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);...

A RUSSIAN SCIENTIST REVIVES A TUNDRA 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 ...

A private detective finds misfortune in his fortune cookie! 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 ...

Cole Sudden is an ace assassin for a secret C.I.A. unit that is shunned -- and feared -- by others in the Agency. The unit charges mobsters to eliminate turncaiots. The Agency looks the other way, as long as the money keeps flowing in. But when Sudden kills the wrong man, he becomes a target of the mobster who hired him. CRITCAL PRAISE "PULITZER-NOMINEE LAWRENCE DE MARIA HAS ANOTHER WINNER IN COLE SUDDEN, AN ASSASSIN WORKING IN AN OBSCURE C.I.A. UNIT EVEN THE AGENCY WORRIES ABOUT!” (John Crudele, New York Post); “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ...

A PRIVATE EYE IS WARNED OFF A CASE HE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT! 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...

SHE WAS RICH AND BEAUTIFUL, AND ASKED ME TO SAVE HER DYING CHILD! A 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, WITH AN ...

SHE SURVIVED THE NAZIS IN WORLD WAR II, BUT NOW 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! She lived alone and refused to move. That frustrated building moguls who had counted on her to die. So, they decided top speed things up. But they didn't count on Noah Sealth. Or Jake Scarne! ***“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 ...

Looking into the "suicide" of his lover's ex-husband sounds like a hairball to a private investigator. But he never imagined it could get him killed! 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 ...

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); “MORE BANG FOR...

VERA HOPE, A SCIENTIST WHO HAS DEVELOPED AN ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY, IS THE TARGET OF A MAN WHOSE DIALYSIS EMPIRE IS THREATENED! *** Hiding from the assassins that killed her husband, Vera Hope runs into Jake Scarne in the Caribbean. The private eye is only seeking peace and quiet as he tries to forget the trauma of his recent cases. But he finds neither, and soon becomes involved in the tragedy that is Vera Hope's life. *** “IF YOU LIKE HARD-BOILED ACTION, MEMORABLE VILLAINS AND TWISTY PLOTS, THE JAKE SCARNE THRILLERS NEVER DISAPPOINT!” (John Crudele, New York Post) INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM ...

Jake Scarne has retired. But he has mixed feelings about it. He suspects that there is more to life than golf outings and sojourns down the Jersey Shore. Little does he know that some of his old skills will come in handy when the Staten Island Ferry he is on is hijacked! The hijackers claim they are terrorists. But their real motives are more venal. Scarne avails himself of possibly the most unusual ally he's ever had. But there is death and tragedy in this twisty tale that reminds some critics of two classic movies: DIE HARD and THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE-TWO-THREE. “IF YOU LIKE HARD-...

The book that years ago predicted a man-made global pandemic! TWO WOMEN, ONE OF WHOM JILTED HIM, HELP A PRIVATE EYE STOP A BIOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE! 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 LIKE HARD-BOILED ACTION, MEMORABLE VILLAINS AND TWISTY PLOTS, THE JAKE...

Brother and sister orphans find the man who abused them! 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 ANYTHING IN THE BOOK MARKETPLACE ...

What are the odds of three serial killers working in the same college town? Astronomical. Unless two of them are twin brothers! The third is someone they hire to do maintenance at their nursing homes. A match made in hell! Using a pandemic's death toll as a cover, the brothers, who know a good thing when they see one, use their new hire to help them with their murderous insurance and "legacy" scheme. But they did not count on an idealistic -- and suspicious -- young woman. “A LAWRENCE DE MARIA TITLE GIVES YOU MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE BOOK MARKETPLACE TODAY....

A DYING HIT MAN TELLS A PRIEST ABOUT A HEINOUS CRIME INVOLVING A YOUNG GIRL. BUT HE DOES NOT SWEAR HIM TO SECRECY. THE KILLER'S ONLY REQUEST IS THAT THE POLICE CAN'T BE INVOLVED! ***Even powerful mobsters are expendable to a criminal financial mastermind who hides in plain sight among New York’s power elite.But in pursuing his deranged dream, the man has made a fatal mistake. There are some people, on both sides of the law, who want him to pay for killing the girl. In locales as varied as Paris, New York, Florida, and the Bahamas, MADMAN’S THIRST is a non-stop thrill ride, where ...

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 ...

Halloween is scary enough without people coming back from the dead! Private eye Alton Rhode is angered when a police pal is critically wounded while handing out candy to Trick-or-Treaters. 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 ...

A SECRET THAT DIED WITH THE NAZIS MAY THREATEN THE MODERN WORLD! Two secret agents track a mysterious transmission at Europe's largest scientific project! They soon find out that some of their most dangerous enemies are close to home. "PULITZER-NOMINEE LAWRENCE DE MARIA HAS ANOTHER WINNER IN COLE SUDDEN, AN ASSASSIN WORKING IN AN OBSCURE C.I.A. UNIT EVEN THE AGENCY WORRIES ABOUT!” (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.” (...

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,...

An F.B.I. agent thinks she has found a serial killer who hides behind his wealth and political connections. But the hare soon turns on the hound! A SERIAL KILLER WITH MONEY AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE RUNS AFOUL OF A DOGGED F.B.I. AGENT -- AND JAKE SCARNE. "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 ...