Jack and Cocoa Mysteries

Chicago homicide detective Jack Church thought returning to northern Minnesota would give him a chance to reconnect with family, mourn the loss of his wife, and figure out what came next. Instead, he finds himself surrounded by small-town secrets, complicated people, and murder scenes that refuse to stay buried beneath the snow.

With the help of Cocoa, a curious chocolate goldendoodle puppy he discovers at a crime scene, Jack is drawn into investigations that test old instincts and force him to confront the people and places he thought he’d left behind for good.

Set in the fictional town of Herring, Minnesota, the Jack and Cocoa Mysteries blend layered mysteries, dry humor, loyal friendships, and emotional depth with the warmth of small-town life. These are stories about ordinary people facing impossible choices, where justice matters, community runs deep, and doing the right thing is rarely simple.

After twenty-two years in Chicago—and the loss of his wife—Jack Church no longer knows where home is.

All Jack wants is a few quiet months in Herring—coffee at his mother’s table, time with the family he has loved mostly from a distance, and a life where nobody needs a detective. His goldendoodle, Coke, is already convinced they belong. Jack isn’t there yet.

He hasn’t even reached town when gunshots crackle over the radio, leaving one of Herring’s most recognizable voices dead.

The investigation also brings Beck Holloway into Jack’s orbit—a quick-witted podcaster already unpopular with Herring’s officials for refusing to leave the Avery Klute case alone. They see a microphone with bad manners. Jack sees a kindred spirit. He has no objection to strong opinions when they’re backed by good work, and Beck quickly proves hers are.

With her talent for getting people to talk, Jack’s steady instincts, Coke’s instant devotion, and a town overflowing with opinions, Dead Air at Bitter Lake offers a warm, lively mystery where the company is every bit as satisfying as the solution.