Chittenden. There is never a dull moment. I know I'll be stacking my bookshelves with her books from now on. You'll find yourself enthralled with these small town characters and the art scene. It's amazing how one little snap shot can say a million words!
Quetzi P. Fernald, Romance Reviews Today
Diana Gordon has had enough. As a private investigator Diana has had her fair share of on the job injuries, but being shot is the last straw. Connor Callahan is in the habit of having lengthy conversations with his wife, a completely normal activity for most people except that Connor's wife has been dead for over a year. Diana is more accepting about this than most people. They both agree to help out with the local photography show. All goes well until a murder is committed. Diana can't help but put her old PI skills to use finding the killer. Having Connor at her side also helps to heat things up. As Connor and Diana investigate deeper they find that small quiet towns can be deceiving, as they uncover secrets better left alone. SNAP SHOT is a gritty page turner with enough danger and passion to keep you up all night.
DK, Rendezvous
Snap Shot ...is...a scintillating romantic mystery. Chittenden brings into focus all the nuances of small town tale-telling with the living color of her gifted writing
Sandy Huseby, Book Page
The tense intrigue is cleverly developed but the key to this fine thriller is the personal dynamic between the reluctant yet hopeful pair.
Harriet Klausner
Meg is a great storyteller and SNAP SHOT keeps one reading.  Diane gave up her career as a PI after being shot and becomes a photographer in a small Washington town.  When an exhibit is being planned and Diane is on the committee, the head of the committee is found shot to death when the exhibitors and rest of the committee arrive.  The victim was a control freak and made enemies, but she seemed more of an annoyance and really didn't "need killing."  As Diane begins to look into things, it seems that she may have been the intended victim instead and it all harks back to San Francisco and the insurance fraud case which ended her PI career.  Now it seems that someone wants to "end" her on a permanent basis.   This is a fun and exciting book that keeps the reader on her toes until the final solution is unraveled.
Doris Ann Norris
Meg Chittenden has a reputation for being a superb storyteller and she demonstrates her abilities once again in SNAP SHOT which is filled with suspense, romance and mystery although in this book the mystery/suspense is on an equal footing with the romantic aspects of the story. Meg has the talent to let the reader "get to know" her protagonists gradually, much like a person would get to know and like a person in real life. The plot is well constructed and events move quickly so, once started and if you find yourself in a reading mood on on one of these balmy days of Indian Summer, you will find SNAP SHOT  is dangerously hard to put down. The book is widely available in bookstores.
Stephanie Shea, Mystery Place
I loved how (Meg) kept me guessing who'd done it--I didn't expect (the villain) at all, but at the same time when it was revealed, I could smugly say--of course. I also loved the observation made about "taking the home out of homicide."
Mary Buckham, author of The Makeover Mission
What a cracker! Right from the opening line the book has great tension and intrigue. The characters are entirely believable, charismatic, and never rang a false note. I loved the conversations Connor has with his dead wife. His relationship with Diana develops very naturally and sweetly and, just when you want to shake her for not telling him the truth about her past, she comes clean in that very heartfelt scene. All the way through, just when I thought I'd spotted one twist, (the story) threw me another curve-ball and kept me gripped and guessing right to the end.
Zoe Sharp, Author of First Drop ( the Charlie Fox mystery Series)
Snap Shot is primarily a story of a small town, its people and the dynamics of functioning committees. It is also a story of a widowed Connor and once burned Diana as they first get to know each other and then pursue their attraction to each other. Diana in her jaunty way and Connor in his dorky way work their way through the mystery. Pacing is very good and the dialog is funny in places and moves the story well with frequent, seamless scene changes. Readers may remember the English cottage mysteries of Marjorie Allingham for example, where there is no steamy sex, no profanity, no gore. This novel is very reminiscent of that author and that genre.
Thea Davis, The Mystery Reader
Diana Gordon is looking to put her past as a private investigator (wounded in the line of duty) behind her, and focus on her new career in photography. Then a local woman is murdered and Diana-assisted by chiropractor Connor Callahan, a widower who "talks" to his dead wife-is drawn into (unofficially) investigating, with dangerous consequences. The romance that develops between the reluctant pair is sweetly compelling, and the plot twists and turns maintain suspense through to the end. Great book. Recommended!
Twist Phelan, Author of the Pinnacle Peak Mystery Series
Snap Shot is a tale of romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest with enough intrigue to satisfy mystery lovers...life in Port Findlay is anything but quiet and a rich array of characters become way more interesting. A taut and satisfying suspenser from a pro.
Mary Alice Gorman, Mystery Scene-Very Original Paperback originals
An excellent book and Meg Chittenden mixes the Romantic and the Suspense masterfully. I was actually very pleased to see a Chiropractor hero, must be the first that I can remember.
Chris Wallace, DorothyL
I much enjoyed Meg Chittenden's Charlie Plato series, so Snap Shot is certainly a most welcome addition to my collection of this author's work. Snap Shot is much more than a crime novel. It is an interesting look at a small town and its jealousies, the problems of serving on a committee and its inherent pitfalls, and a blossoming relationship between two people who are both vulnerable in their own different ways. This is more of a romantic suspense novel than a crime novel, but that should not distract you from reading it. The characters, both primary and secondary, are all drawn with humour and warmth. Snap Shot may not have the sex, violence and gore that some romantic suspense novels have, but it is a deeply fascinating and intriguing story with a twist that will certainly linger in your mind long after you have finished reading it. A deeply satisfying read.
Ayo Onatade, Mystery Women (U.K.)
Meg Chittenden is a veteran writer whose latest cheerfully energetic story is "Snap Shot." Diana Gordon, ex-private eye turned photographer, is asked to judge a photo show in Port Findlay (a fictional Port Townsend.) But Diana stumbles on the murdered body of a community leader and investigates along with another juror, a sexy chiropractor. (There's a reason for this particular profession: Chittenden's son is a chiropractor.)
Adam Woog, Seattle Times
Snap Shot is wonderful. GREAT characters, all of them. So human, so humorous. I kept hearing Meg's voice throughout, and admiring her fine writing talent.
Margaret Carney, Canadian author, and former editor