In the quiet town of White Pines, Chief of Police Mitch Winslow finds his life entangled in a web of crime and desire.
When a string of burglaries plagues the town, all eyes turn to Keller Alden, a young man with a troubled past. As Mitch investigates, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Keller, igniting a forbidden romance. But as the investigation deepens, secrets unravel, and the town’s dark underbelly threatens to expose their love and destroy everything Mitch has worked for.
With danger lurking around every corner, can Mitch solve the crimes and protect the man he loves, or will the truth tear them apart?
A thrilling romance mystery.
General Release Date: 5th May 2026
Mitch
“People are so fed up with you, Winslow, you’ll be chased out of town in tar and feathers. The only good memory you’ll have of White Pines will be the relief you’ll feel watching it disappear in your rearview mirror,” my predecessor, former chief of police Bubba Hatfield, whispered to me.
It was on the heels of him loudly complaining to other diner patrons about the string of White Pines business break-ins. As he reached the exit of the establishment, he called out to the onlookers, “Miss me yet?” To my dismay, a few of the customers shouted “Yes” or nodded to show they did.
Unlike Bubba Hatfield’s predecessor, my friend Adam Tilson, Hatfield had been a terrible boss as well as head of our department. He had been recruited by the former mayor, Jeb Alcott, to do his bidding, including employing abhorrent practices such as racial profiling. More important to Alcott, once Adam was forced to resign as chief, Hatfield shut down our investigation into charges of corruption in Alcott’s administration. Hatfield always knew I wasn’t his fan, and he hated me even more once Adam unseated Alcott as mayor, fired Hatfield, and appointed me to his role.
“Who could miss him?” Simone, my friend and Central Diner’s best server, mocked as she leaned my way. “He’s the heaviest man in town. I can see him waddling his way here when he’s still blocks away.”
I smirked as I put down a twenty to pay for my coffee. “Now that didn’t sound very Christian.”
Simone placed a hand on her hip and shot me a look of disbelief. “I don’t believe God had anything to do with creating that man, Mitch Winslow. If I had to guess, I’d say he was sent by Satan himself. If he ends up murdered, you’re going to have thousands of potential suspects.”
“And now you’d be at the top of the list,” I pointed out jokingly.
She huffed and wiped her hands on her apron. “Now why would you waste your time interrogating me when you could help the town prepare a celebration parade instead?”
Nobody could hear our conversation, so I didn’t try to rein her in—as if I could anyway. Simone was a force and always had been, even when she was a young black girl who snapped back at the school bullies who had already become bigots. Once she had grown to be a beautiful woman, she disappointed many of those same jugheads when they had the audacity to ask her for a date. She had sometimes joked, though, that if I were straight she might have given me a shot. If I weren’t gay, I would have been honored.
“Not everyone in White Pines would be happy,” I reminded her. “You just saw some people wish they still had Hatfield as chief instead of me. People are frustrated by the increase in business break-ins, and I understand that. I’m meeting with Adam later to make another plea for more security cameras in town. These punks use the cold of winter to their advantage, wearing black ski masks and coats, making themselves unrecognizable to potential witnesses. Because of their gloves, they don’t leave fingerprints. Then they hot-tail it on foot so there’s never a car-sighting to help track their identity. By the time my team or I respond to a scene, there’s nothing but broken windows or doors, missing loot and people shaking their heads.”
“Hmph,” Simone huffed. “Maybe instead of complaining, the business owners should invest in better security and their own cameras. That’s what Clem is doing.” Clem was the owner of Central Diner. “You can’t be everywhere. You’d think folks would give you credit for how all the other crimes in town are way down. A reporter just talked about the big drop in drug-related problems on the local news last night. Why doesn’t Hatfield remind people of that?”
“You know why,” I replied as I put my wallet back in my coat pocket. “Maybe you’re right about Satan’s involvement. I don’t know why my team keeps having such bad luck. Whenever I station one of my officers in an unmarked car at one of the more heavily robbed areas, a hit happens somewhere else that’s totally unexpected. It’s like these thieves have an eye on where we are and what we’re doing. But how could that be if it’s just some gang of low-level criminals?” I shook my head. “If it was a more sophisticated operation, though, why wouldn’t they be involved in bigger things than merchandise from little businesses in White Pines?”
“You’ll get them,” Simone assured me. “Their luck will run out.”
I drained the last of my coffee and placed the cup on the table. “Or my time will. Adam is a friend, but he’ll need to bow to the pressure of removing me soon if I can’t get results.”
Simone frowned. “Now don’t get down on yourself, Mitch. I’m going to get people talking about all the good things you’ve accomplished. You’ve rebuilt relations with the citizens—particularly the disenfranchised people of color who were treated badly by Hatfield. You put a couple of the largest drug suppliers in the area behind bars, and nobody is waking up anymore to news about cops abusing citizens.”
“Simone, you know better than anyone that when people think you’re a DEI hire, there’s no room for mistakes. Some folks in town will never be happy that White Pines has a gay chief of police promoted into position by the town’s bisexual mayor.”
“Which is them ignoring facts,” Simone objected. “You were the guy on the force with the most years of service in town and in uniform. Your record is spotless. Passing you over, like the former mayor did, was what deserved criticism.”
“Thanks for the morale boost,” I replied before rising from my chair and putting on my jacket.
“Wait, I’ll get your change,” Simone said with a hand on my shoulder. “There’s no way you’re leaving me a seventeen-dollar tip for a cup of coffee.”
“I am,” I countered. “Simone, you give me free coffee all the time.”
“Those were refills,” she reminded me. “Nobody is charged for those.”
“Then I hope they appreciate it as much as I do.” I smiled. “As well as your kindness and friendship.”
Simone hugged me. “You’re sweet, Mitch. Keep your chin up.”
I made my way out of the door to my parked cruiser. I pulled gloves from my pockets and put them on, cursing the unusually cold winter we were having. Normally, we would have had snow on the ground at this time in January, but the season had been as dry as it had been frigid. Not only did it make for a bleak aesthetic but it deprived me and my team of a tool that could have helped us track down the town’s thieves. Even boot prints would have been more than what we had.
I hoped Adam would be able to convince the council to use some of the town’s budget for increased security, but he had met with resistance so far. Although the elected officials were feeling the same pressure I was, there weren’t extra funds to spend. They feared greater reprisals for taking money from the schools, ignoring needed infrastructure repairs, or laying off essential town employees. I was ready to tap into my own savings to purchase the cameras at this point.
Gareth Chris has a degree in English and a minor in Theater / Playwriting. When he isn't writing stories about dashing men overcoming challenging situations, he provides consultative organizational design and executive coaching to international clients. He volunteers his time to local charitable organizations that focus on helping the less fortunate - particularly those needing food and shelter.
Gareth makes his home in the lovely New England area of the United States, where he, family, and friends enjoy the proximity to beaches, mountains, and numerous historical cities and sites.
£4.99 Pre Order
Add to Wishlist
Read a Sample
Send as a Gift
Facebook
Twitter
Newsletter