Jake Longly and Nicole Jamison are in Orange County, California to begin filming the movie of Nicole’s new screenplay, Murderwood. Jake met Nicole in Gulf Shore, Alabama, where he owns a restaurant on the beach. Nicole was hanging out and writing at her famous uncle’s beach home there. They have teamed up together on several occasions to help Jake’s dad with his private investigation business.

Jake and Nicole meet up with an old friend of hers, Megan Weatherly, who is a local TV reporter. Megan tells them about some odd texts and emails she is getting from a fan, or maybe a stalker. He’s also sending some unusual gifts to Megan at the station. This doesn’t sit well with Jake, so he calls his best friend Pancake, who works with Jake’s dad Ray Longly in his PI business. As Pancake looks into the texts and emails, he becomes increasingly concerned that this is something more serious than just a fan. Pancake flies to The OC to join Jake and Nicole and look further into the strange messages and gifts that keep coming Megan’s way daily. When the actions of the stalker start to escalate, Ray himself makes the journey to The OC. Can the team keep Megan safe and catch her elusive stalker who has never shown his face?

Enter the world of cyberspace sleuthing in D. P. Lyle’s latest thriller THE OC. Moving from his usual terrain of south Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, Mr. Lyle sets this dynamic whodunnit in the hustle and bustle of the movie industry in California. I’ve been on several adventures with this crew, but I think THE OC has the most exciting, unique and suspenseful storyline. Although Jake is the ex-pro baseball star and resident pretty boy, Pancake gets top billing for cyber super sleuth, working tirelessly to gather facts to find the stalker. The supporting characters are great in helping him work his way to the end, and Jake and Nicole are their usual charming selves with their playful banter. The plot takes several unexpected twists and turns to a rather surprising and chilling conclusion. If you’re a fan of crime fiction, or just a fan of the Jake Longly series, you do not want to miss this dynamic novel.

Book Summary