River City Series

River City, WA. 1994 A violent robber is loose in River City. Meet the cops that must take him down. Stefan Kopriva, a young hotshot. Katie MacLeod, a strong woman in what is still mostly a man's world. Karl Winter, about to retire but with one more good bust left in him. And Thomas Chisolm, a former Green Beret who knows how dangerous a man like the Scarface Robber can be. These are the patrol officers of River City – that mythical thin blue line between society and anarchy. They must stop the robber, all the while juggling divorces, love affairs, internal politics, a hostile media, vengeful gang members and a civilian population that isn't always understanding or even grateful. Written by a real cop with real experience, Under a Raging Moon is like a paperback ride-along. Enjoy the ride.

River City is plagued by a serial rapist. His attacks are becoming more brutal. Detective John Tower is sure that he'll go from rape to murder if he isn't stopped soon. When a series of mis-steps and near misses push the rapist even further, everyone involved -- Tower, Officer Katie MacLeod and Officer Thomas Chisolm -- must face their old fears...or be destroyed by them.

Russian gangs are taking over the River City underworld. The men and women of the police department are the last line of defense against the former Soviet bloc criminals. But both groups will soon learn how far the other will go to win this battle. They'll learn that the price of victory can be high. They'll learn that sometimes blood flows...And Every Man Has to Die.

When a six-year-old girl is kidnapped off a residential street in broad daylight, every cop in River City must rise to heroic levels. Detectives scramble to solve the kidnapping. Patrol officers comb the streets looking for the missing girl. Racing against time, every cop on the job focuses on finding her. Before it is too late. Before they fail her.

It is December 1999, and the spectre of Y2K hangs over the police department. More menacing yet, officers respond to a hate-fueled home invasion robbery. As the entirety of the River City Police Department prepare for possible chaos when the calendar turns over to the year 2000, they also must stop a gang of white supremacists who plan to use that same chaos to mask their biggest crime yet. Meanwhile, Officer Katie MacLeod falls under the suspicion of Internal Affairs. Officer Thomas Chisolm tries to keep the remnants of his platoon intact. Officer Connor O'Sullivan mourns the loss of his partner while he tries to care for the fallen officer's family.  In spite of these significant, real life struggles on and off the job, the men and women of RCPD strive to stop the brtual robberies, to do what is right, and to survive.

Times are tough for the River City Police Department. The city budget is collapsing, forcing an already understaffed department to contemplate laying off cops. The community is upset over the handling of recent events, and their anger is impacting the agency from the ground up. Negotiations with the police union are somehow both heated and stagnant at the same time. To "fix" the problem, the mayor appoints a new chief, but the cure may be worse than the disease.   Worse yet, a killer is stalking the streets of River City, targeting vulnerable women. Rookie detective Katie MacLeod is assigned to assist in the effort to stop him but the case is stymied. Somehow, the men and women of RCPD have to put aside all of the distractions and focus on their jobs – to serve and to protect.   A River City Crime Novel #7 Takes place in 2003.

An ex-cop looking for redemption...an American man and an Irish lass intertwined in love and violence...a cop with a conscience that he doesn't always listen to...a retired cop looking to repair a broken relationship with his drug-addicted son...a Yankee cop in the West Texas...these are the characters you'll meet and explore in No Good Deed. Written by the author of the River City crime novels.

Detectives and mobsters, missing mummies and a shootout with Gypsies – here are fifteen stories featuring major and minor characters from the novels of Frank Zafiro, now given their own chance to shine. The good, the bad, and the in-between of River City come together in this fast-paced collection of theft, mystery, murder and detection, where the heroes of River City will keep fighting until the scales of justice are once again…Dead Even.

It is the nightmare of every community – a school shooting.   When a disturbed teenager masterminds this terrible event, everyone in River City is plunged into the darkness that surrounds it. The students and teachers try to survive, and the men and women of RCPD try to save them. But when things go horribly wrong, everyone seems to be looking elsewhere for someone to blame.   Officer Katie MacLeod is among many who discover that the nightmare doesn't end when the shooting stops.   Takes place in 2001.

How deep into the sex slave industry will you go to save someone you love? How far will your duty take you? On the surface, Heather Williams buys and sells young women in a burgeoning underground sex trade. But not everything is as it seems. She is really "Gus" MacIntyre, and undercover detective, targeting human traffickers and rescuing the desperate women they enslave. But how far will she go to stop them? And where does her job end, and duty begin? "Bull" Porter seems like a prototypical macho hunter who owns a sporting goods store. But when his niece Taylor suddenly disappears, he plunges into the search for her with the same ferocity he stalks prey in the wilderness. The only difference is that this hunt takes place on the dirty streets of the city's underbelly, and the hunted can turn the tables in an instant. How far will Bull go to save his niece? As Gus and Bull battle with human traffickers to recover Taylor, both must face their own struggles and secrets…and eventually each other. Faced with political pressure and a ticking clock, they soon realize that nothing is free in this world. Nothing comes easy. For everything, there is a trade-off. The Trade Off is written in a dual first person narrative format, giving the reader the intimacy of the first person as well as the breadth of knowledge that comes with third person narrations. An additional point of interest for the reader: the male character of Bull was written by Bonnie R. Paulson, while Frank Zafiro wrote the female character of Gus.

fter two tours in Vietnam and 25 years as a police officer, Thomas Chisolm is looking forward to a quiet retirement. That hope is quickly shattered when Mai, a ghost from his past, finds him and demands justice for the horrors she suffered during the Vietnam War…horrors Chisolm couldn't save her from. Now Chisolm must find the man responsible and bring him to justice to repay an old debt and in the hopes of putting his own demons to rest…once and for all. Chisolm's Debt is written by River City author Frank Zafiro and features one of River City's iconic characters. Follow Chisolm on his search as he explores the nature of moral debt, war, forgiveness, and guilt on his way to an explosive ending.

A young woman has been murdered in River City. Police Detective John Tower is assigned to the case but there are few clues to go on. As he digs into the case, he's soon picking up hints that this murder may not be the killer's first ... or his last. Virgil Kelly lives in the shadowy world of the criminal underground. He's just arrived in River City with a single-minded mission: find his daughter's killer and bury him. In his search for a murderer, Tower uses his experience and training along with all the expertise of modern forensics. In the hunt for his prey, Kelley uses intimidation and violence, tools which he wields with precision and anger. Virgil Kelley and John Tower are on a collision course. Somebody is going to die. River City will never be the same.

This River City Series collection contains books 4-6 in the series, AND EVERY MAN HAS TO DIE, THE MENACE OF THE YEARS, and PLACE OF WRATH AND TEARS.   AND EVERY MAN HAS TO DIE (#4) Every city has organized crime. But only River City has a Russian gangster like Valeriy. He's meticulous, cunning, and willing to sacrifice anything–and anyone–to see his conquest through. In Val's way are the men and women of the River City Police Department, including rookie B.J. Carson. She's trying to fill the shoes of a well-respected officer while the pressures of patrol and her own past catch up to her. She and her colleagues must unite and work together with a former River City cop turned FBI agent to face down the single biggest organized crime threat River City has ever seen. This novel explores what honor and courage mean on both sides of the law, weaving a complex and engrossing story of crime, justice, and relationships. There are plotters and detectives, usurpers and leaders. Plans within plans. And in the end the price of victory and justice can both be high…and every man has to die. Takes place in 1998.   THE MENACE OF THE YEARS (#5) It is December 1999, and the spectre of Y2K hangs over the police department. More menacing yet, officers respond to a hate-fueled home invasion robbery. As the entirety of the River City Police Department prepare for possible chaos when the calendar turns over to the year 2000, they also must stop a gang of white supremacists who plan to use that same chaos to mask their biggest crime yet. Meanwhile, Officer Katie MacLeod falls under the suspicion of Internal Affairs. Officer Thomas Chisolm tries to keep the remnants of his platoon intact. Officer Connor O'Sullivan mourns the loss of his partner while he tries to care for the fallen officer's family. In spite of these significant, real life struggles on and off the job, the men and women of RCPD strive to stop the brutal robberies, to do what is right, and to survive.   PLACE OF WRATH AND TEARS (#6) It is the nightmare of every community – a school shooting. When a disturbed teenager masterminds this terrible event, everyone in River City is plunged into the darkness that surrounds it. The students and teachers try to survive, and the men and women of RCPD try to save them. But when things go horribly wrong, everyone seems to be looking elsewhere for someone to blame. Officer Katie MacLeod is among many who discover that the nightmare doesn't end when the shooting stops. Takes place in 2001.

A frustrated crime scene cleaner...an off duty cop in a jam...a patrol officer who believes in a strange fate...a holier-than-thou Internal Affairs whose world gets turned upside down...plus those that are crazy, surrounded in sadness or just trying to get by - these are the many and varied characters of River City, brought to life in 17 short stories by the author of the River City crime novels.

Detective Katie MacLeod must contend with secrets from the past.   2010. River City, Washington. Detective Katie MacLeod is already working a pair of burglaries involving a suspect who cuts window screens to enter homes and steals money and drugs from elderly victims. Then she gets handed a cold missing persons case that comes with political pressure.   Katie must balance finding a dangerous burglar with discovering the fate of a woman who disappeared five years ago. As she digs into both cases, she finds frustration in one and a slew of secrets in the other.   How far will someone go to keep their secrets? Detective Katie MacLeod is about to find out.

Detective Katie MacLeod has her hands full.    It has been four years since she was promoted to detective, and after paying her dues in property crimes investigations, she has made it to the Major Crimes unit. This is where the highest profile cases land—homicides, robberies, serious assaults, and rapes. Katie catches two rapes almost back-to-back. One victim is a prostitute with an unknown suspect… who Katie fears may be gearing up for more assaults. The other victim is a college student who has accused her boyfriend, a popular baseball player, of raping her at a party.   Both cases have their own set of perils. Katie juggles her time investigating each one, encountering many obstacles—a lack of evidence in one, and wondering how to parse conflicting statements in the other.   As she battles past these difficulties, Katie faces another fact… that both cases hit home with her in very different ways. Solving them becomes more than just a job for her, but something deep-seated and personal… something that may exorcise some of her own demons from the past.   Or will they consume her?

SUGAR GOT LOW contains a tale of grifters, a prequel story to the well-regarded Ania series, several trips back to River City and one to La Sombra, Texas. Enjoy a Walter Mitty homage set in San Francisco and a deadly day in Roman Britain, the heartbreaking story of a junkie and the suspenseful one of a murderer in a black car. And at the end of it all, you'll experience the dark but inspiring title story of perseverance that was only made possible because of a misunderstood lyric.   Four-time Derringer finalist Frank Zafiro weaves a lucky thirteen tales drawn from throughout his career with one thing in common - characters you may love or hate, but will certainly feel.

This boxed set contains the first three novels in the River City series of crime fiction, including: UNDER A RAGING MOON, HEROES OFTEN FAIL, and BENEATH A WEEPING SKY.   This series follows the same ensemble cast of police officers and detectives as they face the challenges of the criminals, the police world and their own personal trials.   UNDER A RAGING MOON (#1) Takes place in 1994. A violent robber is loose in River City. Meet the cops that must take him down. Stefan Kopriva, a young hotshot. Katie MacLeod, a woman in what is still mostly a man's world. Karl Winter, about to retire but with one more good bust left in him. And Thomas Chisolm, a former Green Beret who knows how dangerous a man like the Scarface Robber can be. These are the patrol officers of River City – that mythical thin blue line between society and anarchy. They must stop the robber, all the while juggling divorces, love affairs, internal politics, a hostile media, vengeful gang members and a civilian population that isn't always understanding or even grateful. Written by a real cop with real experience, Under a Raging Moon is like a paperback ride-along. Enjoy the ride.   HEROES OFTEN FAIL (#2) Takes place in 1995. The men and women of the River City Police Department are sworn to protect and to serve. But when six-year-old girl is kidnapped off a residential street in broad daylight, each cop must rise to heroic levels. Detectives scramble to solve the kidnapping while patrol officers comb the streets looking for the missing girl. Racing against time, every cop on the job focuses on finding her. Before it is too late. Before they fail her.   BENEATH A WEEPING SKY (#3) Takes place in 1996. River City is plagued by a serial rapist. His attacks are becoming more brutal and Detective John Tower is sure that he'll go from rape to murder if he isn't stopped soon. Meanwhile, the rapes stir up ghosts for both Officer Katie MacLeod and Officer Thomas Chisolm. Both struggle to put those haunted memories to rest even as they are drawn into the center of Tower's investigation. When a series of mis-steps and near misses push the rapist even further, everyone involved must face their old fears…or be destroyed by them.

This River City Series collection contains books 10-12 in the series, NO GOOD DEED, THE WORST KIND OF TRUTH, and CHISOLM'S DEBT.   NO GOOD DEED (#10) River City short stories. An ex-cop (Stefan Kopriva) looking for redemption...an American man and an Irish lass intertwined in love and violence...a cop (Connor O'Sullivan) with a conscience that he doesn't always listen to...a retired cop (Glen Bates) looking to repair a broken relationship with his drug-addicted son...a Yankee cop in the West Texas...these are the characters you'll meet and explore in No Good Deed. Read stories that didn't make it into the novels, many of them featuring characters you know well.   Most of these stories are set in the 2006-07 time frame, but the reader will experience a little bit of a Tarantino effect with a a few of the stories that are set much earlier ("Gently Used" featuring Sully, for example, happens in 1996).   THE WORST KIND OF TRUTH (#11) Set in 2008 Detective Katie MacLeod has her hands full. It has been four years since she was promoted to detective, and after paying her dues in property crimes investigations, she has made it to the Major Crimes unit. This is where the highest profile cases land—homicides, robberies, serious assaults, and rapes. Katie catches two rapes almost back-to-back. One victim is a prostitute with an unknown suspect… who Katie fears may be gearing up for more assaults. The other victim is a college student who has accused her boyfriend, a popular baseball player, of raping her at a party. Both cases have their own set of perils. Katie juggles her time investigating each one, encountering many obstacles—a lack of evidence in one, and wondering how to parse conflicting statements in the other. As she battles past these difficulties, Katie faces another fact… that both cases hit home with her in very different ways. Solving them becomes more than just a job for her, but something deep-seated and personal… something that may exorcise some of her own demons from the past. Or will they consume her?   CHISOLM'S DEBT (#12) Set in 2010 (though it starts in 2004) After two tours in Vietnam and 25 years as a police officer, Thomas Chisolm is looking forward to a quiet retirement. That hope is quickly shattered when Mai, a ghost from his past, finds him and demands justice for the horrors she suffered during the Vietnam War…horrors Chisolm couldn't save her from. Now Chisolm must find the man responsible and bring him to justice to repay an old debt and in the hopes of putting his own demons to rest…once and for all. Chisolm's Debt is a s River City novel featuring one of series's most iconic characters. Follow Chisolm on his search as he explores the nature of moral debt, war, forgiveness, and guilt on his way to an explosive ending.

This box set contains River City Books #7, #8, and #9.   (#7) Dirty Little Town set in 2003-04 Times are tough for the River City Police Department. The city budget is collapsing, forcing an already understaffed department to contemplate laying off cops. The community is upset over the handling of recent events, and their anger is impacting the agency from the ground up. Negotiations with the police union are somehow both heated and stagnant at the same time. To "fix" the problem, the mayor appoints a new chief, but the cure may be worse than the disease. Worse yet, a killer is stalking the streets of River City, targeting vulnerable women. Rookie detective Katie MacLeod is assigned to assist in the effort to stop him but the case is stymied.   Somehow, the men and women of RCPD have to put aside all of the distractions and focus on their jobs – to serve and to protect.   (#8) Dead Even set from 2004-10 River City short stories. Detectives and mobsters, missing mummies and a shootout with Gypsies—here are fifteen short stories featuring both major and minor characters from the River City novels, now given their own chance to shine in this fast-paced collection of theft, mystery, and murder.   (#9) Some Degree of Murder set in 2005 A young woman has been murdered in River City. Police Detective John Tower is assigned to the case but there are few clues to go on. As he digs into the case, he's soon picking up hints that this murder may not be the killer's first ... or his last. Virgil Kelly lives in the shadowy world of the criminal underground. He's just arrived in River City with a single-minded mission: find his daughter's killer and bury him. In his search for a murderer, Tower uses his experience and training along with all the expertise of modern forensics. In the hunt for his prey, Kelley uses intimidation and violence, tools which he wields with precision and anger. Virgil Kelley and John Tower are on a collision course. Somebody is going to die. River City will never be the same.