Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Homicide detective partners Barbara Lassiter and Susan Martinez return in this third edition of the Lassiter/Martinez Case Files series.



Called in to investigate a mysterious death in a retirement center, Lassiter and Martinez find themselves entangled in a case that might very well involve multiple murders committed by a psychopathic killer. The deeper they get into their investigation, the more complex and dangerous the case becomes, threatening the lives of the detectives and their loved ones. Political and bureaucratic machinations within the detectives' department and the involvement of organized crime only make their jobs more difficult.



Award-Winning, Amazon #1 Best-Selling author Joseph Badal offers up another suspenseful, unputdownable tale, with twists and turns that will put and keep the reader on a roller coaster ride of drama, action, and emotion from the first to the last page.

344 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2019

127 people are currently reading
1135 people want to read

About the author

Joseph Badal

50 books137 followers
"Joe Badal has had a varied and successful career. After 6 years as a decorated commissioned Army officer, having served in Vietnam and Greece, he had a long banking and finance career. He has had 18 suspense novels published: 4 stand-alones (The Pythagorean Solution, Shell Game, Ultimate Betrayal, and Payback); 7 books in the Danforth Saga (Evil Deeds, Terror Cell, The Nostradamus Secret,The Lone Wolf Agenda, Death Ship, Sins of the Fathers, and The Carnevale Conspiracy); 4 books in the Lassiter/Martinez Case Files (Borderline, Dark Angel, Natural Causes, and Everything To Lose); and 3 books in the Curtis Chronicles (The Motive, Obsessed, and Justice).

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author and has received numerous awards, including being recognized as "One of The 50 Best Writers You Should Be Reading." He is a two-time winner of the Tony Hillerman Award for Best Fiction Book of the Year and has received multiple Gold Medals from the Military Writers Society of America. He was named Write of the year by the Military Writers Society of America in 2021. His books have received Finalist honors in the International Book Awards contest and in the Eric Hoffer Awards.

He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Finance and Business Administration, is a graduate of the Stanford University Law School's Director College, and of the Defense Language Institute, West Coast.

Joe has also written dozens of articles that have been published in a variety of business magazines and trade journals, and is a frequent speaker at business and writers’ events. His blog, Everyday Heroes, highlights individuals just like you who are confronted with a challenge and rise to the occasion."

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
61 (44%)
4 stars
53 (38%)
3 stars
16 (11%)
2 stars
7 (5%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Suzanne.
Author 5 books13 followers
February 18, 2020
Really enjoyed the characters, really enjoyed the plot. Too bad the ending was set up as a cliffhanger to sell the next book. I actually prefer an ending that's great and if that happens I will wait eagerly for the next book. It doesn't have to be all tied up neatly, but if the main story question isn't resolved I perceive that as the publisher jerking me around.
110 reviews
April 13, 2019
Drawn out....

I really enjoyed the first half of the book. It was exciting moved right along. Then you find out who the killer is and the book drags out from there. 3/4 through and i quit reading it. Lost all interest.
48 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2019
In Depth

Very in depth with lots and lots of layers. Didn’t think you could go that far and makes for a great read. The Lisa French is a mean one! I’ll give author the benefit of the doubt on the ending and expect an explosive follow up to Natural Causes
Profile Image for Ron Wagner.
63 reviews
July 1, 2019
What happens next???

Hopefully book 4 is on its way. Wonderful twists and turns for Detectives Lassiter and Martinez and a truly pathological killer with a reckless and evil skills. Natural Causes ends with many unanswered questions.
Profile Image for Cindy B. .
3,903 reviews219 followers
July 10, 2022
Based on fact police procedural with a clueless psychopath. Well written with “I see it coming” twists some that don’t happen to add interest. Excellent narration. Oh! It is a cliffhanger ending. How disappointing. I dislike spending $$ on those.


(Would’ve been a 4 star otherwise).
Profile Image for John Wood.
588 reviews5 followers
May 22, 2019
Very good story.

Very good story as usual. Very intense, well written as usual. Although I did not like at all how the story ended, basically because there was no ending.
5 reviews
July 15, 2019
Good but not as good as the first two in series

This book is not as good as the first two in the series, leaves you hanging at the end. Story line wanders a lot
7 reviews1 follower
August 14, 2019
Good Read

Good read has you guessing. . Did not want to put it down. Good from the first page to the last.
500 reviews5 followers
October 1, 2019
Good reads Giveaway. This is a great story and I cannot wait to go back to the beginning and find out where these two detectives started. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
37 reviews3 followers
January 15, 2021
Natural Causes Review

Another outstanding effort by Mr. Badal. Grabs you and makes it difficult to put down until the conclusion is reached.
Profile Image for Denise.
1,771 reviews24 followers
February 16, 2021
'Natural Causes' was a great addition to a great series. Well written and well thought out. Full of great characters, mystery and action. A fantastic add to your tbr list. Recommended read.
Profile Image for Wenzel Roessler.
834 reviews6 followers
December 29, 2021
The story is intriguing with a few plot twists along the way. There are plenty of quirky characters which really enhances the book. Too bad it ends with a cliffhanger and no book four in sight.
545 reviews3 followers
February 20, 2025
Story was good but narrator turned me off.
Profile Image for James Tritten.
Author 69 books45 followers
December 15, 2020
I purchased the book at Audible.com and listened to it as I did the two previous books in the series. Excellent addition with an unusual setting and, as usual, Joe outdoes himself with his villain. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews