Reeling from a tragic personal loss, Dwayne Morrow is drawn to a remote portion of West Virginia, looking for answers. What he finds is a community frozen in time.
Welcome to Briarstaff, West Virginia, population 1,967.
Founded in the early 1800s by workers of a now-defunct mining operation, the town remains home to generations of natives who continue to farm and conduct business in timeworn buildings bordering a charming town square. The grassy central plaza hosts many local events—the annual Apple Festival is currently underway. On the surface, it’s a picture-perfect postcard of pure Americana where folks of all ages gather to laugh, eat, listen to music, and ride the attractions, undeterred by cell phones and other modern distractions.
Following his sister’s footsteps, Dwayne goes undercover to discover exactly what happened during Gina’s earlier stay. After a cordial yet frosty reception, Dwayne quickly begins to suspect something much bigger than small-town politics are at play. Encountering hospitality and hostility in equal measure and unsure of whom he can trust, Dwayne soon finds himself trapped, unable to reach outside assistance.
The sun has set in this sleepy little town, but secrets long buried are burbling to the surface—secrets worth killing to protect. If Dwayne can’t fit the pieces together, he may never again see the light of day!
Diversion is the fourth nail-biting entry in the Dwayne Morrow Mystery series.
Darin Miller was born in Portsmouth but currently resides in Grove City, both of which are located in Ohio. While he has worked in Information Technology for three decades, he has not solved a single, solitary crime to date. He is the BookFest award-winning author of the Ohio-based Dwayne Morrow Mystery series, as well as an unrelated short story collection, Broken Bits and Bobs, and a standalone psychological horror thriller, Equilibrium. With equal parts action, humor, suspense and mystery, the Dwayne Morrow series features characters you’re sure to love—and in some cases, loathe.
Diversion is Dragon Feeder Darin Miller’s fourth novel in the Dwayne Morrow Mystery Series! Once again Darin pulls us in to Dwayne’s little piece of Heaven, Grove City, Ohio. This time though, the mystery isn’t a perfect stranger, or a seedy job from Bogg’s Investigations, this is personal. This involves family.
We go with Dwayne to a tiny little West Virginia town find out what happened to his sister. What really happened. He introduces us to the West Virginia equivalent of Stepford. The town is perfect and prosperous. There are no cellphones, internet or ATMs. Its perfectly creepy. And Death seems to be taking a vacation here, during the annual Apple Fest.
There’s the local manager of the Credit Union (members only, you know). She’s a peach, til you anger her.
The local attorney. He cares for everyones business. He can get you in deep.
The local clairvoyant, Madame Phalange, who gives Dwayne the reading of a lifetime and shakes him badly. She is a particular favorite of mine.
I love this book, even though I believe it should come with a box of tissues and a few bags of Calming tea. It kept me on edge from the time Dwayne headed for West Virginia, to the time he found what he’d come for : answers. This is mystery at its best.
Dwayne is a protector, nice guy (most of the time ), just don’t catch him in a bad mood and hes loyal to those he loves.
If you love a great mystery, think Phillip Marlowe meets a grown up Hardy boy, this is for you. I love this series, each one is more involved than the last. These can be read as standalone but you’ll want to read them all.
All four of Darin Miller’s novels are great but this was my favorite. Maybe because I know the characters so well now that they seem like old friends. Maybe Dwayne Morrow’s character is just so funny and lovable and dumb and quirky . I’m not sure but start with book 1 and read through these novels. You won’t be disappointed.
Buckle up for a suspenseful, action-packed mystery that will keep you hooked from start to finish! Dwayne Morrow yet again, in this series that bears his name, finds himself embroiled in peril. Hold your breath as the action unfolds in Diversion, the riveting fourth installment of this pulse-pounding mystery series starring the fan-favorite sleuth Dwayne Morrow, written by Darin Miller. Dwayne follows his sister's fateful path to unravel the ominous mystery of her earlier stay in Briarstaff, West Virginia. The townspeople greet him with plastered smiles and cold eyes, hiding sinister secrets beneath their welcoming veneer. As Dwayne digs deeper into the unspoken darkness of this picturesque community, he realizes the forces at play are far more than he bargained for. Trapped in a web of deceit, stranded in this town, Dwayne uncovers secrets that may be his own undoing. No one can be trusted in this place where hospitality and hostility go hand-in-hand. Will he escape to tell his sister's story? What sinister mysteries lurk beneath this peaceful facade? Long-hidden truths claw their way into the light, desperate to be concealed again no matter the cost. Can he expose the town's dark heart before the darkness swallows him whole? The clock is ticking. Lives hang in the balance. Will following the web of clues reveal answers or simply more bodies? Reading Diversion, I reconnected with beloved characters from prior books in this series and met captivating new ones that felt like I’d known all along. The author's masterful character development makes each one leap off the page. Their unique personalities and authentic voices had drawn me in until I felt like I was living the story right alongside them. I felt the exhilaration of an epic concert at the Apple Festival as if I were in the audience myself. And my heart raced with suspense and concern when tragedy had stricken, leaving a character's fate unknown. Though fictional, the characters became real to me. This author had a gift for expressing the full range of human experiences - joy, grief, hope, loss - in ways that made me laugh and cry along with them.
Diversion is a rollercoaster ride for the mind, thrilling with unpredictable twists and turns. The plot hooked me from the start, steadily built up suspense and intrigue, and delivered exhilarating plot twists that I didn’t see coming. This well-crafted narrative artfully balances action, mystery, and momentum, seamlessly guiding me through a logically flowing sequence of events. That intense blend of euphoria and anxiety kept me on the edge of my seat, fully immersed in the experience from start to finish. I closed its covers knowing I had found a treasure. What a wild ride it was!
Diversion by Darin Miller is a captivating mystery that draws readers into Dwayne Morrow's world in a way we haven't experienced in any other book thus far. Sure, we've met his family, but not like we do in Diversion. The story revolves around Dwayne, a man enjoying life with his girlfriend and spending time with his siblings after his brother's wedding. Suddenly, his life is upended and he's forced to confront the tragic death of his sister. But Dwayne isn't your ordinary brother. He's a brother who almost has his PI license, and he's not convinced his sister died as innocently as they claim. When he's given the opportunity to go to the small town she had just left to retrace her steps, he quickly discovers that the seemingly idyllic community harbors a sinister secret. What the secret is, well, that's the crux of the problem. Dwayne can't figure it out, even as suspicious as everything smells.
Darin skillfully weaves a complex mystery while introducing a cast of characters with their own hidden agendas- some on the basis of innocence and others on guilt. The problem? Sorting them into camps and knowing who to trust. Dwayne isn't just navigating a labyrinth of lies and unspoken secrets. He's trying to navigate them while also dealing with unrelenting guilt and grief. Tension builds as the town's Apple Festival begins, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat as he bumbles his way to uncover some rather shocking revelations about the small town of Briarstaff, West Virginia.
What sets Diversion apart is its exploration of the dark side of small-town life. Darin paints a vivid picture of a community where appearances can be deceiving and taking everything at face value is extremely dangerous. In fact, for some characters that Dwayne meets, downright deadly. The setting itself becomes a character in the story, with its quaint 'charm' and eclectic cast of characters actually masking a sinister underbelly.
The plot is engaging, but as always, Dwayne is who makes this novel shine. He's so relatable, especially driven by a deep sense of loss and a determination to uncover the truth and vindicate his sister. The supporting characters, from the suspicious local sheriff to the enigmatic fortune teller, add depth to the story.
Diversion is a well-written mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end.
Wow! This is one definitely did not disappoint! Dwayne is wanting to become a private investigator, but he first has to serve an apprenticeship with his high school friend who owns a PI business. Although Dwayne is suspended due to not doing as Doug wants, he still finds himself in the middle of an investigation and this time it is personal. When his sister Gina is killed in a terrible automobile accident, questions start making him wonder if it was really an accident or was it murder? When he finds himself in a small backwoods town where there is no internet, no cell service, and only one tv station, he finds that everyone is so unfriendly and so unwelcoming to any outsider except the teenagers who quickly become friends. How had they accepted his sister when she was there on business a few weeks before. Almost all the citizens became suspects, but why would they want to harm Gina.With the annual apple festival underway, he hopes to talk to some of the people and feels like he can get some answers…wrong! Only a handful of people are civil to him and they all seem afraid to talk. Will he find the answers he needs and get out of there or will he be there forever and never be found. This book had my heart racing and I definitely recommend it. I also highly recommend that you continue reading the AFTERWORD! It is very interesting and I appreciate Darin Miller sharing some of his family history with us.
A small town off the grid hiding a huge secret conspiracy
Dwayne Morrow, PI, meets the unwelcome wagon when he goes undercover and is stranded in a remote West Virginia town that seems more like 1950s Mayberry from the wholesome Andy Griffith TV show than the 21st century. There is a fun apple festive and so many interesting characters! But beware of idyllic places. They might be hiding their most sinister faces! While most of the townfolk and elders give Dwayne a hard time and try keeping secrets under wraps, I just loved the quirky, endearing Madame Phalange, aka Delphine, in the fortune telling booth. The truthsaying reading she gave Dwayne was a surprise, and it gave me goosebumps and tears! Other favorites are Delphine's young adult daughters, Joy Beth and especially sweet Hattie. i enjoyed her happy-go-lucky childlike persona. And the town teenagers were surprisingly friendly and helpful. Especially Shane! His cheerful ease with everyone reminds me of my West Virginia best friend, Rob, in which I fashioned my locksmith character in my Christmas whodunit. Diversion is a complex web of carnival music, caves, good ole boys authority, poker faces, too much whiskey, and will have you questioning who hold the cards.
Diversion (Dwayne Morrow Mystery #4) by Darin Miller is the best one yet and the most personal for our favorite, bumbling almost-private detective. The happiness following a Morrow family wedding turns to grief when Dwayne‘s sister dies tragically in a car accident soon after. When her boyfriend plants the idea of possible wrong-doing and begs Dwayne to help him find the truth, Dwayne decides to retrace his sister’s steps in West Virginia.
As an IT guru, Dwayne is gobsmacked by the 1950s “charm” of this quaint town, where his sister was last on a photography assignment. He finds himself unable to use his credit cards, phone, an ATM, or the internet; and the story goes down a rabbit hole when, due to an emergency, the boyfriend leaves Dwayne stranded (taking the only transportation). With an apple festival about to start, (the readers and) Dwayne meets a full range of characters who seem to either love him or hate him. Dwayne isn’t sure why - - it seems to go far beyond small-town mistrust of strangers.
This book contains some interesting and very personal information at the end. I recommend reading it, along with the book.
5/5 I've loved all of the Dwayne Morrow Mystery series so far, but Diversion has to be my favorite. It takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Laugh out loud funny? Tension-filled? Emotionally packed? Check, Check, and Check. Diversion had all the elements I've enjoyed in all the books, but this one also yanked my heart around a bit and kept me flipping the pages faster and faster. I simultaneously wanted to read this book as fast as I could while also slowing it down because I didn't want it to end.
Aside from the storyline and the personable characters themselves, Miller's writing style is just something I absolutely enjoy. From his unique descriptions of scenery ("internal collapse had spilled out through its entrance like a rocky trail of cat sick...") to the internal monologues ("Her name was Tish, and I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the sunshine right out of her.") and everything in between, it keeps me fully engaged and wanting to devour all his books.
Dwayne is still healing from his last unfortunate adventure. But there's no rest for the curious...and no rest for Dwayne. A terrible tragedy drags Dwayne right back into the thick of things. Determined to uncover the true source of a suspicious death, he is brought to a quaint town that seems to be stuck in the past. No modern day electronics, no exposure to modern media, and very tight knit. They are not fond of outsiders, and Dwayne seems to put his foot in his mouth with every word he speaks. Something more sinister lurks beneath the surface of the town. Dwayne will have to uncover it to also uncover the truth.
This book was my favorite in the series so far. It deals with grief in a way that feels so real...and hits so hard. As always, the cameos with Dexter the cat are amazing. The true character and sass of feline companions is brought to life on the page.
I usually don't read acknowledgement pages or afterwards...except for indie author books. This one has one of the most beautiful afterwards I have ever read.
This series is so good. As always...I regret not having read this sooner.
The Dwayne Morrow Mysteries Just keep getting better and better. In book #4 Dwayne is dealing with the death of his sister. He teams up with his sister's boyfriend to return to the town where his sister had her last photography assignment. From that point on, things become increasingly strange. I found myself unable to put the book down, anticipating what frightening circumstances Dwayne would find himself in next. I love the character of Dwayne, just an ordinary guy who often finds himself in trouble. The writing is a perfect blend of mystery, suspense and humor. Everything fits together to give the reader a wild ride and an exciting finish.
Again, another great story with awesome details. I know it was a means to an end, but Hattie??? That's all I'm going to say about that.
I will advise readers to read the Afterword. I honestly don't normally read those, but the picture caught my eye. I actually read it beforehand, and it made the story that much better.
Diversion has it all! Mystery, suspense and a small town frozen in time! I love the characters and the story line. I did live in West Virginia for eight years, and recognized some places in book, which made it even better. I HAD to know what was going to happen and this book didn't disappoint!! Now I need the rest of the series.
Diversion, Miller's fourth in the Dwayne Morrow series, had me holding my breath, heart rate elevated for hours! His depiction of the grief of losing a sibling and the vulnerability that led him to questionable choices, one after another made this book impossible to put down from 51% on. I can't wait to see what's next.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. I don't follow a particular genre but I will be looking for more of this author's work. I was yelling at my Kindle when the characters were misbehaving. I usually read thirty minutes or so every night, this book kept me reading longer wanting to see what was around the next turn.
Couldn’t put it down!! In the back of my mind I knew what was going on with this one, but from the start I needed to see how it all played out! This one is good, you love the good guys and hate the bad! I have a sneaking suspicion that the story doesn’t end here…
this series gets better with each book. Dwayne is such a lovable dork. can't keep himself out of trouble as he wants to get his pi license. imagine being in a small town with no cell phones, computers, and only 1 tv channel run by the town. i won the series from the author and am loving it.
Highly recommend reading for content, characters, intrigue. Its a story that keeps you interested throughout, good storytelling. This book progresses logically.
I absolutely enjoyed this book, my first in the series and read out of order but a great thought-provoking adventure. Once you read the book, don’t forget the afterward notes from the author. They really bring it home. Great job!
Another awesome Dwayne Morrow mystery. This one is really different than the others. Again I was hooked from the opening page. I felt like I was present in every situation and was fearful Dwayne was going to be hurt very seriously. I was on the “edge of my seat” almost constantly. The situations Dwayne finds himself in make me often question his thinking/reasoning process and am amazed at how he gets himself out of messy situations with a great deal finesse.
Book review: Diversion by Darin Miller Writes - The Dwayne Morrow Mysteries and More As always, I love Darin's books, and this one is no exception. #4 This one hits close to home for Dwayne - no spoilers - but he blames himself. After someone is in an accident and doesn't survive, a stranger comes to Dwayne's door claiming to have known the deceased. He says that it wasn't an accident and pleads to Dwayne for help in finding out what really happened. There are some really emotional scenes but Darin throws in his usual humor so that I'm also laughing along with Dwayne. ( He describes Doug Boggs mom as a "hillbilly version of Tammy Fae Baker.") Dwayne shrieked when the first bat whipped past and he hit a note 🎶 that would have done Mariah Carey proud. 🤣 He felt like a turd floating in a pool. Dwayne needs to fit into a large rabbit sized hole, so he is thinking he has a little too much gluteus in his maximus. 😆 Thank you to Darin for not making us wait. Only people who read this book will know what I mean. So if you want to know, yep you guessed it, you have to read this 5 star suspenseful mystery. 😁