The Reluctant Coroner by Paul Austin Ardoin
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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Author Bio:
Paul Austin Ardoin is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries, The Woodhead & Becker Mysteries, and The 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.