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Atropos

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After 35 years in forensics, working on countless investigations, Royce Wilson has turned his CSI experience into a gripping thriller of detective versus serial killer. This book takes the reader on a journey of how real CSI’s work scenes, and how real detectives think, speak, and act during investigations.

Detective Riley Scott is tracking a serial killer in Tampa, who uses the moniker Atropos, when the evidence and circumstances begin to point in different directions, including at his girlfriend as the suspect. He must wrestle with his mounting suspicions against her, while keeping his thoughts from his bosses and the Chief of Police, all the while trying to find enough evidence to make an arrest, even if it means his girlfriend, before another victim is murdered.

With just days before the Chief takes the investigation away from him and turns it over to an FBI Task Force, Scott must race against the clock to find out on his own if his girlfriend is a victim or a cold-blooded killer.

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First published May 25, 2011

18 people are currently reading
16 people want to read

About the author

Royce Wilson

11 books9 followers
July 2022 I gave 2 presentations at Sleuthfest 2022 (a conference for mystery writers and their fans). My presentations were on forensic matters for mystery writers.
I have 40 years in law enforcement forensics and teaching Death Investigations and Criminal Forensics at the university level.
I write stories that are compelling, captivating, and entertaining page-turners. My stories are rich in authenticity, with true to life dialogue and descriptions of crime scenes, along with insight into how murders are really investigated, all with the reader's enjoyment in mind.
I want to take the reader on a trip that is filled with tension and twists, culminating in something unexpected.
Visit my website for more information on me and to see my books.
https://www.roycewilsonmysteries.com/

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
1 review
August 3, 2025
The author’s work experiences in 40 years of criminal justice make this a fascinating read. Looking forward to reading more of his books. I am a Florida native living near Tampa all my life. Reading about familiar surroundings makes the stories more compelling. He brings out the complexities of law enforcement and how many people are involved.
12 reviews
May 11, 2022
Atropos is a written from the mind of someone who has actual experience in law enforcement and forensics. I really enjoyed following the thought process of Detective Scott. I look forward to continue with the Detective Scott series.
Profile Image for M.E. Roche.
Author 10 books18 followers
August 17, 2022
Written by an expert in forensics, the main character here is a detective who is tasked with solving a murder, possibly linked to his girlfriend. Working his way through the evidence is challenging. The title is intriguing in itself as well, and is worth the read to discover!
Profile Image for Sharon.
1,818 reviews2 followers
August 14, 2025
I've started new mystery series about Detective Riley Scott nd these stories take place in Florida. He is kind of a loner but does make use of CSI in his cases. There seem to be a lot of these but I'm not clear of the order. I'm kind of reading them as stand alones.
Profile Image for Kim.
251 reviews
January 15, 2026
This suspense story kept me highly engaged. The police work, the officious dictator playing office politics, the relationship the main character had with everyone he worked with all made this book enjoyable. The ending left me wondering. Overall, highly engaging story. Would recommend
Profile Image for Mary Fountain.
30 reviews
May 3, 2023
I'm sorry, this book may be fantastic, but it was not for me. I couldn't wait to put it down.
Profile Image for Tracy Hinson.
86 reviews26 followers
June 9, 2025
wow

This was so good. I’m glad I moved this up on my to be read. A must read! Awesome job
Profile Image for Charlie Dennis.
72 reviews2 followers
September 1, 2011
Great first book. A good read and the author does a bang up job with police procedures and crime scene details. This makes sense because he's an active crime scene investigator.
Being a retired law enforcement investigator, myself, I really liked the book and hope to see some more soon.
Mr. Wilson's misdirections, his portrayal of the detectives, and some of his bosses was dead on. I was taken by surprise when the bad guy is revealed and the motive was weak, but I liked it nonetheless.
Also the city of Tampa was where the action took place and since I grew up there this gives the book another plus.
I recommend it highly.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews