The Deadliest Game

by A.L. Sheaffer

After a brutal murder investigation shatters her resolve, former homicide detective Kait McShea walks away from the force and the life that nearly destroyed her. Longing for peace, she returns to her hometown in Long Island, hoping the quiet streets and familiar faces will help her forget what she lost.

But that peace is short lived when Kait discovers the body of her Niece, Clara. Just like that she is thrust back into the world she swore she’d left behind. As she struggles to make sense of the crime, the lead investigator, Detective Alex O’Connor, begins to suspect that Kait’s involvement runs deeper than she admits.

Determined to clear her name and find Clara’s killer, Kait begins her own investigation. What she uncovers is a chilling trail of secrets – each more dangerous than the last. As the body count rises, one horrifying truth comes into focus: Clara wasn’t just a victim… she was the connection.

212 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2025

About the author

Amanda is a writer, artist, crocheter, and lifelong reader and writer. She’s a devoted true crime junkie (thanks, Ashley, Brit, and the OG Unsolved Mysteries), with all work firmly supervised by her cat, Naya.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about gruesome. This book has one heck of a kill count, each one more grisly than the last. Even though I guessed the killer about halfway through, the ending still took twists I couldn’t have seen coming. A unique, relatively quick read for whodunnit fans!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, LOVED!
The farther in I thought I had it figured out…not even close!
It had enough suspense and a good story line. I’ve read it a few times now

[Kenleigh Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent book is about a serial killer that is taking out “gamer” friends. Former detective Kait McShea finds herself as a suspect due to being the first to arrive on more than one crime scene! The race is on to find the killer before it is “game over” for the entire group! With a heck of a twist at the end, I certainly was expecting a different killer!