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Editorial Review for Reunion, Dwayne Morrow Mystery #1:
"This is an excellent book on many levels. The writer effortlessly draws us into his world, gradually hooking us in with interesting characters and an intriguing, multi-layered mystery. The author writes easily and fluidly and just a few pages in, we have no choice but to continue reading. The dynamics of the friendships and the backstory are particularly engaging. A well-written, exciting, and satisfying read, with all the elements of good storytelling, from plot, pacing and structure, to characters that you can’t help liking."
Judge, 30th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
Bibliography
Winner - The BookFest Awards - Fall 2023 - Honorable Mention - Detectives/Amateur Sleuths
Reunions are for reconnecting with old friends…and sometimes burying a few. For Dwayne Morrow, this is where it all begins.
An invitation to his high school reunion prompts Dwayne Morrow to return to his small-town roots. Before the festivities even begin, his best friend is found murdered in his car, and the local police show little interest in pursuing the case. A mother’s plea pulls Dwayne into a tangled web of dangerous secrets and shady characters. Old friends and new acquaintances ensure that Dwayne’s life will never be the same again.
Reunion is the first thrilling entry in the Dwayne Morrow Mystery series!
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
Winner - The BookFest Awards - Spring 2024 - First Place - Detectives/Amateur Sleuths Mystery/Thriller
Matching wits with a serial killer is so much more than Dwayne Morrow bargained for. Can he stop the murderer before losing someone he loves?
Surviving the events of his high-school reunion has forever changed Dwayne Morrow. Intrigued with the idea of private investigation, he has barely begun to examine the possibilities when a workplace acquaintance offers a prime opportunity for practical experience—her husband is cheating, and she wants proof.
What should have been simple surveillance goes off the rails when Dwayne stumbles across the latest victim of a maniac who is terrorizing Central Ohio. As the media spotlight shifts toward Dwayne, so does the killer’s unwanted attention.
The murderer is closing in, and for Dwayne, uncovering the truth is a matter of survival.
Circumvention is the second adrenaline rush in the Dwayne Morrow Mystery series!
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
A femme fatale with an axe to grind. Marla Dotson is used to getting what she wants, and what she wants is Dwayne Morrow—both on and off the case.
Convincing an old acquaintance to grant him an apprenticeship had been hard enough, yet the initial assignments were proving to be anything but rewarding for Dwayne Morrow. Crawling through garbage to snap photos of awful people doing awful things was not the exciting career choice he had envisioned.
Finishing another such job in a seedy neighborhood on Columbus’s south side, Dwayne finds himself caught in the middle of someone else’s drama as a mysterious damsel-in-distress bursts onto the scene fleeing a hail of gunfire. Whisking her to safety was the worst decision Dwayne could have possibly made…
Abduction, blackmail, murder—nothing is off the table when retribution must be served.
Retribution is the third thrill ride in the Dwayne Morrow Mystery series!
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
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.
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
Is there anything more unsettling than the inability to trust your own senses? Dwayne Morrow is about to find out…
Recent events in West Virginia have left Dwayne in a fragile state of mind. His recollections of those final hours are blurry at best, and while he knows what he wants to believe, he’s bound by a promise not to investigate any further. Despite the patience and support from friends and family, he finds himself hobbled by despair, unable to fully confide in anyone.
When Boggs Investigations is invited to join a trial mystery weekend on a private island in Lake Erie, Dwayne is pressured by his boss to rejoin the living and participate in what is supposed to be an exercise in teamwork.
But the island has a haunted history, and for Dwayne, the line quickly blurs between what is real and what isn’t. Time is running out, and Dwayne must decide whether the real danger is to his friends or to his own sanity.
Isolation is the fifth heart-stopping adventure in the Dwayne Morrow Mystery series.
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
Thanksgiving—a time for family, friends, and food—lots of food. What better time to meet your girlfriend’s entire clan?
Dwayne, Melanie, and Jasmine have barely settled in before Dwayne hears of a teen whose disappearance has the entire town guessing. Did she run away or was she abducted?
What should have been a peaceful holiday celebration goes off the rails in more ways than one, as Melanie’s estranged, abusive father crashes Thanksgiving dinner, and Dwayne is burdened with more secrets than he can possibly handle.
And that’s before the first body washes up on the rocks alongside the Ohio River.
Will Dwayne unmask a killer before anyone else pays the ultimate price?
Abduction is the sixth jaw-dropping adventure in the Dwayne Morrow Mystery series.
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
Everybody loves a good bedtime story…
Presenting a collection of 13 tales from the same mind that brought you the Dwayne Morrow Mysteries!
Bring your blanket and cozy up to the fire.
Marriages grown cold, and patience is thin,
It’s up to Grandpa to tuck the kiddies in!
When pride and vanity become an obsession,
A young mother’s fight for her most precious possession!
Life insurance beneficiary, such a temptation,
A child’s impatience brings Christmas ruination!
Crime-solving ladies with mallets in hand,
A family vacation, but not as it’s planned!
There’s something for everyone, that’s not just a rumor,
It even contains a little toilet humor!
All this and more, is waiting for you,
And a couple of stories are more than half-true!
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
Las Vegas, Nevada
Dwayne Morrow and the team from Boggs Investigations find themselves in the Desert Oasis after Loretta Boggs scores discount pricing to a popular private investigation seminar. It’s another opportunity to enhance the fledgling team’s skill set, and this team needs all the help it can get. With their daytime schedules filled, their evenings are free to explore what the Entertainment Capital of the World has to offer, and Loretta has already started a list.
For Jane Bond, the seminar is simply a drive across town from her house on Anime Street, and Olive seems eager to attend, so why not? Not only would it be beneficial to Bailey & Bond Investigations, but it could also be fun! Inclined to let Olive plan their evening excursions while she tags along for the ride, Jane soon finds herself in the crowd at a highly advertised stage show that’s struggling to find its audience, and it’s no wonder. No one in attendance can seem to recall what happens during the show.
What are the odds that these two disparate parties should cross paths?
It’s a team-up you never knew you needed as Jane and Dwayne join forces to uncover the truth behind the group amnesia that’s affecting audience members and draining them of available cash!
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
The year was 2000, and the world was only just beginning to believe that Y2K wasn’t the actual End of Days. Rest assured, when that dark day inevitably arrives, it will be without warning…
Four complete strangers on a cross-country collision course.
One innocent little girl.
Two of these strangers are determined to kill the girl before she can realize her mysterious destiny. The other two are sworn to protect her.
The line between good and evil has never been so razor-thin…
Available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle Editions!
Here's what folks are saying about Reunion:
"Full of twists and turns and an unexpected ending..."
"Creative dialog, engaging characters and a gripping plot that holds your attention from beginning to end..."
"It was a great experience to read a book set in your home state where you can actually picture and know what the surroundings look like..."
"Grabs your attention right away and the plot twists and turns keep you turning each page until you reach the wonderful, surprising ending..."
The verdict is in for Circumvention:
"It was so engaging that I couldn't put it down..."
"The ending was very suspenseful..."
"Excellent characterization, which builds off the original book in the series..."
"The 2nd in the series was another GREAT one!"
Third time's a charm for Retribution:
"Fast-paced with a thrilling plot. The characters were fully developed, each with an intriguing backstory. The story was unpredictable. It is well written and managed to exceed my expectations. Nobody seems to be who they say they are. It was nothing at all how I expected, especially the end; it blew my mind."
"The author, Darin Miller, certainly has outdone himself. Personable characters, plot twists and turns, intrigue - everything you could ask for! I can’t wait for the 4th book!"
"I love the story lines and simply can’t put the book down."
Powerful reaction to Diversion:
"The most personal and powerful of the series so far. Each book has built upon that more and more effectively but this one packs an emotional punch. It's very personal for Dwayne and, as you'll read in the Afterword, the author himself. It gets more and more compelling to wrack your brain figuring out what's going on in that place, and who Dwayne can and can't trust. It's tense, it's a page turner...and do stick around for a whopper of a twist at the end!"
"The mystery was interesting, with a unique premise that offers something a bit different from the normal murder mysteries found in this genre. Miller has an engaging style of writing and manages the perfect mix of action, dialog, and backstory to keep you reading. This is a great addition to the series and is highly recommended for all fans of mystery stories."
"My heart's still pounding!!!"
"This one is even more captivating than the previous ones. I didn’t think that was possible."
Folks are raving about Isolation:
"These books keep getting better!"
"After reading Diversion (Book #4), Isolation takes on a whole new mood as well as a new mystery, new twists and turns, and an ending that will make you beyond curious long after you close the book. It takes an expert writer to write a mystery story within a mystery story, and include a legend/ backstory that also includes a mystery but it takes a masterful storyteller to be able to tie up any and all loose ends, in which Darin Miller succeeded remarkably."
"As with each of Mr. Miller’s previous books I found myself immersed in the plot. The character development took some interesting turns in this one, and I found myself seeing a couple of characters in a more positive light. No one in these books is too perfect or too evil. Just like real humans. And they’ve become very real to me."
Early reaction to Abduction:
"Darin Miller hits the mark again with a gripping tale of murder and intrigue with some good old-fashioned familial dysfunction woven in."
"Another fantastic book from Darin Miller. This is definitely one of my favorites. I can't wait for the next one!"
About Darin Miller
Darin Miller grew up in Rosemount, a suburb of Portsmouth, Ohio. He currently resides in Grove City, Ohio. While he has worked in Information Technology for three decades, he has not solved a single, solitary crime to date. He is the author of the Ohio-based Dwayne Morrow Mystery series. With equal parts action, humor, suspense and mystery, the series features characters you’re sure to love—and in some cases, loathe.
Comments?
I'd love to hear your feedback! Drop me a line and let me know what you think of Dwayne Morrow and his ongoing adventures.