Stefan Kopriva Mystery Series

When disgraced former cop Stefan Kopriva is asked by an old high school classmate to find a runaway sixteen year old girl, he reluctantly accepts. Driven by guilt over a terrible mistake that drove him from the force more than ten years earlier, Kopriva battles old injuries, old demons and long ago memories as he unravels the mystery of the missing Kris Sinderling...and seeks his own redemption.

A city councilman is dead of an apparent suicide. Ex-cop Stefan Kopriva finds himself drawn into the case, serving an unlikely client. Once involved, he discovers that things are not as they seem. Kopriva is quickly embroiled in dirty city politics. Along the way, he encounters pimps, prostitutes, gangsters, contractors, and the police as he tries to get to the bottom of what happened, and why. That is something no one wants, so Kopriva must risk his own freedom and his very life to find the answers, no matter how deep the corruption goes.

When defense attorney Joel Harrity asks Kopriva to look into a prospective client's guilt or innocence in the murder of her husband, he reluctantly agrees. He quickly discovers that answers to even the simplest of questions are nearly impossible to find. The deeper Kopriva digs, the more no one seems to want him to find the truth behind the death of Harrity's friend. Faced with a possible murderer that won't answer questions, a police department asking the wrong people the wrong questions, and threats of violence from an unknown source, Kopriva forges on, determined to discover the truth....even if it kills him.

Former cop turned investigator Stefan Kopriva has long endured the fallout from the fatal mistake that drove him from the police force fourteen years ago. Eking out his redemption one bit at a time, Kopriva has finally reached a point in his life that finds him stable and reasonably happy. Then the mother who abandoned him when he was a toddler returns to River City and completely shakes up his world. Though professing to be sober and seeking to reconnect with her son, Kopriva is initially suspicious of her intentions. But his own desire to fill the void that she created all those years ago urges him to accept, and perhaps even forgive, her. Not only that, but the woman seems to be sincere in every way, causing Kopriva to trust her and to believe. What follows is a shocking betrayal and a murder that sends Kopriva on perhaps the darkest journey of his life. He seeks out the truth, even though it isn't what he wants it to be. For better or worse, Kopriva knows that hope dies last.

This collection includes the first three novels Stefan Kopriva mystery series: Waist Deep Lovely, Dark, and Deep Friend of the Departed Plus BONUS CONTENT: two Stefan Kopriva short stories, "Five for Fighting and a Murder Misconduct" and "Cassie." Waist Deep: When disgraced former cop Stefan Kopriva is asked by an old high school classmate to find a runaway sixteen year old girl, he reluctantly accepts. Driven by guilt over a terrible mistake that drove him from the force more than ten years earlier, Kopriva battles old injuries, old demons and long ago memories as he unravels the mystery of the missing Kris Sinderling...and seeks his own redemption. Lovely, Dark, and Deep: A city councilman is dead of an apparent suicide. Ex-cop Stefan Kopriva finds himself drawn into the case, serving an unlikely client. Once involved, he discovers that things are not as they seem. Kopriva is quickly embroiled in dirty city politics. Along the way, he encounters pimps, prostitutes, gangsters, contractors, and the police as he tries to get to the bottom of what happened, and why. That is something no one wants, so Kopriva must risk his own freedom and his very life to find the answers, no matter how deep the corruption goes. Friend of the Departed: When defense attorney Joel Harrity asks Kopriva to look into a prospective client's guilt or innocence in the murder of her husband, he reluctantly agrees. He quickly discovers that answers to even the simplest of questions are nearly impossible to find. The deeper Kopriva digs, the more no one seems to want him to find the truth behind the death of Harrity's friend. Faced with a possible murderer that won't answer questions, a police department asking the wrong people the wrong questions, and threats of violence from an unknown source, Kopriva forges on, determined to discover the truth....even if it kills him. PRAISE FOR STEFAN KOPRIVA MYSTERIES: "A powerful tale of corruption and redemption." – Brian Triplett, independent reviewer "[A]nother intense and very good read that borders on the noir designation. Frank Zafiro often writes of dark things and this is another case of that and therefore the book is not a light read in any sense. It is also yet another case of why Frank Zafiro is building an incredible career and deserves to be on your reading radar." – Kevin Tipple, independent reviewer "Zafiro nails the truth like a properly thrown jab/cross combo. You won't see it coming until it smacks you in the nose." -Colin Conway, author of the 509 series