By Judith Copek

Maxine wants to find her long-lost sister.
Cartel kingpin Lotto wants to find Maxine and the two-million dollars her ex-husband skimmed. In a motorhome with boyfriend Jeff, Jeff’s young daughter, and a kitten, the foursome embarks on a cross-continent trek to escape Lotto and find the sister. Maxine is smart and Lotto is determined. Will Maxine reach safety before Lotto’s goons close in?

What They Are Saying About Chased by Death

What a wild ride! Unsuspecting mob wife tailed by hit men, a drug lord with dyspepsia and a submarine. Heroine Maxine leads a fast-paced chase around the US seeking bad girl sister. Great romp!

—Michal Sherring

Author of Done For at the Danford. An Art Museum Mystery

Great, story, well-written, a page turner for me. Wonderful descriptions of everything—food and food prep, scenery and settings, people, moods. Great, natural dialog. Intriguing movement between sub-plots and people. Kept my interest throughout. And the later action chapters—riveting. Judith is a wonderful writer, story-teller, and craftswoman.

I personally loved her insight into computer stuff, recipes and food details, and her obvious love of travel to South Florida, the great West, and our dear Southeastern Massachusetts.

—Nancy Dale, MPH

Retired from AARP

Chased to Death by Judith Copek will keep you on the edge of your seat through the entire book. It is a delicious salad of betrayal, bad choices, tension, and ruthlessness.

After divorcing her husband, whose job she has never understood, she decides to embark on a new life beginning with a search for her sister, last known address Miami. Before she leaves town, she blunders into her ex-husband’s murder scene and her life will morph into a dangerous on-the-run existence, as Maxine tries to find her sister and to stay ahead of the drug cartel that wants to kill her. In the midst of all this, she finds romance.

This is a story that's hard to put down. Just when you think she has reached a position of safety, more danger appears. And Ms. Copek has masterfully engineered a twist that surprises, yet when it comes, you see it was there all along.

This is a great and entertaining read from beginning to end. The characters are true, the action follows a believable sequence, and the twists make it above the ordinary,

—Margo Lemieux MFA, M.Ed

Professor Art & Graphic Design, Lasell College

Author of Full Worm Moon and Believe in Water

Judith Copek’s “Chased by Death” is an engaging and suspenseful new crime novel. The brutal murder of her accountant ex-husband and the surprising revelations of his criminal activities lead Maxine on a sometimes frightening sometimes exciting journey from New England to Florida and to the West as she tries to escape his fate. In addition to all of this, Maxine’s main goal is to find her long lost sister and confront old family secrets. Along the way, she meets a man who may or may not become a romantic interest and becomes involved with his family. The complicated relationships take the characters to Colombia and Panama as well as across the United States. While the interwoven plot lines and fast action are important aspects of the book, the novel’s core is Maxine, a strong compelling character who brings with a sense of humanity to the story. I enjoyed Chased by Death very much and highly recommend it.

—Margaret L. Dale, J.D.

Chased by Death by Judith Copek has everything required to guarantee a very enjoyable reading experience! There are murder, corruption, romance, infidelity and true love. The characters are people we can relate to so that we are able to empathize with their fears, disappointments and joys. Judith Copek’s IT background ensures that the technological details throughout the book are accurate and intriguing. A great read!

—Debbie Weiss

Women’s Book Reviews

Wow! Judith is another Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with her beautiful use of verisimilitude giving reality to the details of life, trauma, pursuit, and the cat (I love Lucy). Maxine is Sherlock. Each character has crime, pathology, and human needs which braid together for a real thriller. Death is always coming, but when? And who kills?

—Coryl LaRue Jones, PhD

Retired from NIH

Author of Environmental Analysis of Neonatal Intensive Care and

The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease