Kelli Gray is a law student at the University of Pennsylvania. After overcoming a difficult past, Kelli’s life is finally stable. But her hard-won peace is shattered the night she witnesses the brutal murder of her best friend Nikki at the school. The attack is one in a rash of slayings that throws the university and the city into hysteria.

Floyd Cane, a former university maintenance engineer, now lives on the streets in order to avoid his memory-filled house where his wife and two daughters were killed one year earlier. Floyd’s oldest daughter was a Penn Law student, and he is convinced that his family’s death is somehow linked to the current murders. Cops dismiss Floyd’s suspicions as the madness of a vagrant’s unhinged mind, but certain evidence supports Floyd’s theories and Kelli slowly begins to listen. The discovery of yet another victim propels this unlikely pair into a race to find the killer, and the clock is ticking. Kelli and Floyd soon uncover the dark, sadistic secret past of someone familiar to both of them—a secret that may just be the key to finding the Puppeteer. And one that forces Kelli to confront the ghosts of her own painful past, and face the terrifying possibility that she herself has more to do with the murders than she ever imagined.

AMAZON REVIEWS FOR THE PUPPETEER:

“Melanie Breaux proves to have a very strong voice, and a deft hand in crafting a layered storyline and complex, multifaceted, likable characters…I like my mysteries dark and twisty, but above all entertaining, and this fits the bill.”

“In The Puppeteer, Breaux paints a textured canvas. The layered characters are relatable and the woven plot is entertaining. Danger spiced with seduction make this a real page turner.”

“I couldn’t put this book down. Every time I thought I knew who the killer was something changed, bringing me back to square one.”

“The book grabs you right from the first chapter and keeps you hooked and keeps you guessing the entire time.”

“The author has created a compelling mystery-thriller with plot lines that twist and turn with epic unpredictability.”

“An imaginative, compelling novel. It incorporates humor, mystery, and a capturing prose.“