What do you think?
Rate this book
Detective Sarah Spillman #13
Deadly Accusations
Denver homicide detective Sarah Spillman has spent her career chasing the truth, but now everyone’s questioning her.When a critical piece of evidence disappears from a murder investigation, suspicion falls on her, and she’s suspended from the force. In a department already under pressure, that’s enough to turn colleagues into skeptics and put her career in jeopardy.
But the missing evidence is only the beginning.
As the case twists in unexpected directions, Sarah is caught between what she knows and what others believe. The more she pushes for answers, the more dangerous things become, because whoever is manipulating the investigation isn’t just trying to protect a murderer.
With her badge stripped away and her reputation on the line, Sarah must uncover the truth before the accusations against her become the only story anyone believes.
But the missing evidence is only the beginning.
As the case twists in unexpected directions, Sarah is caught between what she knows and what others believe. The more she pushes for answers, the more dangerous things become, because whoever is manipulating the investigation isn’t just trying to protect a murderer.
With her badge stripped away and her reputation on the line, Sarah must uncover the truth before the accusations against her become the only story anyone believes.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Renee Pawlish
129 books351 followersFrom the time she was ten and tried to write her own detective series in the fashion of the Hardy Boys, Renée Pawlish has been developing her craft. Along with creative writing classes, Renée studied great writers like Dashiell Hammett, Rex Stout, Stephen King, Sue Grafton and many more. Once Renée graduated from college, she began her first novel. Now, all these years later, she has penned numerous books in a variety of genres.
Renée was born in California, but has lived most of her life in Colorado. When she's not hiking, cycling, or chasing ballplayers for autographs, she is writing mysteries and thrillers. She also has some middle grade novels waiting to be published.
Renée loves to travel and has visited numerous countries around the world. She has also spent many summer days at her parents' cabin in the hills outside of Boulder, which was the inspiration for the setting of Taylor Crossing in her novel Nephilim: Genesis of Evil.
The Reed Ferguson Mystery Series
This Doesn't Happen In The Movies
Reel Estate Rip-off
The Nephilim Trilogy
Nephilim Genesis of Evil
Books Two and Three soon to be released
The Noah Winter YA Adventure Series
The Emerald Quest
Take Five
A short story collection that includes a Reed Ferguson tale.
The Sallie House: Exposing the Beast Within
A non-fiction book about one of the most haunted houses in America.
To learn more you can follow her on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/reneepawlish....
on her blog:
http://tobecomeawriter.wordpress.com/
on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/reneepawlish
Renée was born in California, but has lived most of her life in Colorado. When she's not hiking, cycling, or chasing ballplayers for autographs, she is writing mysteries and thrillers. She also has some middle grade novels waiting to be published.
Renée loves to travel and has visited numerous countries around the world. She has also spent many summer days at her parents' cabin in the hills outside of Boulder, which was the inspiration for the setting of Taylor Crossing in her novel Nephilim: Genesis of Evil.
The Reed Ferguson Mystery Series
This Doesn't Happen In The Movies
Reel Estate Rip-off
The Nephilim Trilogy
Nephilim Genesis of Evil
Books Two and Three soon to be released
The Noah Winter YA Adventure Series
The Emerald Quest
Take Five
A short story collection that includes a Reed Ferguson tale.
The Sallie House: Exposing the Beast Within
A non-fiction book about one of the most haunted houses in America.
To learn more you can follow her on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/reneepawlish....
on her blog:
http://tobecomeawriter.wordpress.com/
on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/reneepawlish
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 13, 2026
Sarah Spillman is back with another mystery story with some twists. Sarah is accused of a crime of her own and must vindicate herself. She has been suspended so must work on her own without the police resources she is used to using.
This is a great piece of writing by Ms. Pawlish and I applaud her for it. She has made her main cop character a criminal and brings off the story wonderfully. She keeps your attention and as the story develops you start to suspect others of being involved in the crime Sarah is accused of. You don't know until the end who the criminals in this book are. That is how a mystery should be.
The story timeline goes back and forth which in some authors' hands gets confusing, but Ms. Pawlish handles it well and I never lost track of when/where I was in the story. This is one that is hard to pull of, but she has.
Being a long time reader of Ms. Pawlish's work, I think she has outdone herself on this one. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good story.
This is a great piece of writing by Ms. Pawlish and I applaud her for it. She has made her main cop character a criminal and brings off the story wonderfully. She keeps your attention and as the story develops you start to suspect others of being involved in the crime Sarah is accused of. You don't know until the end who the criminals in this book are. That is how a mystery should be.
The story timeline goes back and forth which in some authors' hands gets confusing, but Ms. Pawlish handles it well and I never lost track of when/where I was in the story. This is one that is hard to pull of, but she has.
Being a long time reader of Ms. Pawlish's work, I think she has outdone herself on this one. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good story.
May 13, 2026
Deadly Accusations (Detective Sarah Spillman Mystery Series Book 13), my seventy-eighth read from author Renee Pawlish. Spillman is her oldest character other than Reed Ferguson, serving as a contact & secondary character in Reed's early books, waiting patiently until being given her own book and ultimately a series. This edition of Detective Spillman takes on her suspension and is the best Spillman book yet! As Pawlish expands her writings over 4 primary characters it has improved all four. A Renee Pawlish book is like a visit with an old friend. “I received a complementary Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I look forward to the next book in this series tenativelly titled Sarah Spillman Book 14 (Detective Sarah Spillman Mystery Series) due out in May 2027 as well as anything else written by her. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
May 12, 2026
Detective Sarah Spillman is taken off her latest case and put on leave under suspicion of tampering with evidence. Her longtime partners, Ernie and Spats, are told to not interact with Sarah, leaving her on her own to try and figure out where these accusations originate from and why target her.
What unfolds is all three covertly working together, trying to uncover evidence that points to the real suspect and motive. The story kept me engaged, trying to piece together the bits of evidence and figure out the why and who were the bad guys.
If you're a fan of the Sarah Spillman series you won't be disappointed in this latest addition and if you are new to the writings of author Renee Pawlish, don't hesitate to start at the beginning for hours of reading good stories.
What unfolds is all three covertly working together, trying to uncover evidence that points to the real suspect and motive. The story kept me engaged, trying to piece together the bits of evidence and figure out the why and who were the bad guys.
If you're a fan of the Sarah Spillman series you won't be disappointed in this latest addition and if you are new to the writings of author Renee Pawlish, don't hesitate to start at the beginning for hours of reading good stories.
May 12, 2026
Deadly Accusations is full of danger and deception - it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Sarah Spillman is on a desperate mission to clear her name and be reinstated to her position as detective within the Denver Police Department. When evidence for a murder case goes missing, she is suspected of removing/mishandling it, and is put on administrative leave. Denied access to departmental resources and told to have no contact with her coworkers, Sarah is determined to find who is behind the missing evidence and prove her innocence. After you read Deadly Accusations, you will want to go back and read all of the other Sarah Spillman mysteries!
May 14, 2026
Wow!! I don't know how she does it, but Ms. Pawlish continues to outdo herself with each successive book. The beginning is a shocker with Sarah's suspension from the force. Knowing she did nothing wrong (she never would!), Sarah begins an unauthorized investigation to get to the bottom of it. 'Detectives gonna detect,' and Sarah Spillman is no novice! I love how her partners (Ernie, Spats AND Harry) all have her back! The character development continues, suspense and plot twists abound. I highly recommend this series for fans of detective novels!
May 21, 2026
A quick read for me, which I like. Quick because the plot moves well. The primary characters retain their personalities, so I enjoy revisiting the new characters and seeing how their personal lives unfold.
The overall motive behind Daniel Merer's murder is what keeps the plot interesting. The only weak spot was that I identified the main culprit early on, but even knowing his identity didn't give any insight into the motive.
Renee Pawlish remains one of the most consistent authors I enjoy. The Detective Sarah Spillman series is one where, as soon as there is a new release, I'm on it.
The overall motive behind Daniel Merer's murder is what keeps the plot interesting. The only weak spot was that I identified the main culprit early on, but even knowing his identity didn't give any insight into the motive.
Renee Pawlish remains one of the most consistent authors I enjoy. The Detective Sarah Spillman series is one where, as soon as there is a new release, I'm on it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Dang!! This story was one that I loved, and loathed. Don't get me wrong. I loved the story but it's scary when your favorite cop is threatened, hence the loathing.
Pawlish did an excellent job of putting Sarah in the crosshairs, but I can't say much without spoilers.
Suffice to say, you need to read this book!
Pawlish did an excellent job of putting Sarah in the crosshairs, but I can't say much without spoilers.
Suffice to say, you need to read this book!
May 13, 2026
I would give this book more stars if I could. I loved it that much! I love the characters and Sarah is an awesome main character. Her “supporting cast” are pretty awesome as well. This book has ups, downs, suspense, unexpected twists and turns. It has it all and kept me engrossed from start to finish! The series is a keeper and I look forward to more books as they get better with each book!
May 14, 2026
I’ve been looking forward to reading the latest in the series and it doesn’t disappoint. Falsely accused and suspended for missing evidence, Sarah goes off book to get to the bottom of this. She has two great partners who risk their careers to help her. More, please!
May 16, 2026
awesome!
Loved this book. You kept us on the edge of our seats til almost the very end. It was awesome! Can’t wait for the next one!
Loved this book. You kept us on the edge of our seats til almost the very end. It was awesome! Can’t wait for the next one!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews