A Vision of Violence

by Nichelle Seely

The most controversial thing a cop can do is voluntarily work for the defense, but when the public defender calls on private investigator Audrey Lake, she can’t say no.

A police officer’s duty is to collect the evidence and apprehend the criminal. The rest is up to the lawyers. But Audrey isn’t a cop anymore; she’s a private eye with bills to pay, and she can’t afford to turn down a legitimate job. Especially when she’s still trying to come to grips with the intrusive voice in her head and an elusive ‘psychic’ ability.

She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

An itinerant deck hand is in custody for the murder of professional crab fisherman Jack Reynolds. The defense just wants a reasonable doubt, someone else to pin the crime on. But Audrey refuses to implicate another person, not without knowing for sure.

The investigation leads Audrey through the rain-slick streets of Astoria, Oregon, among the mossy piers and boardwalks of the Skipanon Harbor, and the stormy fishing grounds of the Pacific. It’s gotten complicated, but she’s still trying to answer a simple who killed Jack Reynolds?

She'll have to risk her own life to find out.

This book was 100% created by a human, for other humans. No AI was used.

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2025

About the author

Nichelle Seely is a writer and architect living in Colorado with her husband. Born and raised in Oregon, she has also lived and worked in Alaska and Colorado. She has been writing since she was a child. She started publishing professional magazine articles in 2010, and writes mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. An eclectic reader, she dips into almost all the fiction genres and also a fair amount of non-fiction. She loves the outdoors, walking in the woods or on the beach, and bicycling. An avid traveler, she has visited 26 countries and once spent a year traveling alone with a backpack. In the rainy winter she enjoys playing games, including a mean hand of cribbage. She has a B.A. in English, a Master’s degree in architecture, and half of an MFA in creative writing.

Reviews

[Paige D]

A Vision of Violence is a riveting private investigator thriller that combines suspense, mystery, and a compelling central character. Nichelle Seely crafts the story of Audrey Lake, a former cop turned PI, as she navigates a high-stakes investigation into the murder of a professional fisherman. With a richly atmospheric setting from the rain-soaked streets of Astoria to the stormy Pacific waters complex moral choices, and the tension of Audrey’s psychic edge, the novel delivers an intense, character-driven mystery that keeps readers on edge until the final revelation.

[Catherine]

I didn't expect to like this novel as much as I did. It was a book club selection, and I don't typically read thrillers, especially ones with a supernatural angle. I got caught up in Audrey Lake's complicated life, and the two cases that placed her right in the path of danger. This is the third book in the series, but I had no trouble catching up with the story. A fun, exciting read.

[Margaret Mizushima]

A VISION OF VIOLENCE by Nichelle Seely grabs the reader in chapter one and doesn't let go. This well written book offers an immersive setting, narrative filled with sensory details, and interesting and engaging characters. I love this series and can't wait for the next Audrey Lake adventure.

[Rita A.]

In A Vision of Violence, I admired how cop turned PI Audrey Lake perseveres in her new role despite suffering from post-traumatic stress disease. In her mind, she hears the taunting voice of Zoe, a persona she created when, as a Denver homicide detective, she went undercover. She also sees troubling visions, but perhaps they, as well as Zoe, can help with her investigations. Now, in her new community—coastal Astoria, Oregon—she seeks the truth about the killing of a crab fisherman. If the accused deckhand didn’t do it, then who did, and what was behind the murder? The former cop won’t settle for helping a defense attorney create reasonable doubt about his client’s guilt. The tension ratchets up, and then things get personal as Audrey fights for her very survival. I highly recommend this psychological suspense novel as well as A Memory of Murder, the first book in the Audrey Lake Investigations Series.