Howard Drew Novels

When a mother and her young daughter are found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in a car parked at an overlook off a Hollywood freeway, it appears they are victims of a culturally driven parent-child suicide. LAPD Detective Howard Drew faces his first real test as a new lead homicide investigator as he follows a twisted trail of clues to find the truth in his most challenging case yet. The Pendulum is the second novel featuring Detective Howard Drew in a new fast-paced police procedural series set in Los Angeles that crime fiction fans won't want to miss. When a 3 A.M. callout sends West Bureau homicide Detective Howard Drew to an overlook above Hollywood Bowl, he finds an Asian woman and her six-year-old daughter dead inside a vehicle with a garden hose running from the exhaust pipe into a rear window. The initial evidence points to the cultural practice called oyako shinju in Japan, a ritual child-parent suicide committed after the woman was shamed by her husband's adultery. And as the truth emerges, it becomes more and more apparent that things may not be as they appear. Drew and his new partner, Detective Cici Ruiz, suspect they are being misled by someone very deceptive... very cunning... and very deadly who staged the scene to look like oyako shinju. As the detectives dig to uncover the truth, the pendulum of opinion swings back and forth. Was it child-parent suicide? Or was it a double-homicide staged to throw the homicide investigators off track? Crime fiction author Larry Darter has created a dark, fast-paced suspense thriller filled with stark realism that cuts to the very core of the crimes real life LAPD homicide detectives face. Once you start reading, there's no turning back.

Murder, corruption, and organized crime collide in the shadow of the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. In the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, lies a dark underbelly of murder, corruption, and organized crime. LAPD detective Howard Drew is about to face his toughest case yet, and it all begins in a quiet mountain neighborhood known as Wonderland in Laurel Canyon. When a brutal mass murder takes place in a two-bedroom townhouse, Howard is determined to bring the killers to justice. As he investigates, his suspicions lead him to the seedy world of drug trafficking, but what he discovers goes beyond his wildest imagination. With the help of his investigative team, Howard begins to unravel the truth, following the evidence from the LA porn industry to a strip club owner's home in Studio City. But as he gets closer to the truth, he realizes that corruption and bribery are hindering his investigation. As the case becomes more dangerous, Howard must navigate through a "garden of evil," facing obstacles at every turn. But with his own life on the line, will he be able to solve the case and survive? Readers who enjoy police procedural thrillers like "The Black Dahlia" will be on the edge of their seats with this gripping crime novel set in the shadow of the Hollywood Hills.