Caitlin Rother
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Caitlin Rother

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New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 16 books, the latest of which will be released in January 2026. Rother is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of HOOKED, the first in her new "Katrina and Goode" series of thrillers, in a two-book deal with Thomas & Mercer. The new series features investigative reporter Katrina Chopin and surfing homicide detective Ken Goode, who investigate murders in La Jolla, CA, while navigating ethical lines that force them to work independently and a powerful sexual attraction that draws them together. HOOKED will be released in January 2026. (See below for details on NAKED ADDICTION, the prequel to this series.) Coming in June 2025 is a controversial behind-the-scenes investigative exploration of the McStay family murders, titled DOWN TO THE BONE: A Missing Family's Murder and the Elusive Quest for Justice, a narrative nonfiction book that is chock full of new and exclusive details about the case. After the McStay family mysteriously vanished from their house in Fallbrook, CA, in February 2010, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department investigated their disappearance as a missing persons case. They ultimately dropped the search after deciding the family had voluntarily gone to Mexico. When their skeletal remains were found in two shallow graves in the desert eight months later, their deaths became a homicide, investigated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office. Charles "Chase" Merritt, one of two business associates of Joseph McStay, was arrested a year later, and was sentenced to death in 2020. Merritt, his defense attorneys and family, and others who believe the investigations and trial were flawed due to confirmation bias, claim he was wrongly convicted. (Citadel/June 2025) Rother's other recent title is a significantly updated edition of BODY PARTS, the true story of Wayne Adam Ford, a serial killer who killed four troubled women, then did the rare deed of turning himself in before he could kill again. This new edition includes 10,000 words of new material about the recent identification of his first victim, Kerry Anne Cummings, through forensic genetic genealogy. Ford dismembered Kerry after murdering her in 1987, rendering her unidentified for 25 years. Today, her family has closure and Kerry Anne Cummings has her name back. (Citadel Press/February 2025) Also recently published is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case, about the mysterious death of Rebecca Zahau at the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado, which was deemed a suicide by authorities, but as a murder by a civil jury and the Zahau family. (Citadel Press/2021) The extensively revised and updated edition of DEAD RECKONING (WildBlue Press/2019) contains 30 pages of fresh material since the original 2011 release. This is the authoritative book on the murders of Tom and Jackie Hawks, who were tied to the anchor of their yacht and thrown overboard--alive, as well as the slaying of Jon Jarvi, all by transgender killer Skylar Deleon. Deleon, who has legally changed her name and gender to female, is housed on death row in San Quentin, a men's prison. In 2018, Rother released HUNTING CHARLES MANSON (HarperCollins/Nelson Books), a hardcover co-authored with Lis Wiehl, which came out in trade paperback in June 2019. Also available in audio. Also in 2018, Rother released her mini-memoir, titled, SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES: A story of hardship and healing. The book chronicles her relationship and marriage, which ended in her husband's suicide. Her other titles are LOVE GONE WRONG (Kindle), THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER, I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU, NAKED ADDICTION, LOST GIRLS, POISONED LOVE, DEADLY DEVOTION, BODY PARTS, TWISTED TRIANGLE, and MY LIFE, DELETED. LOVE GONE WRONG is an e-book collection of 10 true crime stories from South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, also available as Kindle shorts by the state where the murders occurred: A COMPLICATED WOMAN (South Carolina), DEAD ON DELIVERY (Georgia) and KILL HIM SOME MORE (Florida). THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER (Kensington/Pinnacle, 2015), is a story of blood money, sex addiction, manipulation and murder in a small mountain town in Arizona, and a roller coaster ride to justice. This complex legal tale involves a deep love gone wrong between Carol Kennedy--a peaceful, loving mother of two, artist and therapist--and her "soulmate" ex-husband Steve DeMocker, an investment broker. DeMocker's family believes he was wrongly convicted for Carol's murder, which occurred just 35 days after their divorce was finalized. His appeal also has been rejected. Rother's debut crime novel, NAKED ADDICTION (WildBlue Press, 2014), unveils a lethal confluence of sex, drugs and the murder of young-beauty school entrepreneurs that oozes into the wealthy beach community of La Jolla. Undercover narcotics detective Ken Goode confronts his own demons as he investigates these homicides, which are complicated by a drug ring, an escort service, a seductive witness, and fears that his missing sister could be the next murder victim. UPDATE: An audio book of this title was just released in 2015. I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU is the true story behind the cold case murder of multimillionaire entrepreneur Bill McLaughlin in Newport Beach, Calif., by his femme fatale fiancee, Nanette Johnston Packard, and her NFL-linebacker lover, Eric Naposki. (Kensington, 2014) One of Rother's most controversial true crime books is LOST GIRLS, a behind-the-scenes account of the rape and murder of San Diego area teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois by sexual predator John Gardner (Kensington, 2012). Her New York Times bestseller, MY LIFE, DELETED, is the inspirational memoir of former NFL player Scott Bolzan, who rebuilds his life after suffering a brain injury and losing his entire long-term memory. She co-authored the book with Scott and his wife Joan. (HarperOne, 2011) The updated POISONED LOVE (Kensington, 2011) adds 20 pages of new developments in the Kristin Rossum case, in which the beautiful San Diego toxicologist was convicted of poisoning her husband with powerful narcotics she stole from her lab at the county Medical Examiner's Office, then staging a suicide scene by sprinkling red rose petals over her husband's body. Rother regularly appears as a TV crime analyst, speaker, and also works as a consulting producer and executive producer. Based on time available, she takes on a limited number of clients as a writing/research book coach and consultant. Before quitting the news biz to write books full-time, Rother worked for 19 years as an investigative reporter for daily newspapers, covering issues ranging from addiction, suicide, mental illness and murder to politics and corruption at City Hall and in Congress. Rother was a staff writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune, which nominated her for a Pulitzer. She has also been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, The Daily Beast and Huffington Post. Her more than 250 international TV, radio and podcast appearances include 20/20, Australia's "World News," "People Magazine Investigates," "Crime Watch Daily," "Nancy Grace," the "Jay Thomas Show," "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren, "Women Who Kill" on E!, "Snapped," and many other shows on Investigation Discovery, HLN, Netflix, Reelz, Oxygen, C-SPAN, and various PBS affiliates. Rother earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from University of California Berkeley and her master's in journalism from Northwestern University. Please visit her website at caitlinrother dot com.
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