Showing results by author "Lawrence De Maria" in All Categories

THE TWO MASSACHUSSETS HOMICIDE COPS WONDERED WHY I WAS MENTIONED SO PROMINENTLY IN A MURDERED NUN'S OLD DIARY. I knew why. Many years before she became Sister Veronica, Ronnie Frost was a vivacious college co-ed -- and my lover. I always wondered what became of her after she mysteriously disappeared. I also knew I had to find out who killed her! Was her murder random? Or tied to something in her past? IF YOU LIKE STRONG CHARACTERIZATIONS, GREAT DIALOGUE AND SURPRISES, PULITZER-NOMINEE LAWRENCE DE MARIA’S ALTON RHODE MYSTERIES ARE IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES.” (John Crudele, New York Post);...

Alton Rhode was sitting in his office minding his business when a gunman walked in and shot up the place. He told the private eye he would come back and kill him, if he pursued the Frank Pace case. Since Rhode didn't know anyone named Frank Pace, and in fact had no clients at the time, he wasn't really worried about what was an obvious case of mistaken Identity. But later, a nun walked in and said she was looking for her brother, Frank Pace. He was about to hire Rhode but had been murdered, and his body misplaced. Then, things really got weird!

SHE WAS WORTH MORE DEAD THAN ALIVE! An investigation into the death of an elderly woman in a rent-controlled Manhattan building uncovers a diabolical conspiracy! ***“IF YOU LIKE HARD-BOILED ACTION, MEMORABLE VILLAINS AND TWISTY PLOTS, THE JAKE SCARNE THRILLERS NEVER DISAPPOINT!” (John Crudele, New York Post) ***“A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE BOOK MARKETPLACE TODAY.” (Florida Weekly) ***“A MASTER OF THRILLER DIALOGUE.” (Washington Independent Review of Books) ***“WHILE DE MARIA MAY HAVE BEEN AN AWARD-WINNING ...

A RUSSIAN SCIENTIST REVIVES A VIRUS FROZEN FOR 30,000 YEARS! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?*** Well, just about everything, as terrorists use the deadly pathogen to attack one of America's iconic sports events. ***"WELL-DRAWN CHARACTERS, TANGLED RELATIONSHIPS, GOOD-NATURED BANTER, UP-TO-DATE TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES (DRONES, EXPLOSIVES, ETC.) AND A CURRENT-EVENTS ATMOSPHERE CREATE A RICH ARRAY OF INTEREST HOOKS FOR READERS. SIBERIA, THE KREMLIN, MARSEILLES, JEDDAH AND LOUISVILLE, KY. --- FOR NOTHING LESS THAN A CRESCENDO OF ACTION (BESIDE THE HORSE RACE) AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY --- ARE PART OF THE...

TWO WOMEN, ONE OF WHOM JILTED HIM, HELP A PRIVATE EYE STOP A BIOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE! "Amazing how this story paralleled what is happening worldwide now during the COVID-19 pandemic ... a look into the future."***A prominent law firm asks an investigator to look into the death of a business executive. The firm's client is the dead executive’s widow – a woman who deserted the private eye years earlier! Against the backdrop of his own personal turmoil, the dogged investigator is soon enmeshed in an international conspiracy fueled by perverted science, and old Cold War hatred.***“IF YOU ...

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ABUSED, DESTITUTE CHILDREN GROW INTO VENGEFUL, RICH ADULTS? *** Alton Rhode goes to Oregon to bury his aunt. It turns out she left him a valuable piece of property. But that is not his only surprise. A local sheriff seeks his help on what she suspects is the murder of a prominent citizen. There are few clues and no real evidence of foul play. But a discovery by some kids on a field trip tantalizes the private eye. What he eventually finds out tests his faith in both justice and the law. *** “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ...

THE HITMAN IN MY KITCHEN WASN'T THERE TO SHOOT ME. HE WANTED MY HELP! The hired killer, himself a proud veteran, felt betrayed when he unknowingly killed a Medal of Honor winner. He wants to settle the score. But there is a problem. The secretive assassin doesn't know who gave the order for the hit. But he believes I can find out. He's trusted me with his life in combat. After all, I was his old "skipper" -- and he thought I could do the impossible. ***"One of the best PI novels I have read this year. Just a perfect amount of intrigue, along with witty and humorous dialog. This will not be ...

IT WAS A SIMPLE INSURANCE INVESTIGATION -- UNTIL THE LIES AND BODIES STARTED PILING UP! Alton Rhode starts out in a Northern nursing home and winds up in a Southern town, where a military academy may be more soiled than local Civil War statues covered in bird droppings. He uncovers a twisty financial conspiracy involving radioactive isotopes, sex, and murder. "ALTON RHODE MYSTERIES ARE IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES.” (John Crudele, New York Post); “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE BOOK MARKETPLACE TODAY.” (Florida Weekly); “A ...

A PRIVATE EYE'S LOVER ASKS HIM TO FIND OUT WHO KILLED HER EX-HUSBAND! Alton Rhode travels to San Francisco to investigate an alleged suicide and winds up ensnared in a web of cryptocurrency-fueled murder and international intrigue! The private eye knows a lot about murder and almost nothing about bitcoins. But he soon gets educated about the latter with the help of an unorthodox but brilliant young woman. And his own expertise comes in very handy when he runs into a bunch of Russians and Chinese whose motives are both murderous and mercenary. With scenes in New York, San Francisco and ...

Publish AND Perish? A revered environmental author is worth more dead than alive! WHEN HE AGREED TO GIVE AWAY THE BRIDE ON BALD HEAD ISLAND, A PRIVATE EYE DIDN'T COUNT ON BECOMING SHARK BAIT! A "destination" wedding on a charming island off the coast of North Carolina turns deadly! Taking a break from the festivities, Alton Rhode and his lady love, the beautiful Alice Watts, meet the island’s most-famous resident: the reclusive author, Ashleigh Harper, whose classic environmental novel inspired a generation of America’s youth. But all is not what it seems, and Rhode is soon involved in ...

A SEARCH FOR THE MAN WHO SHOT A COP ON HALLOWEEN ENDS IN THE PAST! Private eye Alton Rhode is angered when a police pal is critically wounded while handing out candy. Then, a spate of child murders shocks the community. Rhode uncovers a connection between the crimes. What he learns is scarcely believable -- and puts him in the sights of a perverted killer hiding in plain sight.***"This was another terrific whodunit in the Alton Rhode mystery series. In each mystery, the methodology used by Rhode to solve the crime is completely plausible. That is one of the most fascinating points to these ...

DARK SECRETS LINK TWO WOMEN TO A MURDERED BANKER! A security guard apprehends Elizabeth Olsen fleeing a mansion with a revolver in her hand. Inside, John Denton, a prominent banker, lies dead. Elizabeth claims she is innocent. But she acknowledges that Denton was her lover, and her story has more holes in it than the victim. No one believes the sexy, amoral woman. Not even her high-powered lawyer. But her wealthy father does, and wants Alton Rhode to clear her. Then, the case takes an even more tragic turn, sending the private investigator on a journey into the dark past of a Southern town,...

SHE LOST THE BABY, AND HER HUSBAND SEEKS REVENGE! *** Alton Rhode sets out to buy some Chinese takeout food, only to become involved in a possible war between rival Tongs. But that is just the beginning in a mystery that soon spirals out of the private eye's control. It includes arson, and an assassination that hits very close to home. A vengeful Rhode's investigation alienates friends and foes alike. And almost gets him killed. *** “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE BOOK MARKETPLACE TODAY.” (Florida Weekly); “A MASTER OF ...

THE MOB BLACKMAILS TWO SPORTS ICONS WHO MURDER A YOUNG COCKTAIL WAITRESS.***An innocent man is in jail for the crime they committed. A media giant has that part of the story, but is afraid to publish without ironclad proof. They hire a dogged investigator to get it. Meanwhile, the woman freelancer who uncovered the injustice can’t leave it alone. All hell breaks loose, as great detective work reveals a plot far worse than anyone imagined! ***“De Maria is a talented writer who has produced a body of work that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. His novels are sure to please fans ...

SHE WAS RICH AND BEAUTIFUL, AND ASKED ME TO SAVE HER DYING CHILD!***The woman begs Alton Rhode to find the bank-embezzler lover who left her pregnant and in the lurch. She says her waif-like daughter needs the fugitive’s bone marrow to survive. But the trail has been cold for 14 years! That’s the least of Rhode’s problems. Local mobsters have their own agenda. Only a mysterious guardian angel – with an automatic pistol – keeps the private eye alive long enough to find the missing man. Then things really get weird!***““DE MARIA HAS WRITTEN A STUNNER OF A PRIVATE EYE MYSTERY, ...

A SMALL SOUTHERN TOWN HARBORS MANY DARK SECRETS! LORENE ROBILLARD BETRAYED ALTON RHODE AND ALMOST GOT HIM KILLED. NOW, SHE WANTS HIS HELP! ***Never one to hold a grudge, the private investigator soon finds himself in a Southern town that has more secrets than pigeons on Confederate statues. But with two brutish killers straight out of “Deliverance” on his tail, Rhode is forced to call for backup. The new ally, making his own contributions to a rising body count, helps uncover a murderous financial conspiracy in this twisty mystery that mixes Southern Gothic with a tale of redemption.***...

A SCIENTIST WORKING IN HIS BASEMENT CREATES A DEADLY PLAGUE! *** FIVE-STAR Amazon Review: "Clever writing style combined with knowledge of multiple disciplines. I have every intention of reading all of this authors books. Pure entertainment." *** Governments are mystified as horrific illnesses devastate an American fishing village and a Canadian monastery. Attempts to prevent panic are unraveling. Where will a new disease strike next? *** “IF YOU LIKE HARD-BOILED ACTION, MEMORABLE VILLAINS AND TWISTY PLOTS, THE JAKE SCARNE THRILLERS NEVER DISAPPOINT!” (John Crudele, New York Post); “...

Janet Evanovich described SOUND OF BLOOD: "A great read with a shocking ending." TRAGEDY STALKS A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR LOOKING INTO A SUSPICIOUS DEATH WHEN HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH THE WOMAN RESPONSIBLE. Bodies pile up from coast to coast as Jake Scarne uncovers a web of murder and fraud. ***“IF YOU LIKE THRILLING ACTION, CRACKLING DIALOGUE AND A TRAGIC LOVE STORY YOU WON’T SOON FORGET, THEN SOUND OF BLOOD, THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE JAKE SCARNE SERIES, IS JUST A CLICK AWAY!” (John Crudele, New York Post); “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ...

A FRENCH POLICEWOMAN BATTLES MODERN TERRORISTS WHO PLAN TO DESTROY PARIS! *** "I was on the edge of my seat reading this book! First, just the thought that a bomb of this magnitude could be sitting in the store room for decades was petrifying. Second, Paris is my favorite city so the thought of it being destroyed literally made me hold my breath throughout the book." *** "Starts off fast paced and never slows down. Good mix of history, science and Paris and never bogs down." *** THE FLORIDA WEEKLY RAVES: “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING...

IT'S "ALL HANDS ON DECK" AS THE C.I.A. TRIES TO FIND A TERRORIST HYDROGEN BOMB! "Set aside a few hours for this one. You won't want to put it down. But read it early in the day. Reading it before bed could cost you some sleep." (AMAZON REVIEW) "Morrigan", a mysterious and rich ISIS puppetmaster, is financing a plot that will restore a reeling Caliphate to glory. Every major intelligence agency in the West is frantically hunting for the city-busting H-bomb. In America, Cole Sudden, the ace of a secret C.I.A. unit, is cooling his heels. The agency, worried about his recent notoriety, has ...