First Shots

by Rick Murcer

This exciting collection of first novels in a series by five of the masters of mystery is sure to make you want more. Suspense, thrills, deception, and death are trademarks of these best-selling authors. Dive in. What are you afraid of?

Rick Murcer's CARIBBEAN MOON (Manny Williams #1)

Small-town detective/workaholic Manny Williams is thrilled with the prospect of finally taking the long-awaited vacation he had promised his wife, Louise.

The couple’s exotic getaway begins in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico, by attending the June wedding of a fellow Lansing police officer, followed with an incredible week-long Southern Caribbean cruise on the glamorous Ocean Duchess. Tropical paradise appears to be a perfect recipe for desperately needed R and R...until the first dead body appears.

A bizarre, seemingly random murder in their posh San Juan Hotel, and the heinous cruise ship deaths of two of Lansing’s law enforcement family, brings Manny, and his unique skills, out of cruise mode and head-long into the FBI-led investigation. Manny soon discovers that in this killer’s twisted perception nothing is off limits, prompting a race against time that could cost him everything.

Tim Ellis' A LIFE FOR A LIFE (Parish and Richards #1)

What starts as a routine stabbing for Detective Inspector Jed Parish and new recruit Police Constable Mary Richards turns into the hunt for a serial killer who uses an unusual weapon to kill, and leaves numbered tokens in his victim’s mouths. As well as getting to know each other and dealing with the fallout from the Chief’s prostate cancer, the two new partners must discover the dark history behind the tokens and the connection between the victims. To do that, they need to gain access to the abandoned Beech Tree Orphanage where a terrible truth awaits.

Gary Ponzo's A TOUCH OF DECEIT (Nick Bracco #1)

Winner of the Southwest Writers Novel Contest, Thriller category!

FBI agent Nick Bracco can't stop a Kurdish terrorist from firing missiles at random homes across the country. The police can't stand watch over every household, so Bracco recruits his cousin Tommy to help track down this terrorist. Tommy is in the Mafia. Oh yeah, it gets messy fast. As fast as you can turn the pages.

Writer/Director Stephen Carpenter said, "Couldn't put it down and now I want more. Bravo."

Dani Amore's DEAD WOOD

In the exclusive enclave of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a woman who builds custom guitars is murdered. A disgraced ex-cop turned private investigator is hired by the dead woman's father and immediately becomes the target of a violent ex-convict. An enigmatic music star performs damage control on her links to the dead woman. And a professional killer who idolizes Keith Richards is brought into town by a mysterious employer.

Dead Wood is what great mysteries are all about: love, hate, faith and vengeance, all wrapped up in an explosive story that simply refuses to let up.

"As gritty as the Detroit streets where it's set, DEAD WOOD grabs you early
on and doesn't let go. As fine a debut as you'll come across this
year, maybe any year." author Tom Schreck

Lawrence Kelter's DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES (Stephanie Chalice Mysteries # 1)

Stephanie Chalice is a cop's cop. She's bold, smart, independent and beautiful--a powerhouse working in NYPD's homicide unit. She's seen a lot in her years on the force, but she's never come across anything like the case she's up against now. A murdering psychopath is stalking Manhattan, on the prowl for a very special type of woman. Part of his twisted game is intentionally leaving clues for the police, clues designed not only to taunt, but to do something much worse. Will Chalice be able to discover his real purpose before another woman dies?

Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2013

About the author

Rick Murcer lives in Michigan and like many in that part of the country lost his job in 2008 due to a decline in the economy. An experienced executive, he sent out over 600 resumes without success. With unemployment benefits waning and savings nearly depleted he did the only logical thing he could think of...decide to become a writer.

Fortunately for Rick, he defied all conventional wisdom about self-publishing and literally became an overnight sensation. His first three books Caribbean Moon, Deceitful Moon, and Emerald Moon sold more than 300,000 copies between April and October 2011. He had two books in Amazon's top ten for many weeks and became both a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author.

Rick graduated from Michigan State University and is fairly new to the game of writing. Proving his knack for storytelling, the first piece he had ever written, Herb's Home Run, was published by The Writer's Journal in 2002. Rick attributes his success to hard work and God's blessing and believes that you can achieve any goal you wish if you just set your mind to it.

Rick has been married longer than his wife likes to admit, and they have two grown children, three grandkids, and a blind, black Lab named Max, who serves as Rick's "writing" dog. Each morning Max pushes Rick to his writing room so that the dog can snore on his rug while Rick ponds away on the keys. And pounds away he does. Rick is one of those amazing writers that are so energized by the stories in their heads the words just flow onto the page. He has many works in progress so expect more titles from him in the near future.