Cypress Coast Series by Alison Henderson

Desperate to escape her abusive fiancé, kinetic sculptor Laurel McDowell pawns her engagement ring, loads everything she owns into her VW Beetle, and heads for the sanctuary of her family home in Big Sur. She lands a job in an art gallery in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea and begins a new life... moreDesperate to escape her abusive fiancé, kinetic sculptor Laurel McDowell pawns her engagement ring, loads everything she owns into her VW Beetle, and heads for the sanctuary of her family home in Big Sur. She lands a job in an art gallery in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea and begins a new life. After her ex’s body washes up on the beach, Laurel finds herself dragged into a scheme involving money-laundering Russians, a pair of amiable biker gang members, and a good-looking government number-cruncher who’s more comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts than a suit. As a forensic accountant for the FBI, Jake Carlson is used to nailing bad guys by following the money trail. His current investigation is floundering until he meets Laurel McDowell, a young woman with connections to an alarming number of his suspects. Is she a witness, an accomplice, or a victim? All he has to do is to keep her alive long enough to find out. less

After a long string of dating disasters, Sage McDowell has reason to be leery of men. She prefers to spend her time managing an organic farm in idyllic Carmel Valley, California, and making raku pottery for the gallery she owns with her sisters. But when two men from her past resurface, her well-ordered life turns upside down. Adam Wingate, her “almost” prom date, returns to the valley to take over the helm of his family’s vineyard and winery... moreAfter a long string of dating disasters, Sage McDowell has reason to be leery of men. She prefers to spend her time managing an organic farm in idyllic Carmel Valley, California, and making raku pottery for the gallery she owns with her sisters. But when two men from her past resurface, her well-ordered life turns upside down. Adam Wingate, her “almost” prom date, returns to the valley to take over the helm of his family’s vineyard and winery. And Spencer Silveira, her high school tormentor, persistently tries to push her beloved elderly employer into a shady real estate deal.When Spencer is found murdered, Sage and Adam must join forces to unravel a tangled web of events before becoming the killer’s next victims, all while navigating the growing attraction between them. Their quest is sometimes threatened, sometimes aided, by a sinister drug cartel, a mysterious restauranteur, and a pair of high-flying turkeys named Wilbur and Orville. Welcome to mayhem in paradise. less

Ruthless human traffickers and a relentless FBI agent spell double trouble for a budding glass artist.Glassblower Angelica McDowell has aspired to be a full-time artist since she was a child growing up in Big Sur. When presented with a career-changing commission, she dares to believe her dreams might come true... moreRuthless human traffickers and a relentless FBI agent spell double trouble for a budding glass artist.Glassblower Angelica McDowell has aspired to be a full-time artist since she was a child growing up in Big Sur. When presented with a career-changing commission, she dares to believe her dreams might come true. However, the discovery of a desperate young woman on her doorstep and the subsequent murder of her shady landlord threaten to drag Angelica into a dark underworld, destroying her hopes, and possibly her life.FBI Special Agent Hunter Blackstone, accompanied by his irrepressible pug, Jocko, has come to Monterey to join a task force pursuing a gang of international human traffickers. When he meets Angelica, he is immediately attracted by her bright wit and sunny disposition. But when she’s inadvertently drawn into his case by a pair of seemingly unconnected deaths, the stakes in their budding relationship soar, and he finds himself in a race against time to prevent her from becoming another victim. less