Scott Drayco Mystery

A body in a rundown Opera House. Simmering resentment in a small Virginia coastal town. A missing manuscript. A dark family secret. Crime consultant and former classical pianist Scott Drayco reluctantly finds himself on Virginia's Delmarva Peninsula in Cape Unity, a dilapidated fishing village where vacation homes once provided a playground for the rich. In the center of town rises an imposing Opera House recently bequeathed by a grateful client to Drayco, whose hopes of a quick sale are soon, dashed by the ambitions of townspeople looking for civic rebirth and a new client with dreams of his own personal redemption. When the client is, murdered in the Opera House, the letter "G" mockingly carved into his chest, Drayco, assisted by the local Sheriff and his attractive Deputy, navigates a maze of illicit love affairs, hostility over immigration and coastal development and a vendetta reaching across the Atlantic into some of the darkest days of human history. Along the way, Drayco must overcome doubts about his own past that cost the lives of two innocent children on his last case, before the tensions in Cape Unity explode into more violence, and he becomes the next victim.

What if a large part of your past turned out to be a lie?Crime consultant Scott Drayco is already in the middle of a possible career-ending legal battle when word comes that his mother, who disappeared 30 years ago, is very much alive - and charged with murder. With Drayco's father washing his hands of the matter and police convinced the woman is guilty, everyone tells him he should just walk away from the case and let the chips fall where they may.Except, Drayco finds he can't leave it alone and is obsessed with uncovering the truth: Is his mother really a killer? Where has she been all these years? And why did she suddenly leave her husband and children to vanish without a trace?Investigating the murder victim's colleagues, Drayco learns there are plenty who wanted the man dead, including a shadowy stalker who seems to have a mysterious connection to Drayco's mother. As he wades hip-deep into secrets, lies, and cons, he begins to question if the case is all just part of an elaborate scam ... where the only one being fooled is Drayco himself.The Scott Drayco mystery series has been honored by the American Independent Writers, Maryland Writers Association, named Best Mystery in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and been a finalist for the Shamus and Silver Falchion Awards.The complete chronology of the Scott Drayco series for reading in order is:Played to DeathRequiem for InnocenceDies IraeElegy in ScarletThe Suicide SonataDeadly DanceMelody of MurderFatal FuguePRAISE FOR BV LAWSON'S NOVELS:"Worth putting on your reading list." - The Library Journal"Lawson's protagonist is greatly compelling." - Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize"A well-plotted mystery with wonderfully drawn characters." - Long and Short Reviews"Lawson's book was so good, I read it twice from beginning to end." - Readers Favorite Reviews Past career hats BV Lawson tried on include maid, super-speedy typist, classical musician, radio announcer, being in TV commercials (for all of one day), research assistant, TV features writer and working for the Discovery Channel. Now a full-time freelance writer, she's penned articles for various publications and won awards for her many published stories and poems.Thanks to the influence of library genes handed down from her mother, she created the blog In Reference to Murder which contains over 3,000 links for mystery readers and writers. She's working on a series of crime fiction novels set in various locations in and around the mid-Atlantic, and when time permits, BV and her husband enjoy flying over Northern Virginia and the Chesapeake in a little putt-putt plane. Visit BV via her web site, bvlawson.com. No ticket required Trained as a concert pianist, Scott Drayco was forced to give it up after a violent carjacking permanently damaged his arm. Deciding to follow in his estranged father's footsteps, he became an FBI agent-turned private crime consultant, earning the reputation of being brilliant and sometimes unorthodox. "Lawson's protagonist is greatly compelling." - Publishers Weekly Book Prize. Will make you want to keep reading long past your bedtime!

A mysterious music puzzle. A murdered co-ed. Sinister secrets. Three years ago, Scott Drayco left the FBI after an incident involving his partner, Mark "Sarg" Sargosian. Now a freelance crime consultant, Drayco often helps law enforcement on cases, but he never imagined his estranged former partner would turn up on his doorstep, pleading for Drayco's help. A co-ed at an elite Washington, D.C., private college has been murdered, and the victim's friend - Sarg's own daughter Tara - might be the next target. The killer left behind a puzzling music code at the crime scene, and Drayco soon learns he has two things in common with the murdered girl - a music background and synesthesia. The case takes an even stranger turn after a second murder and a second music code, with signs pointing toward a possible ritualistic killing. Then, Drayco himself starts receiving coded messages and finds himself locked in a deadly game with a madman where only one of them may come out alive. PRAISE FOR THE SCOTT DRAYCO MYSTERY SERIES "Lawson's protagonist is greatly compelling." - Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize "Worth putting on your reading list." - Library Journal "BV Lawson has created a memorable character in Drayco, a concert pianist turned FBI agent, turned crime consultant. He also has the fascinating condition of synesthesia, which not only adds a mysterious depth to his character it is integral to the plot." - Big Als Books & Pals

Can a piece of music be cursed?When a young marine biologist is found dead of suicide, his father can't believe he took his own life and hires crime consultant Scott Drayco to prove it was murder. But what of the strange song found with the young man's body-the same song linked to a piano sonata that led to a wave of suicides in Hungary in the 1930s?As Drayco digs deeper, he finds even more unusual aspects of the case not easily explained: the victim's missing cellphone; his "Gang of Five" friends and their interest in the Akashic Records spiritual philosophy; and the gun used by the victim that was mysteriously stolen from a friend's car.Drayco fears a tragic incident from his own past may be clouding his objectivity. After all, the facts point to suicide, case closed. But when Drayco starts suffering from depression himself after playing the sonata, can he really be sure of what's real and what's imagined?The Suicide Sonata is the fifth installment in the acclaimed Scott Drayco mystery series, a finalist for the Shamus, Silver Falchion, and Daphne Awards.PRAISE FOR THE SCOTT DRAYCO SERIES:"Worth putting on your reading list." - The Library Journal"Lawson's protagonist is greatly compelling." - Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize"Lawson's book was so good, I read it twice from beginning to end." - Readers Favorite ReviewsThe complete chronology of the Scott Drayco series for those who enjoy reading in order is:Played to DeathRequiem for InnocenceDies IraeElegy in ScarletThe Suicide SonataSign up for BV Lawson's Mysteries in Crimetime newsletter at bvlawson.com and receive a FREE ebook! Past career hats BV Lawson tried on include maid, super-speedy typist, classical musician, radio announcer, being in TV commercials (for all of one day), research assistant, TV features writer and working for the Discovery Channel. Now a full-time freelance writer, she's penned articles for various publications and won awards for her many published stories and poems.Thanks to the influence of library genes handed down from her mother, she created the blog In Reference to Murder which contains over 3,000 links for mystery readers and writers. She's working on a series of crime fiction novels set in various locations in and around the mid-Atlantic, and when time permits, BV and her husband enjoy flying over Northern Virginia and the Chesapeake in a little putt-putt plane. Visit BV via her web site, bvlawson.com. No ticket required Trained as a concert pianist, Scott Drayco was forced to give it up after a violent carjacking permanently damaged his arm. Deciding to follow in his estranged father's footsteps, he became an FBI agent-turned private crime consultant, earning the reputation of being brilliant and sometimes unorthodox. "Lawson's protagonist is greatly compelling." - Publishers Weekly Book Prize. Will make you want to keep reading long past your bedtime!

Some secrets refuse to stay buried...When Scott Drayco's ex-girlfriend begs him to prove her rich fiancé, Harry Dickerman, is innocent of murder, Drayco's torn; he's suspicious of Harry's motives for wanting to marry a much younger woman, but on the other hand, the man seems to be a paragon of virtue. The police think it's an open-and-shut case - the victim was Harry's ex-wife, killed in Harry's home with his own letter opener, and only Harry's prints were on the murder weapon.But as Drayco digs deeper, he starts to find cracks in that "open-and-shut" case and investigates whether corporate espionage was involved and how a shady attorney figures into the mix. Most puzzling of all, why was the victim living in an mysterious, out-of-the-way commune for Wall Street refugees? And why does the commune seem to be less about peace, love, and brotherhood and more about drugs, sex, and blackmail?With help from his former FBI partner, "Sarg" Sargosian, Drayco uncovers a possible Russian connection that may be key to the mystery. But as he plunges deeper into a cesspool where everyone seems to be guilty of secrets and lies, he's not sure who he can trust ... or whether a deadly dance with the devil will be his undoing. Past career hats BV Lawson tried on include maid, super-speedy typist, classical musician, radio announcer, being in TV commercials (for all of one day), research assistant, TV features writer and working for the Discovery Channel. Now a full-time freelance writer, she's penned articles for various publications and won awards for her many published stories and poems.Thanks to the influence of library genes handed down from her mother, she created the blog In Reference to Murder which contains over 3,000 links for mystery readers and writers. She's working on a series of crime fiction novels set in various locations in and around the mid-Atlantic, and when time permits, BV and her husband enjoy flying over Northern Virginia and the Chesapeake in a little putt-putt plane. Visit BV via her web site, bvlawson.com. No ticket required Trained as a concert pianist, Scott Drayco was forced to give it up after a violent carjacking permanently damaged his arm. Deciding to follow in his estranged father's footsteps, he became an FBI agent-turned private crime consultant, earning the reputation of being brilliant and sometimes unorthodox. "Lawson's protagonist is greatly compelling." - Publishers Weekly Book Prize. Will make you want to keep reading long past your bedtime!

In this prequel novelette to the novel Elegy in Scarlet, crime consultant Scott Drayco and "the world's most diminutive defense attorney" Benny Baskin find themselves on the Eastern Shore of Virginia fighting for the innocence of Baskin's client, who's jailed for the murder of his business partner. Against the backdrop of the Wallops Island rocket launch facility, Drayco soon discovers that the motive for the man's murder might just be out of this world.The Scott Drayco mystery series has been honored by the American Independent Writers, Maryland Writers Association, named Best Mystery in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and been a finalist for the Shamus and Silver Falchion Awards.The complete chronology of the Scott Drayco novel series for those who enjoy reading in order is:Played to DeathRequiem for InnocenceDies IraeElegy in ScarletSign up for BV Lawson's Mysteries in Crimetime newsletter at bvlawson.com and receive a FREE ebook plus BV book updates, crime fiction news, giveaways, and more!PRAISE FOR BV LAWSON'S SCOTT DRAYCO SERIES:"BV Lawson has created a memorable character in Drayco, a concert pianist turned FBI agent, turned crime consultant. He also has the fascinating condition of synesthesia, which not only adds a mysterious depth to his character it is integral to the plot." - Big Als Books & Pals"The storyline here is nicely structured, and creatively ties together two murder mysteries, which occurred decades apart. The small town setting is ideal, the lead character engaging, and the supporting cast interesting and diverse. Overall, a solid start to this series." - Omimystery News"... Kept me guessing until the very end. I'd recommend this book to experienced mystery readers who enjoy wrestling with skillfully placed hints that don't easily reveal their secrets." - Long and Short Reviews"Lawson's book was so good, I read it twice from beginning to end...The citizens of Cape Unity are as diverse and multi-layered as any person living in the large cities, and Lawson portrayed them splendidly." - Reader's Favorite Reviews"Now this story was close to brilliance ... The writing was fluent and the story intriguing, and I loved the end." - IHeartReading Reviews"A nice tight mystery in a realistic setting. Totally enjoyable." - Terrie Farley Moran, author of the Read 'Em and Eat Mysteries Past career hats BV Lawson tried on include maid, super-speedy typist, classical musician, radio announcer, being in TV commercials (for all of one day), research assistant, TV features writer and working for the Discovery Channel. Now a full-time freelance writer, she's penned articles for various publications and won awards for her many published stories and poems.Thanks to the influence of library genes handed down from her mother, she created the blog In Reference to Murder which contains over 3,000 links for mystery readers and writers. She's working on a series of crime fiction novels set in various locations in and around the mid-Atlantic, and when time permits, BV and her husband enjoy flying over Northern Virginia and the Chesapeake in a little putt-putt plane. Visit BV via her web site, bvlawson.com. No ticket required

When the owner of ThinkaToy is found dead just days before Christmas, the holiday spirit shatters. The evidence points to "The Singing Santa," a beloved performer who's the prime suspect, but nothing about the murder adds up.What starts as a bizarre holiday homicide quickly unravels into something darker-corporate shenanigans, hidden grudges, and a trail of money and lies buried beneath the tinsel. As crime consultant Scott Drayco follows the evidence through the glitter and grime, he realizes this case isn't about Christmas at all; it's about secrets, and how far someone is wiling to go to keep them.Justice is never clean, and in this town, not even Christmas is innocent.

Tick tock, you lose. The clock is ticking as crime consultant Scott Drayco and "the world's most diminutive defense attorney," Benny Baskin, play games with a dangerous killer to save an innocent man from going to jail. Why is the killer texting cryptic poems to Drayco about stolen Egyptian figurines, and what do the messages mean? Was the murder a crime of opportunity or was it planned all along for more sinister reasons? Drayco races around Washington, D.C, to find the answers and avoid becoming a puppet as a killer pulls the strings.

From Derringer Award winner BV Lawson come three tales featuring Scott Drayco, a man who had everything going for him: handsome, brilliant, a talented classical pianist in the prime of his youth. After violence scarred him physically and emotionally, he turned to an FBI career for ten years and now freelances as a crime consultant, taking on cases other people often don't want to touch.In THE TRADITION THIEF, first published in "Rope and Wire," Drayco teams up with a Native American sheriff to find the link between stolen artifacts and a suspicious death; In TERROR OF THE MIND BANDIT, a man with dementia thinks the nursing home staff are trying to kill him, and Drayco begins to suspect there may be something to the man's claims; and in OUT OF THE CLOUDS, Drayco discovers murder and revenge at 20,000 feet.