First published 2019
Acting Sheriff Buddy Steel never wanted the job. He returned from LAPD to San Remo County only because his father's ALS diagnosis forced him to temporarily run the department. Now the California Coastal Commission has deputized him to investigate a reclusive Russian billionaire who blocks public beach access on his oceanfront property. When Steel makes a shocking discovery during his investigation, local politicians refuse to support enforcement. Steel digs in to face the Russian's imported muscle. Meanwhile, a serial killer strikes the wealthy coastal town of Freedom, executing perfect murders that leave no forensic evidence. Steel calls in his former lover, a sharp Los Angeles attorney, to take the Russian to court. He gets no help from his sheriff father, who resists being pushed aside, or from Freedom's mayor, who happens to be his stepmother. Steel barrels through every obstacle with his unconventional methods. He may not want to be sheriff, but his drive to serve justice never stops.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: California, Freedom, LAPD, San Remo County
Period: 21st-century
237 pages · Hardcover · Poisoned Pen Press