Leave Dead Enough Alone

Sam Lawson #8

by David K. Wilson

She was the last person anyone would want to hurt. So why did someone want her dead?

When private investigator Sam Lawson starts looking into a woman’s disappearance, he finds the locals have already made up their minds. Amy Booker—sweet, quiet, universally adored—simply skipped town to get away from no-good husband. Case closed.

But Sam knows better than to trust easy answers.

The deeper he digs, the darker things become. Behind the friendly waves and church socials lies a web of greed, corruption, and bodies buried in plain sight.

With the help of his medical examiner wife and an earnest young constable, Sam starts asking questions no one wants answered. And in this town, asking the wrong questions can get you killed.

Leave Dead Enough Alone is the eighth thrilling installment in the Sam Lawson Mystery series. If you love page-turning suspense, sharp dialogue, and twists that keep you guessing, you'll devour this gripping new mystery from David K. Wilson.

Get your copy of Leave Dead Enough Alone today and discover why readers can't get enough of Sam Lawson.

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2026

About the author

David K. Wilson grew up in East Texas, surrounded by enough colorful characters to fill the pages of hundreds of books. He has been an advertising copywriter and creative director, and is probably responsible for some of the junk mail you've received over the years.

He is also a seasoned ghostwriter and screenwriter. Currently, he lives in upstate New York, where he still complains about the cold every single winter.

Reviews

[Shara Goswick]

Another excellent Sam Lawson mystery!!

[Samantha]

Great read in the Sam Lawson series! Could act as a stand-alone but is best read in series-order.

[Barbara Wilson]

so exciting!

I loved every page. I could hardly wait to get to the end to see what happened. Another Sam Lawson mystery. Highly recommend!

[Lorraine Evanoff]

I’ve read every David K. Wilson novel, including all eight of the Sam Lawson series, and they just keep getting better. Sam Lawson is the new J.B. Fletcher and should have his own TV series. Like Fletcher, Lawson ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and is reluctantly thrust into the role of impromptu crime solver, or private detective for hire, whether on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, or at home in East Texas.

Each book introduces a new cast of colorful characters surrounding a riveting mystery. Book 8 involves shady personalities literally from Sam’s neck of the woods in bucolic East Texas. Lawson is about to leave on a much-needed fishing trip when his brilliant and beautiful wife, Carla, an accomplished county coroner, asks him to take a quick look into the mysterious disappearance of a friend’s sister. The case should be easy to solve but it turns into an incredibly dark and complicated scenario derailing his best-laid plans.

Sam and Carla’s interaction is always one of the best parts of the books, along with the masterful twists and turns. The novels can be read as a standalone. Or start from the beginning for maximum page-turning thrills!

[Carolyn Decker]

I met David K. Wilson at a "meet a local author" event at a coffee shop in my area. This was his latest book he was promoting so I wanted to buy it to support him. His books really appealed to me because I love a good murder mystery! All I can say is David has an amazing way of hooking you in right away! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I had my guesses of who it could be, but then, it changed throughout the book because he always had me second guessing myself! A good author will make you do that! I read this book in a VERY short amount of time because it was THAT good. I could not put it down. He has so many more books and I will definitely be reading them all! I am a huge fan now! Do me a favor and read this book!!! This author deserves support!!!

[Jacqueline Boulden]

David K. Wilson brings his usual mastery of suspense and lively dialogue to the eighth book in the Sam Lawson series. Amy Booker disappears in the first chapter and when I flip to Chapter Two, I can’t keep reading fast enough to find out what happened to her. The cops in Burdette, Texas, are slow to react to Amy’s disappearance, believing she took off on her own. Sam delays his fishing trip to track down Amy after Amy’s sister says there’s no way she would have just left town. Potential suspects are identified, then slowly eliminated, and the focus turns to someone I did not expect, leading to a very satisfying ending.

[David Brakebill]

Another fine Sam Lawson mystery. Full of Texas flavor, well written, just enough character development to get a good feel for the players.
Copy editor could have been a little more thorough (some typos (not a lot, but it’s something I notice) random punctuation marks, etc.
If you’re looking for an entertaining, easy read this is a good book for you!

[Michelle]

Another great in the Sam Lawson series!!! I love the funny, witty, and exciting to the end mystery in these books. So good I am starting at the beginning of the series again, and re-reading in the hopes that when I get to the end, there will be a new one on the horizon!!!

[Roger Soderberg]

Pleasant surprise. Great book. Look forward to other books by this author