Sunshine State

D. P. Lyle

May 2019 · The Deep Six Book 3 · Oceanview Publishing

About this ebook

Serial killer's message to PI Jake Longly: Two of those seven murders I confessed to are not mine—but I won't tell you which two

Jake Longly and Nicole Jamison are confronted with the most bizarre case yet. Serial killer Billy Wayne Baker now denies that two of his seven murders were actually his work. An anonymous benefactor, who believes Billy Wayne's denials, has hired Longly Investigations to prove Billy Wayne right. Billy Wayne had confessed to all seven. Not only did the confessed serial killer have the motive, means, and opportunity for murder, but his DNA was found at each crime scene. Bizarre doesn't quite cover it.

Jake and Nicole travel to the small Gulf Coast town of Pine Key, Florida, where three of the murders occurred. The local police, FBI, state prosecutor, and crime lab each did their jobs, uncovered overwhelming evidence of Billy Wayne's guilt—and even extracted a full confession. Is Billy Wayne simply trying to tweak the system to garner another fifteen minutes of fame? It's likely all a game to him, but, if he's being truthful—someone out there is getting away with multiple murders. How? Why? And most importantly, who?

Dark clouds loom in the Sunshine State.

Perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Janet Evanovich

While all of the novels in the Jake Longly Thriller Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Deep Six
A-List
Sunshine State
Rigged
The OC (coming October 2021)

Ratings and reviews

4.5 Stars PI Jake Longly and Nicole Jamison are faced with a unique, unheard of investigation. Well known serial killer, Billy Wayne Baker, confessed to seven murders in order not to go to trial. Residing in prison now, his lawyer contacts Longly and team. Baker now says that 2 of those murders were not done by him.. but he won't tell them which victims. He says he knows who did them but he won't tell them that. either. So where to start? Baker's victims were really spread out. According to him, he would sneak in, commit the murder and promptly leave town before he was caught. But there was one place that was hit multiple times, leaving three dead women.....that's where they think they will be. Will they be able to find the real killer of two of these victims .. or is Baker playing a game? An ex-big league ballplayer, now a beach bar owner, and working for his dad as a reluctant private investigator, Jake Longly brings his smarts, his good looks, and his sense of humor to the table. Nicole is a smart woman, loves her work helping out the PIs, and she has a playfulness that can't be denied. Pancake is a lifelong friend of Jake's .. a mountain of a man who eats 24 hours a day. He also works for Ray Longly, who owns the PI family business. All the characters are finely drawn... quirky in a multitude of ways .... and the small town where all the action takes place is charming. This is not an action packed thriller with guns blasting and road races with police cars. There is mystery, there is some suspense ... but it's more like a fine wine that slowly warms your insides. Although third in the 3-book trilogy, this can easily be read as a stand alone. I've read a different series by this author, but I'm looking forward to reading the first two books in this one. Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this humorous crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

About the author

D. P. Lyle is the award-winning, best-selling author of both fiction and nonfiction books. Sunshine State is the third in his best-selling Jake Longly mystery series. Earlier books in the series were finalists for the Shamus Award, Foreword Book of the Year Award, and Best Book Award, and included on Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of 2016 list.

Lyle has authored 17 books, been a consultant to numerous novelists and screenwriters of popular TV shows, served as co-host of Crime and Science Radio, and currently hosts the Criminal Mischief podcast series. He lives in Orange County, California.