Big Bad City: a Kentucky Mystery

by James Aura, R.D. Price (Illustrator)

In the summer of 1990, Louisville private investigators Russell Ray Teague and Fred Ferguson are trying to keep their small agency afloat. Then a warehouse full of high‑end motorcycles vanish without a trace. The insurance company wants answers fast, and the bikes recovered before they disappear into chop shops or across state lines. The case takes a sharp turn when an old flame walks back into Russell's life, asking him to look into the sudden, suspicious death of her great‑aunt. A simple favor becomes something darker: a quiet neighborhood that doesn’t want to talk, a coroner’s report that doesn’t add up, and a trail of secrets that refuses to stay buried.
As they chase stolen motorcycles through Kentucky warehouses and dig into the murder mystery, they realize the two cases may not be as separate as they seem. Someone is lurking in the shadows to push them off track. With time running out, the detectives must decide which truth to pursue and which one might get them killed. Historical fiction at the dawn of today's internet.

Genres: Mystery

285 pages, Paperback

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

James Aura writes historical and environmental mysteries and climate fiction.
He grew up in farming country north of Clifton Hill, Missouri; a town with a barbershop and a population of 212. Later, after college and the army, he covered public servants and Pharisees, civil rights marchers, and the Klan, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, corporate bigwigs, Amish house-movers, snake handlers and strip-miners from the Midwest to the Atlantic Coast. In other words, he was in the local news business. James Aura lives in the woods near Raleigh, NC with his wife and a very opinionated cat.
He is the author of 'When Saigon Surrendered, a Kentucky Mystery' is a story about ordinary Americans in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1717881262?
'The Cumberland Killers' is set in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky with the onset of mountaintop removal mining in the 1980's. Some of the same characters inhabit both novels.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
'The Hurricane Code' is a story of North American climate refugees in the year 2099.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J1SK814/
All books are available in print, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
Follow the author on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/james_aura
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/whensaigonsu...?
https://www.facebook.com/thecumberlan...?
https://www.facebook.com/The-Hurrican...
Medium:
https://medium.com/@james_aura

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its the year 1990, and the main character, Russell Ray Teague is older and more mature.
He runs a small startup detective agency in Louisville with an old friend, Fred Ferguson.
So the story is somewhat of a continuation from the earlier book, The Cumberland Killers.
The mystery runs along two plot-lines involving a murderous burglar and the theft of a warehouse full of high-end motorcycles. Complications ensue along the way and Russell and Fred must get to the
bottom of both cases. This one unwinds much like a classic mystery, except the points of view of several of the characters sometimes shift from chapter to chapter, and this also advances the story. I found it quite engaging and enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Blackthorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Bad City is an intriguing adventure that takes you through Louisville Kentucky and beyond, following the intrepid private investigators in their search for a cache of stolen motorcycles.

The third in James Aura's Kentucky mystery series, Russell and Fred use their wiles to follow organized crime and two-bit crooks to nail down the perpetrators. A little danger, a little romance, a few murders, a lot of snarky exchanges between the old friends. I always enjoy the entertaining dialog between Russell and Fred, buddies who have worked together for years, and manage to solve mysteries through hard work, intuition, and a lot of luck.

As always, a surprise twist at the end. A fast and easy read, very entertaining.

[NC Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this latest book in the Kentucky Mystery series. Took me back to the '90s which now seems like a somewhat different world. This was a classic detective procedural/thriller, with an interesting plot and one page-turning scene after the other. Very enjoyable.

[C.J. Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classic private investigator mystery-suspense satisfies us with a complex, fast-paced plot which captures and holds our attention through out. We meet up with Russell Ray Teague who has formed a private investigationagency with his friend and fellow investigator, Fred Ferguson. The action starts immediately when a cat burglar kills an elderly woman during a break-in. Meanwhile, Russell and Fred are busy trying to figure out what happened to some expensive, high-status motorcycles that have disappeared. At the request of Russell’s romantic interest, the murder is added to their list of projects. At the same time, our private eyes work hard to satisfy their client, an insurance agent, and, by the way, struggle keep their private investigation business afloat financially. Soon, it becomes clear that there are multiple crimes in operation, and these crimes all lead back to a mafia boss and his gang, which appear to be directing a network of small-scale criminals, including the murderous cat burglar. And there’s the intriguing Ramona who appears episodically on a motor cycle. Is she a victim of the criminal network? Or a member of the network? The riveting plot and relentless suspenseful action make this book a real page-turner.

[Neal Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The favorite mystery I've read so far this year. Atmospheric, fast moving, and a multi-layered plot that keeps getting more complex, then ends with a simple solution and a twist. Good characters too, especially the burglar and the agency secretary.
Very enjoyable.