It’s only taken nearly six years, but she’s here!

Waverly Jones has been called misanthropic. Distant. Obsessive. Manipulative. And that’s without people knowing she talks to the hallucination of her dead sister.

She’s also a private investigator.

After a lengthy absence, she’s returned to Port Milton amidst the biggest homicide investigation her hometown has seen in over a decade. Bodies of middle-aged men have been washing ashore and the police have confirmed foul play but not much else—making it the perfect case for someone like her.

Particularly when she’s the one to find the latest body.

It’s not a coincidence Waverly happened across the newest victim. She’s been combing the beach because these men match the age and appearance of Detective-Sergeant Sebastian Kyle, missing these past eleven years after investigating the now-dormant serial killer who made Waverly’s sister his last victim.

Her familiarity with the murders has left her well-prepared when hired by the wife of one of the dead men, giving her a professional reason to dig deeper into these crimes. Have the police unintentionally fumbled this case in the wrong direction, or does the widow not know as much about her husband as she thought?

Port Milton has always had its secrets, and Waverly will drag every single one into the light to get to the bottom of this mystery. And maybe somewhere along the way, she’ll get another step closer to who killed her sister and what happened to Sebastian Kyle.

Kindle – Kobo – iBooks – Nook – Payhip – Paperback – Hardcover

Signed paperback on Etsy – Hardcover Gift Box (one left!)

A couple of people have already read it and reached out to say they love Waverly, which is extremely validating. Not only was she a tricky character to nail down when writing it but I had a few pretty big crises of faith and almost didn’t finish. Eventually I’ll hear about how unlikable she is because that’s par for the course with my writing, but my hope is always that the right readers find my stories. And I’m glad she’s there for the people who need someone like her.

BOOK TWO IS COMING! November 7, remember! Patreon supporters get to read the first chapter of it on July 1. (Third book is next April–starting revisions on that one now.)

I’ll have the full playlist for The Killing Beach up on Sunday, but for now:

“Black Sunday Afternoon“
“Masterpiece“
“Breathe (2AM)“

At present, there are three Waverly shorts from when she was a teenager, over at Patreon.

“Once Upon a Rainy Day” is when Det. Kyle first arrived.

“Bucket List” (part 1) is when Waverly first found a body.

“A Question and a Promise” (part 2) is afterward, when she approaches Det. Kyle about the case again.

There are more to come, hopefully a couple a year, to complement the novels for those who like bits and pieces of backstory.

I might yet do a livetweet of Twin Peaks tonight (the pilot ep) in “celebration”. I don’t expect anyone to watch along but Agent Cooper is my happy place.

I so, so hope you check this book out and enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy.

It’s been nearly a month since my last post. I wouldn’t say things are improving–my physical health is…apparently not optimal. I’ve got some tests in the next few weeks to see if the increased medication dose is having not great side effects or if it’s something else; then in June, seeing if my treatment should be swapped for something else if it’s not working (there are indications it is not as it should be).

Clinically, I feel fine, at least, but the possibilities of these other things wrong are starting to stress me out a lot. Perhaps the only good news is that at no point did my doctor say I had to go back on prednisone–for me, that was the absolute worst-case scenario, as I thought it was going to kill me last year.

So there’s that.

I’m “taking a level of Fitness” right now (in DnD-speak), which should at least up my Constitution and eventually my Strength. It may not help but it gives me the feeling of having at least a little bit of control. My doctor, too, is excellent and on top of everything, so if I’m vague about things here, that is intentional–I don’t want advice, I don’t want “help” (unless I ask directly for it), so please just wish me well in a non-stressful way if you have to say anything. And buy my books. Because it’s expensive to be sick, and I have to take some time off in the next few months for procedures and things.

Tomorrow is Gus’s anniversary, which is a rough one on top of a lot of bad April ones. Cuddle your four-legged friends for him, folks.

But all that’s not why I’m posting today (well–I am for the buy-my-books part, I guess). We’re here for an unboxing–my paperback copies of The Killing Beach are here.

Let’s turn it over to my marketing director, Shawn.

Signed copies are available now at Etsy. When ordering direct, you also get a coupon code to download a free eBook copy via my Payhip store. Signed hardcovers–including in awesome gift boxes with other goodies–are coming by the end of the month.

Any orders of print before May 28th, whether from Etsy or on Amazon, and you’ll get the preorder gift delivered via email on the 28th.

If ordering on Amazon, you’ll have to forward your receipt, but buying from me, I’ll just put you on the list. If you’re waiting for the signed hardcover, again, check back in a few weeks.

I do want to stress for a moment that, despite the Nancy Drew homage covers on the hardcovers, these are not cozy mysteries. These books get dark. Waverly is easily classified as “unlikable” (though two early readers familiar with my books ended up loving her). My politics as an abolitionist very much saturate every book in this series. I want people to read these, of course, but it is not for everyone and y’all have been warned.

I am so pleased this is nearly here, though. It was almost six years ago that I started playing with the idea–I got mad about Twin Peaks: The Return and suddenly Waverly Jones wouldn’t leave me alone. It went through many false starts and has completely morphed from what I had planned originally. I thought, many times, that I’d never finish it. I almost gave up, in fact, right before I did finish it in 2021. I took private investigator training to give myself a better basis for this series. More revisions, more edits…and here we are.

I am very proud of this book. Very proud of this series.

It’s a struggle sometimes for readers to move from one series to another, and a new genre entirely is a huge ask. So those of you giving this a try: my sincerest thank you. I really hope Waverly is exactly what you need right now.

In November I’ll be adding #2, and next April #3 (after that, probably one book a year). My other paperback shelf is full now, so here she is on my desk with her biggest influences.

I also wanted to share a link to Lilith Saintcrow’s weekly reading series where she just shared her love of The Silent Places. Head here for that, and then sign up to watch her live every Friday on Twitch where she talks about books.