Book excerpt: Enjoy this free hardboiled coroner series starter by USA TODAY bestselling mystery author Paul Austin Ardoin "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 Blood is thicker than oil—until murder is involved. Fenway Stevenson doesn't want to return to the coastal town where her estranged father is practically king. But the death of her mother draws her back home—and the murder of the county coroner draws her into a deepening conspiracy. As the body count rises and all signs seem to point toward her father's oil company, will Fenway uncover the truth before family bonds become deadly? ----------- 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. KEYWORDS: California beach town murder, biracial female coroner investigator, medical examiner thriller, former nurse solves murders, estranged father, hard boiled mystery, Santa Barbara mystery.