The Dead Detective Mysteries Series

In the first of The Dead Detective Mysteries, Tori Van Camp wakes one morning on a luxurious ocean liner where she is offered whatever a person might desire: food, clothes, recreation, and the companionship of congenial people. But Tori has no memory of booking a cruise. What she does have is a vivid recollection of being shot point blank in the chest. With the help of the stunningly handsome Mike and the unnervingly serene Nancy, Tori soon learns the purpose of her voyage. Still, she’s haunted by the image of the gun, the crack of the shot, and the malevolent face of the shooter. Who wanted the young personal secretary dead, and why? Determined to find out, Tori enlists the help of Seamus, an eccentric but shrewd detective. Together they embark on an investigation unlike anything Tori ever thought possible. Death is all around, the future is uncertain, and if Tori doesn’t act quickly, two people she cares about are prime candidates for murder.

Last book of the Dead Detective Mysteries. Uneasy and bored with life on the ship, Seamus decides it’s time to do what he’s been avoiding for six decades of Earth Time. Though he knows his wife and best friend teamed up to murder him, there are things about the crime he doesn’t understand, as well as emotions he hasn’t yet been able to face. With fellow Dead Detective Ronnie to assist, Seamus returns to 1953 to face his memories and answer questions that remain about his death. In a world much different from today, in an America where questions of race and social justice are just beginning to be addressed, the two detectives find lots going on under the surface. Chicago offers opportunities for crime on many levels, and there’s always someone around to take advantage of those with secrets. Seamus learns a shocking truth about his wife and the secret she kept from him, one that eventually led to his murder. In the end he and Ronnie must work to save the lives of two young cops brave enough—maybe foolhardy enough—to try to discover what really happened the night Seamus Hanrahan died.

Paranormal mystery--When newly-arrived soul Cassie Parker refuses to believe she's no longer alive, Dead Detective Seamus is sent from the Afterlife to learn what happened to her. He soon suspects it was murder, but why would someone kill the costume mistress at a small Toronto theater? The Dead Detective Series (this is Book #3 but they can be read as stand-alones) is in the realm of Magical Realism, which means they're pretty normal murder mysteries except that some of the characters are--well, dead. While Cassie struggles to accept that fact, Seamus tries to protect her less worldly sister Christy, who takes over Cassie's job at the theater. As Christy unknowingly wades deeper into danger, Seamus senses an odd presence that comes and goes around her. Along with murder and intended murder, he must solve a question he's never considered before: Can a guy be haunted when he's already dead?

What happens when a murder victim doesn't understand what happened? In the four volumes of The Dead Detective Mysteries, readers get an intriguing, often humorous answer. Seamus the Dead Detective will discover what you need to know about why you died, who killed you, and what happened after that.

When Dead Detective Seamus is asked to investigate the death of wealthy businessman William Dunbar, he is more than willing. Seamus finds the Afterlife pleasant but a little boring, and he looks forward to chances to return to Life and find out for murder victims why they died and who is responsible. This time there's an additional request: Will he take a detective-in-training along? Reluctantly he agrees to meet Mildred, who seems charming if a little headstrong. They agree to work the case together, with Seamus in full command. Suspects for Dunbar's possible murder include the man's family and staff, notably his beloved grandson Bud, who was with him when he fell from a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. There's chemistry between Bud and Scarlet, an employee in the household, and Seamus wonders why they work so hard to keep it hidden. To Seamus' disgust, Mildred insists she must stop investigating and concentrate on Dunbar's adopted granddaughter. Brodie, a problem child devastated by the death of her beloved "Gramps," feels that no one on earth cares about her now, and Mildred insists her support is required to convince Brodie to go on. Seamus is disgusted, both with Millie's disregard for the rules of non-interference with the living and with himself for ignoring his instincts about her. If his disembodied spirit had the capability, he'd kick himself for agreeing to bring her along. Despite Mildred's shenanigans, which create both humor and trouble, Seamus continues the investigation. Events soon spin out of control. A kidnapping leads to a desperate chase toward the Straits of Mackinac, where Brody and Bud find themselves in peril on the Mackinac Bridge. Will Mildred become a lost soul? Will Brodie find the will to survive? Can Seamus help his host defeat the killer, or does his presence make things worse? Nothing is certain except the dire possibility that more innocent people will end up Dead for the Money.

Paranormal mystery--When newly-arrived soul Cassie Parker refuses to believe she's no longer alive, Dead Detective Seamus is sent from the Afterlife to learn what happened to her. He soon suspects it was murder, but why would someone kill the costume mistress at a small Toronto theater? The Dead Detective Series (this is Book #3 but they can be read as stand-alones) is in the realm of Magical Realism, which means they're pretty normal murder mysteries except that some of the characters are--well, dead. While Cassie struggles to accept that fact, Seamus tries to protect her less worldly sister Christy, who takes over Cassie's job at the theater. As Christy unknowingly wades deeper into danger, Seamus senses an odd presence that comes and goes around her. Along with murder and intended murder, he must solve a question he's never considered before: Can a guy be haunted when he's already dead?