Detective Jan Larkin's career with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is rife with success. But an elevated level of achievement comes at a high personal price.
"Echoes of Janie" begins with Jan summoned by her partner, Detective Seeward Sinclair, to examine a body on the shore behind a condominium in Madeira Beach. Jan's exasperation at having her day off interrupted turns to dismay when the victim turns out to be Janie Ballantine, daughter of District Attorney David Ballantine. Hearing of his daughter's murder devastates Ballantine, disrupting his prosecution of crime boss Colby Rittenhouse. As Jan and Seeward delve further into their investigation, a suspect quickly emerges. Daniel Peck, Janie's boyfriend, can't seem to recall what happened between him and Janie the night she was murdered. Evidence uncovered later points directly to Peck. Although Seeward is certain Peck is the killer, Jan begins to question certain pieces of evidence. Days later, when one of Janie's neighbors reports having seen a stranger milling around the condominium shortly before Janie's murder, the detectives' interest shifts to a bodyguard of Colby Rittenhouse.
"The Original Thirteen Murders" has Jan called upon to investigate the discovery of a winter visitor found dead on the beach. No leads or witnesses to the case doesn't help matters. The second murder, a young woman visiting her grandparents, provides Jan with a suspect. Time works against Jan, increasing her frustration, until she learns of similar details of other unsolved murders in the area. Playing a hunch, Jan proposes an unusual scenario that suggests a serial killer might be on the loose. Who the killer might be and where he might strike next is the problem facing her.
"Shadow Of Deceit" finds Jan looking into the murder of a retired police lieutenant from Michigan. Digging further into his background, she finds his career has been tainted. An unproven association with organized crime makes her suspicious of his lavish lifestyle. Another search of his condominium uncovers a hidden information disc. The encrypted message on the disc reveals the names of the victim and four other men, their bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, and the amount of money in each account. The murders continue but the reason for the elimination of those named on the disc remains unknown until Jan receives a phone call from an unlikely source.
Critical Acclaim for The Jan Larkin Mysteries:
"The Jan Larkin Mysteries combines the depth of classic noir with the intrigue of contemporary police procedurals to deliver three gripping novellas right up to the jagged coast of the Florida Gulf. With this latest offering, Stephen Burdick is proving his voice among the ranks of Sunshine Noir authors." -Steph Post, author of Lightwood
