The Queen

Fame made her untouchable. It also made her a target.

Jasmine Olivera built an empire online as the Queen of Crypto. Then someone shot her twice through the window of her white Porsche and left her bleeding on the Vegas asphalt.

With no witnesses and no physical evidence, Detective Maria Varela is left with Jasmine’s curated digital life—and a circle of friends eager to move on before anyone starts asking real questions. As Maria digs deeper, she discovers that behind the filters and carefully staged posts was a woman surrounded by greed, betrayal, and people willing to kill to protect their secrets.

Solving the murder is difficult enough. Doing it before Jasmine’s recently released father exacts his own justice may be impossible.

As the clock ticks down, Maria must navigate influencer culture, crypto fortunes, and a web of deception where everyone is performing—and no one is telling the truth.

Sharp, timely, and relentlessly suspenseful, The Queen delivers a modern mystery that explores the deadly cost of manufactured lives and the lies we sell to the world

What Reviewers Say About the Maria Varela Series:
"Debut author Pascarella presents a frightening view of Las Vegas, far from the glamor and glitz of the Strip...Against this dark background, Pascarella has set a hauntingly vivid cast of characters."
-Booklife Review

"In Maria, A.M. Pascarella has created a heroine with uncommon depth."
-Bestthrillers Review

"Maria and Carla are captivating figures, and readers will be eager for them to return..."
-Kirkus Reviews