Project Onion

Book excerpt: Kathryn “Kat” Jensen’s new audit consulting job quickly becomes extremely dangerous. Investigating a notorious drug trafficker’s bank accounts can lead to life-threatening complications! When Kat Jensen, an out-of-work internal auditor in New York City, joins Melville Consulting, a friend’s secretive consulting firm, she unravels the elaborate money-laundering scheme used by a notorious drug lord nicknamed El Rey, or The King. Based on her analysis, the banks freeze his accounts. Furious, El Rey storms their office, threatening to kill her boss. The drug czar gets arrested, but Kat is badly shaken and wants to quit. Except auditing jobs aren’t easy to find after she took a year off to go on an unusual bucket-list voyage, and now she is broke. Memories of Kat’s brother, who lost the battle against drug addiction, and the much-needed paycheck convince her to try again. But when Kat unexpectedly meets El Rey, her life is in danger, since now he wants revenge. PROJECT ONION features an unexpectedly resilient businesswoman who decides to fight back. This suspense novel blends crime, time travel, and romance with multiple twists and turns. What book reviewers are saying: “Following the typical format of crime fiction, Stensgaard delivers an entertaining set-up to her series. Kat’s motivations for joining the Melville Consulting team are clear and her emotions are apparent and relatable.” - The BookLife Prize, part of Publishers Weekly “Project Onion by Karen Stensgaard is an engrossing read, packed with suspense, a little romance, and even some time travel for good measure. It has a very strong female lead, plenty of action, and no small amount of stunning twists and turns that will leave you dizzy. The main character is the kind of woman that others might dream of being - a sophisticated, smart decision-maker who isn't afraid to stare danger in the face and the thrilling plot marks the start of what looks to be a great new series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and am looking forward to more of Kat Jenson's adventures.” - 5 Star Review by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite “A riveting, impossible-to-put-down novel… Stensgaard kicks start her The Melville Consulting Series with this very clever, unpredictable genre mash-up tale. Stensgaard’s shrewd observations about a woman struggling to gather her courage in the face of unexpectedly trying circumstances register beautifully. The pacing is fast and tension stays high with relentless suspense in the back. This action-packed time-travel thriller delivers on its promising concept.” - The Prairies Book Review “An incredible story from a great storyteller with realistic and elaborately developed characters, Project Onion is a spellbinding opening that will create a lot of anticipation in readers as they wait for the next installment in the series. The narrative is enriched by the beautiful prose and Karen Stensgaard's deft creation in setting and atmosphere.” - 5 Star Review by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite “This book is one of a kind … The drama and romance set among the mystery make it an even more intriguing read and keeps you hooked and invested in the plot. I would love to read more such work or even more about these same characters. Kudos to the author for coming up with this story, and I hope the upcoming ones are just as great!” - 5 Star Review from Instagram Book Blogger read.with.emilee