From the gritty streets of Chicago to the quiet harbors of Wisconsin, private investigator Spencer Manning faces murder, corruption and deception in every corner of the Midwest. Beginning with a missing father and a murdered mother in Change of Address, Spencer’s search for truth pulls him into dark alleys, art thefts, and cold cases that blur the line between justice and vengeance. Each story peels back another layer of the city’s underbelly—haunted amusement parks, political intrigue, mob ties, and long-buried secrets. With sharp wit, compassion, and a stubborn sense of right and wrong, Spencer confronts killers, con men, and his own doubts, in suspenseful novels that capture the heart, grit, and danger of classic detective fiction.
Showing all 8 results
-
Change of Address
She’s only five… and her mother was killed…tracking down an unknown father involves Spencer Manning in murder and drugs as his first case leads him to a Chicagoland racetrack and the mayor’s house…where things are not all as they appear.
My new favorite mystery series!
—Rita Butler on Amazon -
Dark Alleys
Women are turning up murdered on Chicago’s streets, and Spencer Manning is pulled in by a friend’s “simple favor.” The city’s nighttime underworld drags him through dark alleys and tangled lies as he questions prostitutes who aren’t what they seem. Street walkers, a high-priced call girl, and a college-aged girl are connected—and Spencer must uncover how before the killings continue.
Rick Polad’s taut suspense thriller begins as many mysteries do, but that’s where the similarities end.
—Caleb and Linda Pirtle, verified review on Amazon -
Harbor Nights
Spencer Manning’s latest case takes him from Chicago to charming Door County, Wisconsin, when an old girlfriend is accused of stealing her own painting—and then vanishes. Spencer suspects something darker than art theft, and the murders begin. A second ‘worthless’ painting is stolen in Chicago, linking two crime scenes miles apart. Chasing the connection draws Spencer into a web of a Chicago crime boss, a hostile police chief, and slippery suspects—until kidnapping raises the stakes. With unexpected allies, Spencer sets a trap for a daring rescue.
This is a great summer read!
—Michael J. Walsh, verified review on Amazon -
Missing Boy
In this fourth Spencer Manning mystery, Chicago’s famed Riverview Amusement Park becomes the backdrop for a sixteen-year-old worker who disappears after his shift. Hired to find him, Spencer’s questions make powerful enemies as the case spirals from missing person to murder. What seems like a simple search becomes a fast-growing, impossible puzzle—and a sinister plot far larger than one boy—delivering a rollercoaster of surprises for mystery fans.
A rollercoaster ride full of surprises for fans of great mysteries.
—Gary Lindberg, author of The Shekinah Legacy -
Cold Justice
In this fifth Spencer Manning mystery, a recent murder may be a brilliant frame-up—and justice arrives in unsettling ways: late, never, or for the wrong crime. P.I. Spencer Manning is offered the highest-profile case of his career by a mobster, forcing him to weigh ethics against truth. As two murders unfold, Spencer is pulled into layers of intrigue and contemporary reckoning, haunted by echoes of Capone-era Chicago and streets once slick with blood.
Wonderful weaving of plot, characters and Chicago history
—Don Hood, verified review on Amazon -
Death’s Door
Murder haunts Chicago P.I. Spencer Manning—especially when he can’t help directly. Seeking distraction, he takes a Green Bay case about puzzling letters, only to uncover a knot of revenge and fraud that pulls him back to the killing. While police insist the case is solved, Spencer suspects otherwise. Racing the next strike, he unravels the puzzle and uses emerging science to catch the murderer in a final twist.
A shocking revelation of deceit, fraud, and murder
—Donald J. Terras, President, Hounds of the Baskervilles -
Drug Affair
Spencer Manning is hired by a wealthy widow to investigate her son’s drug arrest—until the uncooperative son and three murders turn a ‘simple’ case deadly. Clues entangle a Chicago detective, FBI agent, US senator, gang leader, and a nun who insists the Lord will provide—just not as Spencer expects. With suspects multiplying and secrets surfacing, Spencer must set a risky trap that could leave him jailed—or dead—in his most challenging case yet.
Bet you can’t read just one book of this intriguing series.
—Martha Hutson, Spencer fan -
A Grave Matter
A cemetery should be peaceful—until a cryptic call draws P.I. Spencer Manning to one that isn’t. As disappearances mount, Spencer uncovers a graveyard where bodies may not match the names on the stones. Linking the mysteries could expose a scandal reaching frightening heights. To crack the case, Spencer must set a trap—with himself as bait—in his eighth and most perplexing investigation.
it connected with my emotions on every level
—Karen Bedore on Amazon
