Barb Stark Mysteries Series

Dr. Barb Stark's friendly little resort city explodes with violence as murderers, con men, scheming military special ops, motorcycle gangs and professional assassins descend on Duncan. Returning character Haley Foster provides unusual support as Barb is faced with the murder of a business partner with so many complications she has to laugh to keep from crying. Her consulting work with Chandler Security Institute throws her into violent contact with theft rings and serial killers on military bases. And she's trying to get her talk-therapy practice going again. Barb has to scramble and use her wits, will, and everything else she can get her hands on to survive and save her family. This is a fast-paced romp with abundant humor, action and romance. STARK RAVING also provides a deep look into what happens to relationships between men and women when they're deeply in love but deciding to risk their lives. And yes, Malcolm's doing his spooky-dog thing in this one, too.

Barb Stark's had a hectic year and she's working to get her foot out of a cast and get back to her psychology practice in the small resort city of Duncan, TN. She's surprised when her dapper Atlanta lawyer, Eldee Dupree, pleads for her help. He's being sued. Barb agrees to "just sit in on a couple of depositions". Soon she is eyeball-deep in high society murders, dirty money and mayhem. Her irritating father-in-law, Henry Stark, is up to his rigid neck in the mess. Back in Duncan, a new patient suffering from panic attacks begins therapy. She insists that she is soon to be killed by occult forces. And oh, yes -- she happens to be a witch herself. Barb does not believe in the occult, but that doesn't stop creatures of the night from trying to kill both Barb and her patient. Meanwhile, the men in Barb's life, Simon and Walter, have to contend with her ex-husband Ken, who wants to marry her again.

CATALYST! continues the story of Dr. Barb Stark, whose routine life changed the day that bastard son of an international crime family walked into her office requesting marriage counseling with the wife he intended to kill. The ripples of that encounter just keep coming. In Book Eight, Barb struggles with her role as a catalyst – throw her at any situation, and things explode. An international celebrity, corrupt politicians, and terrorist death squads are drawn by their own fears and ambitions to Barb’s home town of Duncan, They believe tabloid reports of her special talents and intend to use her. But dealing with Barb gets scary and soon they’re out to destroy her. She’s become a danger to their plans. But they never suspect Barb’s secret weapon – their most dangerous enemies are themselves. This is a fast-paced thriller, with mystery, suspense, romance, adventure and humor – all with a psychological focus. The good folk of Duncan are looking forward to your visit.

A band of crazed monk-mercenaries takes over the old Boy Scout camp near psychologist Barb Stark’s lake home, naming it “Camp Soul" and terrorizing the townspeople. Camp Soul has a special interest in Stark. Why and how their interest in Stark escalates into life-threatening violence sends Barb Stark and Walter Chandler into a battle of wits and wills with Camp Soul – and each other.

Roberto, CEO of the Mendez crime family, is in federal prison, thanks to psychologist Barbara Stark. The FBI wants information, but he'll talk to only one person -- that infernal woman who caged him and drove his son insane. How'd she do that? Invited in by the FBI, Barb's not sure she should do jailhouse sessions with this guy, but hey -- he's in prison. How hard could it be?

Psychologist Barb Stark has enough to do -- her recovery from a murder attempt is almost complete, but she has a complex puzzle to solve. Aunt Allie left Barb a fortune, but she also left undefined problems -- problems that put Barb squarely in the gun sights of another killer. And if that weren't enough, a religious cult leader wants to use "full blood atonement" to teach Barb to respect men.

The son of an organized crime family walks into psychologist Barbara Stark’s office seeking marital counseling with the wife he intends to murder. Therapy should cause change, but usually everyone survives talk therapy, don’t they? This time, the therapist might not survive. Barb dives into an accelerating spiral of violence, and the crime scion soon finds that therapy is his worst nightmare.

Duncan, Tennessee's county attorney is gunned down in the courthouse parking lot -- a point-blank shotgun blast in the back. Psychologist Barbara Stark was to be the prosecution's primary and sole eyewitness against Revelations 19:2 Byrd, leader of a murderous group of religious fanatics who routinely stone their wives to death when those wives age past their child-bearing years. Another attorney is assigned to Rev Byrd's trial -- but witnesses like Barb can't be replaced, and now Dr. Stark, state's witness, is squarely in the cross-hairs of the Byrd clan's sights. They have to get rid of her or lose their leader to a death sentence or life in prison. Barb isn't married to Rev Byrd, so he can't stone her to death, but the Byrd clan can think of lots of other ways to kill a pesky woman. Barb has other things on her mind -- like her love for two men, one of whom just slept with another woman. That's the problem with being an expert at ferreting out the truth -- you spot lies and evasions, even when you don't want to see them. Barb's also deep into planning the ultimate party at her estate -- for the man who just betrayed her. The county attorney's murder initiates a storm of violence that shakes the small resort city of Duncan to its core, with Barb in the eye of the storm. She realizes that if she and ex-FBI agent Walter Chandler don't solve this murder, no one will be safe in Duncan. But if Barb keeps asking questions, detecting lies and deducing uncomfortable secrets, she'll be targeted by more than Rev Byrd's numerous clan. Barb is soon involved in an escalating dance of survival while she and Walter Chandler stalk a powerful killer. Barb scrambles well, and is extraordinarily hard to kill, but this time maybe her luck has finally run out. TO KILL AN ECHO, the fifth in the Barb Stark series, continues the fast-paced style of the first four novels. The action, the humor, the romance, and the intricate plot lines will entrap you. You'll be treated to suspense, mystery, and frightening moments interspersed with times you'll stop to have a personal insight or chuckle and laugh out loud -- but you'll keep turning pages past your bedtime, lost in Appalachia's beautiful lake country or the world of the very rich in Atlanta. Whether you start with the introductory first book, BLONDE JOKE, or jump into the series at one of the others in the five-book series, you'll find Barb Stark's adventures to be your perfect escape route when you want to curl up with a good entertaining read.