Jaime Parker Stickle
Take Hart: A Corey in Los Angeles Mystery
(Thomas and Mercer, August 2026)
In this biting psychological thrill ride from the author of Vicious Cycle, a mother off her meds searches for a missing woman—and uncovers deadly secrets in her trendy Los Angeles neighborhood.
Between her LAPD consulting gig, fledgling indie news blog, and postpartum panic disorder, former TV journalist Corey Tracey-Lieberman is barely keeping it together. Then a mother named Sonja Hart vanishes in her Highland Park neighborhood, and the case all but ignored. Sparked by maternal fury, Corey’s investigative instincts come roaring back to life.
To see the truth clearly, Corey must stop taking the meds that keep her anxiety at bay. Forced to confront her own failing marriage, she struggles with her growing feelings for her crime-fighting partner. Strapping her fourteen-month-old son to her chest, she follows a trail that leads from a suspicious house fire to the furtive activities of new neighbors.
The more she digs, the more she uncovers about the secret toll of gentrification—and the closer she comes to the verge of a breakdown. And the horror dawns that the killer she’s been chasing has been watching her all along . . .
Praise for Take Hart
“Both a canny procedural and a heartfelt ode to the trials and triumphs of motherhood.” — Publishers Weekly
“Take Hart hits you in the feels with Corey Tracey-Lieberman, a former television journalist, who tries to keep her life from shattering to pieces. A consulting gig with the LAPD mixed with a failing marriage and a dash of postpartum panic disorder, all drive Corey to the edge when searching for a missing mother. Corey might rescue herself in the process, or lose everything. A tightly woven plot with characters you feel like you’ve known for years, Take Hart will leave you breathless.” — James L’Etoile, award-winning author of Illusion of Truth and the Detective Nathan Parker series
“Take Hart, Book 2 in the ‘Corey in Los Angeles’ series, takes readers on a witty romp through urban LA as a relatable anxiety-ridden journalist navigates a love triangle with her baby strapped to her chest, and investigates the mystery of a missing community activist. Stickle’s plot is suspenseful and intriguing, with a visceral intensity.”— Caitlin Rother, New York Times bestselling author
“Take Hart deftly balances a whip-smart plot with an unforgettable protagonist to create my favorite kind of mystery — a book that honors the genre but is fearless in pushing it forward. I loved spending time with the messy, relatable, and lively Corey as she unravels a deadly mystery. Jaime Parker Stickle has created a fresh and witty crime novel that doesn’t pull punches or mince words, which we all need right now.” — Alex Segura, bestselling and acclaimed author of Daredevil: Enemy of My Enemy, Alter Ego, and Star Wars
Read the Publishers Weekly review
Jaime Parker Stickle is the author of Vicious Cycle, book one of the Corey in Los Angeles series. A professor of film and television at Montclair State University, she is also a writer, actor, and podcaster. Jaime is the creator and cohost of The Girl with the Same Name, a true crime podcast, as well as Make That Paper, a hilarious podcast about side hustles. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and four-legged babies.