California Crime

The Line Fire Arsonist: The True Story of Justin Halstenberg is a harrowing, meticulously researched exploration into one of California’s most chilling and destructive criminal minds. Written by investigative true crime author Elliot Christpher, this narrative delves deep into the life, crimes, and psychology of Justin Halstenberg—a man whose fires lit up the night sky and left behind charred landscapes, ruined lives, and a community scarred forever. From the smoldering ashes of the Keller Peak Line Fire to the quiet panic that gripped Southern California towns, Inferno Within ...

Umiko Wada never set out to be a private detective, let alone become the one-woman operation behind the Kodaka Detective Agency. But so it has turned out, thanks to the death of her former boss, Kazuto Kodaka, in mysterious circumstances. Keen to avoid a similar fate, Wada chooses the cases she takes very carefully. A businessman who wants her to track down his estranged son offers what appears to be a straightforward assignment. But she should have known that the simplest cases are never really simple at all. Soon she finds herself pulled into a labyrinthine conspiracy.

This suspenseful true story of a drug cartel hitman who got away with murder after murder in California's Central Valley over three decades reveals how the criminal justice system fails our most vulnerable immigrant communities. On the surface, 58-year-old Jose Martinez didn't seem evil or even that remarkable - just a regular neighbor, good with cars and devoted to his family. But in between taking his children to Disneyland and visiting his mom, Martinez was also one of the most skilled professional killers police had ever seen.

Ben Adams is a former FBI agent who killed a DEA agent in a bad shoot. He did five years at Pelican Bay for his mistake. He now lives at the beach in a fog of surf and medium-grade alcoholism. A simple trip to Baja and a plane crash set his life on a dangerous collision course with the FBI and a drug cartel high in the Colorado Rockies. The second novel from former Special Agent Jeremy DeConcini takes readers high into the mountains and over the edge in the dead of winter. Bundle up because the full body count won't be known until springtime.

After ten long years as a private detective, Stockton native Jake Carter is finally closing his LA agency. In just a few days he’ll put the missing teens and cheating spouses behind him and join the city's corporate world full of cushy jobs and hefty paychecks. But when his former partner is found dead in a Stockton homeless camp, murdered by a ruthless serial killer who’s targeting the city’s most vulnerable population, Carter will put his dreams on hold and return to his hometown to find the madman responsible before he strikes again. But solving this case won’t be so easy. ...

Book 7 of the Jab Boone Murder Mystery Series Sheriff Corman, Jab’s sworn enemy, recommends Jab to a Central California sheriff. Corman wants Jab to track a 12-year old cold case. Even harder, Jab would have to track the victim’s voice only. Complicating Jab’s time are ultra-extremist Arab murderers, practicing their deadly skills in Northern California. They’re targeting young, Mayoral daughters with Clare Blevens, Jab’s star tracking pupil, next!

Alex Wright, a 32-year old real estate appraiser in Laguna Beach, California, finds himself in the thick of a major bank fraud. While struggling to distance himself from the scam, he discovers the dead body of his luscious client, Colette. His surfing buddy, Detective Zackery Potrero of the Newport Beach Police Department, is watching his back and shaking his head at each turn wondering how Alex can get himself in so deep! Watch for future adventures of this duo and their assortment of family and friends.

1800's Spanish California meets modern-day crime tale leading to the Monterey Peninsula. For James Michener, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Clive Cussler fans. The Monterey Peninsula's rich past and present are tied together through a two century old secret and the legacy of Robert Louis Stevenson in this complex mystery/thriller. The Stevenson Plan delves beyond the well-known images into the history and culture of this unique corner of the world. FBI Agent John Gibson finds himself re-assigned to investigate a mesmerizing heist from the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank that leads him to ...

A Tiffany Black Travel Caper A winery with secrets … Tiffany, Stone and Rosie are off to Vintner’s Haven, a luxurious boutique hotel in the heart of California wine country. This trip is all about wine-tastings, cocktail-making, hot air balloon rides… and murder! When a local connoisseur mentions he’d like to hire Tiffany to investigate something, but is murdered soon afterward, the trio feel compelled to look into his death. What secrets could be lurking behind some very expensive bottles of wine? Who could’ve wanted the connoisseur dead, and how far are they willing to go to ...

Homicide Detective Sydney Valentine investigates the death of a Jane Doe found in the backyard hot tub of a high-end home. When Valentine arrives at the scene, she discovers nothing is as it initially appears—far from it. Valentine's pursuit of Jane Doe's identity uncovers secrets some would prefer to keep hidden. Her investigation reveals treachery and deceit as more crimes change or end the lives of those connected to the victim. Throughout it all, Detective Valentine must face her own personal and professional challenges. She digs deeper to expose the truth behind what set everything ...

She played with fire to save her legacy. He walked through flames to protect her. With her father's terminal illness draining their funds, Peach has resorted to desperate measures, including secretly dancing for strangers online to maintain the family ranch. But when she discovers hidden cameras in her bathroom and starts receiving threatening messages from an obsessed fan, she realizes that she's not the only one with secrets to hide. When mysterious CC Investments offers to buy the property, the small town's mistrust of outsiders threatens to destroy Peach's last chance at salvation. ...

Just released from prison, Trip Walker’s hopes for a fresh start are shattered after finding his twin sister Rose has vanished without a trace. Determined to uncover the truth, Trip plunges into the dark past he left behind, only to find powerful forces are also hunting for Rose—with sinister intentions. Dodging hired killers and crooked cops, he races to find his sister, all while uncovering secrets of his own family’s past. With time running out and enemies closing in, Trip faces an impossible choice: abandon his search, or risk everything—including his newfound freedom—for the ...

In Swimming to Catalina, ex-cop-turned Manhattan attorney and investigator Stone Barrington is back, still smarting from his sudden breakup with brilliant, beautiful magazine writer Arrington Carrington, who has left him to marry Hollywood's hottest male star, Vance Calder. Then Calder calls Stone for help: Arrington has vanished without a trace, and Calder, refusing to call the police, wants Stone to find her.

Detective Valentine investigates the murder of a scathing judge of a singing competition. An unknown assailant strikes and kills the popular judge with her own Emmy. As Valentine investigates the homicide, she discovers the victim had earned the nickname "The Dream Crusher" and gathered numerous enemies. After she digs deeper, she finds a rival judge, an arrogant producer, an estranged brother, and a host of others with more than enough motive to deliver the deadly blow. When bodies start to pile up and her suspect list grows, Valentine must uncover the murderer before her own voice is ...

After a long Labor Day weekend, 73-year-old Eugene Washington is found dead in his Leimert Park home. At first blush, his death seems unremarkable- heat wave combined with food poisoning from a holiday barbecue. But something in the way Washington died doesn’t make sense. LAPD Homicide Detective Elouise "Lou" Norton is called to investigate the death and learns that the only family Washington had was the 6,000-member congregation of Blessed Mission Ministries, led by Bishop Solomon Tate. But something wicked is lurking among the congregants of this church.

Detective Sydney Valentine chases down clues to uncover the identity of a physician's killer. The doctor is bludgeoned to death in his medical office. Without warning, Detective Sydney Valentine's lieutenant assigns her a new and annoying new partner. While the two detectives pursue the investigation into the bloody murder of this high-profile physician, they discover he's going through a nasty divorce. When the body of a John Doe turns up in an alleyway and strange connections between the murders emerge, the likelihood of a simple case looks grim. False Claims is the fourth book in the ...

Jaleesa, Kai, Ilya and Dani are online best friends, and superfans of the hit TV show City of Night. Fantasising about the show in their chatroom, they find an escape from their troubled small-town lives. Everything changes when Chloe, make-up artist to the show's star Alice Temple, enters the chat. When Chloe tells them Alice is in danger the four resolve to save her, and make their way to California. But fantasy is quickly overtaken by reality. Alice's troubles, they discover, will shine the spotlight on all of them. And not in a good way.

Book #13 of the Jab Boone Murder Mystery Series Kaliningrad separatists murder a Russian diplomat on American soil causing an FBI manhunt. They were spotted in the Big Sur Ventana Wilderness where Jab Boone conducted an adjacent manhunt—with himself as the prey. His star student, Clare Blevens, was now leading the manhunt. But when the separatists and Jab’s paths converge, only one will emerge victorious!

Fifteen amazing authors. Fifteen tales with “cemetery plots”. Welcome to the 2021 Capitol Crimes Anthology. A cadre of superlative judges selected the best of the best to put in this audiobook. With a foreword by best-selling author Catriona McPherson, delve into the creative minds of Capitol Crimes members. The setting: Northern California. The theme: that place we all finally must visit, the cemetery. The plots and characters are as diverse as the authors. And their stories will touch your spirit where adventure and fear intersect.

Delve into the hidden underbelly of crime as we unveil the secrets of the Los Angeles Mafia Crime Family. From its elusive origins to its far-reaching influence, prepare to uncover the tangled web of power, intrigue, and betrayal that defined this criminal empire.