Jack Spade Returns is the continuing saga of a L.A. cop turned private investigator. Our story begins two years after the marriage of Jack and Alma. Jack has been a stay-at-home father to their young son, but Alma has to take maternity leave from her job as a pediatric nurse at a nearby hospital. Jack then opens his office again to continue helping people. About the Author Nancy H. Bastien was born on Cape Cod in the small town of Truror, Massachusetts. Her parents married the week before the stock market crash of 1929. By the time of her birth in 1931 the Great Depression was a fact of life. After graduating from high school, Nancy moved to the city to find work. In October 1949 she married a young mill worker. They made their home in the same city for 56 years while raising four children. At the age of 50, Nancy decided to go back to school at the local state college. She earned a degree in Sociology with a minor in Art. Before and after college she pursued a career in real estate. Since high school, Nancy worked steadily at her art and writing. Many years and several books later, she was ready to make her mark in the world of books.