New Release!

Audrey Lake Investigations book two: A Vision of Violence is out now! Click below to read more about it, and to buy it in E‑book or paperback.

Investigate The Books

Book One

A Memory of Murder

A Memory of Murder

A disturbing vision. A drowned woman. Tragic accident, or vicious crime?

Recovering from a nearly-fatal stab wound, former homicide detective Audrey Lake is determined to start a new life. The small town of Astoria on the Columbia River is a thousand miles and a world away from the gritty streets of Denver. It’s the perfect place for her to manage her PTSD, which manifests as hallucinations and an intrusive voice in her head.

But Audrey begins to have recurring visions of a woman being attacked and forcibly drowned. The hallucinations bear all the familiar, terrifying earmarks of psychosis. And when the river yields up the body of Victoria Harkness, the same woman who appeared in her vision, Audrey is forced to ask: is she finally losing her mind, or is there another explanation?

Seeking answers, she begins to dig into Victoria’s life and secrets. But doing so compels Audrey to examine the unresolved pieces of her own past. Can she discover the truth behind the killing, or will the investigation push her beyond the breaking point?

Book Two

A Vision of Violence

A Vision of Violence book cover

The worst thing a cop can do is voluntarily work for the defense, but when the public defender calls on private investigator Audrey Lake, she can’t say no.

A police officer’s job is to collect the evidence and apprehend the criminal. The rest is up to the lawyers. But Audrey isn’t a cop anymore; she’s a private eye with bills to pay, and she can’t afford to turn down a legitimate job. Especially when she’s still trying to come to grips with the intrusive voice in her head and an elusive ‘psychic’ ability.

So when the public defenders’ office wants to hire her for not just one, but two cases, she figures it’ll be a welcome injection of cash for a few days of routine investigation, looking for holes in the evidence and mistakes in procedure.

She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

An itinerant deck hand is in custody for the murder of professional crab fisherman Jack Reynolds. The defense just wants a reasonable doubt, someone else to pin the crime on. But Audrey refuses to implicate another person, not without knowing for sure.

Meanwhile, an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines is accused of theft and in danger of deportation. An idealistic young lawyer is ready and willing to move heaven and earth on his behalf. So why won’t he talk?

The investigation leads Audrey through the rain-slick streets of Astoria, Oregon, among the mossy piers and boardwalks of the Skipanon Harbor, and the stormy fishing grounds of the Pacific. It’s gotten complicated, but she’s still trying to answer a simple question: Who killed Jack Reynolds?

She didn’t know she’d have to risk her own life to find out.

Investigate Astoria

Astoria, Oregon:

Oldest town west of the Mississippi.

Astoria’s location at the mouth of the Columbia River, fascinating history, and tapestry of architecture make it a natural setting for mystery and mayhem. The mighty Megler Bridge, abandoned fields of broken pilings, ancient houses and winding streets will insinuate themselves into the darkness and noir of Audrey Lake investigations.

Investigate The Author

Nichelle Seely Author of Mystery and Science Fiction Novels

Nichelle Seely

is a writer and book coach living in Colorado with her husband. She has been writing since she was a child. An eclectic reader, she dips into almost all the fiction genres and also a fair amount of non-fiction. She loves the outdoors, walking in the woods or on the beach, and bicycling. In the rainy winter she enjoys playing games, including a mean hand of cribbage.

Book Cover of A Calculated Risk, an Audrey Lake Investigation short story, by Nichelle Seely.

Investigate With Audrey Lake

Sign up for my newsletter, to receive the latest information about my writing projects and other items of interest. When you do, you’ll get a free story exclusive to subscribers.