Dead Air at Bitter Lake

After twenty-two years in Chicago—and the loss of his wife—Jack Church no longer knows where home is.

All Jack wants is a few quiet months in Herring—coffee at his mother’s table, time with the family he has loved mostly from a distance, and a life where nobody needs a detective. His goldendoodle, Coke, is already convinced they belong. Jack isn’t there yet.

He hasn’t even reached town when gunshots crackle over the radio, leaving one of Herring’s most recognizable voices dead.

The investigation also brings Beck Holloway into Jack’s orbit—a quick-witted podcaster already unpopular with Herring’s officials for refusing to leave the Avery Klute case alone. They see a microphone with bad manners. Jack sees a kindred spirit. He has no objection to strong opinions when they’re backed by good work, and Beck quickly proves hers are.

With her talent for getting people to talk, Jack’s steady instincts, Coke’s instant devotion, and a town overflowing with opinions, Dead Air at Bitter Lake offers a warm, lively mystery where the company is every bit as satisfying as the solution.