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John Jordan Mystery #31
The Blood-Stained Bay
It's a very John Jordan Christmas.
When young mother-to-be Emma Oliver vanishes on Christmas Eve, her disappearance sends shockwaves through the quiet town of Pottersville, Florida.
Sweet, beautiful, seemingly adored by all, Emma’s sudden disappearance raises more questions than answers. At the center of the storm is her seeming unaffected husband, Brady Oliver, whose refusal to make public pleas for her safe return quickly turns suspicion on him. Soon his composed exterior begins to crack. Why did he abruptly change his alibi? Why was his boat spotted near the desolate shores of St. Amaro Bay the day Emma vanished?
When an unexpected storm washes a grim discovery ashore, the town's fragile veneer shatters. The evidence points strongly toward one conclusion—but John has to be sure, and he can't shake the feeling that something isn't adding up. With public opinion turning into a trial by fire and the media turning the case into a circus, John races against time to uncover the truth.
As John peels back the layers of betrayal, obsession, and desperation, he faces a chilling Can he untangle the lies before another life is lost?
With its heart-pounding twists and haunting depiction of love turned toxic, The Blood-Stained Bay is a riveting tale of betrayal and the dangerous secrets hidden in plain sight.
When young mother-to-be Emma Oliver vanishes on Christmas Eve, her disappearance sends shockwaves through the quiet town of Pottersville, Florida.
Sweet, beautiful, seemingly adored by all, Emma’s sudden disappearance raises more questions than answers. At the center of the storm is her seeming unaffected husband, Brady Oliver, whose refusal to make public pleas for her safe return quickly turns suspicion on him. Soon his composed exterior begins to crack. Why did he abruptly change his alibi? Why was his boat spotted near the desolate shores of St. Amaro Bay the day Emma vanished?
When an unexpected storm washes a grim discovery ashore, the town's fragile veneer shatters. The evidence points strongly toward one conclusion—but John has to be sure, and he can't shake the feeling that something isn't adding up. With public opinion turning into a trial by fire and the media turning the case into a circus, John races against time to uncover the truth.
As John peels back the layers of betrayal, obsession, and desperation, he faces a chilling Can he untangle the lies before another life is lost?
With its heart-pounding twists and haunting depiction of love turned toxic, The Blood-Stained Bay is a riveting tale of betrayal and the dangerous secrets hidden in plain sight.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 25, 2024
72 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Michael Lister
184 books233 followersNew York Times bestselling and award-winning novelist Michael Lister is a native Floridian best known for his literary suspense thrillers as well as his two ongoing mystery series, the prison chaplain John Jordan "Blood" series and the hard-boiled, 1940s noir Jimmy "Soldier" Riley Series, and the post-apocalypic suspense thriller Cataclysmos.
Visit www.michaellister.com for more information, or follow his youtube channel - Writing and Life at https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelL...
The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.”
Michael grew up in North Florida near the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola River in a small town world famous for tupelo honey.
Truly a regional writer, North Florida is his beat.
Captivated by story since childhood, Michael has a love for language and narrative inspired by the Southern storytelling tradition that captured his imagination and became such a source of meaning and inspiration. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative.
In the early 90s, Michael became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections. For nearly a decade, he served as a contract, staff, then senior chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle of Florida—a unique experience that led to his first novel, 1997’s critically acclaimed, POWER IN THE BLOOD. It was the first in a series of popular and celebrated novels featuring ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan. Subsequent books in the series include BLOOD OF THE LAMB, FLESH AND BLOOD, THE BODY AND THE BLOOD, BLOOD SACRIFICE, and RIVERS TO BLOOD, and each takes readers through the electronically locked gates of the chain-link fences, beneath the looping razor wire glinting in the sun, and into the strange world of Potter Correctional Institution, Florida’s toughest maximum security prison. Of the John Jordan series, Michael Connelly says “Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity,” while Julia Spencer-Fleming adds “Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.”
Michael also writes historical hard-boiled thrillers, such as THE BIG GOODBYE, THE BIG BEYOND, and THE BIG HELLO featuring Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, a PI in Panama City during World War II. Ace Atkins calls the "Soldier" series "tough and violent with snappy dialogue and great atmosphere . . . a suspenseful, romantic and historic ride."
Michael Lister won his first Florida Book Award for his literary novel, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, a book, according to the Panama City News Herald, that “is lyrical and literary, written in a sparse but evocative prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy.” It is a contemplation of life and death, art and meaning, set deep in the swamps of the Apalachicola River, a thriller about a wildlife photographer whose camera traps capture a crime, that shows the beauty and danger of the Panhandle paradise.
His second Florida Book Award was for his fifth John Jordan novel BLOOD SACRIFICE.
Visit www.michaellister.com for more information, or follow his youtube channel - Writing and Life at https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelL...
The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.”
Michael grew up in North Florida near the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola River in a small town world famous for tupelo honey.
Truly a regional writer, North Florida is his beat.
Captivated by story since childhood, Michael has a love for language and narrative inspired by the Southern storytelling tradition that captured his imagination and became such a source of meaning and inspiration. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative.
In the early 90s, Michael became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections. For nearly a decade, he served as a contract, staff, then senior chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle of Florida—a unique experience that led to his first novel, 1997’s critically acclaimed, POWER IN THE BLOOD. It was the first in a series of popular and celebrated novels featuring ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan. Subsequent books in the series include BLOOD OF THE LAMB, FLESH AND BLOOD, THE BODY AND THE BLOOD, BLOOD SACRIFICE, and RIVERS TO BLOOD, and each takes readers through the electronically locked gates of the chain-link fences, beneath the looping razor wire glinting in the sun, and into the strange world of Potter Correctional Institution, Florida’s toughest maximum security prison. Of the John Jordan series, Michael Connelly says “Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity,” while Julia Spencer-Fleming adds “Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.”
Michael also writes historical hard-boiled thrillers, such as THE BIG GOODBYE, THE BIG BEYOND, and THE BIG HELLO featuring Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, a PI in Panama City during World War II. Ace Atkins calls the "Soldier" series "tough and violent with snappy dialogue and great atmosphere . . . a suspenseful, romantic and historic ride."
Michael Lister won his first Florida Book Award for his literary novel, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, a book, according to the Panama City News Herald, that “is lyrical and literary, written in a sparse but evocative prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy.” It is a contemplation of life and death, art and meaning, set deep in the swamps of the Apalachicola River, a thriller about a wildlife photographer whose camera traps capture a crime, that shows the beauty and danger of the Panhandle paradise.
His second Florida Book Award was for his fifth John Jordan novel BLOOD SACRIFICE.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 11, 2025
This is another fast-moving, suspenseful mystery based in the Florida panhandle from Michael Lister. Readers can evaluate conflicting reports from neighbors of the victim about the morning of her disappearance. Detective John Jordan must work to discover the truth about the murder in less than three days time, which the judge allowed before a ruling will be made on post-trial motions.
The plot line moves around the victim’s rural neighborhood and through the fishing lease of her husband near where her body was found. John brings to light potentially crimes that occurred on the morning the victim disappeared. A burglary and a kidnapping in the same area that were not investigated by police. Still much of the evidence points to the husband who cannot establish a convincing alibi.
I was glad for this added opportunity to follow John Jordan as he untangled another case.
The plot line moves around the victim’s rural neighborhood and through the fishing lease of her husband near where her body was found. John brings to light potentially crimes that occurred on the morning the victim disappeared. A burglary and a kidnapping in the same area that were not investigated by police. Still much of the evidence points to the husband who cannot establish a convincing alibi.
I was glad for this added opportunity to follow John Jordan as he untangled another case.
October 5, 2025
Read this on a road trip and can’t say I really liked it. Felt a little shallow to me, like everything just popped out without much work or detecting. I actually knew who did it early on so that was part of my issue with it. Also I don’t understand why it seems like every author these days have to throw in a characters sexual orientation when it has absolutely nothing to do with the story at all!!
December 18, 2024
Like all of Michael Lister’s books, every chapter had me trying to guess “who done it?”. That’s what makes his books so un-put-downable. The suspense is so alluring, I find myself binge reading just to get to the end, because that’s where the perp is discovered. I was surprised but never disappointed. This book is definitely a “GOOD READ”.
December 19, 2024
An excellent murder mystery with a great storyline and an outstanding cast of realistic characters. A page turning one day read with plenty action, suspense, and several twists. Will John solve the murder before Christmas Day? Very well written story that I would highly recommend Michael Lister at his best!
September 12, 2025
oh what a tangled web we weave when we try to deceive
Excellent story. Lots of twists and turns. Great characters. I was thinking as I was reading g who the killer was. Thru all the twists and turns and those who looked quite guilty. I was right. Enjoyed the read. Very much. I read it all in one setting. Got to sleep at 3: 15 AM c, woods
Excellent story. Lots of twists and turns. Great characters. I was thinking as I was reading g who the killer was. Thru all the twists and turns and those who looked quite guilty. I was right. Enjoyed the read. Very much. I read it all in one setting. Got to sleep at 3: 15 AM c, woods
December 17, 2024
The writing style and story line of this book is excellent. As I'm a reader of the john Jordan series this was one of my favorites. This is will have you turning the pages into the night. I hated to see it end. I look forward to reading more this series.
December 19, 2024
Another outstanding story that will keep you in suspense. Where could Emma have disappeared to, what happened to her. Full of secrets and questions that will keep trying to figure out if she was kidnapped or ran away. Don’t miss out.
January 4, 2025
This is the thirty first book in the John Jordan Mysteries series. The suspense kept me guessing all the way through to the end. This is another well written book in the series. There are lots of twists and turns. A great page-turner
January 8, 2025
Suspense filled to the end. John Jordan is a favorite character of mine. This may be the 31st book in the John Jordan series but only characters are familiar. The plot and twists are as new as if it was book 1. If you enjoy trying to figure out “who dun it” give this book a read.
September 13, 2025
Blood stained
Great story. I enjoyed reading it very much. Although its a standard detective story, the author added a lightness to add interest and then added a few things to keep the mystery going. Totally fooled me.
Great story. I enjoyed reading it very much. Although its a standard detective story, the author added a lightness to add interest and then added a few things to keep the mystery going. Totally fooled me.
September 14, 2025
The Blood Stained Bay
Wow! Similarity’s but what an ending. Who would have guessed the outcome? Great female protagonists and John Jordan’s always missing a holiday with his growing family. Amazing storytelling based on a true life event. He is the best!
Wow! Similarity’s but what an ending. Who would have guessed the outcome? Great female protagonists and John Jordan’s always missing a holiday with his growing family. Amazing storytelling based on a true life event. He is the best!
September 23, 2025
Waste of time.
This was the thinnest and most disjointed plot line I've read in a long time. If the author had spent as much time on plot development as on promoting woke social causes..... All in all, a very disappointing read.
This was the thinnest and most disjointed plot line I've read in a long time. If the author had spent as much time on plot development as on promoting woke social causes..... All in all, a very disappointing read.
December 17, 2024
Another amazing book it has a lot of twist and turns to the very end I really enjoyed this book I enjoyed reading all Michael lister books
December 18, 2024
All of his books are great characters, and good flowing plots.
This caught me from the beginning pages and didn't stop till the end pages.
I recommend this book as well as other by him.
This caught me from the beginning pages and didn't stop till the end pages.
I recommend this book as well as other by him.
December 19, 2024
I really love this book. Well written, real characters, page turner, twist & turns. Excellent job. I received a copy & voluntarily leaving a review.
December 26, 2024
Christmas read
Excellent as always. Read it in one day around Christmas parties. John Jordan and Sherlock Holmes should meet and conspire
Excellent as always. Read it in one day around Christmas parties. John Jordan and Sherlock Holmes should meet and conspire
September 9, 2025
Who done it mystery
Anyone who likes a good who done murder will like this book. Keeps you guessing. Enjoyed this book and will follow the author
Anyone who likes a good who done murder will like this book. Keeps you guessing. Enjoyed this book and will follow the author
September 10, 2025
I liked the story but there were so many grammatical and spelling errors.
October 1, 2025
An engrossing & thrilling read.
October 11, 2025
What a twist
Michael Lister pulls you in. There are plenty of twists and turns in this book until you get to the final twist. Well worth reading.
Michael Lister pulls you in. There are plenty of twists and turns in this book until you get to the final twist. Well worth reading.
January 31, 2026
Liked it
Good plot, first couple chapters were a bit slow, but ended up being pretty fast paced. I read before going to sleep and it was hard to put down.
Good plot, first couple chapters were a bit slow, but ended up being pretty fast paced. I read before going to sleep and it was hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews