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In this brand-new digitally exclusive novella from Edgar Award finalist Mike Lawson, beloved Washington D.C. troubleshooter Joe DeMarco finds himself face to face with Ella Fields, a cunning, ruthless woman he thought he’d locked up behind bars for good.
Ella Fields was supposed to serve 14 long years, but thanks to a combination of good behavior on her part and prison over-crowding, she was now free after just five years. Well, not quite free, thanks to parole.
If she behaved herself—if she was a model citizen—she would go from being a supervised parolee to a mostly unsupervised one and might eventually be able to live a normal life. A life that might not even be worth living, because she was completely broke and the only skills she had were the ones that had landed her in prison.
So, her future looked grim, and she didn’t know what she’d do in the long term.
But she did know what she was going to do next.
She was going to kill the scumbag responsible ruining her life.
She was going to kill Joe DeMarco.
Ella Fields was supposed to serve 14 long years, but thanks to a combination of good behavior on her part and prison over-crowding, she was now free after just five years. Well, not quite free, thanks to parole.
If she behaved herself—if she was a model citizen—she would go from being a supervised parolee to a mostly unsupervised one and might eventually be able to live a normal life. A life that might not even be worth living, because she was completely broke and the only skills she had were the ones that had landed her in prison.
So, her future looked grim, and she didn’t know what she’d do in the long term.
But she did know what she was going to do next.
She was going to kill the scumbag responsible ruining her life.
She was going to kill Joe DeMarco.
Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2025
39 people are currently reading
1718 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lawson
26 books449 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 30, 2025
good
This guy is good. The reader doesn’t have to see or know everything. Just get the flavor. This author delivers, with we’ll placed humor added
This guy is good. The reader doesn’t have to see or know everything. Just get the flavor. This author delivers, with we’ll placed humor added
April 17, 2026
Ella by Mike Lawson is a tightly constructed thriller that proves you don’t need a full-length novel to deliver serious impact.
Set in Washington D.C., the story throws Joe DeMarco into a dangerous and deeply personal conflict with Ella Fields a woman driven by revenge and shaped by a harsh system that left her with few options.
What elevates this novella is its character work. Ella isn’t written as a one-dimensional antagonist; her motivations, desperation, and anger give her a sense of realism that makes the looming confrontation feel inevitable and intense. The moral gray areas surrounding justice, parole, and survival add depth beyond the surface-level thriller plot.
The pacing is sharp and efficient, with every moment pushing toward the final clash. Lawson’s experience shines through in how quickly he builds tension while still giving the characters room to breathe.
A compelling, fast-paced read for fans of character-driven crime fiction where the line between right and wrong is anything but clear.
Set in Washington D.C., the story throws Joe DeMarco into a dangerous and deeply personal conflict with Ella Fields a woman driven by revenge and shaped by a harsh system that left her with few options.
What elevates this novella is its character work. Ella isn’t written as a one-dimensional antagonist; her motivations, desperation, and anger give her a sense of realism that makes the looming confrontation feel inevitable and intense. The moral gray areas surrounding justice, parole, and survival add depth beyond the surface-level thriller plot.
The pacing is sharp and efficient, with every moment pushing toward the final clash. Lawson’s experience shines through in how quickly he builds tension while still giving the characters room to breathe.
A compelling, fast-paced read for fans of character-driven crime fiction where the line between right and wrong is anything but clear.
May 5, 2025
This is actually a decent size book (over 160 pgs) for a short novella. It is a follow-up to House Witness (from 2018) but it's not necessary to read that to enjoy this.
The protagonist from that novel Ella Fields was supposed to be in jail for 14trs but is out early without Joe DeMarco any the wiser. The minute she's out, her existence is tied to getting revenge on Joe.
We get enough background of her crimes and why she's in jail and then her actions against Joe.
A great short novel.
The protagonist from that novel Ella Fields was supposed to be in jail for 14trs but is out early without Joe DeMarco any the wiser. The minute she's out, her existence is tied to getting revenge on Joe.
We get enough background of her crimes and why she's in jail and then her actions against Joe.
A great short novel.
May 1, 2025
What a great story. I don't usually enjoy short stories or novella's but this was an exception . Lawson's writing resulted in a rapid page turner. I plan to read as many of Mr Lawson's books as possible'. With this book I found myself reading while in the checkout line at Costco.Ella was quite the evil villain !!!
February 8, 2025
Fabulous novella by Mike Lawson! Great suspense! And, for those new to his House series, don’t worry, there’s plenty of backstory so you’ll understand the issues & people.
A fun addition to the series! Thanks Mike!
A fun addition to the series! Thanks Mike!
February 3, 2025
This author is incredibly dependable. He consistently produces an enjoyable reading experience.
February 10, 2025
4.5 ⭐️. rating.
February 18, 2025
Throughly enjoyed reading this novella
February 27, 2025
Too predictable.
March 7, 2025
Very Good; Continuing character: Joe DeMarco; a novella bringing back a woman DeMarco previously had imprisoned for various crimes who is now out and looking for revenge
June 2, 2025
Compared to previous stories this one isn’t much…
October 30, 2025
Ella Fields was first introduced to us in House Witness. This should be good, based on that alone… And it was really good. I did not remember how crazy Ella Fields was!
February 24, 2026
This novella provides a clever wrap up of a “loose end” from a prior novel.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews