Sunshine State

Convicted serial killer Billy Wayne Baker has a revelation to share: “Two of those seven murders I confessed to are not mine—but I won’t tell you which two.”

A mysterious benefactor hires Longly Investigations to prove Baker is right. Jake Longly, Nicole Jamison, and their trusty sidekicks take on the convoluted case. The problem is, the killer’s DNA was found at the scene of the crimes in Pine Key, Florida, and he initially confessed to the murders. With little evidence otherwise, should they believe the serial killer? Or is it just a mind game?

Pretending to be a documentary crew telling the stories of the survivors and town, Longly and crew get to know the locals and uncover a potential plot just beneath the surface. The reader feels like they’re along for the ride. The deeper they get, the more turbulent the small town becomes. Witnesses start to die. Can they uncover the truth before it’s too late?

A Florida resident, I chose this book because of it’s Sunshine State theme and loved the Jacksonville references. D.P. Lyle accurately depicted small-town Florida life and wove a great mystery. It took me a while to get used to the writing style, but it’s a really fun read. I loved the ending; I adore a good mystery and didn’t guess the correct murderer. I would absolutely pick up another Jake Longly mystery and look forward to solving another mystery with these characters again soon.