Amazon.com: Tim McBain: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Dead End Girl (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 1) Apr 12, 2017

$0.99

Her body is broken. Wrapped in plastic. Dumped on the side of the road. She is the first. There will be more.

The serial killer thriller that "refuses to let go until you've read the last sentence."

The most recent body was discovered in the grease dumpster behind a Burger King. Dismembered. Shoved into two garbage bags and lowered into the murky oil.

Now rookie agent Violet Darger gets the most important assignment of her career. She travels to the Midwest to face a killer unlike anything she's seen. Aggressive. Territorial. Deranged and driven.

Another mutilated corpse was found next to a roller rink. A third in the gutter in a residential neighborhood.

These bold displays of violence shock the rural community and rattle local law enforcement.

Who could carry out such brutality? And why?

Unfortunately for Agent Darger, there's little physical evidence to work with, and the only witnesses prove to be unreliable. The case seems hopeless.

If she fails, more will die. He will kill again and again.

The victims harbor dark secrets. The clues twist and writhe and refuse to keep still. And the killer watches the investigation on the nightly news, gleeful to relive the violence, knowing that he can't be stopped.

A page-turning thriller packed with heart-stopping suspense. Fans of John Sandford, Jeffery Deaver, Karin Slaughter, and Lisa Gardner should get to know Violet Darger.

Praise for Dead End Girl:

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"Refuses to let go until you have read the last sentence." -- Bloodymummer

"Violet Darger is a unique, incredible character, and I immensely enjoyed taking this journey with her." -- Cat

"If you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl... At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves." -- eden Hudson, author of Jubal Van Zandt & the Revenge of the Bloodslinger

"A fantastic, twisted, full of suspense read." -- lady g

"This book reminds me of some of my favorite books in the crime thriller genre - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Collector by John Fowles, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King, and of course Silence of the Lambs. It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying." -- Rain

"Dead End Girl is nonstop action and intrigue that will keep you putting off everything until the story is over. This is a must read if you enjoy action & crime genre stories." -- David C. Taylor

"If you are a fan of Silence of the Lambs, this book is a spiritual successor." -- Amazon customer

"Vargas and McBain spin a fine tale with characters I want to climb inside--but not in a weird way." -- Jeanne Tarrants

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Couple Killer (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 9) Mar 31, 2022

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 1,438 )

$5.99

A shadow walks the streets at night. Stalking couples in their cars. Flashlight in one hand. Gun in the other. Killing people is so much fun.

When multiple murders terrorize a small town college campus, FBI profiler Violet Darger heads to rural Michigan to investigate. As soon as she arrives, a grim history begins to emerge.

The crimes have progressed steadily over a period of 18 months.

Indecent exposure to stalking.

Stalking to rape.

Rape to murder.

The UNSUB's emphasis on power and control rapidly verges toward full blown sadism. He grows ever bolder, ever more vicious.

What could be more dangerous than a killer aroused by expressions of rage? Increasing brutality. Overkill.

Understanding his psychological motivations will guide the efforts to stop him.

Darger digs into the history. Tries to figure out how the perpetrator advanced unchecked to graver and graver trangressions.

What she finds buried in the police records unsettles her as much as the murders themselves.

While a faceless killer terrorizes the campus, the school administrators remain focused on burying the story.

The revelation creates another complication: The students feel disenfranchised. Angry.

Prostesters gather on lawns. Ignore the citywide curfew. An uprising brewing all over campus.

Darger must navigate an uncooperative administration, a powder keg of a campus, and a killer as savage and dangerous as any she's ever faced.

When it all boils over, chaos descends on the townspeople. And the killer walks among them.

The novels in the Violet Darger series can be read as stand-alones. Scroll up and grab Couple Killer now.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"If you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl... At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves." -- eden Hudson

"This book reminds me of some of my favorite books in the crime thriller genre - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Collector by John Fowles, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King, and of course Silence of the Lambs. It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying." -- Rain

"I devour each installment in this series the instant it is available." -- Shelley R. Klouzal

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

When Darkness Falls (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 10) Jun 30, 2022

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

$5.99

Her body seems to hover above the forest floor. Arms and legs torn away from the trunk. A bloody stump mounted upright on a skewer.

Not just a corpse. A warning.

The most recent body was discovered in the woods just beyond a logging cabin. Dismembered. Put on display. Ghostly pale skin stark against the forest's green.

Before that, two campers were found a few miles off. Cut apart. Impaled. Left in public places where they'd surely be found.

The grisly crimes summon FBI profiler Violet Darger to a tiny island off the Alaskan coast -- 2,500 square miles of forested land populated by just 6,000 souls.

Here, in the primordial wilderness, she'll face off with a shadowy killer unlike anything she's seen. Raging. Brutal. Elusive.

He waits. Seethes. In the woods. In the dark. Always watching. He waits.

Darger digs into the history of torso killers to try to understand the psychology behind the crimes. Finds a legacy of savagery dating back over a hundred years.

Aggression beyond comprehension. A recurring phenomenon of human behavior that chills her.

Human anatomy used to mark out territory. Corpses made totems to warn off others. It happens over and over again.

Who could carry out such brutality? And why?

Understanding the interior world, the motivations, of this type of killer will be the key to solving the case.

The dark woods hold his secrets tightly. The terrain itself shielding him, giving him an edge over those in law enforcement seeking him.

When a storm moves in, Darger finds herself in peril deep in his territory. Vulnerable. Exposed. Walking right into his trap.

He waits.

The novels in the Violet Darger series can be read as stand-alones. Scroll up and grab When Darkness Falls now.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"Excellent suspense right to the last word. Had the most heart pounding ending of any book I've ever read." -- Anne Bembeck, Goodreads Review

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"The description had my stomach dropping and clenching as if I was in the car with them! Visceral experience! Just terrific." -- B.J. Hyman, Goodreads Review

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"McBain and Vargus have proven yet again that this is their genre, and Loshak and Darger are their stars." -- Jennifer Tooker, Goodreads Review

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"If you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl... At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works.

Killing Season (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 2) Jul 29, 2017

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 4,321 )

$4.99

Two days. Fourteen dead. The next victim could be you.

The first bullet punches through the windshield of an SUV. A head shot. The driver's death is instantaneous. And it's only the beginning.

A sniper along I-20 kills eight and causes a 36 car pileup. Brutal. Efficient.

The next morning, the same individual stalks through a grocery store parking lot with a handgun. He takes out six innocent shoppers along with the store's front window before fleeing without a trace.

By the time Special Agent Violet Darger arrives in Atlanta, the city teeters toward panic. The vacant streets and restaurants paint an eerie picture. No one dares to venture out.

A killer walks among them. A shadow. And the public cowers just the way he wants them to.

Once more Agent Darger must identify with a murderer, must stare into the darkness to anticipate his next move. Putting herself in his head may be the only way to stop him.

The longer she takes, the higher the death toll. He will kill again and again.

But what hatred drives a man to such desperate, violent acts? And what price must one pay to invite that chaos inside themselves?

A page-turner packed with heart-stopping suspense. Fans of John Sandford, Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn, and Lisa Gardner should check out the Violet Darger series.

The books in the series can be read in any order, so grab Killing Season and get started today.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"Violet Darger is a unique, incredible character, and I immensely enjoyed taking this journey with her." -- Cat

"A rush of excitement, twists and turns." -- C. Munger

"Insightful, bloody. Page turner about the corruption of morality and warped thinking patterns." -- Bella from Readingnstuff.com

"Refuses to let go until you have read the last sentence." -- Bloodymummer

"I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves." -- eden Hudson, author of Revenge of the Bloodslinger

"It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying." -- Rain

"If you are a fan of Silence of the Lambs, this book is a spiritual successor." -- Amazon customer

"Vargus and McBain spin a fine tale with characters I want to climb inside--but not in a weird way." -- Jeanne Tarrants

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

The Girl in the Sand (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 3) Mar 19, 2018

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 4,752 )

$4.99

Shallow graves scar the desert landscape. A cemetery in the sand. Some of the lost are never found.

Thousands of girls go missing every year in Las Vegas. Abducted. Or worse.

And now the dead are calling.

These lost girls summon FBI Profiler Violet Darger to Sin City -- a new case. There are fresh dead to sort through -- two bodies burned beyond recognition in the trunk of a sedan -- and there’s reason to believe that there are missing girls waiting to be saved.

Rumors swirl that a legendary killer is responsible for these crimes. An escaped prisoner with a personal grudge against Darger -- one who wants her and her partner dead. One who disappeared for 20 years.

But the desert is full of deadly secrets -- horrors waiting beneath the sand.

If Darger finds the killer in time, the girls will live. If not…

This pulse-pounding thriller will have you holding your breath until the final page. Fans of John Sandford, Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn, and Lisa Gardner should check out the Violet Darger series.

The books in the series can be read in any order, so grab The Girl in the Sand and get started today.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"This series is full of suspense, action, and lots of murder." -- EllenAn

"Violet Darger is a unique, incredible character, and I immensely enjoyed taking this journey with her." -- Cat

"A rush of excitement, twists and turns." -- C. Munger

"Insightful, bloody. Page turner about the corruption of morality and warped thinking patterns." -- Bella from Readingnstuff.com

"Refuses to let go until you have read the last sentence." -- Bloodymummer

"I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves." -- eden Hudson, author of Revenge of the Bloodslinger

"It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying." -- Rain

"If you are a fan of Silence of the Lambs, this book is a spiritual successor." -- Amazon customer

"Vargus and McBain spin a fine tale with characters I want to climb inside -- but not in a weird way." -- Jeanne Tarrants

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Bad Blood (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 4) Jun 20, 2018

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 3,364 )

$5.99

The body slumps over the steering wheel. Pools of blood going tacky on the dash. Two shots to the back of the head.

A mafia-style hit in a small town.

Special Agent Violet Darger must make sense of this savagery. Figure out how brutality like this could happen in rural Michigan.

The victim had been living the American dream. A small-business owner who built a construction empire. Started a family. Coached youth hockey. He seemed to have it all.

But his surface life didn’t tell the full story.

He carried dark secrets to the grave. Left clues which offer more questions than answers, clues that seem to lead Darger to Detroit.

In the city, she finds despair. Corruption. Decay.

Blocks of vacant buildings line the streets. Crumbling. Caving in. It resembles ancient ruins more than a modern American city. Concrete caverns waiting to be explored.

And there, among the rubble, she gets swept up in the hunt for a notorious hit man.

He kills for profit. Navigates the brutal world of organized crime. Harbors secrets of his own, albeit domestic ones.

He holds the answers to all of Darger’s questions, but only if she can catch him.

This pulse-pounding thriller will have you on the edge of your seat until the final page. Fans of John Sandford, Karin Slaughter, Harlan Coben, and Lisa Jackson should check out the Violet Darger series.

The books in the series can be read in any order, so grab Bad Blood and get started today.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"This series is full of suspense, action, and lots of murder." -- EllenAn

"Violet Darger is a unique, incredible character, and I immensely enjoyed taking this journey with her." -- Cat

"A rush of excitement, twists and turns." -- C. Munger

"Insightful, bloody. Page turner about the corruption of morality and warped thinking patterns." -- Bella from Readingnstuff.com

"Refuses to let go until you have read the last sentence." -- Bloodymummer

"Reading a Violet Darger novel always feels like coming home to an old friend—we hang out, we drink some coffee, we talk about her and Loshak’s personal lives, we interview victims’ families, we chase down some serial killers—all the stuff you normally do with your friends, except better. More exciting." -- eden Hudson, author of Revenge of the Bloodslinger

"These books are kind of a nice combination of crime fiction and horror.

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Countdown to Midnight (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 8) Oct 8, 2021

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 2,452 )

$5.99

By the time you read this, I’ll be dead, but what I’ve set into motion will only be beginning.

The first blast takes out an actor from a string of famous coffee commercials. A plain cardboard box in the mail blows when he opens it. Pumps hot nails through his face.

So begins the series of mail bombs that beckons FBI profiler Violet Darger to New York.

The bomber's plan is meticulous -- an ever growing spectacle of gruesome violence meant to spread his cryptic message piece by piece. And the clock is ticking.

Starting at midnight tonight, a bomb will go off roughly every eight hours, and a target will be neutralized.

The bomber has left chunks of his journal throughout the city. These not only articulate his twisted message, they contain clues about the bombs.

Clues for names. Clues for places.

Everything law enforcement needs to locate and disarm one of the bombs is there... if they can find it in time.

It's a race against the clock.

Understanding the bomber's psychology could be the key to deciphering the codes and riddles, the key to saving lives.

Darger faces a threat on a scale unlike anything she's encountered so far. If she doesn't solve the clues in time, thousands will die.

Let the countdown begin.

The novels in the Violet Darger series can be read as stand-alones. Scroll up and grab it now.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:
"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"If you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl... At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves." -- eden Hudson

"This book reminds me of some of my favorite books in the crime thriller genre - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Collector by John Fowles, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King, and of course Silence of the Lambs. It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying." -- Rain

"I devour each installment in this series the instant it is available." -- Shelley R. Klouzal

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Dark Passage (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 7) Jan 31, 2021

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 2,911 )

$5.99

The corpse juts from the heaping bulge of the landfill. Milky white flesh laid bare by the front loader's blade. Naked. Female. Face down in the garbage.

When three bodies turn up in a landfill outside of Philadelphia, FBI profiler Violet Darger heads to Pennsylvania to investigate. Right away there's a major complication. The emaciated corpses appear to have been starved to death.

Darger arrives in time for the autopsies. Watches withered bodies laid out on the stainless steel slabs of the morgue, their faces crusted with sandy soil, skin pulled taut around knobby cheekbones.

What kind of a person could carry out such harsh acts? Figuring out the warped psychology might be the key to solving the case.

Forensic evidence helps Darger trace the bodies to a particular dumpster in West Philadelphia. It's the first step down the long, dark passage this case leads her through.

Because the city is full of deadly secrets -- horrors waiting beneath the surface.

In her most shocking and bizarre case yet, the darkness comes for Darger in a way it never has before. Surrounds her. Envelops her. Will she find her way back to the light?

This pulse-pounding thriller will have you holding your breath until the final page. Fans of Robert Dugoni, James Patterson, Michael Connelly, and Lisa Regan should check out the Violet Darger series. Scroll up and grab it now.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"If you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl... At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves." -- eden Hudson

"This book reminds me of some of my favorite books in the crime thriller genre - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Collector by John Fowles, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King, and of course Silence of the Lambs. It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying." -- Rain

"If you are a fan of Silence of the Lambs, this book is a spiritual successor." -- Amazon customer

"I devour each installment in this series the instant it is available." -- Shelley R. Klouzal

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Five Days Post Mortem (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 5) Jan 3, 2019

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 3,830 )

$5.99

Her body floats. A bloated thing half atop the river. Naked. Pale. Mouth and eyes open wide.

When two fishermen discover a corpse floating in the Clackamas river, profiler Violet Darger heads to rural Oregon to hunt another serial killer. What she discovers in the woods might change the course of her life.

What secrets does the water conceal?

The girl in the water marks the third such case in the area -- all drowned with superficial stab wounds and discovered in a body of water -- and Darger feels certain she won't be the last.

The corpses are badly decomposed. The flesh purpled and softened from their time in the water. The forensic evidence distorted by decay and the elements.

But the victims share one more thing in common -- all were discovered roughly five days post mortem. A coincidence? Something with meaning to be discerned?

Darger suspects the timeline to be significant, but without evidence, she can only guess as to why. That sets up what might be the key to the case:

What is the killer doing to the victims for the four days between their deaths and dumping their bodies?

It's Darger's first case without Loshak, and it will test her like none before.

This pulse-pounding thriller will have you holding your breath until the final page. Fans of John Sandford, Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn, and Lisa Gardner should check out the Violet Darger series.

The books in the series can be read in any order, so grab Five Days Post Mortem and get started today.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"I devour each installment in this series the instant it is available." -- Shelley R. Klouzal

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"Violet Darger is a unique, incredible character, and I immensely enjoyed taking this journey with her." -- Cat

"A rush of excitement, twists and turns." -- C. Munger

"Insightful, bloody. Page turner about the corruption of morality and warped thinking patterns." -- Bella from Readingnstuff.com

"Refuses to let go until you have read the last sentence." -- Bloodymummer

"Reading a Violet Darger novel always feels like coming home to an old friend—we hang out, we drink some coffee, we talk about her and Loshak’s personal lives, we interview victims’ families, we chase down some serial killers—all the stuff you normally do with your friends, except better. More exciting." -- eden Hudson, author of Revenge of the Bloodslinger

"These books are kind of a nice combination of crime fiction and horror. Ok nice might not be the right word to use. How about gruesome.

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Night on Fire (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 6) Dec 29, 2019

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 3,756 )

$5.99

Fire crawls up the sides of the church. The orange glow thrashes. Blackens the siding. Climbs up onto the steeple. The flames close in on the wedding party trapped inside.

When a serial arsonist terrorizes Los Angeles County, FBI profiler Violet Darger heads to California to investigate. The fires keep coming faster. The body count rises, and the threat hangs over the city as thick as the smog.

The case file is brutal -- stuffed with photographs of charred bodies, human faces melted beyond recognition. And when Darger gets up close to the crimes, the real thing, that sense of savagery only intensifies.

What kind of a person could carry out such cruelties? Understanding the warped psychology will be the key to solving the case.

The suspect seems hellbent on creating a spectacle. Bigger targets. More deaths. He treats setting fires like a Hollywood special effects sequence, like he's building up to the shocking finale.

Watch the city burn. It's entertainment.

And there's one more factor complicating the investigation: Autumn is settling in over Southern California. The leaves are changing color, and the Santa Ana winds have begun to change directions. The Hollywood Hills are ripe for a forest fire. The arsonist means to make it the biggest one yet.

A page-turner packed with heart-stopping suspense. Fans of John Sandford, Michael Connelly, Lisa Regan, and Lisa Gardner should check out the Violet Darger series.

Praise for the Violet Darger series:

"The Violet Darger books are honestly the best detective novels I've ever read." -- Devin

"Wow, just wow! If you like scare-you-half-to-death mystery books this is the one for you. It starts with a bang and just doesn't stop." -- Ada Lavin

"Un-put-downable! I cannot wait for this series to grow. If you love Sandford, Slaughter, Kava, Stelljes and Deaver, you’ll LOVE Vargus & McBain!" -- Melody M

"Vargus and McBain have, in Violet Darger, created a character that absolutely stands up with some of the greats -- Phillip Marlowe, Dave Robicheaux, Elvis Cole, Charlie Parker, August Dupin, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, etc." -- Lucinda E. Snyder

"If you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl... At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves." -- eden Hudson

"This book reminds me of some of my favorite books in the crime thriller genre - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Collector by John Fowles, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King, and of course Silence of the Lambs. It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying." -- Rain

"If you are a fan of Silence of the Lambs, this book is a spiritual successor." -- Amazon customer

"I devour each installment in this series the instant it is available." -- Shelley R. Klouzal

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Desert Heat: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller (Victor Loshak Book 4) Feb 6, 2022

by L.T. Vargus, E.M. Smith, Tim McBain

( 1,001 )

$5.99

The desert holds its kill up to the sun. A human body draped over the limbs of a cactus. Sand scouring the naked flesh every time the wind blows.

A shocking death launches Special Agent Victor Loshak on a new investigation with an ominous message: They know everything. He heads to Tucson, Arizona, where a recent murder spree seems to be linked to the human trafficking conspiracy he's been working in secret for months.

Loshak still has dreams about the Kansas City case. Nightmares about the team of techs peeling up the floorboards in a suburban home. Finding the rotting bodies face down in the muddy earth of the crawlspace. A grisly discovery that ultimately led to more questions than answers.

Now he may be closer than ever to solving the puzzle.

If you follow the conspiracy rabbit hole all the way down, you eventually reach the bottom.

The task force working the desert murders seems oblivious to the conspiracy link, and Loshak must tread lightly. He doesn't know who to trust, what information to share.

The tendrils of the human trafficking ring lead in all directions outward from that Kansas City crawlspace. Their influence reaches the highest levels of government and law enforcement. They have eyes and ears everywhere.

Even with the complications, the Tucson case slowly unravels the web of connections behind the crimes, both the murders and the conspiracy.

Questions get answered. Names and faces are laid bare. Puzzle pieces snapping into place at long last.

But the revelations bring about the gravest danger yet.

The novels in the Victor Loshak series can be read as stand-alones. Scroll up and grab Desert Heat now.

Other Formats: Paperback

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Watch Her Sleep: A completely gripping crime thriller packed with suspense (Detective Charlotte Winters Book 3) Mar 18, 2021

by L.T. Vargus, Tim McBain

( 1,196 )

$3.99

Nestled in the autumn leaves, her hair tangled in thick brambles, the girl looks like she could be sleeping amongst the wild roses. But the trail of red across her delicate throat means this is a slumber she will never wake from…

When a search party trawling Salem Island find a girl’s body curled on the damp earth, the hunt for missing waitress Emma Jacobis grinds to a devastating halt. The day before, Emma had come to Detective Charlie Winters convinced someone was watching her. In her trembling hand she held a sketch of herself sleeping peacefully with the stuffed rabbit she’d had since she was a child. On the back, scrawled in black ink: You will be mine…

A box containing handwritten letters found under Emma’s bed is Charlie’s first lead. But the handwriting isn’t a match to the note left for Emma. With the help of her new assistant, a troubled girl eager to learn the ropes, Charlie’s only hope is to canvas the bar where Emma worked. There, she finds a woman with fear in her eyes and a terrifying story to tell about an encounter with a dangerous stranger. Is someone in this small town targeting vulnerable girls as prey?

Certain she’s found a twisted killer’s hunting ground, and with time running out before he strikes again, Charlie must put her life on the line to lure him out into the open. But when a scream pierces through the night, will Charlie survive the consequences? She has to, or there’s no knowing how many more innocent girls will die…

An absolutely nail-biting and completely jaw-dropping crime thriller. Fans of Kendra Elliot, Robert Dugoni and Lisa Regan will be left reeling after reading in one sitting!

**Everyone is talking about Watch Her Sleep:**

‘I finished this book at 4am because I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what happened and sleep did not matter… every time I heard a noise, I was on edge thinking that there was someone hiding in the shadows. Incredible… the ending had my stomach in knots with tension. Amazing!’ @pawswithprose, 5 stars

‘Leaves your heart pounding so hard you think it will come out of your chest.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Filled with suspense and tension from the very first page… I was completely absorbed… addicted… absolutely gripping and unputdownable.’ BookWorm86, 5 stars

‘Had me hooked… kept me on edge and jumpy every time I heard a noise outside my bedroom window. I literally jumped out of my skin when one of my dogs came and jumped on my bed, that's how much I was into the story.’ Spooky's Maze Of Books, 5 stars

‘I found myself not wanting to put the book down – even to the point of waking up in the wee hours of the night to continue reading… mind-blowing plot twists.’ Jennlyreads.com, 5 stars

'Oh my goodness!… heart-pounding… had me checking the doors and windows that's for sure… nail-biting action

Tim McBain

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