Have you ever been sure—deep in your bones—that something wasn’t right, even when all the evidence said otherwise?

That’s the question at the heart of Judge, Jury, & Executioner, the newest installment in my Steadman Mysteries series. And it’s a question that Chief Deputy Randall Steadman can’t stop asking after the death of his colleague, Deputy Sarah Jenkins.

It’s officially ruled a drunk driving accident. Open and shut.

But Sarah didn’t drink. And Steadman knows it.

There’s a lot at stake

This sixth book in the series has been an especially meaningful one to write. Not only because it deals with the kind of moral complexity I love exploring, but because it asks something we’ve all had to reckon with at some point: What do you do when the truth puts everything you care about at risk?

For Steadman, the answer means digging into a powerful local family whose influence reaches far beyond the borders of Mason County. It means withstanding pressure from inside his own department. And it means holding fast to empathy in a system that often treats it like a liability.

If you’ve followed Steadman and Frost from their early days, you’ll find echoes of the same themes here—loyalty, truth, and the long shadows of buried secrets. And if you’re new to the series, this story stands on its own, inviting you into a world where the stakes are high and the human heart is always part of the investigation.

What’s at the heart of the book

Let me share a snippet from the back cover:

Determined to uncover the truth, Steadman and his partner, Deputy Frost, begin digging into a powerful local family whose political influence stretches far beyond rural Mason County, Washington.

What starts as a quiet investigation soon spirals into a dangerous game of cover-ups, intimidation, and corruption.

With each new clue, the cost of pursuing justice climbs—and so does the risk factor.

In a flawed system where morality sometimes counts as a liability, Steadman’s empathy might be the one thing that destroys him—or saves them all.

As a reader, I crave stories that linger—that leave me with something to chew on after the last page. I hope Judge, Jury, & Executioner delivers that for you.

Whether you’re drawn to tightly plotted mysteries, character-driven crime fiction, or the kind of story that wrestles with truth and consequence, I invite you to check it out.

It’s available now, and I’d love to hear what you think.

How about you? Have you ever sensed something was off—and followed that hunch into unexpected territory? Tell us in the comments.