"The golden years are tainted red with murder on Spartina Island.
When Courtney Evanson's body is found in the dunes of Spartina Island, the peaceful facade of the retirement haven is shattered. Retired detective Sean Tanner teams up with Detective Sergeant Charlie Nash, diving into a case that's far more twisted than they imagined.
A stolen credit card initially offers a promising lead, but when their main suspect turns up dead, all their theories unravel. The investigation grinds to a halt—until The Mudflats Murder Club uncovers a crucial piece of evidence: a ruby pendant hidden in the pocket of the clothes Courtney was wearing when she died. This pendant is more than a simple find—it's the unmistakable link to a 27-year-old cold case involving another young woman's violent death.
The deeper they probe into the case, the more Sean's team unearths, including secrets about Charlie's father, who mysteriously disappeared a decade ago. As the lines between past and present blur, Sean must navigate these buried truths without losing Charlie's trust.
As the body count climbs and three seemingly separate cases collide, the stakes on Spartina Island have never been higher. The Cordgrass Killer is still out there—watching, waiting—and Sean and Charlie's relentless digging has put them squarely in the crosshairs. Can Sean and Charlie outpace a killer who's always a step ahead…or will the sands of Spartina Island claim them next?
Brian Thiem, drawing from his experience as a former detective and cold case investigator, crafts a suspenseful story perfect for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club and Only Murders in the Building. Dive into Spartina Island's dark underbelly, where retirement dreams turn into deadly nightmares, and age is just a number in the pursuit of justice."
"Solving murders was not part of Sean Tanner's retirement plan.
Former homicide detective and recently widowed Sean Tanner has settled into Spartina Island's private retirement community, hoping to find solace after his wife's death in their chosen paradise. He soon finds himself drawn into the Mudflats Murder Club, an enthusiastic group of retired detectives, prosecutors, and forensic experts who are engrossed in solving the 38-year-old unsolved murder of Theresa Goldberg.
But the quiet of the community is shattered when Sean's neighbor, Nancy Russo, is found dead in her home. Ignited by the crime, the club jumps into the fray, much to the annoyance of Sergeant Charlotte 'Charlie' Nash, the lead detective spearheading the murder investigation. When Sean and his cohorts uncover a shocking connection between Nancy's murder and their long-standing cold case, everything they thought they knew goes up in flames.
Amidst rising tensions and thrilling discoveries, Sean and Charlie must confront their doubts about each other—and acknowledge their reliance on the team—to outsmart a killer who's closer than they ever imagined.
From former detective and current cold case team member Brian Thiem comes The Mudflats Murder Club. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Only Murders in the Building."
"Cops in Oakland seldom meet people whose lives are going well. That’s certainly the case when homicide sergeant Matt Sinclair recognizes the dead woman hanging from a tree as a teenage runaway named Dawn he arrested ten years before. And as Sinclair and his partner, Cathy Braddock, soon learn, many of Dawn’s clients, not to mention the local and federal officials who protect them, will go to any length to keep the police from digging too deep into her past.
Then the killer goes public, and Sinclair and Braddock must race to uncover the secrets Dawn was killed to protect before the killer unleashes a major attack on a scale the city has never seen before. But in the process, Sinclair runs into secrets from his own past—some of which could end his homicide career for good.
With Thrill Kill, the second novel in the Detective Matt Sinclair mystery series, Brian Thiem, a veteran of the Oakland Police Department and the Iraq war, has written a nuanced police procedural that could only be written by a trained detective with years of hard-earned experience."
"When a teenager from a wealthy suburb outside Oakland is dumped at an inner-city bus stop, homicide detective Matt Sinclair catches the case. It’s his first since being bumped to desk duty for a bust that went south—fast. With few leads and plenty of attention, it’s the worst kind of case to help him get back up to speed.
And it only gets worse as the bodies start to pile up—first at the same bus bench, then around the city. Sinclair is unable to link the victims to each other, and the killer is just getting started. Time is running out for Sinclair’s career, not to mention for the people closest to him.
With Red Line, Brian Thiem, a veteran of the Oakland police department and the Iraq war, has written a nuanced police procedural filled with the kind of insight that could only come from a detective who has walked the streets and lived the life."
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