Showing results by narrator "Joe Hempel" in All Categories

When the skeletal remains of a long-missing woman are unearthed in the rolling vineyards of Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills, Detective Thomas Austin is pulled into a case with eerie echoes of the past. The land belongs to one of the region’s most prestigious wineries, and the discovery threatens to shake the industry to its core. Who was she? Why was she murdered? And who buried her beneath the twisting vines of Cabernet Sauvignon? At the same time, across the Puget Sound, a woman vanishes after boarding a cruise ship heading north from Seattle. No sign of struggle. No witnesses.

Twenty years ago Brandon Penny was a criminal prodigy. Today, he’s a broken-hearted movie buff working a dead-end job. But everything is about to change. As a child, Brandon carefully studied his mother and her crew of thieves. Gifted from the start, Brandon was pulling short cons by age six, stealing jewelry by age eight, and orchestrating heists by age eleven. But one night a job went bad, a gun went off, and Brandon’s mother disappeared.

It's not the fall that kills you. Three years ago, the body of an elderly woman was found in the cool waters beneath the Deception Pass Bridge near Whidbey Island, Washigton. Two years later, a deceased man of almost ninety floated onto the pebbly shore of Bremerton, just south of the Manette Bridge. Each case left the authorities puzzled. Were these the final acts of individuals lost to despair, or were they meticulously staged murders? Two inexplicable deaths, two years apart, the cases colder than the waters where the bodies were found.

Amidst the rugged beauty of Oregon's Opal Creek Wilderness, a contestant on a reality survival show falls to his death from an isolated cliff, his body later devoured by black bears. The show's producers are spinning it as a tragic accident, but local police suspect murder. While enjoying a leisurely tour of the Oregon wine country, Detective Thomas Austin is drawn into the mystery when he learns that the deceased is a well-known author who lived minutes from his own home.

When the body of a beloved social media star washes up on the rocky shores of Second Beach, panic spreads through the surrounding coastal community. What was once a peaceful haven is now shrouded in fear, and the locals demand answers. But what begins as a tragic mystery quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Beneath the surface of Washington’s sleepy beach towns lies a hidden underworld—a secretive criminal syndicate that has operated in the shadows for years.

The fourth book in this twisty, fast-paced mystery series, The Horror at Murden Cove locks you on a storm-battered island with a killer whose motive is so deranged, you'll have to listen to this audiobook twice to believe it.

Former NYPD detective Thomas Austin is enjoying a rare date at a monday night football game in Seattle when the evening takes a horrifying turn. A team of merciless terrorists has taken over the stadium by force, blocking cellphone signals and sealing the exits. The terrorists have a single demand: release a high-ranking Al Qaeda operative from a US supermax prison. And they have a simple threat: do so in the next 24 hours or they will blow up the stadium, killing themselves along with tens of thousands of innocent victims.

In the hushed corridors of the Evergreen Memory Care facility, a young nurse's obsession with true crime leads to a chilling discovery. An elderly patient—his memories fading—speaks of unthinkable acts. Is he the Interstate Reaper, a notorious serial killer who terrorized the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s and 1980s? Enter FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D., fresh off their dangerous pursuit of The Color Killer.

In 1979, a florist's lifeless body surfaced in the serene waters of Dyes Inlet, an enchanting estuary connected to the vast Puget Sound. Although the murder was never solved, a sinister heart carved into the victim's back made the case unforgettable. Forty-four years later, history repeats itself as not one, but two more victims are discovered within 48 hours, each bearing the exact same chilling carving in their flesh. The county's darkest mystery is about to be ripped wide open.

Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window. She's young. She's alone. And she's covered in blood.

On Memorial Day, 1992, three decorated navy officers disappeared in the sleepy beach town of Hansville, Washington. Thirty years later, their medals were found in the marshlands of Foulweather Bluff. So were their bones. For private investigator Thomas Austin, this case hits close to home. The son of a JAG lawyer, Austin grew up around the navy. To solve the case, he must piece together clues buried in the marshlands and dark secrets hidden in navy history.

Deep in Washington State's Hoh Rainforest, a young women is found dead, a single sprig of hemlock in her pale, lifeless hand. The killing suggests a ritualistic obsession. The crime scene leaves investigators without a lead. As Special Agent Claire Anderson and FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D. dig into the case, an early breakthrough hints at a motive too twisted to believe. But public pressure mounts as the media turns the Hemlock Killer into a nationwide sensation, fueled by damning leaks from inside Claire's own investigation.

Nestled on the water's edge near Seattle, Medina is the richest zip code in the Pacific Northwest. Luxurious beyond belief, this untouchably powerful enclave is home to many of the wealthiest men and women in America. But when a celebrity tech CEO is found dead at his fiftieth birthday party, suspicion begins to swirl through the community like a mist over Lake Washington.

In the city where he lost everything, he'll stop at nothing to learn the truth. Former NYPD detective Thomas Austin has spent three long years haunted by his wife Fiona's unsolved murder. Three years searching for answers. Three years finding little. Until one lead changes everything.

Thomas Austin was once a prominent NYPD detective, known for locking up a psychopathic serial killer dubbed "The Holiday Baby Butcher". Now retired in a small beach town in the Pacific Northwest, Austin runs a little café, trying to overcome the loss of his wife, a DA who was gunned down only one year ago.

Bella: Meeting him was a fluke. Dating him was a mistake. Watching him become a drug addict put me through hell. Running was my only option. Jackson: I'm running from my demons and when I find out she's trying to escape her past, I know what I have to do. One broken cop. One woman fighting for her life. A fragile love. Sinister secrets that threaten to tear them apart. They've been to hell. The hard part will be finding their way back together.

Private investigator Thomas Austin is enjoying a relaxing holiday vacation in picturesque Port Townsend, Washington, accompanied by an intriguing new friend. But his tranquility is shattered when the nearby community of Mystery Bay is rocked by the death of a revered musician at an infamous counterculture festival: The Rabbit Hole.

When the matriarch of a rich Seattle family dies under suspicious circumstances, private investigator Thomas Austin is on the case. This time, the suspect list is easy.

Beyond simple small talk: what to say and when to say it to be likable, connect, and make a memorable impression. Actionable and applicable verbal maneuvers for just about every phase of conversation - good and bad. Whatever your conversational goal, you’ll find tactics to put you in a winning position - in a literal sense with arguments, and in a figurative sense with making friends. You can never underestimate the power of a simple conversation.

After getting reincarnated as a dungeon, Theodor thought he’d finally get some rest and relaxation. That changed when a bumbling old hero stumbled into him and died, making Theodor the target of adventurers everywhere. Masquerading as a house in the small town of Rosewind, Theo must now do whatever it takes to remain unnoticed… even if it means creating an avatar to interact with people or go on a mission set by the annoying Earl Rosewind!