Book Description

Enjoy this pulse-pounding hard-boiled novel from USA TODAY bestselling mystery author Paul Austin Ardoin "A taut, compelling mystery with a likeable, feisty protagonist. I devoured it." --Ian W. Sainsbury, winner of the 2019 Kindle Storyteller Award "This is as good a mystery series as you will find in print. You do not want to miss a single one of these books." --David Marvin, Scintilla Book Reviews (scintilla.info) A murder in the city’s most exclusive hotel. The main suspect? Her boyfriend’s ex-wife. There’s another killing in the cozy beach town of Estancia. This time, Coroner Fenway Stevenson needs to solve the murder of one of the most prominent businessmen in town. But everyone has ulterior motives. The new mayor is pressuring her to make a quick arrest. Is he eager for justice or does he have something to hide? Fenway’s relationship with her boyfriend is strained when the investigation threatens to unearth a terrible secret and tear his family apart. Her father lies comatose after being shot by a bullet meant for Fenway. His company is on the brink of disaster. The investigation quickly turns into a political and personal battleground. Her friends, colleagues, and family get caught in the web of complicated relationships and contradictory evidence—and as the mayor turns the screws on Fenway, her emotions reach the boiling point. When the main suspect's alibi changes, Fenway knows something isn't right. Is she trying to hide a bigger secret or is she playing a more nefarious game? Will Fenway arrest an innocent woman to save herself? Can she uncover the truth before it’s too late? ---------------- Grab your copy of the sixth book in this bestselling hard-boiled mystery series today! "The Watchful Coroner will captivate readers from the first page." —C.B. Samet, EVVY Award-Winning Author "With characters you love to hate, complex relationships, and a compelling central mystery, you won't be able to put The Watchful Coroner down. Ardoin's most polished work to date delivers an ending that's both touching and laugh-out-loud. A joy to read from start to finish."--Jamie Thornton, New York Times Bestselling Author KEYWORDS: California beach town murder, biracial female coroner investigator, medical examiner thriller, hotel murder, private investigator sleuth, former nurse solves murders, estranged father, hard boiled mystery, strong Black woman sleuth, interracial romance mystery, BWWM detective romance, California beach black detective mystery whodunit crime fiction, Santa Barbara mystery, similar author to Leslie Wolfe, LJ Ross, Willow Rose, Blake Banner, Tom Fowler, Jeff Carson, TJ Jones