Bøker av Edward Kendrick

My name is Shaun Marlow and I write mysteries. When I inherited my grandfather's house, a couple of miles from the town of Winterdale, I packed up and moved into it. I wanted the serenity of small town life and chance to fully involve myself in my writing without the distractions of city living. Little did I know that wasn't going to happen. Within a few days of the move I met three men, all gay but then so am I, and we became friends. I had no expectations of more because I find relationships almost impossible to maintain -- my fault, I know, but it is what it is. I also met a stray cat. I named him Laird after he decided I was going to be his person. If it wasn't for him things might have turned out quite differently in my new life. Then there was the disappearance, and ultimate murder, of Norma Willows, the town gossip and flirt. I became involved because she came on to me more than once. Lucky me? One of my new friends was the sheriff, Alan Quinn, who didn't really object when I stuck my nose into the case, once he decided I hadn't killed her. Last but not least, I managed to obtain a stalker, much to my and Alan's dismay. Yes, my new life was definitely turning out to be much more interesting than I'd expected.

Ash Logan is a freelance computer consultant ... and a professional thief. A thief with honor, he believes, as he only retrieves items that have been stole from someone, returning them to the original owners. He is also a loner, almost a prerequisite all things considered. He has second thoughts about that when he meets Mark Goode and they become friends with benefits. When Mark figures out Ash is a thief, he claims to be one as well. After some consideration, Ash agrees to take him along on his next job -- retrieving a stolen statuette. When Mark betrays him by taking the statuette from him at gun point, Ash vows to get even. It will take all his skills as both a computer expert and a thief, but he has time and incentive, especially when he finds out who Mark really is -- Pete Dixon. What happens next is complicated and may change both their lives, if they can survive a crooked art collector who wants Pete dead.

What would you do if you awoke from a coma to discover you could sense vampires? Burke didn't believe such creatures existed until it happened to him. Horrified, but accepting what he now knew was the truth, he vowed to eliminate them, destroying any who he could tell were not benign. Vampire Reynaud has been charged by his King to find the person they've dubbed The Hunter and end his existence before he kills more of their kind. The problem is, how can he find one human in the masses living in New Orleans? It turned out to be easier than he anticipated, although he didn't know it until events transpired that revealed his new, human, friend was the also The Hunter. Will the saying opposites attract prove true, or will these two men who have begun to care for each other be torn apart by their differences?

Philip lives alone with his dog Barnabas, miles from the nearest mountain town. Late one evening, while he and Barnabas are out running, they are attacked by a very handsome male. Philip shoots him, immediately regrets it, and brings him home to deal with his wounds. Soon he realizes there is something very different about the man, beginning with the fact he is unable to speak or understand English. Adam is different. Other than recalling his name, Ád-hamh, he has no memories, including why he ended up naked in a cave high in the mountains above Philip's house. He survived on the blood of animals he kills, until the night Philip finds him and brings him home. Slowly, Philip teaches Adam about his new life. In the process, he discovers things about Adam that will change both their lives forever.

A cannibalistic serial killer targeting gay men is on the loose. Devin, who has become increasingly erratic in the last two months, just split up with Gary, his lover of three years. Vanni, a habitué of the gay clubs, makes extra spending money on his knees in the club johns. Is one of these men the killer? Or will one of them instead become the killer's next target? Detective Hollis Robbins is in charge of the case. He intends to stop the killer, if he can. When the killer strikes again the four men's lives intertwine as the search for the murderer intensifies. Will the attraction that two of them begin to feel for each other survive the hunt? Do they have the strength to continue on after tragedy strikes and teaches them that love can be bittersweet?

Well-known artist Ellis Williams is in a slump and feeling all his fifty-three years. He's lost the joy which used to permeate his painting and despairs of ever regaining it. It doesn't help when he runs into a young man who comes on to him to win a bet, thus destroying more of Ellis's confidence. Then, at a party, Ellis meets Martin Lovell, a man his age whose partner died soon after they adopted their son. Will these two middle-aged men learn they should never let go of hope? Or is it too late for men their age to open themselves to the possibility of love and being loved? NOTE: The paperback also contains the story, Let Go of Loneliness. When Byron, single and alone, moves into a new condo complex, he meets another resident, Jonah -- also single, and alone since his breakup with his much younger lover. The two middle-aged men become friends, sharing a common interest in gardening. As their friendship deepens, each man wonders if he has found someone he could learn to care for. Or are they now too old for friendship to turn to love?

Artist Wynn McGuire has a problem. An enemy wants him dead. Sheriff Mick Greene also has problems. Helping Wynn survive and finding the elusive "Snow Cat" that is prowling outside his small mountain town. Wynn and Mick have another problem as well, their growing interest in each other. When Wynn disappears Mick is certain he's either dead or has gone back to his old life. Then he discovers the truth about Wynn, just days before Wynn comes back into his life. Will this truth, plus Mick's ex-lover and another man seeking to kill Wynn force them apart, or can they surmount the obstacles and learn that love indeed conquers all.

When his lover is killed while they're on a job, Kegan goes into seclusion, vowing never to return to the Agency, the covert organization they worked for. His handler has other ideas, tricking Kegan into coming back, then partnering him with Gage to find and eliminate Ash, a rogue operative. Kegan and Gage locate Ash only to discover he's on the run because he found out that Patterson, the head of the Agency, is not what he seems. When the three men team up to bring Patterson down, will their budding personal relationship save them -- or get them killed?

Nineteen-year-old Joe has been living on the streets since escaping from a sex-trafficking ring. When a blizzard hits the city, he takes a chance, accepting Derek Clarke's offer of a place to stay for the night. It wouldn't have happened if Derek hadn't been doing a stake-out in the alley at just the right time and taken pity on Joe. The blizzard leaves the two men housebound for the next few days, and they begin to bond as Derek teaches Joe some of what being a private detective involves. Loath to let Joe return to the streets when the weather clears, Derek offers him a job as his apprentice, while allowing him to continue staying in his guestroom. Can their relationship grow from friendship to more, in spite of traumas in their pasts, or will Joe's fear of physical commitment ultimately drive them apart?

A C21 Story Sean Miller is a professional thief. When he breaks into the home of C21 handler Jonah and is discovered, Jonah makes him an offer he can't resist -- join the covert organization and put his talents to a more legitimate use. C21 skirts the edges of the law, bringing criminals to justice that the police can't seem to catch, and they could use someone with Sean's talents. For his first job, Sean is teamed with Ken Ward, one of Jonah's men, to bring down a phony adoption racket. In the process, Sean fights his growing interest in Ken, certain it won't be reciprocated. Is he right? Or will the two men become more than just partners when they are teamed up again to stop a gang of jewel thieves? NOTE: The paperback also contains the story, Tate's Quandary. What's a C21 operative to do when his partner is kidnapped? In Tate's case, he unwillingly hooks up with Van, an FBI agent and his ex lover, to rescue Gwen from Barone, who runs a prostitution ring they are trying to shut down. Can Tate and Van put aside their past, to find Gwen and stop Barone? Or will working together only destroy the last vestiges of what they once felt for each other?

Sequel to Wrong Side of the Law Bored with the repetitiveness of his job as an actor, Dante Hathaway comes up with what he thinks is the perfect solution. He and his lover, Kade Benton, should rob a jewelry store. After all, with his theatrical training and Kade's makeup proficiency, they ought to be able to carry it off with no problems. They do, and elated by their success, they decide to hit up a gallery next. They are stopped in the nick of time by Dirk Steele and Maverick, who point out that they know a good deal less than they think about what it takes to pull off a successful caper. That might have been the end of their criminal careers if Dirk and Maverick hadn't decided their theatrical skills could be useful to their team of topnotch thieves. When they're offered a place on the team, Dante and Kade accept, and soon discover that boredom might have been the least of their worries.

To some who know him, Jax -- under the name Jackson Martin -- is a reputable restorer of antiquarian books. To others, in various guises, he's a man who double-crosses thieves, relieving them of what wasn't theirs to begin with ... although he doesn't return the stolen goods to their original owners. That isn't his thing. When he's hired by Donovan, a book collector, to restore a damaged atlas, Jax meets the young man who runs Donovan's side interest, a no-kill animal shelter. Noel is wary of Jackson for reasons he can't explain. It doesn't stop him from finding Jax interesting ... an interest Jax returns despite knowing it will go nowhere. Then Keegan, Jax's mortal enemy, appears bent on killing him. Will Jax be able to stop him before that happens? And will what he and Noel learn about each other end their budding relationship before it can become something more?

Scene designer Charlie Cox is in a clandestine relationship with the theater's lead actor, Ricky Moore. Charlie knows it will never be more than that because Ricky is too egotistical to want to be seen in public with a man who has deep burn scars on one arm. Not that Charlie blames him, since he's certain he's a freak in almost everyone's eyes. Jace Parish, the scene shop boss, is in love with Charlie but will never let him know. Jace thinks he's uninteresting because he's thirty and starting to bald, which makes him look middle-aged. He also has never admitted to anyone he works with that he's gay. Liam Dolan owns the gym where Jace comes to work out his anger and frustration. Liam has been drawn to Jace from the beginning but believes Jace is straight, so has never revealed his feelings to Jace. Ricky Moore knows he is using Charlie for his own selfish ends. What Ricky can't figure out is why, when he can and does have anyone he wants in his bed, he keeps coming back to Charlie. These four men have preconceived ideas about themselves and each other. What will it take for them to realize love is possible, if they will only give it a chance?

Horribly abused by his mother, Van eventually goes in search of his father. When he finds him, his life is radically changed. His father works for the FBI, and has contacts to a covert group, run by the Old Man, that goes after the worst of the worst criminals. Van is recruited to join both -- and does. Van handles every job he's sent on with cold efficiency, letting nothing stand in his way of gaining the information he seeks and stopping his foes. Eventually, he's offered a team of his own within the Old Man's organization. He accepts, with one caveat -- none of them can be female. Because of his mother, the only woman he has ever trusted is his handler, Makie. His attitude takes a hit when he meets Ginna, a cop, while on a job for the Old Man. When it's over, much to the shock of everyone involved, he requests that she be added to his team if she's willing -- which she is, as long as the organization can promise to keep her young son safe while she's on assignments. Ginna fits in well with the team, and though she is appalled at some of the tactics Van uses to gain information, she finds herself attracted to him. Can she break through the walls he's erected around his emotions? If so, then what? Only time will tell.

When Spence Harden and Jeff, his writing partner and sometime lover, move into the house once owned by Spence's murdered parents, they have no idea what awaits them. First, they discover someone is stealing items from them, but have no clue who, or why. And then the unthinkable happens. Jeff is killed and Spence is framed for his murder. Crime reporter Gregg Rowe wants to help Spence clear his name. All Spence needs to do is decide if he believes Gregg, or if the man himself is the killer. Once Gregg convinces Spence he's telling the truth, the pair set out to discover if there is a connection between Jeff's murder and that of Spence's parents ten years earlier ... while fighting their growing attraction to each other.

Undercover cop Dan Hudson is framed for blackmail and kicked off the NOPD force. Enraged about that, and the fact that his lover refuses to stand by him, Dan moves to Denver, where he becomes Dirk Steele. He finds a job working for the Powells, who are pawnbrokers ... and fences. When he proposes to them that he put together a team to steal on demand for the Powells' less than legitimate clients, a deal is struck and the team is formed. The team consists of Maverick, a thief; Tripp, a street kid who shoplifts to survive; and Fey, another street kid who is an excellent pickpocket and petty thief. Now the question becomes, will the team succeed? And, equally important, will the attraction between Dirk, who has sworn off love, and Maverick -- whose credo is only down and dirty sex -- grow into something more? Or will they remain just 'friends with benefits'? Time will tell as the team takes on increasingly difficult jobs and a man from Dirk's past shows up who could possibly throw a monkey wrench into the works.

Castien, an elf mage who cannot speak except with the aid of a magical dagger, has been captured while on a mission. He is freed by his companion, the warrior elf Daeron, and returns with him to Daeron's homeland. There they will join forces to rid the land of a Lord bent on the destruction of the elves. Theirn, a young half-elf thief, attempts to rob Castien during his stay at an inn and is caught by the mage. Much against Theirn's will, he is enlisted into the group of rebel elves. But as Theirn's infatuation with Castien grows, he becomes more than eager to risk treachery, betrayal, and even death on dangerous missions just to be close to the man he is growing to love.

Beau, thirty-five, is a gangland enforcer who has gone into hiding rather than following the orders of his boss, Mercer, to harm a rival's kid. Now, all Beau wants to do is eliminate Mercer before getting out of town. When Rick, an eighteen-year-old denizen of the streets, witnesses Beau killing one of Mercer's men who has found him, Beau takes Rick under his wing instead of killing him, as well. He offers Rick a place to stay while he figures out how to put his plan to take Mercer out into action -- without ending up dead himself. Befriending Rick is an act Beau may come to regret. Rick convinces Beau to take him along when he leaves town -- thus working his way into Beau's dangerous life on the run -- and perhaps, into his heart, if Beau can come to grips with the fact that Rick is half his age. Note: This story contains scenes of graphic violence.

Kicked out of his home at eighteen, Cole ends up at The Haven, a drop-in spot for homeless teens, run by Adam Franks. Unable to spend the nights there, he ends up sleeping rough, is attacked by a pair of punks -- and rescued by a Bullmastiff he names Bull.Cole and Bull become inseparable. Cole also meets, and is attracted to, Ky, a friend of Adam's, who twice saves Cole from more attackers. After the second attack, things suddenly change in Cole's life when he finds out why someone seems to be after him.Will Ky be able to convince Cole he's told him is the truth, while dealing with his own attraction to Cole? And can Ky and his friends keep Cole safe from a man who claims to be Cole's real father?

What would you do if you turned eighteen, with your whole life ahead of you, only to find out you were a dhampir, destined to spend your nights hunting vampires? Would you accept your fate, or walk away? Galen faces that decision, and makes the right choice. By the time he's twenty-five, he's an expert at what he does. Then fate intervenes when a powerful elf emerges who wants to rule the world. Will Galen, with the help of his father Rénald, a loup garou named Marc, and two elves, Ian and Ewan, be able to foil the rogue elf's plan? And, in the process, can Galen find true love ... without dying before that happens?

Dirk Raynell is the half-elf son of Lex, the elf who founded the magical team. But he isn't certain he wants to become a member, even after he meets its charismatic and very gay Elven leader Tonio. The team is comprised of Felan, a wolf-shifter; Reni, a vampire witch; Mattie, a human witch; and Bay, a human warlock who is cursed to come back each time he dies at the age he was at his first death. The sixth, unofficial member is Nina, Tonio's twin sister and a healer. Then Dirk becomes embroiled in the jobs the team does, including taking down a mobster and trying to eliminate a very evil sorcerer. Along the way he falls for Bay and discovers swirling undercurrents within the team which could determine if they can successfully stop the sorcerer before he destroys them all. NOTE: Also contains an M/F romance, but the erotic scenes are only M/M.

Four gay mystery thrillers by best-selling author Edward Kendrick. Contains the stories: Murder on Rainbow Lane: My name is Adam Moore, and I am not a happy camper at the moment. Someone is killing the residents on Rainbow Lane cul-de-sac. If that wasn't bad enough, they're trying to frame me for the murders. My only hope of proving my innocence? Detective Steve Jarrett ... if I can convince him I'm not the man he's looking for. Although he may be the man I've been looking for all my life. Premonitions: When Daniel moves into the house he inherited, he gets premonitions something isn't right. Then he meets Griffin, who lives off the grid, and they become friends. Daniel's ex appears, suggesting Daniel turn the house into a restaurant, with his help. When Daniel refuses, bad things start to happen. As the attraction between Daniel and Griffin grows stronger, will they survive what Ray does next? The Elevator Murders: When Tony finds a dead man in the elevator at his apartment building, he and his friends try to solve the murder. Kirk, an admitted playboy, tries to help them, but is rebuffed until he finally explains to Tony why he's the way he is. What Tony learns about Kirk, plus a third murder, changes everything, as Tony tries to deal with his feelings for Kirk while not becoming the next murder victim. The Hitchhiker Murders: When married PIs Brent and Quinn Collins are hired to find Andrew, who disappeared while hitchhiking, little do they know they will become embroiled in murder. Two other young men have gone missing under similar circumstances, their bodies found buried in the mountains. Brent and Quinn believe they know who is responsible for the killings. Can they prove it without ending up dead themselves?

Vampire Philip Archer and his team of successful art thieves -- black panther shifter Duff, ghost Rob, and Duff's human girlfriend Liddy -- are asked by the handsome Ian Croft, a potential client, to break with tradition and rescue a kidnapped child. When the caper turns out rather differently than expected, Philip is bitterly reminded why he has remained single for so long. Yet, surrounded as he is by loving friends, he is not desperate. This is why, when he meets the newly-made vampire Ephram, he suppresses his attraction and focuses on being a mentor to the Fledgling. Ephram was turned by Virgil Ionescu, an ancient vampire known for casting off his Children before they are ready. Living off the streets, Ephram's future is precarious until he meets Philip. Ephram is immediately attracted to Philip and only too happy to be taken under his wing and taught the skills of surviving in modern New Orleans. But Philip keeps secrets. Ephram can sense it, but he can't penetrate the thousand-year-old Philip's reserve. What will Ephram do when he discovers the big secret his new group of friends are keeping from him? Will his love for Philip trump all, or will he betray them? And, to complicate matters, Ionescu arrives unexpectedly in town, coming to check on his Child.

When ex-priest Mark Collins is suddenly catapulted to fame as a super-model he discovers there is more to it than he expected. With the help of Paul, his boss's assistant he manages to weather the promotional gigs. Then there is his blossoming involvement with Angelo, a police detective he met soon after arriving in the city. Everything is thrown into disarray when he finds out his boss may be trafficking with the Mafia. When he's attacked, his life soon becomes a game of who to trust. Will it be Angelo or the very appealing FBI agent who puts him into protective custody to keep him alive until he can testify?

Steve Richmond's day off begins normally enough. Then, he's abducted by someone who thinks he had information they needed about one Nate Loman. Only the intervention by the man's partner keeps Steve from suffering a beating ... or worse. It seems he was not the 'Steve Richmond' they were looking for. Thanks to his ex, Steve is put in touch with Jace Evans, a bodyguard who is willing to protect Steve from his kidnappers if they came after him again. His fee? Twenty a day and a few home-cooked meals. From there, things get complicated. First, someone tries to get into Steve's place but Jace sends them packing. Then, Jace comes up with information about Loman and why people are looking for him. What he learns brings both Loman and his enemies out of the woodwork, putting Steve in greater danger. Can they trust what Loman tells them becomes the ultimate question. And will they survive long enough to separate the truth from the lies while dealing with their growing attraction to each other?

When Dylan Russell unintentionally kills his ex-lover, Tommy, he knows he's in trouble. Then he meets a man named Mars Marsden who offers him a solution -- join the covert organization C21. An outfit made up of good men and women who ended up on the wrong side of the law, C21 now gives these people a chance to track and punish those criminals to whom the law doesn't seem to apply. Dylan should fit right in. After meeting Mars' handler, Dylan learns Tommy was an arms trafficker. Somewhat reluctantly, he agrees to go undercover to help bring down the rest of Tommy's gang. After this dangerous induction into his new life, Dylan is sent for training. But Dylan is a marked man. Not only are the police looking for him, but when one of Tommy's old colleagues discovers where Dylan is being trained, things get interesting. Can he and Mars survive the jobs they're sent on? And, more importantly, can their purely sexual relationship deepen into something more before the work they do tears them apart?

When Terry and Kel Coleman run from their abusive father, they end up in Denver. The day they arrive, they meet three street kids named Rudy, Snap, and Josie. The brothers move into the trio's squat where Rudy and the others teach Terry and Kel the ins-and-outs of survival on the streets. While that happens, Terry and Rudy are drawn to each other and begin a tentative relationship. Then Kel is almost kidnapped by a man sent by his father to bring him home. Forced to leave their squat to keep Kel safe, they turn to a local pastor for help. Thanks to the pastor, the five young people may find hope for their future -- if they can survive the present. In the process, can the budding relationship between Terry and Rudy survive, or will it be torn apart by the life they're forced to live?

Caiden McNeil is a special being, a metamorph who can become any human necessary to stop the criminals his elven boss Zander sends him after. Caiden is also a loner, unable to trust anyone on an emotional level. He has reason to feel this way: in his over eight-hundred years, he has learned that caring for someone only leads to despair. After all, how could a human accept him for what he is really is, an immortal who will never seem to grow older than his apparent age of twenty-eight? Then two men come into Caiden's life -- Leander, a cougar shifter, and Theirn, a half-elf. Either may betray Caiden and his belief that their feelings for him are real. On the other hand, is one of them willing to fight to prove love is possible, if Caiden will only give it a chance?

A murder in a small Colorado town closely resembles unsolved crimes committed by a serial killer almost thirty years ago. Private investigator Teague Donovan learns of the recent murder and is instantly drawn to the case, because one of the victims in the past was his best friend, and he is determined to bring the killer to justice. Hoyt Newman, the detective in charge of the most recent case, is none too happy with Teague's interfering. At least not until a second homeless boy is tortured and killed. As the two men work together, they begin to develop an interest in each other -- one that seems fated not to come to fruition since Teague is city, through and through, and Hoyt is definitely country to the core.

When the first note shows up at the restaurant where he works -- when he isn't designing costumes for a local theater -- Jim Foster laughs it off. When the notes keep coming, he doesn't find the fact that he might have a secret admirer quite so amusing. Alan North, a lonely, bookish customer at the restaurant, is too shy to even think of talking to Jim -- as much as he wants to. Then the killings begin. Two of Jim's friends are murdered in what appear to be muggings. However, the detective in charge of the cases believes they're more than that, and that Jim is either the killer ... or being stalked by one. When Jim and Alan finally connect, can they help find and stop the stalker, or will Alan end up dead before their budding relationship can become more than friendship?