The Reluctant Coroner

Paul Austin Ardoin

Oct 2018 · Fenway Stevenson Mysteries Book 1 · Pax Ardsen

About this ebook

Blood is thicker than oil—until murder threatens everything.

Fenway Stevenson swore she'd never go back to Estancia.

But after losing her mother and her job in one devastating week, she's left with no options and forced to ask her estranged father for help. That means returning to the coastal California town where he wields near-absolute power as the head of the region's largest oil company—and where Fenway is viewed as an outsider at best, and a political pawn at worst.

Then the county coroner is murdered.

Suddenly, Fenway is thrust into a spotlight she never wanted. Appointed as interim coroner—a move that reeks of backroom deals and her father's influence—she's immediately faced with a murder case that hits far too close to home. The evidence points in one direction: her father's oil company. And in Estancia, money has always had a way of silencing the truth.

As she follows a trail of secrets, sabotage, and cover-ups, Fenway must untangle a decades-old web of power and corruption, all while balancing her own fragile loyalties. If she can't find the killer before they strike again, her first case might be her last.

Smart, layered, and full of sharp twists, The Reluctant Coroner is the explosive first entry in the Fenway Stevenson Mysteries. For readers who love hardboiled crime fiction with a modern edge, this series delivers high-stakes investigations, rich character drama, and a protagonist who refuses to back down--even when the town wants her gone.

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The Reluctant Coroner is the first novel in the acclaimed hard-boiled Fenway Stevenson Mystery series, ideal for fans of LJ Ross, Anne Shilolo, Willow Rose, and Blake Banner.

"Think Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich, but with darker twists and more biting social commentary. A five-star thriller!"

—John Ling, USA Today Bestselling Author

Ratings and reviews

In The Reluctant Coroner, daughter Fenway must choose between making her mark and pleasing her influential father. She's unprepared for her latest challenge, but she won't let that -- or her silly shoes -- get in her way. I enjoyed the twists and turns as suspect after suspect surfaced. The author kept me guessing. In the end, the case was solved, but Fenway's future remains a mystery. Book 2, here I come!

Enjoyable mystery. Fenway is new to town and she takes up the job of the coroner and the catch is that the previous coroner had been killed. Fenway’s character and the town she comes into has been etched very well by the author. Her relationship with the town and its people was unique despite the position she held there. Then the mystery itself was complicated with enough twists and turns all the way through. Enjoyed reading it.

Fresh out of college and recovering from her mother's death. Move to a new town and be offered a dream job of coroner. The first dead body is waiting but before one murder is solved the next dead body is found. Fast paced and well written with a surprise twist

About the author

Paul Austin Ardoin is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries, The Woodhead & Becker Mysteries, andThe Time Loop Detective series, and is a contributing writer to Indie Author Magazine. Born and raised in Northern California, Paul holds a B.A. in creative writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an M.B.A. in marketing from the University of Phoenix. He lives in the Milwaukee area, where he enjoys Milwaukee’s surprisingly excellent symphony orchestra and unsurprisingly excellent fried cheese curds.